Against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, Liverpool failed to score for the sixth time in 33 Premier League games this season.
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That number may seem not too bad but after scoring 101 goals last season, the Reds currently have only 47 goals to their name with five games to go of the 2014-15 campaign. That’s a huge reduction.
Following their 0-0 draw at the Baggies, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers isn’t shying away from the fact that his teams offensive output has dropped dramatically.“We just don’t score as many goals - it’s as simple as that,” Rodgers told Liverpool’s official website. “The players are giving the same effort, the same attitude and the skills they are transferring from last year are the same. We had two players last year who played in our front three who between them got 50-plus goals, and we don’t have that. But as a team, the players are giving absolutely everything.
“You saw today that they gave everything; there was some really good bits of play, clever bits of invention around the box. It’s just that final little piece. The numbers will tell you clearly in terms of our goals this year and comparison. This is the third season I’ve been here and they have grown each year I’ve been here.
“It’s an area we’ll look at in the summer and definitely one we have to do some work on. But I give credit to the players because they came out today after a difficult result and performance last week, and showed great confidence.”
Liverpool dominated vast swathes of their match at the Hawthorns, including 22 shots at goal, but with Manchester City securing a win against Aston Villa, the Reds are nine points from City with five games to go.
Their hopes of making the UEFA Champions League this season seem all but over and although they have shored things up at the back considerably (Liverpool has conceded 36 goals through 33 games this season compared to 50 in 38 matches last season) the goals drying up has been the main reason why Rodgers’ side will miss out on a seat among Europe’s top table next season.
Losing Luis Suarez was always going to have a big impact but Daniel Sturridge’s lengthy spells out with injury and Mario Balotelli’s shocking form in front of goal have compounded Liverpool’s goalscoring woes. Next season they will have Belgian international forward Divock Origi around but as Rodgers insinuated, Liverpool will have to look at getting plenty of offensive reinforcements this summer, or rejuvenating the ones they have, if they’re going to break back into the top four next season.