FPL

The FPL half-term report: Liverpool

All 20 Premier League clubs’ seasons so far are analysed as the countdown to the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) restart continues.

In this Half-Term Report series, we look at which FPL players and teams are graduating with honours and who needs to repeat a year.

FPL bosses get unlimited transfers before Gameweek 17, so these articles will hopefully help you pinpoint some key targets for the Boxing Day resumption.

Here, we focus on Liverpool, who have already lost four league games and drawn four, leaving them 15 points off leaders Arsenal.

ATTACK: SEASON SO FAR

TotalRank v other clubs (adjusted per game)
Goals scored284th
Shots2402nd
Shots in the box1811st
Shots on target871st=
Big chances452nd
Expected goals (xG)24.593rd
Non-penalty expected goals (NPxG)24.593rd

Liverpool have been ridiculously inconsistent this season, yet their underlying attacking numbers are very good.

Yes, nine of the 28 goals they’ve scored arrived in one match against Bournemouth back in Gameweek 4, but that only accounts for 3.32 of their expected goals (xG) total, which is the third best in the division behind only Manchester City and Arsenal on a per game basis.

They also finished particularly strongly before the World Cup break, scoring five goals against Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, a period which saw them rack up eight big chances. They also averaged the best minutes-per-NPxG figure (56.00) in the division from Gameweeks 11-16:

Above: How Liverpool compare to other Premier League sides for minutes per NPxG across 2022/23 (click to expand)

There has been a bit of bad fortune, too, having hit the woodwork six times in 2022/23, more than any other side bar Newcastle United. Of these, three have come via Darwin Nunez (£9.0m) shots.

With six of their first nine post-restart matches on the road, it’s also worth noting that their minutes-per xG tally is 66.1 away from home, compared to 48.8 at Anfield. Still, it’s the fourth-best tally in the division, so there is hope they can improve upon their current record of just over one goal per game in away matches.

DEFENCE: SEASON SO FAR

TotalRank v other clubs (adjusted per game)
Goals conceded176th=
Clean sheets413th=
Shots conceded1414th
Shots in the box conceded1036th
Shots on target conceded6313th
Big chances conceded4018th=
Expected goals conceded (xGC)19.8814th
Non-penalty expected goals conceded (NPxGC)17.5110th

Liverpool’s underlying defensive numbers are a bit of a mixed bag, with the big chances conceded column causing the most concern. In terms of the volume of shots allowed, there isn’t much wrong, it’s just that 28.4% of the efforts they have conceded so far have been deemed ‘big chances’ by Opta.

After a solid enough start, standards slipped, which we can see via their minutes-per-NPxGC averages:

Above: How Liverpool compare to other Premier League sides for minutes per NPxGC across 2022/23 (click to expand)

But for the excellence of goalkeeper Alisson (£5.5m), things could have been much worse. He’s often been left exposed by Liverpool’s backline this season but has pulled off many outstanding saves.

Above: Opta’s xG Prevented metric places Alisson top among all Premier League goalkeepers

Jurgen Klopp will now hope the return of Joel Matip (£5.9m) can help tighten up the Reds’ backline, with his partnership with Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) key to their defensive prospects moving forward. If they can hit top form upon the Premier League’s resumption, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) and Andrew Robertson (£6.8m) could still yet have a role to play in our FPL seasons.

BIGGEST GOAL THREATS



103 Comments Post a Comment
  1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    Draft #1337, this is the one!

    Ward Iversen
    James Trippier Shaw White Patterson
    Salah KDB Rashford Martinelli Almiron
    Haaland Darwin Greenwood

    1. Bggz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      i like it, similar to what im thinking

  2. rozzo
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    Hows this?

    Ederson Ward
    Trippier White Dalot Patterson Neco
    Salah KDB Martinelli Almiron Andreas
    Haaland Darwin Mitrovic

    Defence a bit weak?

    1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      Neco -> Walker? If you downgraded Ederson to Kepa for 3xample

  3. Kane Train
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    When do player prices start changing again?

    1. Wild Rover
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      Overnight 26th/27th

      1. Bggz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 1 month ago

        do we know if theyll start from 0?

  4. premierleaguesgreatestevert…
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    Threw this three-mium together, thoughts pls...

    Kepa (Ward)

    Trippier Saliba Dalot (Botman Patterson)

    KDB Salah Odegaard Almiron Andreas

    Haaland Nunez (Solanke)

  5. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    Not many cancelo in drafts. Think he's overpriced?

    1. premierleaguesgreatestevert…
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      That seems to be the general consensus

  6. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    Bit different

    Kepa
    James White Dalot Walker
    Salah De Bruyne Bruno
    Haaland(c) Darwin Mitro

    Ward Patterson Summerville Andreas

    1. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      Saka not Salah

  7. Philip Jones's Diary
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    Is Bueno nailed for Wolves?

    1. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      No Bueno

  8. footballfreak
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    A. Rashford or B. Mount?

    1. Bggz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      r

  9. WibblesTeam
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    If all are fit, which is better?

    A) Kepa Gabriel
    B) Ramsdale James

    1. footballfreak
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      A

    2. Bggz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      a

    3. Mark Colonel
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      James fit is always tempting

  10. Bggz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    Whos going to start in goal for Chelsea?

    1. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      It would be good to know whether Kepa played today v Brentford. Hopefully Potter will say something at press conference on whether he is available

      1. NATSTER
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 1 month ago

        It's 3 periods of 45 minutes. I don't think we can read much from this friendly game.

  11. Mark Colonel
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    Please rate which team looks better :

    TEAM 1 formation 3-4-3 :

    Pope ( Ward )
    Cancelo - Trippier - James ( Neco Williams - Patterson )
    Salah - Kulu - Martinelli - Rashford ( Pereira )
    Haland - Nunez - Mitro / Nketiah

    TEAM 2 formation 4-4-2

    Ramsdale ( Ward)
    Robertson - Cancelo - Trippier - James
    Salah - Kulu - Martinelli - Foden
    Haaland - Mitro

    1. sirmorbach
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      A for me

    2. Bggz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      youre missing some of 2 but i like 1

    3. NATSTER
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      1 for me

  12. sirmorbach
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    Please, friends, Team A or B or neither?

    Team A:
    Ward (Iversen)
    Cancelo, Trippier, Saliba (Dalot, Patterson)
    Salah, Maddison, Martinelli, Almirón (Summerville)
    Haaland, Kane, Mitrovic

    Team B:
    Pope (Ward)
    Cancelo, VVD, Trippier, Saliba (Bueno)
    Salah, Maddison, Martinelli, Almirón (Summerville)
    Haaland, Kane (Greenwood)

    1. Bggz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      a

  13. Bggz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    OK RMT

    (Ward) Arriza
    White, Dalot, Perraud, Trippier (Nico)
    Martinelli, KDB, Rashford, Salah, (Andreas)
    Mitrović, Toney, Haaland

    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      nice

  14. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    not sure how good ths team is?

    ward (iversen)
    cancelo trippier james (white paterson)
    salah maddison martinelli almiron (andreas)
    haaland darwin mitro

    thank you 🙂

    1. Bggz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      looks good

      1. Ajax Hamsterdam
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 1 month ago

        cheers.

  15. boroie
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 1 month ago

    Thoughts?

    Kepa
    Cancelo James Trippier
    Salah Kulusevski Martinelli Rashford
    Haaland Darwin Martial

    Ward; White Andreas Bueno

    1. Herger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      Some posting history you got there

    2. Bennerman
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 1 month ago

      I've got a load of thoughts but can't get rid. Anyone know a good home?