The EPL Stats Gallery: xT creation zones, PPDA and more from Watford vs Liverpool | OneFootball

Icon: EPL Analysis

EPL Analysis

·17 October 2021

The EPL Stats Gallery: xT creation zones, PPDA and more from Watford vs Liverpool

Article image:The EPL Stats Gallery: xT creation zones, PPDA and more from Watford vs Liverpool

Roberto Firmino scored a hattrick as Liverpool hammered Watford 5-0 on Saturday in the Premier League.

We’ve broken down all the key stats for you to digest, including; * shot maps * xT (expected threat) * pass networks * xG timelines * defensive duels * average positions and much more!


OneFootball Videos


We also try to answer some questions for you with the visuals;

What were the creation zones for both teams? What was Liverpool’s PPDA?

To navigate the stats gallery simply click on the numbers to move through the pages.

At the end of the gallery, you’ll be able to download the full PDF stats report.

Watford started in a 5-4-1 formation with Ismaila Sarr leading the attack for the Hornets.

Watford made all their three changes in the second half.

Liverpool started in a 4-3-3 formation with Roberto Firmino replacing Diogo Jota in the front three.

Liverpool substituted both their fullbacks so that they get enough rest for the Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid.

Liverpool completely dominated the game and rarely gave Watford any chance to come back in the game. Liverpool had a whopping 19 shots on goal with eight of those shots on target. Liverpool dominated possession of the ball and pressed the Watford team high as they had a PPDA of only 6.9.

Bobby Firmino scored a hattrick for the Reds and also had the highest xG than any other player on the pitch. Mohamed Salah attempted six shots on goal and also attempted the most number of dribbles.

Watford attempted five shots on goal but only had two of their shots on target. Since they had a lower number of shots on goal, they had a very low xG of 0.28.

Liverpool had an xG of 2.83 throughout the game thanks to 19 shots they attempted on the Watford goal. They had 42.11% of their shots on target and had an xG of 0.15 per shot.

The xT timeline indicates that Liverpool completed dominated the game and frequently created a threat on the Watford defence. Watford only attempted their first shot on goal in the second half. Liverpool had a higher xG throughout the game.

Watford completed only 232 passes for the whole game and failed to keep possession of the ball. Their striker Ismaila Sarr only received the ball 14 times throughout the game.

Jordan Henderson attempted the most passes for Liverpool with the 110 passes he played in the game and also received the ball most number of times.

Watford struggled to keep the ball and play any passes into the final third. They only attempted five crosses in the game and played more high passes.

Liverpool attempted a fair amount of crosses from both the flanks with James Milner attempting the most crosses. Liverpool attempted 15 smart passes into the final third and maintained pressure on the Watford defence. Watford had moments in the game when they were able to impose a threat on the Liverpool defence, but they were unable to capitalise on these opportunities. Jeremy Ngakia had the highest xT from the passes that he attempted.

Watford players failed to make the right move at times when they were in threatening positions. Ismaila Sarr was Watford’s best hope for a goal as he had the highest xT from his passes as well as the dribbles he attempted. Liverpool had a higher xT while attacking from the left flank as seen in the above visual. Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Milner had the highest xT from the passes they attempted. Mohamed Salah had the highest xT with his dribbles as he scored a worldie after dribbling past four of the Watford players inside the penalty area.

Watford failed to win most of the defensive duels that they attempted. They were able to win duels at times but failed to recover possession of the ball.

Watford attempted 29 aerial duels and won 13 of these duels. Moussa Sissoko won all three of the aerial duels he competed for.

Watford won approximately 40% of the 50-50 challenges they attempted. Liverpool had a lower success rate than Watford in winning defensive duels. Kostas Tsimikas failed to win any of the six defensive duels he attempted. Virgil Van Dijk was rock solid at the back for Liverpool and barely gave the opposition a chance to score a goal. He won six of the 10 aerial duels he attempted. Liverpool pressed the Watford players higher up the pitch and were able to win back the ball most of the times.

Liverpool extended their unbeaten run in this season of the Premier League and handed Claudio Ranieri a thumping loss in his first match in charge of the Hornets. Liverpool maintain their position on the league table one point behind leaders Chelsea.

View publisher imprint