Liverpool and Everton ranked as the most 'route one' clubs in the Premier League
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Liverpool and Everton have something in common - both of them have been statistically proven to be the most ‘route one’ sides in the Premier League.
The latest stats produced by OLBG have shown us that both Merseyside clubs have a playing style that resembles the famous old-fashioned style. A simple definition of ‘route one football’ is that it is a football tactic that involves kicking the ball long distances towards the opponent's goal, as opposed to passing the ball between players.
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Hide AdWhile Sean Dyche has often been characterised as a direct manager, his tactical nuances involve the whole team defending as one, taking some elements that are comparable to Mikel Arteta with Arsenal but also ensuring that he plays to the strength of his side - which in Everton’s case is making the most of tall, physical players and set pieces.
For Liverpool, they boast a high amount of quality in the squad and a lot of team are skilled at long passes with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk being the most consistent in this. Direct play isn’t exactly route one, but based off OLBG’s rating system, it is easy to see why they rank high.
Take squad height for example, Everton’s squad height of 184.3 cm is ranked third in the league while Liverpool rank eighth with 183.73 cm. That does lend itself to more direct football especially from set pieces. Speaking of corners and free-kicks, only Arsenal (23) have had more set piece goals since the start of the 23/24 season than Everton (22) while Liverpool ranked seventh with 16.
In terms of general play, no team was better in the air than Liverpool as they had an aerial duel win rate of 63.8% - a figure boosted due to the brilliant quality seen from Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk. While Everton’s 54.9% ranked them a distant second with James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin their best players in that arena.
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Hide AdWith passing - specifically long passes attempted - this is the most ‘route one’ figure they have on their list. Everton’s 536 far dwarves Liverpool’s 467 but the average possession figures, for example, are far more in Liverpool’s favour. Everton topped the list while Liverpool finished fourth which does show they are a very direct team - but we already knew it from their days with Jurgen Klopp when the emphasis was on moving the ball quickly and long passing is one way to do it.
Premier League ’Route One’ Rankings (2023/24)
20. Southampton
18. Manchester City
16. Bournemouth
15. Crystal Palace
14. Chelsea
13. Leicester City
12. Ipswich Town
11. Aston Villa
10. Wolves
8. Fulham
6. Brighton
5. Arsenal
4. Brentford
3. Tottenham
2. Liverpool
1. Everton
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