Pressing Like Mad Dogs

Has Arne Slot already solved Liverpool's tactical weakness?

So earlier this week, I wrote a piece that got a pretty good reaction on Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Chelsea. It was an important triumph, but one that showcased a few concerns for Arne Slot to think about. You can read that post here.

Although the Reds won, Enzo Maresca kinda won the tactics. Chelsea dominated the ball and the shot count, and that stemmed from a strategic edge held by the Blues. So after the contest, the big question on my mind was whether Slot wanted to concede possession or not. Was it intentional?

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Well, since, we’ve found out the answer to that question. Sadly, Slot did not want to play on the break. He did indeed want more of the ball against the Blues, stating as much after defeating RB Leipzig on Wednesday night.

“We had total dominance like in all the other games we played, except for the one against Chelsea,” he said. “I am not worried at all about this game. I was a bit more worried after the Chelsea game. But this is how I like to see our team play: much more chances than the other team, much more ball possession.”

Now, I’d rather everything always go according to plan for Liverpool. But Slot being worried after watching us beat Chelsea is a good thing. Yes, we won the match, but he saw that overload in the middle of the park. He saw those line-breaking passes.

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Mikel Arteta probably saw them, too. Arsenal are due to host Liverpool on Sunday afternoon. It’s our first top-of-the-table clash of the season, with the Gunners likely to target any weaknesses they can find.

Well, Arsenal faced Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday night, and below, you’ll see the shape that Arteta employed when his players were attempting to construct offensive moves.

It looks familiar, right? Yeah, Riccardo Calafiori — just like Malo Gusto for Chelsea a few days earlier — drifted high and inside the field from his left-back spot when Arsenal had the ball, overloading that centre.

Calafiori ended up leaving the field injured against Shakhtar, but Arteta could still foster the same dynamic on Sunday with a player like Oleksandr Zinchenko. Slot can’t let that happen.

Luckily for us, based on how Liverpool played against Leipzig during the week, the Reds boss might have already solved his structural issue.