Liverpool: where did the intensity go?
Liverpool’s season under Arne Slot has been marked by fluctuating levels of energy and pressing. The side that once made relentless running and high-intensity pressing its brand now looks different: a lacklustre display at Brighton followed a high-tempo night against Galatasaray, and players themselves underlined the contrast. Dominik Szoboszlai noted how Champions League nights at Anfield feel unlike an early kick-off on the south coast, while Slot warned about a congested schedule and short recovery times after Europe.
Those scheduling and injury complaints have drawn criticism — suggesting fatigue becomes an accepted excuse — but there’s data to back a real change. Liverpool were once among the top teams for distance covered; this season they are in the bottom three for distance covered for the first time since such records began. That’s a crude measure, but it highlights a trend: the engine of the side has diminished.
Measures of pressing show a similar shift. PPDA, which estimates how many passes a side allows before attempting to win the ball back, puts Liverpool around eighth under Slot after they ranked top in Klopp’s last dominant season. Slot’s preferred style is slower and possession-oriented, and it has delivered moments — the win over Galatasaray showed the old tempo can still be summoned — but consistency is the issue. Liverpool struggle more to break down defences, increasingly rely on set pieces and have lost some of the specialist players who helped them create and finish chances under the previous regime. The result is a tactical and physical identity in transition, leaving them outside the top four with seven games to go.
Beto: elite at creating big chances
Everton’s win over Chelsea offered a reminder of what makes Beto valuable beyond raw finishing numbers. Brentford owner Matthew Benham praised Beto’s knack for getting one-on-one opportunities with keepers — an ability that, Moyes argues, should be treated as a real, repeatable skill. Moyes has seen it firsthand: since returning to Everton he’s watched Beto produce multiple clear chances in games, even if his finishing has sometimes been inconsistent.
Statistically Beto stands out. Among Premier League players with at least 3,000 minutes this season, only four others average at least one big chance per 90: Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak, Gabriel Jesus and Mohamed Salah. That places Beto in elite company for chance creation on a per-minute basis. He did miss more clear-cut chances than anyone else between his January 2025 return and the end of that season, yet his goals played a crucial role in Everton’s survival.
Against Chelsea he unsettled Robert Sánchez early, scored a composed opener, added a second to calm the game and later set up the third — earning a standing ovation at Goodison. There are technical caveats: his pass completion is lower than most, and he still shows rough edges. But the ability to get into the positions that lead to clear chances is a scarce and valuable trait, and it explains why analysts who focus on chance-creation metrics rate him highly and some suggest his market value should reflect that skill.
Raúl Jiménez: flawless from the spot
Raúl Jiménez extended a pristine Premier League penalty record when he converted at Burnley — now 14 successful spot-kicks from 14 in the competition. Martin Dúbravka got a faint touch, but Jiménez’s technique and composure made the difference. His streak eclipses other notable perfect runs (Yaya Touré 11 of 11, Dimitar Berbatov nine of nine) and, for now, this is his record to lose.
Jiménez’s method is straightforward and effective: he reads the keeper, fixes his gaze, and has the technical control to alter the finish without having to look at the ball. That focus removes variables and makes the outcome more repeatable. From a probabilistic standpoint, using an expected-goals model for penalties of roughly 79% success, converting 14 in a row is statistically rare — comparable exercises in probability show how exceptional long, unbroken streaks are, even when historical outliers like Matthew Le Tissier’s 25 from 26 are considered.
Fulham’s decision to make Jiménez their primary taker rather than Andreas Pereira has paid off. At 35 in May, Jiménez has nine Premier League goals this season — only nine players have more — and has been an outstanding piece of business since his move from Wolves for about £5.5m. With his contract due to expire at season’s end and reported interest around the league, he could depart still perfect from the spot in English top-flight football.
Bottom line
Liverpool are visibly different from the machine of a few seasons ago: less distance, less pressing and a style that can produce moments but struggles for sustained intensity. Beto’s real value lies in repeatedly producing the league’s highest-quality opportunities, even if he still has finishing and technical work to do. And Jiménez has established himself as one of the most reliable penalty takers in recent Premier League history — a small but game-defining specialty that Fulham have enjoyed all season.