Data: The Importance of 'Reliable' Forwards & the Fluctuation Affecting Liverpool

Summer overhaul led to inevitable attacking inconsistency, and numbers back that up

Written on 19/01/2026

When Liverpool made key changes to their forward line during the summer transfer window, people were excited by the new additions and did not complain about the attackers who departed.

Five months later, the team now looks rather short in that department, with suggestions that the club may need to sign two wingers in the upcoming summer window, depending on the possibility of further departures.

This article examines the changes made last summer, any mistakes that may have been made, the unfortunate circumstances following the sad passing of Diogo Jota, and the numbers behind the fluctuating performances that are affecting both the forward line and the team’s ability to produce elite attacking returns this season.

Before looking at the changes made last summer, let’s go through a couple of tables showing the top two Liverpool forwards for key attacking metrics, including shooting and possession, in the Premier League last season. This will help us identify who the most ‘reliable’ forwards were for Arne Slot at that time.

*xGOT: Expected Goals on Target | Shooting foot variability: % of Shots from the Weaker Foot

xGOT - xG: measures how much an attacker’s finishing outperforms or underperforms the quality of their chances, accounting for shot placement on goal.

Out of the eight key shooting metrics shown above, Mohamed Salah featured in five of them as one of the top two Liverpool forwards last season. Jota appeared in four of those metrics, while Luis Díaz featured in three.

This highlights how important Salah was in generating shots, getting them on target, and maintaining a high overall shot quality (as indicated by the difference between xGOT and xG). Cody Gakpo featured in two of the metrics, having overperformed his non-penalty xG and shown strong shooting efficiency last season.

Ball Loss %: Percentage of touches leading to a loss of possession of any kind.

Out of the nine key possession metrics relating to chance-creation, take-ons, and other attacking actions, Díaz featured in seven of them as one of the top two Liverpool forwards. This highlights how important the Colombian was in open-play chance-creation, take-ons and success of them, carries into the box, initiating attacks, and retaining possession effectively in the final third and beyond.

Salah appeared in six of these metrics, reflecting his exceptional season in key chance-creation categories, as well as his high volume of touches in the opposition box.

Looking at the two tables above, it is clear that Díaz and Salah were key components of Liverpool’s attack in the Premier League last season. While the latter produced extraordinary numbers, the former stood out for his positional versatility and strong work on the ball, even if his final product was not as effective as some of his teammates (still decent, though).

What happened over the summer? Díaz (28 at the time) was sold following a very good offer from Bayern Munich (around €75 million), while Salah turned 33. Darwin Núñez also had to be sold, as in three seasons at Anfield he had not done enough to warrant another opportunity (with all due respect). In addition, the passing of Jota meant Liverpool were without three forwards from last season.

What did they do? They signed Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak, with the latter arriving at the end of the transfer window without any pre-season football. Florian Wirtz was also brought in to supplement the forward line.

Of the two key forwards from last season, Díaz was sold and Salah was predictably slowing down. As a result, Slot had to find new players to step up, both to score goals and to perform well across other key metrics.

Let’s repeat the exercise we did by showing last season’s tables for the current season and see where we are at.

Ekitiké features in six of the eight metrics, which is understandable given that he is currently Liverpool’s leading number nine. The Frenchman is creating plenty of shots, maintaining good shooting quality, and performing well on non-penalty xG.

Gakpo appears in four of the metrics. While his goal contribution numbers are decent (eight, second only to Ekitiké among Liverpool players this season), the Dutchman’s overall performance and shooting quality have declined compared to last season.

From being in five of these metrics last season, Salah has dropped to three this time around.

The rest of this article is for paid subscribers (only £3.50 to access at least six data-driven breakdowns, player and team analysis, scout reports per month; £4 off for an annual subscription).