Liverpool 1-1 Leicester City: A Tactical Breakdown
With a number of injuries and a suspension to deal with, even after the team sheets were announced, it was unclear exactly how Liverpool would set up. Initial reports indicated Gini Wijnaldum would fill in at right-back, in Alexander-Arnold's absence, but instead, it was club captain, Jordan Henderson who would feature there, and Naby Keïta who would function as one of the pivots in the 4-2-3-1 system.
Liverpool's setup
Henderson and Robertson played as the Liverpool full-backs, and functioned tactically as the …
Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool: A Tactical Breakdown
The beautiful game, and two of its best proponents in a tête-à-tête. Manchester City, the Emirati bankrolled behemoth, against Liverpool; the old kid on the block, desperate to reclaim lost territory. Guardiola, the purist football scholar versus Klopp, an underappreciated genius.
It was supposed to be a tight game. It wasn't. One team was clearly better than the other, and it was Liverpool.
However, it was literally decided by fine margins - two stellar pieces of individual skill by Manchester …
Liverpool 4-0 Newcastle: A Tactical Breakdown
Liverpool FC vs. Newcastle United FC; it's one of the most historic games in the Premier League, supposedly always meant to be a toe-to-toe, all-action, enigmatic thriller. Add in the magic of Boxing Day - a day which Liverpool have not lost a league match on for over twenty years - and the return of Rafael Benitez, and there was a recipe for something fantastic.
Newcastle are not the force they once were though, and despite their manager, on a …
Wolverhampton 0-2 Liverpool: A Tactical Breakdown
Wolverhampton Wanderers have been a breath of fresh air to the Premier League. They may have been bankrolled by Jorge Mendes, but their enthralling style, talent-filled roster, and seriously cool manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, have rightfully garnered the praise of pundits and fans across the country.
Wolves are no pushover side though, in games against Arsenal and Spurs, they outscored the opposition in xG, and were extremely unfortunate to draw and lose in those respective games, whilst they also managed …
Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United: A Tactical Breakdown
There is no other game which manages to unnerve me like playing Manchester United does. Irrespective of form or quality, as matchday approaches, I fill with dread. On the morning of a match, I can barely eat. Perhaps it's the years of torment at school after losing, and unexplainable events which always seem to favour United that has caused this. Nonetheless, despite Liverpool's greatest ever start to a Premier League season, and mere minutes before the teams were announced, all I …
Liverpool 2-0 Fulham: A Tactical Breakdown
…
Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool: A Tactical Breakdown
As expected for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp elected to revert to the 4-3-3 system with which he has enjoyed a great deal of success with against Liverpool’s top six rivals and Champions League competitors too.
It made sense: Arsenal have a renewed impetus to play out from the back and did not have a particularly quick midfield, or backline, and in both regards were not technically gifted in either area. Arsenal’s threat lay with their forwards and stopping the supply into …
Analysing Liverpool's 'Packing' Performance
Liverpool are currently enjoying their best ever start to a Premier League season, with their ten-match unbeaten run positioning The Reds level at the top of the table with last season's champions, Manchester City. Despite being tied with City on 26 points though, the vast majority of data behind the results suggests that Pep Guardiola's men are in a league of their own, certainly in the realms of xG. However, there is one analytical metric that rates Liverpool extremely high …
Liverpool 4-1 Cardiff: A Tactical Breakdown
After an efficient and impressive performance in the Champions League, against Red Star Belgrade, Liverpool looked reinvigorated and refreshed, following a run of closer, drab matches.
Neil Warnock's pre-match presser made it obvious how Cardiff would set up to play, as he sang praises of Liverpool's fantastic forward line, who look as imperious as ever, and consequently the challenges of attempting to keep those forwards out. Very rarely do the statistics tell the story of the match as much as …
Liverpool 4-0 Red Star Belgrade: A Tactical Breakdown
After a drab affair against Huddersfield, Liverpool fans were craving for an impressive performance. Yet, for the opening 20 minutes, Liverpool looked a far cry from their fluid, incisive best. But this was no typical Liverpool lineup.
Klopp has employed the 4-3-3 system to good effect in his three seasons at Liverpool, after initially starting with a 4-2-3-1, which served him well at Dortmund. Having a balance between attack and defence is central to both of these systems, and as …