Visualized: Liverpool 1-0 Stoke [League Cup]

Previous Match Infographics: West Ham (a), Sunderland (a), Leicester (h), Watford (a), West Brom (h), Sion (a), Newcastle (a), Swansea (h), Bordeaux (h), City (a), Crystal Palace (h), Rubin Kazan (a), Chelsea (a), Southampton (h), Rubin Kazan (h), Tottenham (a), Everton (a), FC Sion (h), Aston Villa (h), Norwich (h), Bordeaux (a), Manchester United (a), West Ham (h), Arsenal (a), Bournemouth (h), Stoke (a)

Now that we're at the semi-final stage, WhoScored is finally collecting stats in this competition.


(Nota Bene: Here's the formation diagram usually included in match reviews.)

Back on track.

Unlike in almost all of Liverpool's other matches over the last month, Liverpool were given space to play, space to attack, in the first half. The opposition wanted to take the game to Liverpool, which allowed Liverpool to return the favor when opportunities presented themselves: pressing Stoke into mistakes and attacking at pace. Liverpool started the brighter side and pinned Stoke back early, then settled into more of a counter-attacking groove when Coutinho picked up a 17th-minute injury.

And once Liverpool took the lead, Liverpool were defensively solid, despite multiple injuries, keeping a clean sheet against a full-strength side that had beaten both City and United at home in the last month.

The last time that Stoke failed to score at the Britannia this season was October 24, beaten 0-2 by Watford in the same manner than Watford beat Liverpool a few weeks back. It was just the fourth time Stoke had been held scoreless at home in 12 matches in all competitions: the aforementioned Watford loss, a 0-1 loss to West Brom when down to nine men in August, and now twice by Liverpool.

It wasn't perfect. I'd have preferred if Liverpool hadn't put eight of their last nine shots off-target, including all seven after the opening goal. I'd have preferred if Liverpool hadn't allowed 15 shots, the second-highest total since Klopp became manager. I'd have preferred if Liverpool were more cohesive when counter-attacking, wasting opportunities to find both a first goal earlier or a game-sealing second later.

But it was certainly good enough. Good enough considering Saturday. Good enough considering Liverpool's injuries – both before and during this match. Good enough considering Liverpool were away from home against good opposition. And good enough considering this was a cup semi-final.

Seven shots from Roberto Firmino were his most, by far, since joining Liverpool, replicating Coutinho's volume. And Coutinho's accuracy, unfortunately, with just one of the seven on-target: his first, 33 seconds into the match, from distance when presented the ball by Pieters' error. With seven shots as well as three key passes, Firmino was involved on 10 of Liverpool's 16 shots (62.5%). That's more along the lines of what Liverpool need from the player.

Five key passes from Adam Lallana tied his most since joining Liverpool – he played three against West Brom, Southampton, Kazan, and Sion this season, but had five against Arsenal last season – setting up chances for Firmino (twice), Ibe (twice), and Allen (which led to Liverpool's goal).

It was, as cup performances tend to be, a match for the unheralded. Firmino, Lallana, and Ibe all played well, but Toure, Lucas, Allen, and Milner were my most impressive: the former two in defense, the latter two's work-rate necessary in the second half and with both involved in the build-up to the goal. We'll be debating whether Allen meant that assist for weeks. Or at least until he tells us that he didn't.

Everything good stemmed from Liverpool's initiative in the opening stages, and from that first half attacking performance. Remember how Liverpool lost a 1-0 lead v Southampton in Klopp's third match? It was all those Brendan Rodgers matches – at Bordeaux, v Norwich, v Carlisle, v Sion, at Everton – all over again. But since then, Liverpool have won six and drawn once when scoring first: 1-0 Bournemouth, 1-0 Kazan, 4-1 City, 1-0 Swansea, 2-2 West Brom, 1-0 Leicester, 1-0 Sunderland, and now 1-0 Stoke. We've still seen some sloppy defense and familiar issues at times, but it remains light years better than before, and galaxies better when Liverpool have a lead.

13 of Stoke's 15 shots came after Liverpool scored, but only two were on-target. Only six came in the Danger Zone. None were especially threatening; even Arnautovic's 38th-minute header (block crosses, Liverpool!), classified by Opta as Stoke's only clear-cut chance, wasn't an especially easy opportunity and ended well off-target. Mignolet's save on Johnson's effort just before halftime – unsurprisingly, from a scrambled corner – was the most frightening moment of the match.

And Liverpool did this with Toure (three interceptions, 16 clearances) and Lucas (four tackles, five interceptions) as the center-back pairing for the final hour, while defending that 1-0 lead. Kolo Toure. And Lucas Leiva. Against the likes of Bojan, Shaqiri, Armautovic, Affelay, Walters, Joselu, Crouch, etc.

Of course, it remains one match. One cup match, which are even more likely to be one-off situations. And actually just one leg of a cup tie, with a narrow lead to protect at Anfield in three weeks.

What matters even more is where Liverpool go from here, a situation made extra difficult by injuries to Coutinho and Lovren, joining Sturridge, Henderson, Sakho, Skrtel, Origi, Rossiter, Ings, and Gomez on the sidelines. Add a goalkeeper and that's an arguably better XI than what Liverpool have available.

Defend like this. Work like this. Attack even better. Liverpool's fixture list isn't getting any easier or any lighter.

It's just a start. But at least it's a start.

Liverpool at Stoke 01.05.16

3pm ET, live in the US on BeIN Sports

Last four head-to-head:
1-0 Liverpool (h) 08.09.15
1-6 Stoke (a) 05.24.15
1-0 Liverpool (h) 11.29.14
5-3 Liverpool (a) 01.12.14

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 0-2 West Ham (a); 1-0 Sunderland (a); 1-0 Leicester (h)
Stoke: 1-2 West Brom (a); 4-3 Everton (a); 2-0 United (h)

Previous Rounds:
Liverpool: 6-1 Southampton (a); 1-0 Bournemouth (h); 1-1 Carlisle aet [3-2 pens] (h)
Stoke: 2-0 Sheff Wed (h); 1-1 Chelsea aet [5-4 pens] (h); 1-0 Fulham (a); 1-1 Luton aet [8-7 pens] (a)

Goalscorers (League Cup):
Liverpool: Origi 3; Sturridge 2; Clyne, Ibe, Ings 1
Stoke: Walters 2; Affelay, Bardsley, Crouch 1

Referee: Anthony Taylor

Guess at a line-up:
Mignolet
Clyne Lovren Sakho Moreno
Can
Allen Lallana
Ibe Firmino Coutinho

Another match within three days of the last, another match where changes aren't really possible. Sturridge, Henderson, Origi, and Milner all remain absent, along with all the rest.

Even if Klopp wanted to rotate, there aren't many options. And they're the same options we've mooted and mostly discounted prior to the last few matches. Maybe Allen joins or replaces Lucas in midfield. Maybe Smith or Randall allow Clyne or Moreno a rest.

That Stoke is more likely to challenge Liverpool's dominance in possession, more likely to actually spend stretches attacking rather than focusing on a few counters and set plays, especially at home, might allow to Liverpool to again try Firmino up front in place of Benteke. I doubt we'd see 4-1 at City, but it should go better than 0-3 at Watford. That Benteke had his worst performance in his last three appearances at West Ham suggests fatigue – not that it isn't a team-wide concern – and could be another argument for Firmino up front, seeing as Liverpool don't have any other options at striker.

So let's go with the above guess. The more-mobile Can as the deepest midfield rather than Lucas; Allen and Lallana joining him to form something of a midfield three; Firmino, Ibe, and Coutinho as the front three. Get Coutinho closer to Firmino in hopes that it'll lead to better and more chance creation and final third interplay (and fewer Coutinho shots!), get Firmino further forward, use Ibe as an over-the-top or running-with-the-ball release valve. But a midfield of Lucas and Can behind three from Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana, and Ibe with Benteke up front, again, is probably just as likely. It's not as if any formation or any players have cemented themselves lately.

After two seasons, Mark Hughes' Stoke is finally threatening to become Stoke 2.0. Stoke-alona. At their best, Stoke 2.0 is a reverse mullet: still business at the back, but with a party up front. They're unsurprisingly more vulnerable in defense than under Pulis – recently, conceding three at Everton a week ago and two at West Brom (the winning goal when down to 10 men) on Saturday – but Shawcross is still there, Wollscheid's still there, Pieters is still there, Bardsley and Wilson are still there (even if both rarely start), while Jack Butland has become one of the best keepers in the league. Even Glen Johnson (!!!) has remembered how to play football.

They're a point behind Liverpool in the league, having scored one fewer – which certainly doesn't make them sound like an attacking firepower – and having conceded three fewer. But, with players like Bojan, Shaqiri, Arnautovic, and Affelay, when they actually put it together in attack, look out. Good thing Liverpool's not-at-all-error-prone defense is excellent against fast, tricky dribblers who look to face up and take on defenders, right? At least Klopp's familiar with Arnautovic, Shaqiri, Joselu, Affellay, and Diouf from matches against them with Dortmund.

Unlike Liverpool, Stoke have few injuries to worry about: only Muniesa might have started, with Ireland and Given also out.

Maybe we'll see more rotation because it's the League Cup and everyone has a packed fixture list, but Stoke have had a very set XI lately. If it's the same as it's been, it'll be Butland; Johnson, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters; Cameron, Whelan; Shaqiri, Affelay, Arnautovic; Bojan for the fourth-straight match. Cameron won his appeal of Saturday's red card and will be available.

If Hughes decides to rotate, Van Ginkel or Adam could replace Whelan or Cameron; Walters is an option in any of the attacking positions; Joselu, Crouch, and Diouf are options up front; Wilson and Bardsley are options in defense. Stoke's XI in their last league cup match – a routine 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday – was Butland; Johnson, Wilson, Wollscheid, Pieters; Cameron, van Ginkel; Walters, Afellay, Arnautovic; Crouch. So, similar to the usual, but a couple of changes. As tomorrow's a semi-final, if only the first leg, I'd expect a stronger XI with fewer changes, festive schedule be damned.

We've reached the point in the competition where it stops being "just the League Cup" and starts being an excellent chance at a trophy, any trophy. Something that Liverpool have done just once since 2006 – in this competition, in 2011-12 – and something that Stoke haven't done in since winning this competition in 1971-72 (we're not counting winning League One or the Johnstone's Paint Trophy).

It's a chance that Liverpool haven't had often enough in recent years, a chance that Stoke rarely have. And for Liverpool, it's a chance for redemption after Saturday's nadir. A chance to put the last month's demons firmly in the past. A chance to prove there's actually a football team in here somewhere.

Visualized: Liverpool 0-2 West Ham

Previous Match Infographics: Sunderland (a), Leicester (h), Watford (a), West Brom (h), Sion (a), Newcastle (a), Swansea (h), Bordeaux (h), City (a), Crystal Palace (h), Rubin Kazan (a), Chelsea (a), Southampton (h), Rubin Kazan (h), Tottenham (a), Everton (a), FC Sion (h), Aston Villa (h), Norwich (h), Bordeaux (a), Manchester United (a), West Ham (h), Arsenal (a), Bournemouth (h), Stoke (a)

As always, match data from Stats Zone, except shot location from Squawka and average player position from ESPN FC.



Swansea, Newcastle, West Brom, Watford, Leicester, Sunderland, and now West Ham. It has been a month of Groundhog Days.

Sure, there have been a few differences in each: three narrow victories, one frustrating draw, three humiliating losses. West Brom scored via set plays, Newcastle scored via an own goal from a cross and a via counter-attack, Watford scored via set plays and counters, West Ham scored via counters and crosses. Liverpool, thankfully, kept clean sheets against Swansea, Leicester, and Sunderland – incidentally, the three matches that Liverpool won. Every match saw Liverpool struggle to score goals, but Swansea (h), Newcastle (a), and Watford (a) saw Liverpool struggle to even take shots.

But there have been more similarities than differences.

Liverpool dominated possession and passing in each, by frighteningly similar amounts, especially in the last four fixtures. Each match saw Liverpool struggle to score, if not struggle to shoot. Troubled to a similar degree, Liverpool made a similar amount of tackles and interceptions in each. But more than a few matches saw Liverpool vulnerable to counter-attacks, crosses, and set plays, no matter how much possession Liverpool had, or how little the opposition had.

The biggest difference at West Ham was the amount of shots that Liverpool allowed West Ham: 18, the most (by five) that any opponent has taken against Klopp's Liverpool. The second-most of the league campaign, behind Arsenal's 19 back in September. More than double the amount of any two other matches over the last month combined.

West Ham took more shots inside the box than Klopp's Liverpool had allowed any other opponent in total. West Ham's 10 shots on-target were double what Liverpool – either under Klopp or Rodgers – had allowed in any match this season, with Arsenal, West Ham (h), and Watford all putting five on-target.

xG map for #WHUFC-#LFC. One of the best attacking performances against Kloppopool (with related poor LFC defense.) pic.twitter.com/20RXCDVYJW

— Michael Caley (@MC_of_A) January 2, 2016

West Ham's 2.0 Expected Goals by Michael Caley's metric is, by far, the highest that Klopp's Liverpool have allowed. Liverpool have allowed more than 1.0 in just two other Premier League and Europa League matches: 1.5 against Southampton and 1.6 at Watford. Both matches featured an opposition goal which nearly registered 1.0 by itself: Mane on the goal line for Southampton, Ake on the goal line for Watford. Incidentally, both came from set plays.

But West Ham did it with both volume as well as good – but not great, and only one clear-cut – chances.

14 of West Ham's 18 shots came inside the box, with 10 in the Danger Zone. Comparatively, 14 of Liverpool's 23 shots came from outside the box. But Liverpool inevitably felt the need to force matters after conceding another early goal to West Ham, and with West Ham now even better positioned to sit deep and block predictable Liverpool shots. West Ham could pick and choose their moments, and could play to their obviously strengths, which they did to excellent effect.

Seven West Ham shots came from crosses: four from Carroll, three from Antonio. Six led to headers, including both goals. Only one of those seven shots – Antonio in the 17th minute – was off-target. And that came from 12 crosses in total. Meanwhile, Liverpool attempted 33 crosses (sigh), and were successful with just eight.

Of course, just to stick the knife in a little farther and twist it a little more, Andy Carroll put all five of his shots on-target, scoring the game-sealing second. Andy Carroll won eight of 14 aerial duels, including all three in Liverpool's box. Christian Benteke put three shots off-target and had two blocked: his two headers blocked, his right- and left-footed efforts off-target. Christian Benteke won just two of 13 aerial duels, including none of the three in West Ham's box.

But we've both ranted about and excused, to a certain degree, Benteke's performances over the last month. He's not played especially well, and was especially disappointing on Saturday, but none of Liverpool's attackers have played especially well over the last month. Unsurprisingly, Philippe Coutinho had yet another very Philippe Coutinho shooting performance: none of his six shots found the target (five blocked, one off), with all six from outside the box. Over his last three matches, he's put one of 17 shots on-target (nine off-target, seven blocked), with 15 of the 17 from outside the box. At least those two are taking shots?

But we've ranted about, and not excused, Liverpool's attack and Liverpool's attackers over the last month, the last six months, the last 18 months. With these players against this type of opposition, I just don't see much changing, at least in the near future. Liverpool have had plenty of chances to prove otherwise since the start of December, the league cup match at Southampton notwithstanding. You know, the one match that Daniel Sturridge actually started.

Coutinho can play better, Firmino can continue adjust to English football, Ibe will mature, who knows what Benteke's capable of, etc etc. But getting players fit – Sturridge especially; Ings, Origi, Henderson, and Milner to lesser degrees – and adding more quality either in January or the summer seems the most likely solutions.

Thankfully, this should be the end of this Groundhog Day run. On paper, Liverpool's upcoming fixtures are even more difficult than the last often-miserable month: twice against a resurgent Stoke, Arsenal, and United. But I'll be glad for the change. Those sides – even United – will at least attempt to play football, will come out to attack Liverpool.

They'll each present Liverpool a host of problems, but at least they'll be different problems.

Liverpool 0-2 West Ham

Goals:
Antonio 10'
Carroll 55'

That went exactly how we feared it'd go. And it's exactly how Liverpool did not want to start 2016.

Don't concede an early goal, he said. Be wary of West Ham's counter-attacks and crosses, he said. Be better in attack, he said.

Sigh. Just like August, just like September 2014.

Both Liverpool and West Ham hired different managers during that period. Both squads have undergone fairly substantial changes. I do not understand how the matches continue to feature the same pattern and the same problems, and end with the same result.

Maybe it's all different if the referee makes a different decision in the 9th minute. Moreno, bombing down the left flank, is arguably fouled by Miguel Antonio. Madley plays on; West Ham counter-attack at pace down the flank now left open by Moreno rolling around on the ground; West Ham work out space to cross against Can, Lucas, and Coutinho; the same player who arguably fouled Moreno beats Clyne – who's terrible in the air – to the header. 1-0, before 10 minutes are up.

But maybe it's not all that different. Liverpool again dominated possession but struggled against a packed defense. West Ham continued to have the better chances: Lanzini's swerving curler off the post in the 17th minute, Valencia's slicing a shot when open in the box in the 30th minute, Cresswell's near post effort from a flicked-on long throw saved in the 42nd. The closest Liverpool came to a first-half equalizer was Can from distance off the crossbar in added time.

Liverpool took 11 shots in the first half. Nine came from outside the box. Just one of the 11 shots was on-target: Firmino, pretty much on top of Adrian, quickly and easily smothered. Three were off-target, seven were blocked.

Meet the second half, same as the first half. 10 minutes gone, a West Ham goal: Liverpool fail to clear a routine goal kick, West Ham pick up possession and attack down Liverpool's left, West Ham cross, West Ham score a header over Nat Clyne. With salt rubbed in the wounds by goalscorer's identity. Liverpool's lump of a center forward spends 90 minutes doing nothing of note. Liverpool's ex-lump of a center forward seals the result.

Sigh.

West Ham should have won as emphatically as they did in August, or as they did in September 2014. But Mignolet denied Carroll and Antonio on a 69th minute counter-attack, and denied Kouyate on an 89th minute counter-attack.

Meanwhile, Liverpool's best two chances came from headers. Which, no surprise, Liverpool had Christian Benteke up front. What's that you say? They came from Lucas, on a set play in the 78th minute, cleared off the line, and Joe Allen, wide from Coutinho's open play cross?

Sigh.

Maybe I'm being overly harsh. Maybe we can chalk this one up to Liverpool fatigue and Liverpool's egregious injury list. Give Liverpool just one of Sturridge, Ings, or Origi and I guarantee that Liverpool look a lot better in attack. Give Liverpool an extra 24 hours of rest and maybe Benteke, Firmino, Coutinho – players who have all started three matches this week – have more in the tank. Liverpool are coming off two hard-fought 1-0 wins in the last week. And it's hard to change proceedings with a bench comprised of Bogdan, Toure, Randall, Smith, Brannagan, Allen, and Lallana, and it's no surprise that Liverpool couldn't.

That Liverpool allowed West Ham 18 shots – by far the most that Klopp's Liverpool have conceded, five more than second-most Tottenham in Klopp's first match – seemingly reaffirms that fatigue played a massive part in today's result. Or it speaks to Liverpool's vulnerability to counter-attacks. Or it speaks to having Lucas in a two-man midfield and Liverpool needing to chase a result.

We have seen Liverpool this hapless up front for six weeks, for six months, for 18 months. We have seen Liverpool this vulnerable to crosses – whether open or set play – for six weeks, six months, 18 months. We have seen this result against West Ham before.

Liverpool need to find answers, no matter the situation, quickly. Whether by changing the tactics in attack – better exploiting Benteke's strengths, shifting Coutinho's position, changing the formation; I honestly don't know, and there are no obvious fixes – or by buying in the difficult January transfer window.

Liverpool finished the match with 23 shots. Just two – the aforementioned Firmino "chance" and Lucas cleared off the line – were on-target. That's simply unacceptable, no matter the injury issues, fatigue, unbalanced squad, etc.

And Liverpool very much need to respond in the League Cup just three days from now.

Liverpool at West Ham 01.02.16

7:45am ET, live in the US on NBC Sports

Last four head-to-head:
0-3 West Ham (h) 08.29.15
2-0 Liverpool (h) 01.31.15
1-3 West Ham (a) 09.20.14
2-1 Liverpool (a) 04.06.14

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 1-0 Sunderland (a); 1-0 Leicester (h); 0-3 Watford (a)
West Ham: 2-1 Southampton (h); 1-1 Villa (a); 0-0 Swansea (a)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Benteke 6; Coutinho 5; Ings, Milner, Sturridge 2; Firmino, Henderson, Origi, Skrtel 1
West Ham: Payet 5; Lanzini 4; Kouyate, D Sakho, Zarate 3; Carroll, Jenkinson, Noble 2; Antonio, Cresswell, Maïga, Moses 1

Referee: Robert Madley

Guess at a line-up:
Mignolet
Clyne Lovren Sakho Moreno
Can Lucas
Ibe Firmino Coutinho
Benteke

Milner and Origi remain injured – along with Skrtel, Ings, Gomez, Flanagan, and Rossiter. Neither Henderson, last seen limping off around the hour mark on Wednesday, nor Sturridge will travel to London, although there's a hope both will be available on Tuesday.

This is the time of year where Liverpool would like to rotate: three matches in a week, the last just 65 or so hours before this one, the most recent two on opposite ends of England, and a League Cup semi-final to come on Tuesday. But Liverpool simply don't have the players to rotate at the moment. You saw Liverpool's bench at Sunderland: Bogdan, Toure, Lucas, Ibe, Teixeira, Randall, Smith. That's where we're at right now.

The team pretty much has to be the above guess, with a small possibility of Brad Smith or Connor Randall coming in at fullback or a reversion to 4-3-3 with Can, Allen, and Lucas in midfield. But given West Ham's strength in counter-attacking at pace and down the flanks, I doubt either of those are really possibilities.

So, the biggest concern will be how the players who've started all three games this week – especially, Can, Coutinho, Clyne, Moreno, Firmino/Lallana, and Benteke – cope with all the minutes played. Can Liverpool replicate the work-rate seen in the last two narrow wins? We'd also hope to see Liverpool improve on the long-standing, oft-discussed shooting issues, but let's focus on what's actually probable.

Of course, there's also the concern about Liverpool's opponents. Who have utterly wrecked Liverpool in two of the last three meetings.

Did you enjoy Swansea, Newcastle, West Brom, Watford, Leicester, and Sunderland? Sides who sat deep, soaked up Liverpool's pressure, and – sometimes, to some degree – looked to counter-attack quickly? Good. You're getting it again.

Monday saw West Ham's first win since October 24, with six draws and two losses before a comeback win over Southampton, falling back to Earth after a surprisingly strong start which saw them beat Arsenal, Liverpool, City, Palace, and Chelsea in the first two months of the season.

West Ham have more than a few injuries concerns of their own – Reid, Moses, and Sakho are out; Cresswell and Jelavic are doubtful – but those concerns are beginning to ease. Dimitri Payet should return after seven weeks out, while Lanzini returned after a month-long injury against Southampton. The absence of those two players, especially Payet, were a massive reason for West Ham's struggles since the start of November.

Of course they're fit just in time to face Liverpool.

Assuming both Payet and Lanzini start, because always assume the worst, but that Cresswell and Jelavic remain out, West Ham's XI will be something like Adrian; Tomkins, Collins, Ogbonna, Jenkinson; Obiang, Noble, Kouyate; Lanzini, Valencia, Payet. I doubt Jelavic would start anyway, but Cresswell would definitely be preferred to Jenkinson at left-back. Alex Song could start in midfield rather than any of the above guesses. Maybe ex-Liverpool player Andy Carroll starts up front, coming off the bench to score the winner against Southampton on Monday; do you want speed or aerial ability when facing Lovren and Sakho? Zarate's played well in attack in the absence of both Lanzini and Payet.

Incidentally, the above guess is basically the same XI that won at Anfield in August. And regardless, West Ham will West Ham, similar to how Sunderland Sunderland'd, Watford Watford'd, and Leicester Leicester'd.

West Ham's two demolitions of Liverpool have come in the same manner, despite two different West Ham managers. Blitz Liverpool from the opening whistle, take advantage of any hesitancy, force errors, score early, then suffocate.

In the 3-0 win at Anfield in August, Lanzini scored in the 3rd minute, followed by Noble in the 29th (from Lovren's defensive error), before Coutinho's early second half red card finished matters. At West Ham in September 2014, Reid scored in the 2nd minute, Sakho in the 7th – the first a set play, the second a quick counter-attack after gaining possession in Liverpool's half – and it was game over before some fans even found their seats.

Okay, I hear you saying, "but that was Brendan Rodgers and one of those matches was more than a year ago. Liverpool played a different formation in both, and five of the 11 players to start in that 1-3 loss at West Ham aren't even with the club anymore." And that's completely fair. But a lot of the West Ham players remain the same, Liverpool still have a lot of the same problems in attack, and recent away losses at both Newcastle and Watford had some frighteningly similarities with Liverpool's bad moments under the last manager.

Liverpool have gotten better at overhauling an early concession since Klopp became manager – Kazan (h), Chelsea (a), Southampton (League Cup) – but Liverpool simply can't allow West Ham to do what West Ham did in those two victories. They're better than Kazan, they won't give Liverpool the space that Chelsea gave Liverpool, and given what's come since, it's hard to see the league cup quarterfinal as anything but a Sturridge-inspired fluke.

Preventing an early goal, or a counter-attacking goal, or a set play goal is only one part of what's needed tomorrow. Because Liverpool also still need to dramatically improve when facing a resilient, deep defense. As I'm sure you remember.

It's a new year, one fraught with potential and possibility. Begin it as you mean to continue.

Visualized: Liverpool 1-0 Sunderland

Previous Match Infographics: Leicester (h), Watford (a), West Brom (h), Sion (a), Newcastle (a), Swansea (h), Bordeaux (h), City (a), Crystal Palace (h), Rubin Kazan (a), Chelsea (a), Southampton (h), Rubin Kazan (h), Tottenham (a), Everton (a), FC Sion (h), Aston Villa (h), Norwich (h), Bordeaux (a), Manchester United (a), West Ham (h), Arsenal (a), Bournemouth (h), Stoke (a)

As always, match data from Stats Zone, except shot location from Squawka and average player position from ESPN FC.



(Nota Bene: Here's the formation diagram usually included in match reviews.)

You have seen this movie before, you have heard this song before.

Liverpool control possession and tempo, Liverpool take a reasonable amount of shots, but Liverpool create only a couple of good chances. Liverpool mostly struggle when throwing themselves against a deep-lying, physical side happy to defend and play for little more than keeping Liverpool out and maybe counter-attacking once in a great while.

But Benteke scores a second half goal, despite complaints about other parts of his performance, and Liverpool eke out a victory. It was more Leicester – a much better side, but a match played at Anfield – than Newcastle or Watford.

So be it. It's the festive season, and Liverpool's first-team injury list is almost in double digits. A win is a win is a win, even if it also featured similarities to past failures.

Sunderland tried to do to Liverpool what Newcastle did to Liverpool on Liverpool's last trip to the north east: unsettling the away side with a deep back line; a physical, narrow midfield; and a high work-rate in Liverpool's half. Six of Sunderland's 13 successful tackles came in their attacking half, pressing Liverpool as Liverpool usually want to press the opposition.

But Liverpool didn't make the mistakes they did against Newcastle, and Liverpool did better in taking the game to Sunderland, in attacking and creating in Sunderland's final third. And that makes all the difference between three points and no points.

Sunderland are Sunderland, but 17 shots are still the most that Liverpool have taken in an away league match this season, narrowly beating the 16 at Chelsea and 15 at Arsenal, both teams who gave Liverpool much more space to play in. As a reminder, Liverpool took just 10 at Newcastle and just 12 at Watford in the previous two away losses.

This was just the second time in the last six league matches where Liverpool created at least two clear-cut chances: Benteke scoring the first, hilariously (in retrospect, if not at the time) denied on the very late second. The other was against West Brom at Anfield: Henderson's opening goal, but also Lallana denied when through in the 80th minute, a chance that Liverpool very much needed to take.

Against Leicester? One, Benteke's very late (and very offside) chance saved. At Watford? None. At Newcastle? One, Benteke's miss from a corner in the 21st minute. Against Swansea? One, Milner's penalty.

Admittedly, Liverpool should be able to create more than two against Sunderland. But two is still better than we've seen lately, and only the Manchester City match had at least two clear-cut Liverpool chances away from home since Klopp became manager (five, scoring two of them, as well as two more).

Once again, it's a performance nearly defined by Liverpool's terrible shooting accuracy. Liverpool's six of 17 shots on-target, 35.3%, is actually better than the season-long average, and vastly better than Liverpool's previous five matches. Firmino (twice) and Benteke forced fine saves from Mannone, while Clyne and Coutinho also hit the target from distance. But Liverpool still put more of its shots off-target (seven), with four blocked.

Unsurprisingly, Philippe Coutinho remains Liverpool's worst offender. Six shots, again leading Liverpool: one on-target, four off-target, one blocked. Which follows up his four off-target, one blocked performance against Leicester.

As we saw in the matches Coutinho missed through injury – Newcastle (a), Swansea (h), Bordeaux (h) – Liverpool's total shots drop precipitously without Coutinho in the line-up, and bad shots are usually better than no shots. Coutinho remains Liverpool's second-top scorer, only passed by Benteke yesterday. But, for the most part, they have been bad shots: bad locations and bad accuracy. 59.2% of Coutinho's league shots have come from outside the box (42 of 71), leading to two of his five goals (at Stoke, at Chelsea). Just 22 of Coutinho's 71 shots (30.9%) have been on-target, which is almost exactly Liverpool's (pretty bad) overall shooting accuracy. One on-target, easily scooped up by Mannone, from his last 11 shots is an especially woeful stretch.

No one in the league has taken more shots than Coutinho. Kane has 67, Lukaku 66, Ighalo 64, and Vardy 60; those are the only players with 60 or more. Of course, those are all strikers, and Kane's scored 11, Lukaku 15, Ighalo 13, and Vardy 14. Coutinho, I reiterate, has scored five. His 4.8 shots-per-90 is Luis Suarez pace, who averaged 4.5 (in half a campaign), 4.5, 5.7, and 5.5 shots-per-90 in his four Premier League seasons.

Maybe take a couple fewer shots, Phil. But more importantly, please do better with the ones you take.

Meanwhile, yesterday saw Benteke's most creative game since Klopp became manager, with three key passes: a layoff for Can's blocked shot from distance in the first half, and inside-the-box cutbacks for Coutinho and Can in the second half, blocked and off-target respectively. Again, three isn't a lot, but it's better than he (and Liverpool) have done recently. Benteke created four chances in Liverpool's 1-0 win against Bournemouth back in August, but hasn't created more than two in a league match since, doing so against West Brom, Newcastle, Palace, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

Ten of Benteke's 20 passes went to Coutinho, with six in the return direction, Liverpool's joint-second highest pass combination (behind Can and Coutinho), and by far the most those two have combined for in a match this season.

Benteke scoring, Benteke creating, Benteke combining fairly often with at least one of Liverpool's other attackers (and, thankfully, not at his most involved from Mignolet passes) are all good things. Of course Klopp's right in that Benteke can play better, and Liverpool need Benteke to play better, but the last two matches have seen more positives than negatives.

As for the other end of the pitch. Again, Sunderland are Sunderland, but Liverpool remain very, very good at limiting opposition shots. Sunderland took just eight (they're averaging 11 per match), with only three inside the box.

Liverpool have allowed 10 or more shots in a league match under Klopp just twice: at Tottenham (13 shots, zero goals) and at Manchester City (11 shots, one goal). But Liverpool allowed 10 or more in five of Rodgers' eight: Bournemouth (h), Arsenal (a), West Ham (h), Villa (h), Everton (a).

Admittedly, Liverpool have conceded multiple goals while allowing few shots: two at Newcastle (from six shots), two against West Brom (four shots), three at Watford (six shots). But if the opposition has few chances to score, chances are that they'll score fewer goals. It went all a bit wobbly over the last month, but the improvement in defense – notably, the new Lovren-Sakho pairing – remains Klopp's greatest achievement so far.

Now, Liverpool just need to score more of their own.

Liverpool at Sunderland 12.30.15

2:45pm ET, live in the US on NBC Sports

Last four head-to-head:
1-0 Liverpool (a) 01.10.15
0-0 (h) 12.06.14
2-1 Liverpool (h) 03.26.14
3-1 Liverpool (a) 09.29.13

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 1-0 Leicester (h); 0-3 Watford (a); 2-2 West Brom (h)
Sunderland: 1-4 City (a); 1-3 Chelsea (a); 0-1 Watford (h)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Benteke, Coutinho 5; Ings, Milner, Sturridge 2; Firmino, Henderson, Origi, Skrtel 1
Sunderland: Defoe, Fletcher 4; Borini, Lens, Watmore 2; Johnson, Jones, M'Vila, van Aanholt 1

Referee: Kevin Friend

Guess at a line-up:
Mignolet
Clyne Lovren Sakho Moreno
Henderson Can
Ibe Lallana Coutinho
Benteke

A busy festive season, a squad still coping with injuries, a match four days before and another three days later.

You have to assume there will be changes to Liverpool's XI. How many and which are less certain.

Benteke's definitely coming in for Origi, who's out for at least this week. Sturridge remains in his "mini-preseason," ideally building up his fitness so these constantly injuries might, you know, actually abate. I suspect Ibe, back from illness, will replace Firmino, but it could also be in place of Lallana or Coutinho. Otherwise, *shrugs*.

Maybe we get one of the young fullbacks: Brad Smith for Moreno or Connor Randall for Clyne; Smith's crossing ability could pair well with Benteke up front. Maybe Lucas returns to the side, for either Henderson or Can, or for one of the attacking midfielders, switching the formation to a 4-3-2-1/4-3-3. Maybe we get Kolo Toure because … no, you're right, that's not going to happen.

Whatever the XI or formation, Liverpool will have to do what they did well against Leicester – the high work-rate, the pressing on the flanks and on the forwards, the elimination of individual errors, the denial of counter-attacking or set play opportunities – and ideally do much, much better in attack.

Sunderland are 19th and Sunderland have been fairly bad over the last month, but that's little matter when Liverpool are still Liverpool far too often, and given who Sunderland's manager is.

If he could choose just one opponent to beat for the rest of his days, I'm fairly certain Sam Allardyce would pick Liverpool. Because Benitez, or something. But no matter who he's managing (or who's managing Liverpool) – Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham – he's taken great joy in getting one over on Liverpool. And it's happened far too often for my liking.

Allardyce will Allardyce and Sunderland will Sunderland. Sit deep, deny space, maybe even try for a counter-attack once in a while. Sure, Sunderland have conceded the most goals in the division – 37 through 18 matches – but, knowing Liverpool, that probably makes it more of a challenge than an opportunity. And those most of those goals have come on the road: 28 in the 10 away matches, just nine in the eight home matches.

Sunderland have played both five at the back and 4-3-3/4-5-1 in recent matches. Neither's worked especially well – conceding six at Everton, three at Arsenal and Chelsea, and four at Manchester City over the last two months – but Sunderland have been marginally better at home, even if it's not shown up in the results, with narrow 0-1 defeats to Southampton and Watford, and a 2-0 victory over now-in-form Stoke.

And Sunderland aren't entirely awful up front – Defoe and Fletcher are good players, ex-players featuring against their former clubs are always terrifying (hi Fabio!) – having scored in 12 of their 18 league matches. Liverpool have only scored in one more match than that. Sure, there are just four teams who've scored the same amount or fewer league goals than Sunderland. Liverpool held Swansea scoreless, but conceded twice against Villa, Newcastle, and West Brom. Yikes.

Sunderland's injury issues in defense make five at the back a more difficult proposition: Kaboul's definitely out, while O'Shea's doubtful. Jones, Coates, and Wes Brown can play in a back three, but Brown's only made one appearance this season (the 2-6 loss at Everton), and the 5-4-1 has been used less over the last month due to both injuries and DeAndre Yedlin's form at right wing-back.

The midfielders will be Yann M'Vila and one other: Rodwell, Gomez, Cattermole, or Toivonen; Seb Larsson's also out through injury. The wide players – if it's not five at the back – will be two from Adam Johnson, Borini, Lens, Watmore. The forwards could be any of those wide players, as well as Defoe, Fletcher, or Graham.

Let's go with Pantilimon; Jones, Coates, Brown, van Aanholt; Rodwell, M'Vila, Gomez; Borini, Fletcher, Defoe, and almost certainly be wrong in a couple of places. Regardless of formation or players, you know what you're getting with Sam Allardyce – a deep-lying defense and combative midfield, special attention paid to set plays, and counter-attacking through two or three forwards and maaaaaaaaybe a midfielder.

It'll be up to Liverpool to both break them down, as Liverpool couldn't do at either Newcastle or Watford, and to deny their few goal-scoring opportunities, as Liverpool couldn't do at either Newcastle or Watford.

Visualized: Liverpool 1-0 Leicester

Previous Match Infographics: Watford (a), West Brom (h), Sion (a), Newcastle (a), Swansea (h), Bordeaux (h), City (a), Crystal Palace (h), Rubin Kazan (a), Chelsea (a), Southampton (h), Rubin Kazan (h), Tottenham (a), Everton (a), FC Sion (h), Aston Villa (h), Norwich (h), Bordeaux (a), Manchester United (a), West Ham (h), Arsenal (a), Bournemouth (h), Stoke (a)

As always, match data from Stats Zone, except shot location from Squawka and average player position from ESPN FC.



Liverpool did some good things on Saturday. Finally. After three matches of mostly bad things. But what Liverpool did best was stopping Leicester from doing good things. Which is something that almost every other side to face Leicester can't say.

Liverpool are the first side to keep Leicester from scoring this season. Liverpool are the first side to deny Leicester a clear-cut goal-scoring chance. Only Bournemouth – in a match where Leicester took all of four shots to Bournemouth's five – allowed Leicester fewer shots or fewer key passes.

Liverpool held Leicester below its per-match average in every attacking metric.



Vardy and Mahrez? Three shots combined, zero chances created. Vardy's averaging 3.4 shots per match and 1.2 key passes per match; Mahrez's averaging 2.8 shots and 1.9 key passes per match. Vardy has 15 goals and three assists in the league, Mahrez 13 goals and seven assists. Liverpool – and Liverpool's 4-4-2 formation – focused on negating these players, as Anfield Index outstandingly highlighted, and Liverpool succeeded.

The only worry from the above chart is that while Liverpool allowed very few shots, they allowed fairly good shots: five in the Danger Zone – which is barely below Leicester's average – and three on-target. Which is the same problem Liverpool had against Newcastle, West Brom, and Watford.

Jürgen Klopp has reinvigorated Liverpool's defense – both the back four and midfield three (or two, or four) – and Liverpool are allowing fewer shots than they did at any time under Rodgers. But when the opposition gets chances, they tend to be fairly decent chances. Although, to Liverpool's credit, none of Leicester's Danger Zone chances were big chances, which is something Leicester are usually superb at creating, and only one of Leicester's Danger Zone chances was on-target.

Meanwhile, Liverpool's attack continues to have the opposite problem. Taking 26 shots is a positive, Liverpool's second-highest total of the season and the second-most that Leicester have allowed in a match this season (behind Arsenal's 27 in a 5-2 victory). But only half of those shots came from inside the box, only seven came in the Danger Zone, and only five were on-target. Those are not good things. And Liverpool's last shot on-target A) shouldn't have counted due to an uncalled offside and B) really should have been a goal.

The short version: shot volume good, shot quality bad, and not for the first time. And it was a trait that was amplified in the first 37 minutes of the match.

Liverpool took 19 shots with Divock Origi on the pitch, and just seven while Benteke led the line. Liverpool created a couple of decent opportunities in those first 37 minutes – Lallana into the side netting, Origi saved at the near post – but Liverpool's best two chances came in the final 53: Benteke's goal and Benteke's (offside) empty net chance saved by Morgan.

Of those 19 shots in the first 37 minutes: just four in the Danger Zone, three of them from set plays and Firmino from the edge of the area swiftly blocked. Just three on-target: Origi no-angle near post, Lovren's set play header, and Can from well outside the box. Eight off-target, eight blocked. 10 of the 19 came from outside the box.

Liverpool have to find a balance between shot quality and shot volume. Between how Liverpool play when Benteke's on the pitch versus how Liverpool play with Origi, or Firmino, or (lord willing) Sturridge. And, of course, Liverpool have to be more accurate no matter the shot quality or volume.

But neutralizing Leicester was Liverpool's priority, and Liverpool did it. Liverpool needed just enough in attack, and Liverpool got it.