Liverpool benefitted from Unai Emery setting up Arsenal to play straight into their hands as they romped to a 3-1 win at Anfield in the Premier League.
Last week, we didn’t hold back with out confidence of a big Liverpool win ahead of their matchup with Arsenal. And that is what happened as the Reds stormed to an assure 3-1 victory. But they were aided by some surprising tactics by Unai Emery.
I was not surprised to see the Gunners manager pack the middle of the park as it’s a tactic that many opposing teams have used to try to stem the flow of the Reds’ attacking football. However, it was his decision to arrange them as a diamond that played straight into Jurgen Klopp’s hands.
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Rather than leave Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front on his own, Emery deployed new signing Pepe alongside him, hoping their combined pace would cause Liverpool problems on the break.
There were one or two moments where this worked as Virgil van Dijk was dribbled past for the first time in a century. Though there were enough of those moments as Arsenal surrendered possession to Liverpool in the wide areas.
Klopp has settled into picking a midfield trio of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum for big games; compact, clever in possession and tactically astute.
Despite the fans longing to have a more attacking player in that threesome, the tactic is to free up Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson at full back to be crucial creators for the front three.
This has been the preferred tactic for a year now and the Arsenal diamond Unai Emery sent out allowed Liverpool to play exactly how they wanted to. Both full backs had acres of space to run into and zero pressure when picking out their passes and crosses.
All that pressure could only be sustained for 40 minutes before Liverpool made one of the corners count and take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
After the break the Reds pushed Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah wider. The Egyptian won a penalty early in the second half after cutting in from the right and then embarrassed David Luiz on the touchline before burying a clinical finish.
Emery was not wrong to play Pepe over Alexandre Lacazette but he should have been played out wide to occupy Robertson, with perhaps Reiss Nelson on the left-wing to give double protection against Alexander-Arnold.
But that’s the rub against Liverpool, as soon as you shut down one area they exploit the holes you left behind you. Klopp has these players ready to take advantage of whatever they will give you. It’s beautiful.