04/03/2026

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | MAR 4, 2026

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Goal-shy Reds Salah, Isak have failed to reach the heights of last season but Liverpool’s problems are not only because of them

Ű BY RICHARD JOLLY

their expected goals by 4.77 and 3.29 respectively. Now they have under performed them, Salah by 2.78. The Egyptian’s xG per 90 minutes has halved, from 0.73 to 0.36. His shot count is down, but not as dramati cally. For Isak, semi-fit for some of his time on the pitch with Liverpool, his shot count is reduced from 2.97 per minutes to 2.60, his xG from 0.68 to 0.48; again, the average quality of the chance is not as high. In the rest of the forward line, the evidence is mixed. Chiesa and Ngumoha have overperformed their xG and have excellent goal-per-min ute ratios, but have one League start between them. Ekitike and Gakpo have underper formed theirs; but, in the Frenchman’s defence, he was perhaps not bought to be the top scorer in his debut season and he is. When the final whistle blew on Saturday, only three players had more Premier League goals. Go back a year, meanwhile, and Gakpo and Diaz could call themselves clinical, each with a goal tally that exceeded his xG. The late Jota and, unsurprisingly, Nunez had fewer than the statistics suggested they should. A year ago, Liverpool’s attacking numbers – goals, xG – were far and away the best. Now they stand fourth, or close to it, in most markers. Some it comes down to chance creation. Their six forwards have 15 Premier League assists now. A year ago, Salah had 17 on his own, the oth ers 11 between them. Salah’s shift from unstoppable to unexpectedly impotent has come quicker than envisaged; indeed, Liverpool scored five goals on Saturday without him scoring or assisting. Isak’s injuries and ineffectiveness are another factor in a drop-off. If Ekitike should be exempt from much of the criticism, Slot’s verdict probably still stands. Twenty-six goals from their forwards is not really enough. – The Independent

O N FRIDAY, Arne Slot consid ered the number of League goals Liverpool’s forwards have scored this season and said simply: “That is not enough.” If the message was conveyed pri vately to his players, they were swift to provide the right kind of answer. Hugo Ekitike scored inside five minutes against West Ham on Saturday. Cody Gakpo ended his own drought. As no Liverpool attacker had found the net in their previous three Premier League matches, it was a step in the right direction. And yet Slot’s overall analysis probably still rings true to him: Liverpool, who spent £200 million (RM1.05b) on strikers last year, have too few goals from the front three. Certainly they have a lot fewer than last year. After 28 League matches of last season, Liverpool’s six main forwards had 51 goals. Now that number is down to 26, little more than half. Some of the explanation lies in the breakdown of who has scored – or, this season, who has not. - 2024-25 (first 28 League games only): Mohamed Salah 25, Luis Diaz 9, Gakpo 8, Diogo Jota 5, Darwin Nunez 4, Federico Chiesa 0. - 2025-26: Ekitike 11, Gakpo 6, Salah 4, Chiesa 2, Alexander Isak 2, Rio Ngumoha 1. There is a case for adding Florian Wirtz into the equation, given that he was the third major attack-minded signing last year and that some of his minutes have come when playing on the wings, though the majority have come as a No. 10. If so, the 2025/26 forwards tally goes up to 30. It may be simplifying matters but the drop-off can be traced to two play ers: Salah and Isak. Even by the Egyptian’s standards, he was scoring at a remarkable rate in the first two thirds of last season, averaging a goal every 99 minutes, allying them with 17 assists. His numbers had tailed off even LIVERPOOL boss Arne Slot said yester day that the growing reliance on set pieces in the Premier League has sucked some of the joy out of football but accepts it is the new reality. Last season’s champions struggled with dead-ball situations both defen sively and in attacking areas earlier in the campaign. But seven of their past nine Premier League goals have come from set pieces, including three following corners in Saturday’s 5-2 win against West Ham at Anfield. Premier League leaders Arsenal are renowned as the set-piece kings and on Monday scored their 16th goal from a corner this season – equalling the league record. “First of all, you have to accept it. I think it’s mainly here in the Premier League,“ Slot told reporters yesterday. “If I watch other leagues, I don’t think there’s so much emphasis on set pieces.” The Liverpool manager said he felt goalkeepers in the Premier League were given less protection by match officials than those in other leagues such as the Dutch top division. “Here you can almost hit a goal keeper in his face and the referee still says just go on,“ said the Dutchman. “Do I like it? My football heart doesn’t like it.”

averages one every 429. Each may be paying a penalty for Liverpool’s lack of spot-kicks. Slot is aware it is a factor. Liverpool got nine, the joint most in the division, last year. So far this, they have been awarded two, the joint fewest, and Dominik Szoboszlai missed one of those. But Salah and Isak’s numbers are down in other respects. Twelve months ago, they had overperformed

season, the Swede had 19 goals in the division. At one every 109 minutes, he was almost in Salah territory. If some of Liverpool’s thinking was that, as Salah got older, Isak would assume the goalscoring mantle, his fragile fitness means he has not yet. A broken leg accounts for his absence now, incurred a fraction of a second after scoring just his second Premier League goal. They have come in 519 minutes. Salah, meanwhile,

before the end of a campaign that ended with him anointed PFA Player of the Year and Footballer of the Year. Now, however, Salah has his small est return at the start of March in his time at Anfield. He has gone four months – albeit interrupted by a spell on the bench and the African Cup of Nations – with out a Premier League goal. Then there is Isak. After Newcastle had played 28 top-flight games last

Slot not a fan of set-piece trend

Dalot wants Devils to keep Maguire DIOGO DALOT believes it will be “no problem” for Manchester United to keep Harry Maguire as he hailed the former captain as one of the best central defenders in the Premier League. Maguire, who turns 33 this very happy with him.” Dalot helped United beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Sunday to go into the top three for the first time this season, and the Portugal full back said a year out of Europe should show how much it matters to them. He added: “I think seasons like

the set-piece trend was here to stay. “Maybe in five or 10 years’time things will change again, but I wouldn’t

Slot said he used to look forward to watching the great Barcelona side of Pep Guardiola, who were renowned for their silky, possession-based football. “Now, most of the games I

be surprised if you go to an U 16 game somewhere... I wouldn’t be surprised if you see teams completely being focused, 16-year-olds on set pieces,“ he said.

see in the Premier League are not for me a joy to watch,“ he said. “But it’s always interest ing because it’s so competi tive, and that is what makes this league great, because there’s so much competitive ness, everyone can beat e v e r y - one.” Slot s a i d

week, is out of contract in June and United risk losing an £80 million (RM420m) signing on a free trans fer if a new deal cannot be agreed. The England international only made four League starts this sea son before Michael Carrick took over, but he has begun all seven matches since. Carrick has praised Maguire and fellow defender Dalot urged United to keep the former Leicester, Hull and Sheffield United player. He said: “I think he’s been show ing during his career how strong he is mentally and physically and when he is in a good state of mind, and when he’s good physically with a good run of games I think is one of the best centrebacks in the League. “So I’m pretty sure that if he shows a good level, if it helps the team, it will be no problem for the club to keep him. “It’s not my decision; ultimately, it will be between them. But we’re

this are good for you to know that when you’re playing Europa League and especially Champions League, those are the best years, those are best seasons. “This year we play 40 games because we came out of the cup even in the early stage, so this is nowhere near what the club should be, and the competitions that we should play in. That’s the goal.” Veteran midfielder Casemiro has already announced this will be his last season with United and the Brazilian’s impending exit only adds to the value of Maguire’s experience within the squad. “Experience is massive,” Carrick saidd. “It’s hard to put a price on how valuable that can be. Harry has gained an awful lot of experi ence with this club. Case leaving is another one and we have to under stand what that means.” – The Independent/Agencies

“That’s the new real ity, and I have my opin ion about it, but it doesn’t change.” – AFP

Arne Slot