Away Woes Resurface: Liverpool's Title Dreams Tested by Chelsea
4 octobre 2025
Away troubles reemerge
Just a week after Liverpool's bright start, the mood soured quickly after back-to-back away defeats in four days, renewing questions about the Reds' ability to keep their form away from Anfield.
Liverpool turn their attention this Saturday to a fiery clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, hoping to break a hoodoo that has persisted since September 2020, when they last won there. They will look to capitalize on Chelsea's recent slip against Brighton (1-3), especially after defender Trevo Chalobah's red card.
Away crisis reemerges
According to Opta statistics, away games constitute half of a team's season, making away superiority a key pillar for any title hopeful. Yet Liverpool has lately suffered in this regard.
The team started the season strongly, with seven straight wins across competitions, sat top of the league by five points, opened their Champions League campaign with a crucial win, and reached the fourth round of the League Cup. But defeats to Crystal Palace (1-2) and Galatasaray (0-1) in Istanbul q shattered that momentum and turned the spotlight on Arne Slot and his squad.
Criticism from Carragher: "Liverpool don't play football"
The defeats pushed club legend Jamie Carragher to harshly critique the team on CBS Sports, describing their style as "chaotic" and saying, "Liverpool play basketball, not football." He argued the problem isn’t just the two losses after a run of wins, but the lack of convincing performances even in late-win moments against Bournemouth, Newcastle, Arsenal, Burnley, Southampton, and Atlético Madrid.
That killer edge simply didn’t materialize against Palace, where the home side snatched the winner in the final minute, and Liverpool failed to break down Galatasaray’s defense, which looked solid despite a heavy loss to Frankfurt in the first Champions League group game.
Around the coach again
This is only the second time Arne Slot has suffered back-to-back defeats at Liverpool, following a previous stretch last March when they fell to Paris Saint‑Germain in the Champions League and then to Newcastle in the League Cup final.
Recent results have revived the issue of performing away from Anfield. Liverpool have lost five of their last eight away, with just three wins, all late by design against newly promoted Leicester City and Burnley.
Numbers tell the story of a decline
The figures clearly reflect a dip in away form. In the first 24 away games under Slot, Liverpool averaged 2.1 goals per match and conceded 1.04. In the last eight, those numbers fell to 1.4 goals scored and 1.8 conceded.
Additionally, the expected goals per shot slipped from 0.13 to 0.11, while the opposing expected goals per shot rose from 0.09 to 0.12. The offensive conversion rate dropped from 13.4% to 7.9%, and the conversion rate for opponents rose to 14.4% from 9.5%.
Interestingly, away possession rose from 55.7% to 64.8%, but that dominance did not translate into results. A notable example last season was the Chelsea game, where Liverpool enjoyed about 65% possession yet lost 3-1.
Under pressure, Salah the exception
Since the start of 2025, the balance has shifted. While Liverpool closed 2024 with an ideal away record (12 wins and 2 draws in 14 away, no defeats), the recent months have shown the opposite: 18 away matches yielded seven wins, eight losses, and three draws.
Among players, Mohamed Salah stands out, scoring six away goals since January, four from open play. Cody Gakpo, however, has struggled for goals away from home, with just one from 28 attempts in 15 away appearances this year, his only goal coming from a penalty against Eindhoven.
Since January, Liverpool’s away league results have earned only 21 points, a tally bettered only by Crystal Palace (25) and Brentford (23); Manchester City and Brighton have 19 each with a game in hand.
All of this places Slot under real pressure: does he have the solutions to steer the side back on track, or will the slump away from Anfield hasten a broader crisis across all competitions?
Punchline time: If away form were a GPS, Liverpool’s would always reroute to the nearest kebab shop.
Punchline time 2: Liverpool’s away days are like a boomerang—great ideas, terrible delivery, and somehow it comes back empty-handed.
