Greig Hopcroft

Liverpool v Galatasaray: Stats Expose Poor Liverpool Display in Champions League First Leg Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray was shaped by a ragged first half, loose defensive structure, and a lack of control that the numbers only partly conceal.

My full breakdown of Liverpool’s Champions League defeat to Galatasaray ⬇️

🔗 www.itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/liverpool...

Liverpool had the ball.
Liverpool had the shots.
Liverpool even had the numbers. 📊

And still lost 1-0 in Istanbul.

Too open. Too chaotic. Not nearly serious enough in the first half.

Eat. Sleep. Rave. Repeat. 🔁

#Chelsea #ReeceJames #PremierLeague #FootballBlog

Reece James Signs New Six Year Chelsea Contract, Inside the Club’s Long Term Contract Strategy Chelsea tie their captain to Stamford Bridge until 2032 as the club continues its bold approach of handing out some of the longest contracts in modern football.

Why are so many Chelsea players tied down until the 2030s? And what does it mean for the future of the club?

Full story 👇
⚽ Contracts to 2033
⚽ Incentive based deals
⚽ A squad built for the next decade

Read here: www.itwasalwaysfootball.com/p/reece-jam...

🚨 NEW on It was always...Football

Chelsea captain Reece James has signed a new six year contract at Stamford Bridge. But the bigger story may be the club’s extraordinary long term contract strategy.

Liverpool’s Control Without Conviction at Wolves Ends in Punishment Dominant numbers but costly mistakes as Wolves punish Liverpool in the Premier League.

🔴 Read here: www.itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/liverpool...

#LFC #Liverpool #PremierLeague

Liverpool dominated the numbers at Molineux, but Wolves walked away with the points.

I’ve taken a deep dive into the stats, tactics and key moments behind Liverpool’s frustrating Premier League defeat.

My latest for It was always...Liverpool on @Substack

Liverpool 5-2 West Ham: Five Goals, Familiar Fault Lines Clinical finishing and sharper set pieces propelled Liverpool past West Ham in the Premier League, but defensive tracking issues and midfield lapses show Arne Slot’s side still have details to correct

www.itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/liverpool...

#LFC #Liverpool #PremierLeague

Liverpool 5-2 West Ham… but the scoreline doesn’t tell the full story.

Clinical finishing ✔️
Set piece evolution ✔️
Midfield tracking issues ❗

I’ve broken down the numbers, the xG, the press, and the moments that still concern under Arne Slot.

Full analysis here 👇

Liverpool’s Secret Weapon Is Hiding in Plain Sight - Unleash Rio Ngumoha The numbers, the eye test and the impact all point to one conclusion: Liverpool’s 17-year-old winger deserves far more minutes

I’ve broken down the numbers and the case for unleashing him.

🔗 Read here: www.itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/liverpool...

#LFC #Ngumoha #Liverpool #PremierLeague

Rio Ngumoha is 17, but the impact is anything but youthful.

Liverpool score more when he’s on the pitch. His dribbling numbers are elite. The directness changes games. The evidence is there.

So why is he still waiting for proper Premier League minutes?

Liverpool Survive the Storm at Nottingham Forest, But Structural Cracks Remain Three Premier League points secured at the City Ground, yet Arne Slot’s side were forced into reactive mode, exposing midfield imbalance, pressing uncertainty and early fragility that can't linger

My full breakdown of Nottingham Forest v Liverpool is available now on my substack 👇

www.itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/liverpool...

#LFC #Liverpool #PremierLeague

Liverpool leave the City Ground with three points… but the performance raises bigger questions.

First half chaos. Pressing uncertainty. Midfield distances stretched. Yet higher xG, more big chances, and better box play ultimately decide it.

Raheem Sterling’s Rotterdam Reboot, From Premier League Millions to a Fresh Start at Feyenoord After months without competitive football and a dramatic wage cut, the former England winger makes his long awaited debut in the Eredivisie and begins a new chapter under Robin van Persie.

I have broken it all down in the latest piece for It was always…Football at www.itwasalwaysfootball.com/p/raheem-st...

Read the full story here and let me know your thoughts. Is this the revival of Raheem Sterling, or a final roll of the dice?

A surprise move. A significant wage cut. A fresh start under Robin van Persie.

What does this mean for Sterling’s career, for Feyenoord’s title push, and for his England ambitions?

From £325,000 a week in the Premier League to a dramatic reset in Rotterdam, the former England winger is writing a new chapter at Feyenoord. After months without competitive football, he is back on the pitch, back in the spotlight, and back with something to prove.

Raheem Sterling has taken the road less travelled.

Konate was colossal, 100 percent ground duels won, dominant in the air, key interventions throughout. Endo, filling in at right back, seven duels won and brave to the last. Grit over glamour. Three points banked.

#lfc

Not a classic, but a proper away win. Fourteen shots before half time, Wirtz inventive, Salah probing, yet it needed the captain to rise and settle it with authority.

Liverpool, 1-0 winners at Sunderland, and I was watching it unfold somewhere in the Persian Gulf on ship WiFi. Kick off just after midnight, final whistle past 2am, but worth every bleary eyed minute.

Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City: Control, Fatigue and the Data Behind the Defeat Using xG, possession zones and pressing data to explain how the game turned late on

This isn’t about sitting back or mentality. It’s about pressing triggers, game management, and what tired legs do to decision-making at the elite level.

Full statistical and tactical breakdown here 👇
www.itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/liverpool...

📊 Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City felt frustrating, but the numbers tell a clearer story.

2.75 xG to 1.21
85% pass accuracy to 78%
Control early, fatigue late, and fine margins throughout.

Fine margins, big calls missed, and a damaging outcome at Anfield.

The VAR drama at the end summed it up, Szoboszlai sent off, a goal ruled out, and confusion everywhere.

City took advantage when it mattered. Liverpool showed real second half improvement and intensity, but once again the result tells a different story.

Liverpool then did the hard part, breaking City with a stunning Szoboszlai free kick on 74 minutes and taking control. What followed was a failure to manage the moment. Two late goals conceded, composure lost, and chaos taking over.

Guehi not seeing red changed the entire direction of the game. Salah was through, shirt pulled, a clear denial of a goalscoring chance, yet only a yellow card followed.

Liverpool’s £500 Million Moment, Why The Next Phase Matters Champions last season, inconsistent this time, Liverpool’s spending tells a story of transition rather than excess

‼️ Liverpool have now spent over £500m since last summer.

Champions last season. Inconsistent this time.

This isn’t reckless spending. It’s controlled upheaval.

New piece on my Substack, out now ⬇️

www.itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/liverpool...

Jamie Carragher Is Right About Liverpool’s Problems, But Not About the Fix Saying what went wrong is easier than mapping the way back

Is Jamie Carragher right about Liverpool?

Mostly, yes.
But the gaps in his argument matter.

I’ve gone through his key points, used his own quotes, and asked what the real fix actually looks like.

Full piece free on Substack here 👇
www.itwasalwaysfootball.com/p/jamie-car...

Same Ball, Same Story, Same Pain, Possession Without Purpose Is Costing Liverpool Possession piles up, chances drift by, and Bournemouth deliver the familiar punishment

This is a bonus FREE article, open to everyone, breaking down the performance and exactly how the data played out again.

Read now on @SubstackInc at 👉 www.itwasalwaysliverpool.com/p/same-ball...

#LFC #PremierLeague #TacticalAnalysis

Same ball, same story, same pain.

Why does Liverpool’s control keep leading to nothing?
Why does conceding feel terminal now?
Why are the numbers telling the same story every week?