Liverpool has been prolific in creating chances during the 2023/24 Premier League season, leading in expected goals. The Reds’ xG per 90 average of 2.29, with 11 players on the field, is a remarkable figure only surpassed three times in the last seven seasons of top-flight football in England.

A key factor in Liverpool’s attacking prowess is their ability to create significant scoring opportunities, known as Opta-defined big chances. They have averaged 3.29 big chances per league match this season, ranking as the joint-sixth most from the 260 team seasons in the Premier League from 2011/12 onwards.

Mohamed Salah has been the chief architect, leading the Premier League in big chances created with 17, closely followed by Trent Alexander-Arnold with 13. Salah’s creative efforts per 90 minutes are surpassed only by Kevin De Bruyne in the last two seasons.

However, in recent games where both Salah and Alexander-Arnold were unavailable, Liverpool experienced a creative dip, failing to register big chances in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Fulham and the away match at Craven Cottage. The absence of these key players has highlighted a potential concern for Liverpool’s creative output.

While Darwin Núñez has contributed by creating nine big chances this season, the concern lies with Luis Díaz and Cody Gakpo, who collectively have created fewer big chances than Conor Bradley, a young full-back. With Salah receiving seven of Núñez’s big chances, the absence of the star players impacts the overall creative output.

Díaz and Gakpo, who joined mid-season, have not yet matched their Eredivisie and Primeira Liga creative numbers from the previous seasons. While their adaptation to the higher standard of opposition is understandable, the data suggests that they need to enhance their creative contributions, especially when playing alongside top recipients like Núñez and Salah.

While not a make-or-break issue for Liverpool’s current campaign, manager Jürgen Klopp may need to consider adjusting the front three to include only one of Díaz or Gakpo until their creative performances improve.