Liverpool: This is the back four we want to see against Arsenal
By David Gate
Liverpool head to the Emirates on Friday to take on rivals Arsenal in the Premier League. Here is the back four we want to see against the Gunners.
They did it. Liverpool came away from a game against Bournemouth with a clean sheet. For most teams this wouldn’t be an achievement but our recent record against the Cherries makes it a minor victory for our development.
The 4-0 victory marked Liverpool’s 13th clean sheet in the last 24 Premier League games. That is the best record in the league over that period. I’m sure that stat would be a surprise to the casual fan or the neutral. The story about Liverpool is an attack that swamps but a defense that leaks.
The truth is there are a handful of reasons for the seeming Jekyll and Hyde nature to our back four. Many teams don’t even try to attack us – I’m looking at you Man Utd & Everton – because they are so afraid of attacking us. It means they have very few attacks and chances for out defenders to panic at.
Also when the front of the car is humming the back has to do less. The pace and pressure of Firmino, Mane and Salah goes to a long way to help the defense. You can include Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain in the list of players who are making the famous Jurgen Klopp ‘gegenpress’ a natural part of their game. The Englishman is growing into an important piece in this Liverpool squad. I’m hoping he face his old club Arsenal for a killer revenge game.
The Reds got a clean sheet earlier in the season against the Gunners at Anfield. Here is the back four who can get the same result and make it 14 clean sheet in 25 Premier League games.