pressing

Analysis: Is the Liverpool press failing?

Liverpool's success since the appointment of Jurgen Klopp has been built around the press. Initially, it was full-throttle, relentless and tiring to watch. But as the team evolved, so did the press. Their approach was more meticulous, their approach was more intelligent and they seemed to take a more measured approach to it all. It...

Why Liverpool were excellent on and off the ball against Bournemouth

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp explained why he was very happy with almost all aspects of his team's performance in their 3-0 Premier League win over Bournemouth on Saturday. Many fans and pundits alike had commented that The Reds looked leggy and lethargic in recent weeks and lacked the urgency to regain possession when the opposition...

Explaining Liverpool’s Pressing Against Manchester City

In Liverpool’s most recent contest, The Reds achieved a 0-0 draw at home to title rivals, Manchester City. The match was cagey, conservative and respectful, and despite Liverpool restricting City to just two shots on target, some viewers weren’t happy with the home side's work without the ball. The main viewer that I’m referencing...

Breaking down the Sum of Liverpool’s Parts – Part 2

Any back-line - let alone the back-five of Liverpool's - will face adversities in the form of the high initial press in trying to lay the foundation for attacks. Jürgen Klopp's system for Liverpool works in a multitude of ways in order to overcome these adversities as mentioned in Part 1 here, but nevertheless, football...

Spurs 1 Liverpool 1 – Pressing Stats Analysis

Liverpool's third Premier League game of the season ended in a frustrating draw as the Reds rued missed chances whilst being on top in the first half and bemoaned poor defending once again which cost them the three points at White Hart Lane. As always the Anfield Index Under Pressure team analysed the game covering at...

Sadio Mane at RB Salzburg: A Reflection of the Future?

Liverpool have signed Sadio Mane this week, continuing the trend of shopping on the South Coast. The reported fee has ranged between 30 million pounds to 36 million pounds depending on whom you would want to believe. It is a valid question whether the question is of great significance in that if you have...

Villarreal Vs. Liverpool | In-Depth Tactical Preview

Based in the tiny City of Vila-Real in the Comunitat Valenciana on the East Coast of Spain, Villarreal have arguably been the 21st century’s biggest football over-achievers. With a stadium that could fit half the city’s population, the club captivated the football world back in 2006 when they reached the Champions League semi-final with...

Guess Who’s Back …Back Again: Liverpool FC

No, the title isn't autobiographical; although admittedly, it has been quite a while since my last piece for Anfield Index. What am I on about then? Well, I think it's pretty obvious; I'm sure you'll agree, it's time to talk about the resurgence of Liverpool FC. Days before the first leg of the Borussia Dortmund...

Illustrating Liverpool’s Pressing Against Arsenal

We've been collecting Pressing Stats since 2013 on Anfield Index and after after attending the game at Anfield I expected some unbelievable pressing numbers from the non-stop epic draw against Arsenal, and I wasn't wrong! Liverpool's pressing effort was one of the very best against Arsenal as they pressed the ball every 1.85 of passes Arsenal...

Illustrating Liverpool’s Pressing Vs Sunderland

We've been collecting Pressing Stats since 2013 on Anfield Index and Liverpool's performance was a recording breaking one according to the numbers we collect! You can have a listen to the full analysis of the pressing stats on the podcast embedded below. There are also supporting heat map/pressing map combinations below so that you...