Exploring Liverpool’s Goalscoring Struggles and the Lack of the 20 Mark | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Struggle to Reach the 20-Goal Mark: A Season of Missed Opportunities

You can argue the shoulda, woulda, coulda’s all day I suppose and the fact that there’s still one game left. In a season that promised much but delivered mixed results, Liverpool FC’s recent attacking woes have been a significant talking point. While Mohamed Salah continues to shine as the club’s leading scorer and has still come under the spotlight, the inability of other forwards to consistently hit the back of the net in recent times has proved a stumbling block in their quest for domestic and European success.

Salah Leads, Others Falter

Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s Egyptian maestro, has again proved his worth with an impressive tally of 25 goals and 13 assists in all competitions. Averaging 0.74 goals per 90 minutes, Salah’s sharpshooting remains a beacon of consistency in an otherwise unpredictable front line. Even he thought has had a small dip, although the Egyptian king operates on a different plain. However, a closer look at the squad’s overall performance reveals a troubling dependency on his goal-scoring prowess.

Nunez and Jota: A Tale of What Could Have Been

Darwin Nunez, the Uruguayan forward, showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately fell short of expectations, netting 18 goals and matching Salah with 13 assists. His goals-per-90-minute ratio stands at a modest 0.54, reflecting a season of adaptation and missed opportunities. He’s been on that 18 goal mark for too long though and it’s telling he’s not even in the team now. Similarly, Diogo Jota’s campaign was plagued by injuries, a significant factor limiting him to just 15 goals and a higher goals-per-90 rate of 0.79 when he did play. Jota’s ability to find the net when fit suggests that, had he maintained fitness throughout the season, reaching the 20-goal mark would have been well within reach. A fully fit Jota is brilliant to imagine. Then again so is a unicorn.

Photo: IMAGO

Gakpo’s Inconsistent First Full Season

Cody Gakpo, the Dutch import, also underwhelmed in his first full season. With 16 goals and a lower than expected six assists, Gakpo’s transition to the English game has been less than smooth, evidenced by his 0.49 goals-per-90 minutes—a figure that needs improvement if he is to justify his potential and price tag. He’s been good recently and deserves a place in the starting line-ups. The huge dips early on means he should really be on twenty as well.

Diaz’s Effort Not Enough

Luis Diaz rounds out the discussion, contributing 13 goals and five assists. Although his goals-per-90 stands at a lower 0.33, his work rate and ability to create chances have been one of the few positives in a challenging season for the Reds. Diaz’s efforts and wastefulness combined mean that whilst overall his effort can’t be doubted, a more clinical edge in front of goal is desperately needed from that side. A quality that Liverpool has sorely missed this season and you doubt if Diaz will ever be able to go truly provide.

A Season of ‘What Ifs’

Liverpool’s season has been a story of ‘what ifs’. The club’s defensive vulnerabilities have often been exposed, but it’s the attack that will leave fans pondering the biggest questions. Salah alone cannot carry the team’s scoring burden, and the inability of Nunez, Jota, and Gakpo to consistently support him has been Liverpool’s Achilles’ heel.

Had Jota avoided the treatment table, had Nunez found his shooting boots more often, and had Gakpo delivered on his early promise, the narrative could have been different. The Reds have found the net, but not with the consistency or clinical finishing required at the highest level. As Liverpool looks to rebuild and challenge again, finding a solution to their goal-scoring conundrum will be paramount. Ensuring that more players can hit that magical 20-goal mark will be crucial for success in future campaigns. We should have had at least four, but here we are.