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Liverpool 0-2 PSG: Damning Champions League stat emerges after Anfield defeat with Arne Slot future in serious doubt

Liverpool's 21 shots against Paris Saint-Germain were their most attempts without scoring in a Champions League game since their 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the final in May 2022.

Arne Slot's Reds were dumped out of the Champions League on Tuesday, when they lost 2-0 against PSG at Anfield, a result the condemned his team to a 4-0 aggregate defeat.

It is difficult to argue that Liverpool were the better team over the two legs against their French opponents, but they did threaten in the final third significantly more on Tuesday than they did at the Parc des Princes.

The Merseysiders had 53% possession and produced 21 shots that totalled nearly two xG at Anfield, whereas PSG scored twice from 12 shots and 1.25 xG.

Opta data reveals that the last time Liverpool produced as many shots in the Champions League as they did against PSG without scoring came when they lost the competition's final 1-0 against Real Madrid in 2022.

© Iconsport / Jessica Hornby, Sportimage, SPI

Champions League quarter-finals: Were Liverpool unlucky?

Slot's side demonstrated great spirit in the second half on Tuesday, but their shots 17 shots after the interval averaged out at 0.09xG per attempt.

The Reds penned PSG in, but they failed to create many meaningful opportunities in the final third, something that has been a consistent theme all season.

LIVERPOOL QUARTER-FINAL STATS

Shots: 24

Shots on Target: 5

xG: 2.11

While Liverpool rank second for shots in the Premier League this season (504), they rank 13th for xG per shot, with many of their stars striking at goal from unfavourable positions.

Perhaps the Reds would have stood a better chance of progressing on Tuesday had Slot decided to set his team up in a more aggressive manner in the first leg, when he bizarrely used a three-man defence.

© Iconsport / Jessica Hornby, Sportimage, Sportimage Ltd, Alamy Live News

Arne Slot future: The end of Anfield tenure?

Now that Liverpool's last hopes of silverware have been extinguished, attention has turned to the future of Slot in the Anfield dugout.

The Reds have lost 17 times this season, and two more defeats would tie them for the most losses by a Liverpool side in the 21st century.

After a summer expenditure totalling roughly £450m, the 2025-26 campaign has been unacceptable, and it is telling that the club are yet to offer the head coach a contract extension.

Rather than allow Slot to see out the final year of his deal, it would not be surprising if owners Fenway Sports Group parted company with the Dutchman and appointed a manager.

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