After an aggressive and chaotic first half, James Rodríguez and Thiago Alcântara began to influence the events of the match, which helped deliver an entertaining affair. Although this contest will be remembered for its heavy tackles, Richarlison’s red card and a late VAR decision, Carlo Ancelotti and Jürgen Klopp produced an intelligent tactical battle, something […]
Liverpool brought their usual pressing aggression into this game and kept Arsenal pinned into their own half. However, on one of the few occasions where Arsenal were able to play through the press, they went 1-0 up. This did not last long though, as Liverpool continued to dominate after equalizing quickly via Sadio Mané. Andrew […]
The first half saw Liverpool on top but Chelsea were able to hold on with their passive 4-5-1 defensive shape and occasional transition attacks through Timo Werner. Andreas Christensen’s sending off just before half-time changed the game though, as ten-man Chelsea were unable to cover space defensively. Two Sadio Mané goals wrapped the game up […]
This was a game that lived up to all expectations as Liverpool and Leeds produced a thrilling game on the opening day. Leeds’ intense man-marking approach helped set the tone as the game became a high tempo affair in which the individual skills of Liverpool’s forwards – most notably Salah – were needed to create […]
Mikel Arteta went for the same formula that got the best of Manchester City last season: some pressing, some great buildup play and a whole lot of defending in a deep 5-4-1 formation. Though losing a final is never a good thing, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp might be even more worried about how easy Arsenal […]
Defensive miscues ruled the day, as both Chelsea and Liverpool struggled to find consistency in their backline. Despite a number of clever tactical decisions made by Frank Lampard, his side was once again undone by its lack of attention to detail. While no manner of lack of conviction in their own third was going to […]
A match dominated by Liverpool ended in defeat as costly errors from Virgil van Dijk and Alisson handed Arsenal the victory at the Emirates Stadium. The win boosted Arsenal’s hopes of securing European football for the upcoming season, and stripped away Liverpool’s aspirations of crossing the 100-point record established by Manchester City. Tactical analysis and […]
Manchester City performed a guard of honour for Liverpool before the game, but there was no title procession for Liverpool once the game began. City had an attacking scheme designed to find weaknesses in Liverpool’s compact 4-3-3 system and overwhelmed Liverpool to take a 3-0 lead in the first half, with Kevin De Bruyne being […]
The 236th Merseyside derby was already historic, for circumstances we are all aware of. The match itself, however, will go down as a fixture worth forgetting in this famous matchup. Both club’s rusty returns were showcased in a serve lack of chances, Everton’s poor buildup play and Liverpool’s control on the ball, without the penetration […]
Top teams’ ability to progress the ball becomes increasingly scrutinized in modern football due to the continued improvement of the defensive systems they face. This analysis outlines the buildup strategies of seven of Europe’s elite teams, and briefly discusses some of the trends observed within. Written by Josh Manley. Defending and pressing in modern football […]