Watch Out Liverpools Rise Without English Presence in the England Premier League

Liverpool are five points clear at the top yet none of Arne Slot’s regular starters are English. The team relies heavily on overseas players, while the league average stands at 2.7 English starters. Everton (6.4) and Newcastle (6.2) show stronger English representation, unlike Liverpool, whose policy contrasts with European champions who field more local talent.

When the Premier League champions Liverpool faced Everton in the Merseyside derby, their starting XI did not feature a single English player, highlighting a growing trend in English football. Under Arne Slot, Liverpool’s first-choice lineup has been built almost entirely on overseas talent, with Alisson, Van Dijk, Konaté, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Salah and others forming the core. Against Everton, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and youngster Rio Ngumoha were the only English players in the squad, all starting on the bench.

This reflects a wider Premier League pattern, where the average number of English starters per team is just 2.7. Liverpool, Wolves and Sunderland have each averaged only 0.2 per game this season. At the other end, Everton leads with 32 English starters out of 55 possible, averaging 6.4 per game, while Newcastle follow closely with 31.

Compared to Europe’s leading clubs, the contrast is stark. Bayern Munich averages five German starters, PSG 4.3 French players, and Barcelona an impressive 7.4 Spaniards. That domestic base has helped those nations win 16 major international titles combined, while England’s tally remains one. With Trent Alexander-Arnold now at Real Madrid, Curtis Jones is the only Scouser in Liverpool’s squad, underlining both the decline in English presence and the increasingly global nature of the Premier League.