sport news Liverpool haven't scored from open play in over SIX hours of football... Have ... trends now

Jurgen Klopp rallied to the defence of his Liverpool forwards after his side crashed out of the Europa League 3-1 to Atalanta on Thursday. 

With so much to play for, Liverpool were poised to make this season one to remember and deliver an epic send-off for their departing manager.

Yet, amid the pressures of chasing a Premier League title and a spot in the final of the Europa League, the Reds have underwhelmingly fallen flat in the past fortnight. 

It is clear to see that Liverpool's biggest cause for concern is that they are struggling to put the ball into the back of the net. 

Klopp's side have staggeringly, by their own standards, not scored from open play in their last six hours of competitive football across all competitions.

That will come as a worrying figure for many Liverpool fans. But interestingly, the concern is not that Liverpool are struggling to create chances. It is simply that they are not putting them away. 

Is that down to fatigue? Is the pressure mounting on Liverpool? Or are they just enduring a purple patch?

Mohamed Salah is one player in the Liverpool forward line who has come under scrutiny for his form in front of goal following his injury lay-off. 

Despite scoring a penalty, Salah was the point of discussion after Thursday's game, with Klopp brushing off doubts over the Egyptian's form, claiming 'I'm not particularly concerned.' 

On the pitch, it's been a difficult few weeks for the Reds, who suffered a setback in the title race, following their 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace at Anfield.  

While they certainly not out of the title racec yet, Liverpool have lost their killer instinct just at the time when they perhaps needed to show it most.

Against Palace, they struggled to make good their opportunities, amassing 21 attempts, but only having a meagre six of those chances on target.  

In their last four games in all competitions, Liverpool have had 43 touches in the opposition box per game, according to Opta. That is higher than their season average of 36, showing that the Merseyside outfit are getting into dangerous areas. 

Their expected goals tally (excluding penalties) is up on their season average, too. Liverpool have had an expected goals ratio of 2.27 per game in their last four matches - compared to their average of 2.07 for the whole of the 2023-24 campaign.