Why are Liverpool struggling for Premier League goals?

- Published

It is a small sample size and still so early in the Premier League season, but notable that in Liverpool's seven matches so far they have scored just nine goals.

That is in stark contrast to high-flying Brighton, who have already scored 23 top-flight goals and visit Anfield on Sunday, where Liverpool are awaiting their first home win in the Premier League under Andoni Iraola.

Across three Champions League games and a Carabao Cup tie against Tottenham, Iraola's side have been the entertainers, scoring 15 goals.

Even after the departure of Mohamed Salah Liverpool have plenty of goals in them, and that is evidenced by having 10 different goalscorers already this campaign.

So why are they averaging 3.75 goals per game outside the Premier League, as opposed to just 1.29 goals per game in it?

Iraola was asked if he knew why, after Liverpool scored four against Villarreal at Anfield on Tuesday, less than a week after they put six past LASK in Austria.

"I don't really know the reason," he said. "It's true that the LASK game is different but against Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, I think we've been offensively, especially, really good.

"In the Premier League, we are not scoring at this level and also we are probably defending better.

"They are different kind of games and different kind of opposition, I think more than [the difference being] the competitions, it is who you have played against."

Iraola's side are definitely defending better in the Premier League, with three clean sheets and eight goals conceded, compared to eight conceded in four games in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

But Liverpool have conceded first in four of those seven league games and naturally that makes it tougher to break teams down, particularly if the opposition set up into a low block.

'I prefer to face low blocks'

Iraola's indication that it is more to do with the style of the teams they're facing is interesting.

In his first press conference as Liverpool boss, he was asked by BBC Sport about the importance of his core principles.

In Arne Slot's second season Liverpool constantly failed to get through low blocks but Iraola suggested he preferred that approach from the opposition.

"I prefer to face low blocks in terms of the way we will be in control of the games - probably we will concede less chances and spend a lot of time in the opposition half," former Bournemouth manager Iraola said in July.

"Some teams give you that situation straight away. Other teams do not give you that situation straightaway because they will try to control the game and play in your half.

"I am looking forward to spending as much time inside the opposition half - with the ball and without the ball - because I feel we are closer to scoring from that position."

Liverpool have faced a low block in 28% of their games - more than any other Premier League side - while the 15% of their games facing a high block is the fewest.

Clearly, a number teams prefer to set up against Liverpool with a low block and Iraola is realising the reality of it is slightly different - but now it is about breaking through and they have made an array of signings, with the intention of doing just that.

"You have more moments of technical brilliance in European football so the players they [Liverpool] have recruited don't have to adapt to that level but are probably around the elite of that level," a current analyst for a Champions League team says.

"That results in more chances and more goals but the Premier League is completely different. Iraola's style benefits from having the space to attack and we saw that at Bournemouth," the analyst adds.

One of the main reasons for bringing Iraola in was to deliver a front-foot style of football, and blessed with attacking quality from the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola, Cody Gakpo, Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha, the expectation for more is clear.

The xG table suggests that Liverpool should have scored 10.9 goals in the league. Before this weekend, eight teams - including newly promoted Ipswich and struggling Manchester United - have scored more than the Reds.

In mitigation, it's worth noting that Arsenal have scored 11 Premier League goals this season and won the league in 2025-26 with an average of 1.87 goals per game.

With Liverpool's next league games coming up against Brighton, who won’t be afraid to try and control the game, and the reigning champions in Arsenal, Iraola will be hoping that his attack can click and deliver a statement performance.