Liverpool was up against high flying Tottenham in a crucial top of the table tie at Anfield yesterday. Here is our exclusive Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur tactical analysis. Liverpool emerged victorious with a 2-1 victory courtesy of a late gasp Roberto Firmino goal. Both the teams tried to play to their strengths. It was a battle of prestige between two heavyweights Mourinho and Klopp. Let’s take a look at how the Reds tactically outmaneuvered Spurs.
Liverpool: Moving the Ball Quickly
Liverpool was very clear with their strategy of moving the ball quickly against the Spurs’ well-maintained low-block. Liverpool was using the abilities of Wijnaldum and Curtis Jones to move the ball quickly with one-touch passes. Roberto Firmino was also participated in the build-up of the team’s attack by dropping deep and putting the ball in the wide areas.
The quick movements resulted in Spur having to quickly cover the half-spaces which resulted in a lot of space being created in the final third which the wingers in form of Salah and Mané was exploiting as they were found quite a few times aiming towards the goal which became quite a repeatable event throughout the course of the match. Curtis Jones was also finding the spaces to play in the zone 14.
Tottenham: Counter-Offensive Strategy
Tottenham Hotspurs were relying a lot on their pace while they hit Liverpool on the counter. Mourinho made his intentions clear as the game begin, he was waiting to win the ball from Liverpool by sitting deep and then hit them on the counters by launching the ball upfront targeting the pacy forwards in form of Heung Min Son and Bergwijn.
In case of no players being present Kane was holding the ball waiting for Son and Bergwijn to make the run from behind of Liverpool’s defenders. Spurs successfully applied the strategy as Son scored against Liverpool. at the closing stages of the first half. The strategy remained the same in the second half as Bergwijn was agonisingly close to scoring the second goal for Spurs.
Liverpool’s Dynamic Midfield
Liverpool’s most impressive aspect yesterday was their midfield. Liverpool were controlling the midfield as they cancelled out any chances for Spurs to break out in attack. Liverpool’s midfielders were retaining the ball brilliantly even in a 2 vs. 1 situations where Henderson, Wijnaldum and Curtis Jones were under heavy pressure. Henderson was controlling with the tempo of the game. As a result, Liverpool was changing the tempo of the game and were changing their gears. As a result Spurs despite of playing low blocks couldn’t win back the balls in the deeper areas.
Wasteful Spurs Upfront
Spurs were not in their usual self as the London side looked wasteful in front of the goal. A team who plays in a low block can’t afford to be wasteful in front of the goal but Spurs were found guilty of doing that. In quite a few occasion. The misses from Bergwijn and Kane proved costly for Spurs. As a result, despite implementing a low block tactics the Spurs were finding themselves in a muddle upfront.
Dream Debut for Rhys Williams
It was a dream come true for Rhys Williams as he made his Premier League debut for his club. Rhys was indeed the man to watch out for in future. Liverpool were looking imperious in the back as Rhys’s aerial prowess came handy against the towering presence of Harry Kane. He was also comfortable with the ball as he played the ball with confidence, he also presented Salah with a golden opportunity upfront. It will be interesting to see the growth of this 19-year-old academy lad.
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