Following Liverpool's Champions League exit at the hands of Paris St-Germain, we examine Arne Slot's reasoning for the Reds' struggles this season. Slot has consistently lamented Liverpool's inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities, and Tuesday's match was no exception, with the team notching 1.92 Expected Goals but failing to find the net. Slot stated, "Unfortunately, it's one of the many examples of this season where we weren't able to score from the many chances we had. Again, we were so far underperforming in terms of xG and that is just an ongoing thing with us throughout the whole season." This underperformance is particularly evident in the Champions League, where Liverpool scored 24 goals from 27.8xG, the largest underperformance among quarter-finalists.
However, their Premier League performance tells a different story, with their goals total only 0.65 below their xG total. The issue of missed big chances persists, with Liverpool having the second-worst conversion rate of Opta-defined big chances in the Premier League this season. The team has missed 59 of 86 clear-cut openings in the top flight, with players like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk being among the worst offenders. Injuries have also hindered the team's performance, with Alexander Isak struggling with a broken leg and other key players like Hugo Ekitike, Alisson, and Conor Bradley missing game time due to various injuries.
Slot expressed frustration at not being able to use his preferred attacking trio of Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Ekitike together often enough. The Dutchman also criticized the officials, citing the overturning of a penalty awarded to Alexis Mac Allister as another example of decisions going against his side.
He referenced previous instances, including a Brentford penalty awarded after a VAR check and a Leeds penalty awarded after the referee consulted the monitor. Despite the setbacks, Slot remains optimistic about the team's future, citing the quality of young players like Ryan Gravenberch, Ekitike, Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez. However, the pressure is on to secure a top-five finish in the league and guarantee a Champions League spot for next season.