Liverpool v Arsenal tactics: Danny Higginbotham gives his verdict

Liverpool were unbeaten in 10 matches against the rest of the Premier League top six and Danny Higginbotham believes there are very good tactical reasons why that fine record could continue when Jurgen Klopp’s men host Arsenal on Super Sunday.

The only teams to beat Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League last season were Crystal Palace and Swansea. Both sides soaked up pressure but punished Klopp’s side nevertheless. That is no coincidence.

„I believe Liverpool are a team that don’t want to have a massive amount of possession,“ Higginbotham tells Sky Sports. „Against the lesser teams when the onus is on them, they are always going to be the ones in the ascendancy. So teams look to counter-attack on them.
„If we look at the possession side of it, they have far less possession against the top six (50.6 per cent) than they do against the rest (66.0 per cent).

„One of the things is that the smaller teams are happy to drop off and sit deep. As a result, there is no space in behind. So the pace of Daniel Sturridge, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino is pretty redundant. There is no room to get in there.
„So Georginio Wijnaldum goes forward and the two full-backs go forward to provide the width. What you are left with is Jordan Henderson and the two centre-backs. Teams say to them that they can go sideways, they can go backwards, but they cannot go behind them.

„What they then do is break very quickly against Liverpool. Because they are up the pitch, there are spaces in behind and this is where Liverpool get hurt, whether it is down the sides or through the middle.

„This has been a problem for Liverpool against those so-called lesser teams.“
Arsenal are unlikely to adopt this strategy on Sunday and Higginbotham feels that will only play into the home side’s hands.

„When Liverpool play against the top six it is kind of a role reversal,“ he explains. „Naturally, the midfielders will drop deep and the defence drops that little bit deeper. Therefore, there is not any space behind that back four.

„If we take Arsenal as the example, Mesut Ozil will go forwards, Alexandre Lacazette too, maybe Alexis Sanchez. Obviously the midfielders and the wing-backs will go forward too.
„Sometimes the pace of Mane and Firmino does not work for them against lesser teams who drop deep, but what we saw last season is that when there is space they can turn defence into attack so quickly. One minute they are on the back foot, the next it is in the back of the opposition’s net.

„What they do by sitting deep is that they set traps for the opposition. The big clubs who go to Anfield will believe that they want to have possession and they want to be on the front foot themselves.

„That is brilliant for Liverpool.

„It is a huge game for both teams but I feel that the way Liverpool play against the top teams, whether it is home or away, favours a home win. I think Arsenal will dominate possession but Liverpool will get a couple of goals on the counter-attack.

„In my opinion, Liverpool are probably the best counter-attacking team in the Premier League.“Euro Soccer Bonus

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