When news broke that Joe Gomez had sustained a worrying knee injury on international service, the collective groans of the red half of Merseyside could almost be heard.
The England international is standing next to his defense partner Virgil van Dijk for a long time on the sidelines and is bringing Liverpool’s defensive injuries closer and closer to the crisis area.
Jürgen Klopp has already discussed possible plans for the center-back following Van Dijk’s injury. Andrew Robertson and Jordan Henderson were cited as possible replacements for Fabinho and Joel Matip.
Whether Klopp opts for youth – Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams make their debut in the last few Premier League and Champions League games – or experience, Liverpool’s best form of defense could well be an attack, as the old saying goes.
Get the latest on Joe Gomez’s injury following successful surgery on Thursday, plus breaking news and analysis on what to do next for the Reds.
With our FREE e-mail newsletter you will receive the latest referral discussions and analyzes straight to your inbox every day.
Register here – it only takes a few seconds!
The Liverpool manager caused a bold tactical surprise at the Etihad Stadium by deviating from his usual 4-3-3 system and pitching four forwards. The first half hour of football on his side was breathtaking. Manchester City choked and couldn’t move through the lines and out of the defenses.
Diogo Jota’s form had given the Reds a timely fourth pillar for their already widely feared attack and it might do them good to follow Etihad’s plan given Gomez’s recent injury over the season.
Liverpool’s attack numbers are the best in the Premier League based on the underlying data. Only Chelsea and Tottenham have scored more goals this season, but the quality of the Reds’ performance is second to none.
As shown below, no team in the Premier League creates higher volume or higher quality of odds per 90 minutes.
Aston Villa are the Reds’ closest rivals when it comes to the average number of shots in a game, while Tottenham also have strong, non-punishable expected goal numbers, but not at the same pace as the Premier League champions.
The more firepower Liverpool have on the field, the more likely they are to knock their opponents down. Liverpool’s main goalscorers are Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane with Roberto Firmino out of shape. When Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold take away goals at short notice, there is a gap that no midfielder can prove.
The argument for an all-out attack grows when one also takes into account Liverpool’s defensive data. The number of shots the Reds have received this season is low. Only Brighton and Manchester City have their backlines better protected from incoming shots.
Unlike the Seagulls and their rivals in the Premier League, the quality of the odds left to opposing attackers is much higher and these numbers naturally apply to either or both of their first choice defenders on the team.
The quality of Liverpool’s attacking game against Manchester City in a flowing front 4 shows that if they are able to hold their own against the opposition, they are likely to outperform any team in the division. Defense usually wins titles, but this has proven to be a fun old season in an unprecedented year.
Only the best teams in possession or counter-attacking like Liverpool’s closest opponent Leicester City can tackle the aggressive press from the top four in Liverpool while others will simply collapse.
Klopp cannot and will not simply give up all defense structures and organizations, but given the problems in the defense and the dilemmas in attack, the perfect solution could emerge. All-out attack.
.
