I love a good Liverpool statistic.
Sometimes the numbers tell you something you haven’t necessarily noticed while watching the games.
And there are already some really interesting statistics emerging from Liverpool’s opening weeks under Andoni Iraola.
The Reds have won two and drawn three of their opening five Premier League games, leaving them unbeaten going into the international break.
But there’s much more to this Liverpool team than the league table suggests.
So I had a look through some of the numbers and picked out a few that really caught my eye.
1. Isak has already beaten last season’s Premier League goal tally
Let’s start with the obvious one.
Alexander Isak has scored four Premier League goals in his first five appearances.
That’s already more than he managed in the whole of the previous Premier League campaign, when he scored three goals in 14 appearances for Liverpool.
And that’s particularly impressive when you consider that Liverpool’s attacking play still hasn’t completely clicked.
Isak has scored against Nottingham Forest, twice at Ipswich and then the winner at Bournemouth.
Four goals.
Five league games.
Imagine what his numbers could look like if Liverpool eventually start producing the kind of attacking football Iraola wants.
2. Liverpool have kept three consecutive Premier League clean sheets
This is probably my favourite statistic.
Liverpool conceded twice against both Newcastle and Nottingham Forest in their first two league games.
Since then?
Ipswich 0-2 Liverpool.
Liverpool 0-0 Fulham.
Bournemouth 0-1 Liverpool.
Three consecutive clean sheets.
Opta notes that it’s Liverpool’s longest run without conceding in the Premier League since they kept four in a row between May and September 2024.
That’s quite a turnaround.
And it fits with what we’ve been seeing under Iraola.
The attack is still finding its feet.
But defensively, Liverpool are beginning to look much more difficult to break down.
3. Liverpool have only conceded four goals in five league games
The Reds have scored seven and conceded just four in their opening five Premier League matches.
That means Liverpool are averaging:
1.4 goals scored per game
and
0.8 goals conceded per game.
That’s another reason why I think the defensive improvement shouldn’t be overlooked just because we’re all desperate to see the attack explode.
Iraola appears to be building his foundation from the back.
And perhaps that’s exactly what Liverpool need right now.
4. Isak has four goals despite Liverpool scoring only seven
This one really jumps out at me.
Liverpool have scored seven Premier League goals.
Isak has scored four of them.
That’s more than half of Liverpool’s league goals so far.
It tells you just how important the Swedish striker has already become.
It also shows why getting the attacking structure right around him is so important.
If Liverpool can start creating more consistently, Isak could be the biggest beneficiary.
5. Gakpo has already provided three Premier League assists
Cody Gakpo’s numbers deserve plenty of attention too.
According to the current player data, Gakpo has three Premier League assists, including two in the 2-0 win at Ipswich.
Then at Bournemouth he played a major role in the winning goal, driving forward before the ball eventually reached Isak.
That’s why I’ve been saying that Gakpo has been one of Liverpool’s best attacking players so far.
He’s not just waiting for chances to come to him.
He’s helping create them.
6. Virgil van Dijk is one of the Premier League’s biggest passers
Here’s one that probably won’t surprise Liverpool supporters.
After five games, Van Dijk has completed 422 passes in the Premier League.
That’s the third-highest total in the division, behind Manchester City’s Rúben Dias and Elliot Anderson.
That’s another indication of how important Van Dijk remains to the way Liverpool build from the back.
He’s not simply defending.
He’s helping start attacks.
And with Liverpool increasingly looking to control games through possession, that ability is hugely valuable.
7. Szoboszlai created three chances against Bournemouth
Dominik Szoboszlai didn’t get on the scoresheet at Bournemouth, but his creative numbers were interesting.
He created three chances, joint-highest for Liverpool alongside Florian Wirtz. He also won nine of his 16 duels.
That’s something worth remembering when judging his performance.
Not everything shows up on the scoresheet.
Szoboszlai was involved.
And his ability to create from midfield could become increasingly important if Liverpool’s forwards start finding their rhythm.
8. Iraola has made Liverpool history
Here’s one I really like.
Andoni Iraola became the first Liverpool manager since Joe Fagan in September 1983 to remain unbeaten in his first five league games in charge, with two wins and three draws.
That’s some company.
Of course, five games is an incredibly small sample size.
But it is still a nice little piece of Liverpool history for Iraola.
And considering the amount of change around the club over the summer, remaining unbeaten while the manager works things out is certainly noteworthy.
9. Liverpool’s attack hasn’t clicked — but they’re still unbeaten
Perhaps this is the biggest statistic of all.
Liverpool haven’t played anywhere near their best football yet.
We’ve seen flashes.
We’ve seen Gakpo creating.
We’ve seen Isak scoring.
We’ve seen Barcola threatening.
We’ve seen Wirtz searching for his best form.
But there hasn’t yet been a game where everything has completely clicked.
And yet Liverpool have still gone unbeaten through five Premier League matches.
That’s encouraging.
Because if the defence remains this solid and the attack eventually starts to click, Liverpool could become a very different proposition.
The numbers tell an interesting story
When you put all these statistics together, I think they paint a pretty clear picture.
Liverpool aren’t finished.
They aren’t the finished article.
There are still plenty of things Iraola needs to sort out.
But there are already some encouraging foundations.
Four Isak goals.
Three consecutive clean sheets.
Only four goals conceded.
Three assists for Gakpo.
422 passes from Van Dijk.
An unbeaten start for Iraola.
And perhaps most importantly, Liverpool still look like a team that has room to improve.
That’s the bit that excites me.
Because if this is Liverpool while they’re still adapting to Iraola’s methods, what happens when it all finally clicks?
That’s what I’m really looking forward to seeing.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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