Liverpool formation switch by Jurgen Klopp worked in Rangers win
A confidence boost for Alexander-Arnold, the four-man front line in sync and Henderson and Thiago’s midfield balance: Liverpool’s new 4-2-4 works… but will Klopp brave it against Arsenal and City?
- Jurgen Klopp altered Liverpool’s formation for Tuesday’s match with Rangers
- The usual 4-3-3 was ditched in favour of something resembling a 4-2-4 shape
- Liverpool picked up a much-needed 2-0 win in the Champions League
- Extra attacker reduced the reliance on Alexander-Arnold to push forward
- That left fewer gaps at the back with midfield pair also anchoring things well
- But it will be a far tougher challenge against Arsenal and Man City next week
Was it a 4-2-3-1? Was it 4-2-4? Trent Alexander-Arnold suggested afterwards it was actually your old-fashioned 4-4-2.
Whatever, it wasn’t the usual 4-4-3 and it was precisely what Liverpool needed to lift the mood following an unimpressive start to the season.
Jurgen Klopp knew something had to change, system-wise, after his team were repeatedly picked apart by Brighton in that helter-skelter 3-3 draw on Saturday.
Liverpool returned to winning ways against Rangers after a difficult start to the season
Jurgen Klopp switched Liverpool’s system from a 4-3-3 to more of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-4 and gained the rewards with a 2-0 win at Anfield
The German trusted his instincts, sacrificed a midfielder for an additional forward and saw his team dominate Rangers in a 2-0 Champions League win to get themselves back on track.
The Scottish side were clearly inferior and generally unadventurous but Liverpool’s formation switch worked and Anfield went home happy.
The Reds enjoyed 64 per cent possession and carved out 23 shots, of which 10 were on target. Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah received confidence boosts by getting on the scoresheet.
Just as importantly, Liverpool looked far more compact and much less vulnerable defensively than in recent weeks.
It wasn’t at all bad considering Klopp and his players had just one day on the training ground to work on the new formation.
Alexander-Arnold curled home a beautiful free-kick to set Liverpool on their way early on
Mohamed Salah powered home a penalty to double Liverpool’s lead in the second-half
Liverpool fixtures
Premier League unless stated
Sunday Arsenal (A)
October 12 Rangers (A)
Champions League
October 16 Manchester City (H)
October 19 West Ham (H)
October 22 Nottingham Forest (A)
October 26 Ajax (A)
Champions League
But the big question is whether Liverpool now stick with it or revert to their traditional 4-3-3.
It may only be October but their next three fixtures look absolutely pivotal for the direction of their season.
They travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday before hosting Manchester City, currently undefeated and in second, a week later.
In between they head up to Ibrox for the return meeting with Rangers, who could easily be a far tougher proposition on home turf.
So that 4-2-3-1, or whatever it is, will be stress-tested to the limit.
As Klopp enthused about Tuesday night’s display afterwards, however, he didn’t sound like a manager about to change tack.
‘It was a really good defensive performance in a new structure. Offensively, we created an awful lot. I liked it a lot,’ he said.
‘The way the boys upfront moved together was extremely good for only one session working on it.
‘It [the change of formation] was actually nothing to do with the game. It had a little bit to do with the game but not too much. It was for us.’
So the new formation wasn’t bespoke because they were playing Rangers, but a potential longer-term solution to get Liverpool’s season kick-started.
Alexander-Arnold gets a hug from Klopp after leaving the field to a standing ovation
Playing Jordan Henderson in midfield helped provide security and balance to the side
Klopp made the decision to drop Fabinho and play a double midfield pivot of Jordan Henderson and Thiago, with the result that his team looked more solid and balanced.
Both were willing and able to protect the back four, which prevented those gaps seen during the Brighton game opening up, and the pair established a good control over the midfield battle.
Arsenal and City will obviously be different propositions. Mikel Arteta usually goes with a similar 4-2-3-1 with the in-form Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka set to be a stubborn test.
But against Pep Guardiola’s 4-3-3, with Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva all threading passes, not to mention their attacking threat from wide, Klopp will be wary of the midfield two being overwhelmed.
Another bonus of the formation change was that Alexander-Arnold was able to take on a more defensive role and so wasn’t as exposed as he has been of late.
Darwin Nunez didn’t get on the scoresheet but he did find himself with more opportunities
The average positions of the Liverpool players against Rangers – Alexander-Arnold (66) spent most time inside his own half
Several opponents have targeted Alexander-Arnold to good effect this season, knowing the right-back is vulnerable when he pushes forward.
But with four attackers instead of the normal three on the pitch on Tuesday night, there was less need for Alexander-Arnold to go forward and so Ryan Kent and others couldn’t get behind him.
His average position during the game was inside Liverpool’s half, which is unusual for him.
The confidence boost from a clean sheet – only Liverpool’s third of the season from 11 games – plus the lovely free-kick he curled home in the seventh minute and the standing ovation from the crowd when he came off late on, will do wonders.
The change also meant a better connection between the attackers, with Darwin Nunez playing ahead of Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.
Between them, they had more than enough to intimidate Rangers and on another night could have scored considerably more than two.
Salah’s goal, a second-half penalty, will brighten his mood and though £85m summer arrival Nunez still hasn’t scored since the opening day at Fulham, he had openings that on another occasion he will take.
Allan McGregor, the veteran Rangers keeper, denied the Uruguayan on no fewer than four occasions.
Liverpool’s next challenge comes against an in-form Arsenal who are leading the table
After that, they play a Manchester City side in ominously good form in the early weeks
But ultimately, despite the 23 shots, Liverpool’s two goals came from a free-kick and a penalty rather than open play.
This would have been a minor concern for Klopp but more worrying would have been if they’d struggled to create anything at all and that wasn’t the case.
With a few days more on the training ground to work on fine-tuning, Liverpool should be better placed to take on the much stiffer test of Arsenal this weekend and City the weekend after.
They’ll certainly need to be.
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