Arsenal – Liverpool: Contenders or Pretenders? (2-2)

The two most enduring rivals to Manchester City’s era of dominance dueled to display their credentials for the Premier League crown in this new campaign. Both clubs could claim praise for their performances from places of relative disadvantage. But will they regret this stalemate in the long run? After all, in the end, the biggest winners of the weekend were the title holders.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Liverpool sit at the start of their cycle with a new manager. How would the club cope with the exit of Jürgen Klopp after nearly nine years in the dugout? So far, it has been seamless. Arne Slot has only overseen one defeat in his first 12 matches. At the outset of this weekend, they topped the Premier League table with 21 points across eight league outings and have also been victorious in their three Champions League group games. As the schedule toughens, will his adaptations continue to work?

As the five year anniversary of Mikel Arteta’s reign at Arsenal approaches, critics could ask if he has earned his latest contract at the club. No one can contest the changes courtesy of his control. Under his firm fist, the players perform by the book and can deal decisive blows to their rivals through set-pieces and dogged defending. But that is not always enough. In a moment of stagnancy, is there a sufficient spark in the squad to succeed when the structure cannot deliver on desirable objectives?

A slew of injuries indicated issues for the hosts. William Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth ruled him out of the fixture. Ben White filled in next to his former partner Gabriel Magalhães and Thomas Partey switched to right back. Riccardo Calafiori remained absent with a knee injury, forcing Jurriën Timber to return from a muscle problem as their left back. There was still no Martin Ødegaard in the midfield, so the captain’s duties belonged to Bukayo Saka, who hoped his hamstring would not suffer.

Slot swapped around three members of his last lineup from a 1-0 victory over RB Leipzig. Kostas Tsimikas made way for Andrew Robertson on the left of the back four. Ryan Gravenberch acts as a mainstay in the midfield: Alexis MacAllister joined him while Curtis Jones came in for Dominik Szoboszlai. Diogo Jota was missing from the final third with a rib injury he sustained against Chelsea. Darwin Núñez operated as their striker and Luis Díaz was on the left wing instead of Cody Gakpo.

Captains carry out their duties

Slot has shifted away from the 4-3-3 system of his predecessor. He prefers a more man-oriented 4-2-3-1 layout from which he can adapt the functions of his players. Here, Jones mostly stayed next to Núñez in a 4-2-4 high block. The frontline could discourage Arsenal from trying to progress through the lines in central areas. However, Bologna have already illustrated how this scheme can relieve space for the fullbacks to move into and break the press. Arsenal’s approach would follow suit.

Arteta’s men were not too keen to try and move with passes through the middle of the field. Rice rolled around the edges of the formation with small ball carries and movements that kept Núñez in check. Wider movements from Havertz on the right fixed Mac Allister, lengthening the pressing routes for Díaz, and deeper movements from Merino opened the clipped angle from David Raya to Timber. Above all, this approach allowed White more space and time to act as a deep distributor.

3^rd minute: buildup sequence from Arsenal. Partey had pushed Díaz inwards with his narrow positioning. The winger pressed White and Mac Allister tracked Havertz to the outside. Partey returned to the touchline, forcing Díaz to angle his pressing run since Mac Allister followed Havertz again inside between the lines. Notice that Rice peels away from Núñez as White assesses his options.

The Emirates Stadium would have warmed to the reception of good news about their captain, who soon set apart the two teams. Saka slowed down the game, taking the ball away from Robertson before laying it off to Declan Rice under no pressure. Thirty seconds of calm circulation followed around Liverpool’s block. No threat was visible, but the talismanic presence of the right winger lit the fire. White clipped the ball behind the backline and Saka pulled it into his path. Robertson retreated, but Saka chopped inside the left back and rifled a shot into the roof of the net past Caoimhín Kelleher.

Back with a bang 👊

Bukayo Saka’s 50th Premier League goal 🤩 pic.twitter.com/OhyrB8iUd2

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 28, 2024

Virgil Van Dijk responded, fulfilling his responsibilities as the skipper. From the back, he swung a switch to Díaz on the left wing, forcing Partey to turn and face his own goal. The winger ran the ball into the hip of the right back, who tussled and gave away a corner. Alexander-Arnold whipped a delivery towards the near post, where Díaz beat Havertz to the ball and flicked it onto the far side. Van Dijk stooped in front of Partey, steering it beyond Raya and into the net: 1-1 after 18 minutes.

Arsenal ascend into authority

The man-oriented midfield offered more routes to move up the pitch. As a false nine, Trossard dropped into the gaps between Mac Allister and Gravenberch. Ibrahima Konaté could not go out all the way with the central forward while Havertz continued to drift out to the right wing. As a two footed finisher, he was comfortable using either foot to find options on the outside of the pitch.

Despite their superiority, Arsenal could not create many chances. Saka excelled before the break. Thanks to his strength with markers in his back and smart choices on the ball, he could roll inside off the wing. But often a third red shirt was missing from the linkup on the right flank and the usual basis for longer phases of pressure was more difficult without a tempo setter. Havertz was also wayward with his finishing, wasting openings when he crashed at the back post. On the other side of the field, Konaté’s pace and power prevented Martinelli from having it all his way with Alexander-Arnold.

Indeed, a classic set-piece routine nearly returned the lead to the hosts straightaway. Duel monster Merino threw himself at a cross from Rice’s free kick but missed the target. Approaching half time, the trick worked. Partey planted his body to protect the ball from Díaz, drawing a free kick. Rice repeated the routine from the midway mark of the first half. He swung the ball behind the offside line while red shirts dropped back from offside positions to find favorable shooting locations. His cross connected with Merino, whose headed effort flew into the net. Arsenal had taken the advantage.

20^th minute: offensive set-piece structure from Arsenal. The hosts begin with four of their strongest aerial duelers on the ball far side. Rice prepares to send in a delivery that goes behind the offside line. Gabriel, Partey, Havertz and Merino filter into gaps from offside positions, obstructing Núñez and van Dijk with their movement. Merino arrives on the scene to shoot but he misses the target.

Liverpool look to their old identity

Arsenal would have wanted to consolidate control at the start of the second half. However, another ailment spoiled their plans. Gabriel fell to the floor within minutes of the restart and soon departed the field with an injury. Jakub Kiwior entered the fray as a straight swap in the center of the defense.

The hosts would not generate a single shot for thirty minutes of action. In the meantime, Slot sent on reinforcements. Tsimikas took the place of Robertson, Szoboszlai switched in for Mac Allister, so Jones joined Gravenberch in the double pivot, and Gakpo gained the spot from Díaz. Liverpool could not convert their higher share of possession into lots of good strikes at goal against a lowering block. Yet, transitions were more common to turn the defenders as Arsenal’s authority in this game loosened.

52^nd minute: offensive transition from Liverpool. As Arsenal gradually knocked goal kicks downfield, Konaté and van Dijk asserted themselves in aerial duels to set the tone for the second half. Following one of these situations, Gabriel has to step out of the defense  and nods the ball forward. Trossard turns into Jones, who successfully steals the ball, dribbles rightward and releases Salah. Rice’s recovery powers stall the transition as he battled with Jones before tracking an underlap from Alexander-Arnold. However, more of these moments became viable for the visitors after the break.

The toil took its toll on Timber’s body. A quarter of an hour remained when Myles Lewis-Skelly stepped in for him on the left of the back four. Now, not a single member of their defense was the first choice in their position. Care was paramount. But Liverpool punished a misstep. On the transition, Alexander-Arnold turned around the rearguard. He released Núñez on the shoulder of Kiwior, Salah sprinted away from Lewis-Skelly towards the goal and scored an equalizer on the counterpunch.

Takeaways

Ambivalence might best describe the feeling for Arsenal. On the one hand, a makeshift defense mostly managed to handle one of the most feared offenses in the top tier. On the other hand, the control and creativity of this outfit in the final third cannot reliably relieve the reliance on their strengths. It is not totally stale in the red half of North London (and buildup approaches are adding flexibility) but a five point gap to the top of the table cannot open much more before the end of 2024.

Liverpool’s latest display continued to affirm that there is life after Klopp. While Slot is stamping his seal of approval on the squad with his unique demands, the intensity and dynamism of his players have powered this strong start to the season. Clashes with Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa will offer additional signs of how well this camp can compete with some of the best on the circuit. But it seems that the faithful from Anfield can still look forward to good times with their new leader.

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