How Liverpool can arrest the slide against Chelsea
Drop Alexander-Arnold, rein in the press… and Nunez MUST start! As Liverpool prepare to face manager-less Chelsea on the back of three-straight losses, what can Jurgen Klopp do to halt their slide?
- Liverpool travel to face Chelsea on Tuesday night after three successive losses
- The Reds currently lie eighth in the Premier League, eight points off the top four
- Manager Jurgen Klopp, 55, could make significant changes at Stamford Bridge
As Roberto Firmino slid home Liverpool’s magnificent seventh goal against Manchester United almost exactly a month ago in front of a raucous Anfield, the temptation was to think: corner turned.
For 90 glorious minutes, all their travails were forgotten in a blaze of Red Arrows ripping through the Red Devils. It’s safe to say they’ve been reacquainted with their troubles in the last three games – all of which ended in defeat, and crisis talks.
The concern for Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is how far off it his side looked in a 4-1 thrashing by erstwhile title rivals Manchester City, after which he admitted only four players performed ‘OK’, and in defeats by Real Madrid and, most concerning of all, Bournemouth.
Now the Merseyside club face managerless Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night lying eighth in the Premier League, eight points off the Champions League spots, out of every cup competition and desperately needing to arrest the slide.
Significant changes are expected – so below, Sportsmail looks at how Klopp and Co can spark themselves into life against the Blues – from dropping Trent Alexander-Arnold and starting Darwin Nunez to reining in their press.
Liverpool’s 4-1 thrashing at Manchester City was their third straight defeat in all competitions
The Reds held crisis talks after the loss and now face managerless Chelsea on Tuesday evening
Below, Sportsmail looks at what Jurgen Klopp and Co can do to turn things around in London
Put Trent out of his misery
It might be an unusual suggestion to drop one of the most lavishly talented full-backs in the country for a 37-year-old utility player.
Yet Trent has been well off the pace in recent week. He was tormented by the admittedly brilliant Jack Grealish and Vinicius Junior against City and Real and struggled against Bournemouth and Crystal Palace before that.
In previous seasons, his attacking and creative skillset has been enough to mask his clear defensive deficiencies, but he has only scored once in the league all season and has only recorded one assist since January 2.
There is still a player in there but given his lack of confidence, replacing him with Milner against Chelsea would be a good call.
The veteran played more than 70 minutes and helped his side to a clean sheet in the reverse fixture at Anfield.
He clearly relishes defending, winning every tackle and 50/50 ball – which is more than can be said for Trent at the moment.
Aside from that, the rest of the defence picks itself. Andy Robertson also struggled against City and has a decent deputy in Kostas Tsimikas but has enough credit in the bank to start.
Similarly, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate haven’t been at their best recently but given the woes of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, they should play too.
James Milner (right) can replace Trent Alexander-Arnold (left) and help them to a clean sheet
Right back Alexander-Arnold, 24, has been short of form recently and should be dropped
Have faith in Darwin Nunez
Perhaps surprisingly, Diogo Jota was named ahead of Darwin Nunez on the left wing in the starting line-up against City, with Cody Gakpo up front.
The Portuguese did brilliantly to assist Mohamed Salah’s opener but after missing much of the season with injury, is well short of full match fitness and confidence.
He has zero goals in 17 appearances in all competitions this campaign, and while he should be allowed to build up his playing time to get back to the form that saw him score 21 goals last season, Stamford Bridge maybe isn’t the right place for that.
Nunez, 23 – though clearly still unrefined as a player – has a knack of making things happen, with 14 goals in 34 games in all competitions.
He must start, either instead of Jota on the left wing or in place of Gakpo up front, and can trouble Chelsea’s defence with his pace, strength and directness.
His searing speed will be crucial to exploiting the space behind Chelsea’s wing backs and in the channels between their centre backs.
Liverpool should put their faith in the unrefined but promising forward Darwin Nunez (above)
Portuguese Diogo Jota (left), who started against Man City, is short of confidence and fitness
Ease off the gegenpressing
Jamie Carragher insisted recently Liverpool should be more restricted in their pressing, and it’s hard to disagree.
Their trademark ‘gegenpressing’ – the foundation of Klopp’s ‘heavy metal’ footballing style of play – is less dysfunctional than demolished.
Their pressure on opposition is at times furious and non-existent, individual and incoherent.
Left back Andy Robertson pushed needlessly high up the pitch in the build up to City’s equaliser at the Etihad and was subsequently exposed, with opposite man Riyad Mahrez helping set up Julian Alvarez’ leveller.
The whole defensive line were caught out again for De Bruyne’s goal, with more embarrassingly statuesque defending for the third and fourth.
This isn’t advocating for giving your opposite man 15 yards of space, but equally not pressing or pressing less in a co-ordinated way is better than the mish-mash system used at the moment.
Reds icon Jamie Carragher said Liverpool should ease up on the press – it’s hard to disagree
Their pressure on opposition is at times furious and non-existent, individual and incoherent
Switch up the bench
It is a source of confusion among fans why Fabio Carvalho has been used so little.
The gifted attacker, signed from Fulham in the summer, was used regularly off the bench at the start of the season, scoring in successive games, including a last-gasp winner against Newcastle.
Carvalho, 20, who scored 11 times for the Cottagers last season to help them get promoted, has only played five minutes in the Premier League since starting in a 1-0 loss against Nottingham Forest in October.
His two-minute, four-touch cameo in another 1-0 defeat against Bournemouth saw supporters question his lack of game time.
Similarly, Curtis Jones has been used extremely sparingly, albeit he has had several injury issues.
His classy goal for England’s Under 21 side shows he may well have a role to play in the Reds’ first team before the end of the season.
Though it may be a step too far to play them from the off against Chelsea, reintroducing exciting options like Carvalho and Jones from the substitutes’ bench – and giving them a reasonable amount of game time should the match situation allow it – may give Klopp some points of difference.
Especially in midfield.
Fabio Carvalho (right) and Curtis Jones (centre) should be reintroduced into the Reds squad
The exciting young pair could offer Klopp some points of difference off the bench in midfield
Silence the crowd
Obviously, scoring and/or not conceding early is always important.
But it could be particularly important in west London. The Blues support, fractured and frustrated after manager Graham Potter’s exit on Sunday, will have to try to unite behind interim boss Bruno Saltor, who has never been a No 1 before.
An early goal could ignite the Chelsea support, while a quick strike for Liverpool would deaden the atmosphere and make their jobs much easier.
Klopp and Co must come flying out of the traps with (controlled) aggression and genuine hunger – or risk falling victim to a potential ‘new manager’ bounce.
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