Here’s a look at how Liverpool are the unluckiest team of the Premier League season so far.
Liverpool have been one of the most entertaining teams to watch this season as they put together a serious run at landing a Champions League place.
Their free-scoring football has been a joy for fans and neutrals to watch, with the club now demolishing lesser teams rather than struggling against them.
Despite this they have struck the woodwork far more than any other team, and could very easily be the league’s top scorers, as the below table illustrates.
| Name | Hit Woodwork |
|---|---|
| Liverpool | 17 |
| Everton | 10 |
| Arsenal | 10 |
| Manchester United | 9 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 9 |
| Manchester City | 9 |
| Chelsea | 9 |
| Fulham | 8 |
| Hull City | 8 |
| Newcastle United | 8 |
| Stoke City | 7 |
| Southampton | 6 |
| Norwich City | 6 |
| Sunderland | 5 |
| West Ham United | 5 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 4 |
| Aston Villa | 4 |
| Swansea City | 4 |
| Crystal Palace | 3 |
| Cardiff City | 3 |
Is it as simple as ‘you’ve got to be in it to win it’ and Liverpool have fired in the most shots? Almost, but not quite. Manchester City have had 12 more attempts but struck the woodwork eight less times, displaying a better accuracy with their efforts.
| Name | Total Scoring Attempts |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | 366 |
| Liverpool | 354 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 350 |
| Chelsea | 341 |
| Everton | 329 |
City also edge the Reds in terms of goals scored, although you may wonder whether it would have been different had Luis Suarez not been banned for the start of the season, missing five league games.
| Name | Goals |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | 59 |
| Liverpool | 51 |
The number of players who have had misfortune reveal Luis Suarez to be the unluckiest, who could have added to his 22 Premier League goals on four occasions had his efforts been centimetres inside the goalmouth.
| Name | Team | Pos | Hit Woodwork | Apps | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luis Suárez | Liverpool | FW | 4 | 16 | 1,438 |
| Daniel Sturridge | Liverpool | FW | 3 | 13 | 1,009 |
| Philippe Coutinho | Liverpool | MF | 2 | 16 | 1,227 |
| Mamadou Sakho | Liverpool | DF | 2 | 12 | 1,029 |
| Jon Flanagan | Liverpool | DF | 1 | 7 | 562 |
| Steven Gerrard | Liverpool | MF | 1 | 17 | 1,407 |
| Jordan Henderson | Liverpool | MF | 1 | 21 | 1,869 |
| Victor Moses | Liverpool | MF | 1 | 13 | 589 |
| Raheem Sterling | Liverpool | MF | 1 | 16 | 968 |
| Kolo Touré | Liverpool | DF | 1 | 13 | 957 |
Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure have hit the post and bar more times than they have the back of the net, while four other Liverpool players have done each on an equal number of occasions.
| Name | Team | Pos | Goals | Hit Woodwork | Apps | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippe Coutinho | Liverpool | MF | 2 | 2 | 16 | 1,227 |
| Jon Flanagan | Liverpool | DF | 1 | 1 | 7 | 562 |
| Jordan Henderson | Liverpool | MF | 1 | 1 | 21 | 1,869 |
| Victor Moses | Liverpool | MF | 1 | 1 | 13 | 589 |
| Mamadou Sakho | Liverpool | DF | 1 | 2 | 12 | 1,029 |
| Kolo Touré | Liverpool | DF | 0 | 1 | 13 | 957 |
No team has hit the woodwork more than three times in a single game all season, with Liverpool doing so three times on two occasions. Below the unfortunate games can be seen, but the good news is they were all games in which the Reds emerged victorious. That’s the difference. Two seasons ago under Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool would hit the woodwork yet fail to win the game.
| Name | Match | Hit Woodwork |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | Liverpool vs Cardiff | 3 |
| Liverpool | Liverpool vs Stoke | 3 |
| Liverpool | Spurs vs Liverpool | 2 |
| Liverpool | Liverpool vs West Brom | 2 |
| Liverpool | Liverpool vs Crystal Palace | 2 |
Whether it be a confidence issue, players not allowing their heads to drop after a successful attempt, and simply giving it another go, it could be as simple as that – and credit must go to the management.
image: © skau
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