Have Liverpool Turned a Corner?

Around 12 months ago a 2-0 win over Rangers would have seemed a routine and even dull victory
for Liverpool, yet last night’s victory came with a sigh of relief as they registered just their 4th victory
of the season. Admittedly, Rangers seemed poor, but in current form, a victory against any side in
Europe will have given Liverpool a confidence boost. Prior to the game the talk across the media was
of Liverpool’s tactics and whether Jurgen Klopp needed to switch things up in order to truly get his
side’s season up and running.

When the line-ups were announced it was clear that there would be a formation change with 4
attackers starting, including a double up of Jota and Nunez. On paper it was a 4-4-2 but this switched
between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-2-4 throughout the game, with a double pivot of Thiago and Henderson
providing the defensive cover. Klopp had suggested that the defensive tactics would be changed,
and this clearly worked with just their third clean sheet in eleven games. It seemed that the large
gaps between defence and midfield that had been exploited by Brighton and Napoli in recent games,
had disappeared and off the ball Rangers struggled to find any openings. Henderson, who has
received criticism of late for his lacklustre performance, was exceptional, cleaning up stray passes,
distributing and forcing errors from Ranger’s overpowered midfield.

Alongside the Liverpool captain, Darwin Nunez has also been scrutinised and was given a first
Champions League start for the reds. The Uruguayan did everything but score. His finishing was
poor, and shots struggled to find the corners, although this must not take away from Alan
McGregor’s performance in the Rangers’ net as he made a number of smart saves.

A further tactical change was Trent Alexander Arnold’s positioning. With an attacking left side of
Ryan Kent and Borna Barisic, it was clear that Trent had been told to play a deeper role. This avoided
leaving large gaps for the Rangers’ attack to exploit, whilst also allowing Trent to play deep cross-
field balls. With the team including 4 attackers, Liverpool did not miss Trent’s creativity on the right
flank, with Salah and Nunez repeatedly hugging the touchline to provide the width that is often the
source of Liverpool’s success.

With upcoming games against Arsenal, Rangers away and the frightening Manchester City, the next
few weeks is vital for Klopp’s team. If the formation and tactical switch does work, as the home
game against Rangers suggests, the season can be turned around and silverware could become a
possibility. However, it is easy to become confident and a home win against a Rangers side without a
point in the Champions League is merely a relief rather than an emphatic result.