Should Klopp gamble on a new system at Arsenal?

Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 10.

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It will be interesting to see if Jurgen Klopp is prepared to continue his experiment with a brand new 4-4-2 formation at Arsenal on Sunday.

The Liverpool manager trialled that shape in a rare move away from his famed 4-3-3 in a 2-0 UEFA Champions League success at home to Rangers on Tuesday.

The tactic worked well at Anfield, as the team produced 23 shots, including 10 on target, in a dominant victory.

Striker Darwin Nunez had six shots, at an expected-goals (xG) rate of 0.99, while Mohamed Salah enjoyed five efforts on goal (1.07xG).

But at an in-form Gunners side averaging 2.5 goals a match, will Klopp be confident enough to use that system again? 

Open affair

If Liverpool choose to use a front two with Luis Diaz and Salah used as wingers, it would be a signal of positive intent.

Depending on how much each coach wants to gamble, the meeting between Mikel Arteta's fluid 4-1-4-1 and Liverpool's 4-4-2 could make for a very open contest.

Arsenal's defensive structure is often narrow, with both full-backs pushed on centrally.

This may leave a lot of space down the wide channels for Diaz and Salah, or their front two, to exploit on transitions and counters.

Midfield exposure

On the flip side, Liverpool's central midfield could frequently be outnumbered four-to-two when Arsenal attack.

Thomas Partey and inverted left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko will regularly prompt from the middle third, with Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard floating between the lines in front of them.

When that happens it could draw members of the Liverpool back four out of position and leaves holes for the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka or Gabriel Jesus to exploit.

It is a tactical match-up that lends itself to an open, entertaining encounter but neither side need extra encouragement to attack.

Arsenal and Liverpool have produced the most shots from open play in the campaign so far.

Most shots from open play 22/23

Liverpool's dropped points so far have primarily been down to a loose defensive structure and individual mistakes.

Trent target

Opponents seem to have targeted Trent Alexander-Arnold as a weak link and have experienced some success.

Brighton & Hove Albion created 2v1s that overloaded the right-back in the build-up to two of their goals in a 3-3 draw at Anfield last weekend.

Manchester United scored from a similar situation when they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford.

Worryingly for Klopp, Arsenal have been especially productive down that side of the pitch this season.

The Martinell-Xhaka-Jesus axis will rotate freely, with two of them looking to regularly produce 2v1s around Alexander-Arnold, who will need support from team-mates around him.  

Counter-threat

Liverpool have also consistently been ripped apart by fast breaks since the start of the campaign.

Pushing men forward at will, they have at times left the spine of the pitch too empty, allowing opponents to counter on them.

The "direct speed against" metric is a gauge of how quickly teams make progress towards goal when they attack against a team.

Until now Liverpool's opponents have moved the ball forward at an average of 1.77 metres per second; which is the second-fastest figure.

Speed of opponents' attacks 2022/23

Fulham, Crystal Palace and Man Utd all punished Klopp's men on counter-attacks and this will give the Gunners encouragement that they can follow suit.

Slow starters

Whichever system Liverpool opt for at Emirates Stadium, they must improve on their first-half sharpness and concentration levels.

Klopp's side are placed bottom of the "first-half table", relying heavily on second-half fightbacks to claim their 10 points.

First-half table

The deployment of four exciting attackers has the potential to wreak havoc inside the final third and a change of shape feels well timed given their issues.

However, to claim a positive result in north London the Merseysiders must defend much better as a collective, especially early on in the match.

Also in this series

Part 1: Bamford return can give Leeds cutting edge
Part 2: Why Buendia deserves start against Forest
Part 3: Mac Allister and Caicedo can dominate Spurs' midfield