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When it emerged that Joe Gomez had suffered a worrisome knee injury in international service, the collective moan could almost be heard from the red half of Merseyside.
The England international is poised for a long stint on the sidelines alongside fellow defensive Virgil van Dijk, sinking Liverpool’s defensive injuries ever closer to crisis territory.
Jurgen Klopp has already discussed possible central defense plans after Van Dijk’s injury, with Andrew Robertson and Jordan Henderson cited as possible substitutes for Fabinho and Joel Matip.
Whether Klopp opts for youth, with Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams debuting in recent Premier League and Champions League matches, or experience, Liverpool’s best form of defense may well be attack, as the old man puts it. adage.
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The Liverpool manager delivered a bold tactical surprise at the Etihad Stadium by altering his usual 4-3-3 system and fielding four forwards. The first half hour of football on his side was impressive, with Manchester City suffocated and unable to move through the lines and out of defense.
Diogo Jota’s form had given the Reds a fourth lead to their already feared attack and it may be useful for them to follow Etihad’s plan as the season progresses, given Gomez’s latest injury.
Liverpool’s attacking numbers are the best in the Premier League, based on the underlying data. Only Chelsea and Tottenham have scored more this season, but the quality of the Reds’ production is unmatched.
As shown below, no team is creating a higher volume or higher quality of opportunities for 90 minutes in the Premier League.
Aston Villa are the Reds’ closest competitors when it comes to average number of shots taken in a match, while Tottenham also boast a solid number of expected goals without penalty, but not at the same pace as the Premier champions. League.
He stresses that the more firepower Liverpool has on the pitch, the more likely it is to defeat the opposition. Liverpool’s top scorers are Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, with Roberto Firmino out of shape. Taking goals away from Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, in the short term, will leave a void that no midfielder has shown they can fill.
The case of total attack grows when Liverpool’s defensive data is also considered. The number of shots the Reds’ defense has conceded this season is low; only Brighton and Manchester City have better protected their defenses from incoming shots.
Unlike the Seagulls and their rivals for the Premier League title, the quality of opportunity given to the opposition attackers is much higher and these numbers are of course with one or both of their first-choice defenders in the team.
The quality of Liverpool’s attacking play against Manchester City on a fluent front four shows that if they are able to pin down the opposition, they are likely to outperform any team in the division. Defenses win you titles, usually, but this has already proven to be a fun season in an unprecedented year.
Only the best teams in possession or on the fast break, such as Liverpool’s next opponent Leicester City, will be able to fight off the aggressive press of Liverpool’s four forwards, while others will simply collapse.
Klopp cannot, and will not, simply abandon all defensive structure and organization, but considering the problems on defense, along with the dilemmas on offense, he could marry the perfect solution. Total attack.
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