Thursday, November 5, 2026
Liverpool

Bradley Barcola Goals: How Can Inconsistent Liverpool Forward Tap Into His Best Form?

Uttiyo Sarkar · · 3 min read

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Bradley Barcola Goals: How Can Inconsistent Liverpool Forward Tap Into His Best Form?
LASK – LIVERPOOL Bradley Barcola of Liverpool celebrates a goal during the matchday 2 of League phase round of UEFA Champions league football match between LASK and Liverpool FC at Oberosterreich Arena. Linz, Austria, October 14, 2026. Copyright: xx 080A0838

The Bradley Barcola goals have dried up in Liverpool’s last few appearances, and the Frenchman’s lack of ability to make a major impact in the final third ultimately cost the Reds in their loss to Fenerbahce in Matchday 4 of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League. Despite being played in a centre-forward role, the Bradley Barcola goals just didn’t turn up in the clash, as he was frustrated by some sturdy defensive work from the Turkish side.

The Bradley Barcola goals factor is a key reason for Liverpool spending huge money to sign him from Paris Saint-Germain in the 2026 summer window. His ability to get major goal contributions and finish off moves is why he keeps getting regular starts despite a shaky start to the season.

With the 24-year-old struggling to tap into his best for Liverpool, how exactly can the Bradley Barcola goals asset be revamped?

What Is Holding Back the Bradley Barcola Goals Factor at Liverpool?

The only Bradley Barcola goals for Liverpool in the 2026/27 season have come in the form of the hat-trick that he scored in their big win over LASK in the Champions League earlier in the league stages campaign. Since then, the Bradley Barcola goals have totally dried up, and the winger is not able to finish off chances as clinically as he did in the clash against the Austrian side in Europe.

Barcola’s form has seemingly improved after a stuttering start to the season, as he provided key assists for Liverpool in their wins over Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League. However, a key reason why the Bradley Barcola’s goals threat has been inconsistent is probably because of how often he keeps getting switched in the frontline.

Andoni Iraola has used Barcola in three separate roles so far at Liverpool, changing him from his natural position to sometimes play on the right wing and even as a centre-forward. This needs to change for him to find his rhythm, because the Frenchman can’t be expected to fire on all cylinders if he doesn’t understand what his ideal role is at Anfield.

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Champions League Matchday 4 Day Two Key Takeaways
Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe seen during UEFA Champions League 2026 2027 league phase game between teams of AEK Athens and Real Madrid (Kazimierz Koper Ball Raw Images) Athens ALLWYN Arena Grecce Copyright: xKazimierzxKoperx KAZ_AEKvREL-024

What Is Bradley Barcola’s Ideal Role in Liverpool Team?

The Bradley Barcola goals threat could be amplified if Iraola starts playing him in his natural position, which is the left-wing role. The Frenchman isn’t the kind of winger who likes sticking out wide near the byline, but one who thrives in moving inwards into more central areas, which allows him to get into more goal-scoring positions for his side.

To get the best out of Barcola’s abilities, Liverpool needs him to get a free left-wing role where he’s given utmost freedom to roam in & around the penalty area. Barcola can benefit from having Milos Kerkez repeatedly making overlapping runs out wide on the left, which can give him the licence to move more centrally to create or score chances.

If more quality passes are played to the Frenchman inside the box and his off-the-ball runs are tracked perfectly, the Bradley Barcola goals threat can be significantly increased and make him a consistent threat for the Reds.

Extra Time Notes

The Bradley Barcola goals factor is becoming a bit of a worry for Liverpool because he just isn’t scoring as consistently as the fans had hoped for. The Frenchman has not been able to score a single goal in the Premier League so far, and his hat trick against LASK remains the only game where he’s managed to score since joining the Reds.

Andoni Iraola needs to tweak Barcola’s role in his Liverpool frontline to bolster his chances of getting more consistent goal contributions. Barcola needs to be played in his natural left-wing role and be given freedom to make clever runs into the penalty area, and for Liverpool teammates to find him in the danger areas to enable him to start scoring on a regular basis.

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Uttiyo Sarkar

Uttiyo is a football and sports analyst who has been avidly following the beautiful game for 20 years. He has been in sportswriting since 2016 and has featured in a number of notable publications, covering the FIFA U17 World Cup and many notable European competitions. He is a dedicated writer, a passionate reader and loves to spend hours dedicated to the covering the sport. He is also an occasional gamer and hardcore music enthusiast.

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