Comparing the stats of every Liverpool midfield trio since the start of 19-20

Quick Reads
  • Planet Football
  • 12th March 2020

Liverpool are set to end their wait for a Premier League title this season – but their best midfield three is still up for debate. 

In all competitions this season, Jurgen Klopp has used 20 different combinations of a midfield three when using his favoured 4-3-3 formation.

We’ve calculated the respective win ratios of each trio and how many goals the side as a whole has scored and conceded per game depending on which three players are in the engine room.

Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson

Matches played: 13
Wins: 10
Draws: 2
Defeats: 1
Win rate: 76.9%
Goals scored per game: 2.3
Goals conceded per game: 0.9

Klopp has used this three more than any other this season – and it’s not hard to see why.

The Reds have won 76.9% of their games with Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Georgino Wijnaldum, including crucial league wins over Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham.

This midfield also got a draw at Old Trafford but suffered defeat for the first time this season in the first leg against Atletico Madrid. Until then, it seemed like you didn’t even need to watch Liverpool, you could just follow their results on live score sites knowing they would not be beaten.

Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wijnaldum

Matches played: 6
Wins: 5
Draws: 0
Defeats: 1
Win rate: 83.3%
Goals scored per game: 1.8
Goals conceded per game: 0.8

Fabinho, Milner, Henderson

Matches played: 3
Wins: 0
Draws: 2
Defeats: 1
Win rate: 0%
Goals scored per game: 1.0
Goals conceded per game: 1.6

This trio have the worst record of any Liverpool midfield three this season as they are without a win in their three outings.

Klopp started the trio in both Champions League group games against Napoli, a 2-0 defeat away from home and a 1-1 draw at Anfield, as well as the draw with Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup final (which Liverpool eventually won on penalties).

Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita

Matches played: 3
Wins: 3
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 2.3
Goals conceded per game: 0.0

Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain

Matches played: 3
Wins: 2
Draws: 0
Defeats: 1
Win rate: 66.7%
Goals scored per game: 1.6
Goals conceded per game: 1.6

The trio have a 66.7% win rate but started in Liverpool’s 3-0 loss to Watford, their only defeat in the Premier League so far this season.

Klopp decided to give them another chance in their next league game, and they helped the Reds to a 2-1 win over Bournemouth.

Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Keita

Matches played: 3
Wins: 2
Draws: 1
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 66.7%
Goals scored per game: 3.0
Goals conceded per game: 2.0

Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita

Matches played: 2
Wins: 2
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 2.5
Goals conceded per game: 1.5

Naby Keita has never had a consistent run in the team due to injury problems but has looked impressive during his few starts this season.

This trio has only been used on two occasions, but it worked effectively as Liverpool won both of those games and scored five goals.

Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Milner

Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 2.0
Goals conceded per game: 1.0

Fabinho, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain

Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 4.0
Goals conceded per game: 1.0

This trio was deployed in the 4-1 victory over Genk in October, where Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opened the scoring then got another in the second half.

Despite its success, Klopp hasn’t used this combination again, although that performance does leave those midfielders with a pretty impressive record together.

Fabinho, Lallana, Jones

Matches played: 1
Wins: 0
Draws: 0
Defeats: 1
Win rate: 0%
Goals scored per game: 0.0
Goals conceded per game: 2.0

Wijnaldum, Milner, Lallana

Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 5.0
Goals conceded per game: 2.0

Klopp was without the injured Fabinho for the Merseyside derby in December 2019 and experimented with Wijnaldum, James Milner and Adam Lallana in midfield.

Wijnaldum, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain

Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 2.0
Goals conceded per game: 1.0

Henderson, Milner, Keita

Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 3.0
Goals conceded per game: 0.0

Liverpool rotated their midfield against Bournemouth in preparation for a crucial Champions League group stage game against Red Bull Salzburg.

That saw Henderson, Milner and Keita given their first start together this season and Liverpool cruised to a 3-0 win, but they haven’t started together since.

Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Keita

Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 1.0
Goals conceded per game: 0.0

Chirivella, Jones, Lallana

Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 1.0
Goals conceded per game: 0.0

Klopp went with Pedro Chirivella, Curtis Jones and Lallana for the 1-0 victory over Everton in the FA Cup, with Jones scoring a sensational winner to take them into the next round.

Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum

Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 2.0
Goals conceded per game: 0.0

Chirivella, Kane, Christie-Davies

Matches played: 1
Wins: 0
Draws: 0
Defeats: 1
Win rate: 0%
Goals scored per game: 0.0
Goals conceded per game: 5.0

While Liverpool’s first team were playing in the Club World Cup, this midfield trio was selected for their League Cup tie against Aston Villa as the Reds’ young side were beaten 5-0.

Henderson, Lallana, Wijnaldum

Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 2.0
Goals conceded per game: 1.0

Fabinho, Chirivella, Jones

Matches played: 1
Wins: 0
Draws: 1
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 0%
Goals scored per game: 2.0
Goals conceded per game: 2.0

After their performances against Everton, Chirivella and Jones kept their place in the team for the FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury while Fabinho was brought into the midfield.

They raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to Jones’ strike and a Donald Love own goal before two second-half goals from Jason Cummings sent the tie to a replay.

Chirivella, Clarkson, Cain

Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Win rate: 100%
Goals scored per game: 1.0
Goals conceded per game: 0.0

More Liverpool

An Xl of Liverpool academy graduates still playing elsewhere: Suso, Sterling…

Jordan Henderson is doing a Steven Gerrard to conjure results from thin air

Can you name Liverpool’s top 30 goalscorers in Premier League history?

Six times James Milner was a better person than all of us put together

Liverpool