Why are Liverpool struggling for Premier League goals?
LIVERPOOL, England, October 25, 2026 - 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. 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."