Liverpool's attacking formation brought a 1-1 draw away to Manchester City but could it be the template for the future? The change brings advantages and disadvantages as Jurgen Klopp and Jamie Carragher explained...
Monday 9 November 2020 16:27, UK
"I thought it made sense, that's it," Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports before the game when asked about his selection. "If you want to get something here, you have to be really brave."
Faced with the decision of whether to choose long-time favourite Roberto Firmino or the in-form newcomer Diogo Jota, the Liverpool manager opted for both in a bold 4-2-4 formation.
In the most demanding fixture of their Premier League season.
"It was a tough decision to change the system before we play City," he admitted afterwards. But it was largely vindicated.
Liverpool were beaten 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium in July and there was a 5-0 defeat in this fixture back in 2017. Klopp has still never beaten Pep Guardiola's side at the stadium in a Premier League fixture but the attacking approach almost blew City away early on.
Firmino, playing as a centre-forward alongside Mohamed Salah, was one-on-one against Ederson within minutes. Sadio Mane found himself in space at the far post soon after. Manchester City were pinned back, they were put under pressure, and they were creaking.
"Obviously, a little surprise for the opponent, the different system."
Liverpool were worthy of their lead and it is that opening 20 minutes that will encourage Klopp that weaker sides could be beaten if they repeat this frenzied opening against others.
What followed will be the concern.
"For us, the biggest challenge for us tonight was for Sadio and Diogo, defending these half spaces. They are both, in their mind, very offensive players, but in these moments they have to become midfielders. These gaps, we left them open for like 10 minutes, and in these moments they got the goal and they got the penalty. That is how football is."
This was a genuine 4-2-4 in the first half and, as Klopp suggests, while that brought positives, there were also negatives.
Allowing Kevin De Bruyne space proved costly.
Gabriel Jesus' equaliser illustrated the issue. Mane was upfield in a central position rather than in that left-midfield slot and that compelled Gini Wijnaldum to move wide to close down Kyle Walker in possession. That left De Bruyne free in the middle to feed Jesus.
Over on the other flank, it was Jota caught ahead of the ball when Alisson's kick went straight to Ilkay Gundogan. He passed to De Bruyne and they went close once more.
The situation in the build-up for the penalty was slightly different. Andy Robertson was dispossessed by Walker and with Mane also out of the game having anticipated the pass, the covering Wijnaldum was left in a two-on-one situation and De Bruyne was away again.
Robertson can make that ambitious run when playing in a 4-3-3 formation. Wijnaldum coming across is not such a problem when Fabinho is stationed in midfield. Asking the Dutchman to provide that protection in a two-man midfield leaves spaces vacant.
"That is always the big danger if you have got two in midfield and the wide players are wingers," Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports.
"If you think of the teams in the mid-1990s when you were going into Europe, and you played 4-4-2, a lot of times it's like, 'OK, that is great going forward, but can you get back in and help us, make us solid, make us compact'.
"And that is sort of the risk and reward. A couple of times - as Jurgen Klopp says - they could not quite get back in there, that is when Kevin De Bruyne showed his class, setting up one goal, putting in a cross for Raheem Sterling, and also where the penalty came from.
"But it happened very rarely."
That is because Liverpool found some of the solutions at the break.
"Half-time, we could adjust it," Klopp explained.
"The boys were compact again, we did not have these situations any more, City had to play a lot around the formation and these kind of things. All what we wanted.
"In the game when they do not close this gap or do not close that gap, they think that it would not have happened with the other system. But the boys are just ready to listen, ready to adapt, and ready to perform, so I am really happy. It was really good football.
"It is the game with the lowest number of chances that City have had against us. Even when they won the games, they had more.
"The game, I liked a lot."
Klopp is right. The expected-goals numbers show that - penalties aside - Manchester City's chances against Liverpool on Sunday had an expected-goals value of just 0.63.
That is significantly down on the numbers for the past two years and a mere fraction of the figures for the two seasons prior to that. Playing the extra attacker somewhat stifled City.
"It is an offensive line-up but if everyone is doing their job, it is an even more solid defensive formation," he added.
Perhaps the worry is that it robbed Liverpool of something at times too. When Klopp points out that it is "an even more solid defensive formation", this is likely because it becomes a four-man midfield rather than a three-man midfield given the demands on the wide midfielders.
Is that the best way to utilise Mane and Jota?
"It's another goal threat for Liverpool," said Carragher. "All the chances, it is always these four players involved, it is not one of the midfielders getting forward. It's always about the real attacking players to get the goals for Liverpool."
Klopp has found a way to get his four forwards into the team. Finding a way to get them into their most effective positions and functioning to their maximum is the challenge now.
Jasper Taylor is joined by Ben Ransom and Gerard Brand on the latest Pitch to Post Review podcast to discuss the weekend action in the Premier League as heavyweights Man City and Liverpool punch each other's lights out for 45 minutes, then cuddle on the canvas.
Did Liverpool's front four work, and could Gabriel Jesus replace Sergio Aguero?
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