Last season Liverpool recorded 2 wins, 6 draws and 2 losses against the traditional ‘big six’, but this season they have already equaled their record of two wins in the Premier League.
Liverpool have won six of their first seven Premier League games to sit top of the international league table, but Arne Slott insists the game against Chelsea will be their first real challenge.
This marked the start of a tough run of matches, including games against RB Leipzig, Arsenal and Aston Villa, teams that will test Liverpool at the highest level.
The Reds emerged with a 2-1 win over Chelsea. But how did they cope with the tactical challenge, and what can this tell us about the next few games?
So far this season Liverpool have generally dominated possession, with most teams prioritizing defense. But Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, went into the game as the fourth-placed team in the Premier League and top scorers.
They took it upon themselves to cause problems for Liverpool with an aggressive and optimistic approach.
Marlowe Gusto started at left-back in place of the suspended Mark Cucurella, but was still asked to move into midfield. This was risky as Liverpool’s forwards and back three were pitted one-on-one, but in midfield Chelsea had a numerical advantage of 4-3.
The partnership of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia gave Chelsea a technically brilliant double pivot who could continue to evade pressure and win one-on-ones in the absence of free players.
As a result, the visitors were able to move through central areas with ease, breaking Liverpool’s press and forcing them into a tight defensive block. If Liverpool drop back, Chelsea can execute their preferred attacking pattern.
On the left, Gusto often advanced beyond Jadon Sancho, forcing Ryan Gravenberch to track him down the final line. Not only did it prevent Gravenberch from influencing the game from midfield, it also forced Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sancho to go one-on-one on the wings.
Neutralize Chelsea’s threat
However, this did not seem to go completely against Liverpool’s game plan.
Chelsea were the league’s top scorers heading into this match, and their quality in transition helped them edge Brighton by four goals and Wolves by six earlier this season.
Liverpool clearly went out of their way to avoid a quick break and deny Chelsea a clear sight of goal.
The focus has clearly been on containing Cole Palmer, the league’s most prolific goalscoring threat last season behind Erling Haaland. Knowing that Palmer likes to move into the right half-space, Cody Gakpo was tasked with tracking back to support Andy Robertson at left-back.
This is a contrast to how Liverpool used the left winger in the last big match, when Luis Diaz maintained a high position to exploit United’s attacking full-backs.
This limited Chelsea’s ability to overload Robertson, forcing him to focus on the opposite flank where Alexander-Arnold defended brilliantly.
Maresca brought on Pedro Neto at half-time in a bid to make Liverpool’s right-back more attacking, but the former Wolves man failed to make a difference.
Liverpool’s conservative approach extended to their possession activities as well.
Gravenberch and Curtis Jones were often seen moving wide to receive the ball during the build-up, blocking direct balls to the wingers and forcing Liverpool to build up more slowly.
As a result, the team was able to stay compact and defend every turnover.
However, at times this only served to empty the midfield and further worsen Chelsea’s midfield dominance.
Find a solution
Liverpool eventually discovered a weakness in Chelsea’s approach. It was a 3-on-3 defense situation. An early sign of this came when a misplaced Chelsea pass allowed Diogo Jota to win possession, but the opportunity was not fully exploited.
The Anfield crowd turned up the volume as tensions rose following a poor decision by referee John Brooks.
Liverpool responded with more direct play, separating Mohamed Salah from Levi Colwill. With Salah able to hold the ball, his teammates were able to push forward and give him options in the final third.
break the game
Immediately after the no-penalty call, Ibrahima Konate played directly under pressure.
… Liverpool go forward, Salah’s shot goes wide…
…and Jones was fouled while fighting for a loose ball.
In the second half, Virgil van Dijk unleashed another direct pass into the centre…
…reach Salah from space.
Jones’ run went into the untracked box…
…and he finished the game and won.
Once Liverpool took the lead, Chelsea made a few changes but could not find a way back into the game.
Despite Chelsea’s early advantage and a late push for an equalizer, they rarely threatened Caoimhin Kelleher with more than a single goal. Liverpool’s deep defense remained strong thanks to outstanding performances from Alexander-Arnold, Konate and Van Dijk.
Safety first approach
In the lead up to the season there was a lot of talk about Liverpool’s tactical changes in the slot, with an increased focus on tactical complexity.
But if Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are all about trusting individuals – trusting a centre-back to hold the final line alone, trusting Alisson to make crucial saves – Slot’s side are just the other side of that coin.
They first stifled Chelsea’s attacks and the few chances they created themselves, with Salah’s individual quality turning them into goals.
It’s still a good margin game at the top, but Liverpool showed they want to build on a solid foundation defensively in their biggest game on Sunday.
Time will tell whether it will be successful or not.
