What is Liverpool's most-used Premier League XI this season? Startling stat revealed

Liverpool have repeated the same starting lineup in the Premier League this season ONLY ONCE.

The Reds started with the same XI for the opening two consecutive fixtures of the league season against Chelsea and Bournemouth, and every other lineup since then has been unique.

Analysis of Liverpool’s starting lineups lays bare the issues Jurgen Klopp has faced this season through injuries, suspensions and international tournament participation.

It’s a squad game more than ever these days and Liverpool’s starting lineups prove it.

Liverpool relying on their squad more than ever

Starting goalkeeper Alisson Becker has already missed 10 matches this term through injury and the Merseysiders have been reliant on back-up Caoimhin Kelleher more than ever.

Injuries to first-choice defenders Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson have affected Liverpool’s defensive consistency all season with Joel Matip and Kostas Tsimikas also absent for multiple matches.

In that regard, the contributions of Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah have been pivotal.

A back five of Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson has played together only on two occasions this season, both in the opening matches of the campaign. Swap out Konate for Matip and the figure remains at two.

In midfield, Curtis Jones has had a stop-start campaign due to injury and suspension, while Domink Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo have also had their rhythm disrupted.

Klopp will be glad for the consistency of Alexis Mac Allister in that area of the field, who has proven to be reliable as well as brilliant.

Harvey Elliott has been unable to nail down a starting place but has provided a useful alternative both in midfield and attack when others have been unfit or otherwise unavailable.

Up front, the manager has chopped and changed all season long with chief replacement Cody Gakpo swapping with Darwin Nunez. Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota have also rotated plenty with Mohamed Salah undroppable unless unfit.

Jota’s injury troubles have come at the worst possible time for the Reds with the Portuguese among their best finishers and the club currently suffering a crisis in composure in front of goal.

Had he been fit then there is a good chance of boasting a far more reliable XI.

Liverpool's instability laid bare

Using a version of FiveThirtyEight’s “STABLE” metric, which calculates a team’s lineup consistency across a season, Liverpool’s figure comes out at only 63 percent.

Van Dijk: 94%, Mac Allister, Diaz: 81%, Szoboszlai: 77%, Salah: 74% Alisson: 68%, Nunez: 65% and Alexander-Arnold: 61% have started over 60 percent of the games available in the Premier League.

That lack of consistency in the lineup, combined with deep runs in the Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup make it all the more remarkable that Liverpool have been able to sustain a title challenge.

It speaks to the incredible quality in Klopp’s ranks that the team has been able to counteract such instability and generate results, no matter the personnel available.

With Liverpool’s squad stretched to the maximum this term, it might well go down as the Premier League’s greatest achievement if the Reds manage to overcome Manchester City and Arsenal to win the title at the end of this campaign.

What is Liverpool's best XI?

Most Reds fans might have a clear idea of their strongest Liverpool XI but there is a good chance that the preferred configuration of players has not lined up together once for the club this term.

For example, a Liverpool starting XI of: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Jota has not played together once.

Even if you swap Szoboszlai for Jones, you still would not see that starting lineup appear on a single occasion.

If you prefer Luis Diaz instead of Diogo Jota, meanwhile, again you wouldn’t see your “strongest” XI.

Liverpool’s Premier League starting XIs this season

V CHELSEA: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gakpo; Salah, Jota, Diaz

V BOURNEMOUTH: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gakpo; Salah, Jota, Diaz

V NEWCASTLE: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Endo, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz

V ASTON VILLA: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

V WOLVES: Alisson; Gomez, Matip, Quansah, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Jota

V WEST HAM: Alisson; Gomez, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

V TOTTENHAM: Alisson; Gomez, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz

V BRIGHTON: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Elliott; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

V EVERTON: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Jota, Diaz

V NOTTINGHAM FOREST: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Jota

V LUTON: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Jota

V BRENTFORD: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Endo, Gakpo; Salah, Nunez, Jota

V MANCHESTER CITY: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Jota

V FULHAM: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

V SHEFFIELD UNITED: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Szoboszlai, Endo, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz

V CRYSTAL PALACE: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

V MANCHESTER UNITED: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

V ARSENAL: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Endo, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz

V BURNLEY: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez; Elliott, Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez

V NEWCASTLE: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Szoboszlai, Endo, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

V BOURNEMOUTH: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones; Diaz, Jota, Nunez

V CHELSEA: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk , Gomez; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones; Nunez, Jota, Diaz

V ARSENAL: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones; Jota, Gakpo, Diaz

V BURNLEY: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Endo, Jones; Jota, Nunez, Diaz

V BRENTFORD: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Endo, Jones; Jota, Nunez, Diaz

V LUTON TOWN: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez; Mac Allister, Endo, Gravenberch; Elliott, Gakpo, Diaz

V NOTTINGHAM FOREST: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gomez, Clark; Elliott, Gakpo, Diaz

V MANCHESTER CITY: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez; Mac Allister, Endo, Szoboszlai; Elliott, Nunez, Diaz

V BRIGHTON: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez; Mac Allister, Endo, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

V SHEFFIELD UNITED: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

V MANCHESTER UNITED: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Endo, Mac Allister; Salah, Nunez, Diaz