Following Liverpool's Champions League elimination by Paris St-Germain, Arne Slot expressed his disappointment in the team's inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities. This season, Liverpool has struggled with converting chances into goals, with a significant underperformance in terms of Expected Goals. Slot pointed out that the team's lack of clinical edge in the final third has been a recurring issue.
Despite creating 1.92 Expected Goals against PSG, Liverpool failed to score. The team's xG conversion rate in the Champions League has been particularly poor, with Liverpool scoring 24 goals from 27.8xG, the largest underperformance among quarter-finalists.
However, in the Premier League, Liverpool's goals total is only 0.65 below their xG total. The team has missed 59 of 86 clear-cut openings in the top flight, with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk being among the players who have underperformed in terms of their individual xG totals.
Injuries have also plagued the team, with Alexander Isak struggling to recover from a broken leg and other key players like Hugo Ekitike and Alisson missing game time due to injuries. Slot has also been critical of the officials, citing several instances where decisions have gone against his team, including a controversial VAR call in the PSG game.
With Liverpool facing a trophyless season, the pressure is on Slot to secure a top-five finish in the league and qualify for the Champions League next season. Despite the challenges, Slot remains optimistic about the team's future, given the quality of young players they have brought in.