Tactical Breakdown of Liverpool’s 4-3-3

The 2019/20 Premier League season remains in suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, as the sporting world continues to deal with the impact of the virus. Before the league was put to a holt, Liverpool won 27 out of 29 games and sit in 1^st place with 82 points. The runaway leaders are 25 points clear of Manchester City and only need 2 more wins to lift the Premier League trophy.

Manager Jurgen Klopp likes to use the 4-3-3 formation which has proved fruitful for Liverpool. The Reds are adaptable and can switch to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 diamond depending on in-game situations but mainly play a 4-3-3. I will break down Liverpool’s 4-3-3 and what makes the formation so successful.

Pressing

Since Klopp took over in 2015, Liverpool has been synonymous with the word ‘pressing’. This has been a feature of Klopp’s teams in the past, so it was no surprise when he brought pressing to Anfield. Liverpool’s 4-3-3 is a counter-pressing orientated system, in which, they have certain triggers that allow the team to win the ball back high up the pitch. The Reds’ front three (Mane, Firmino, and Salah) stay central, encouraging a pass to the fullback which is a pressing trigger for the wide attacker to press him. The rest of the team then shift across to that side of the pitch, closing the gaps and forcing the fullback to make a mistake or pass it to a heavily congested area. Any midfielder can decide to support the front three’s press but it’s normally the most advanced midfielder etc Wijnaldum, Chamberlain. There are other triggers that Liverpool can press including loose balls and targeting an opposition player uncomfortable on the ball (pre-identified trigger).

To quantify pressing, there is a statistic called PPDA (Passes allowed Per Defensive Action). Basically, this enables us to measure the intensity of a side’s press by assessing the number of passes allowed to the opposition before a defence engages in action through a tackle, interception, or foul. The league average PPDA is 9.45, however, Liverpool’s is 7.85 according to understat, which shows how active they are when it comes to pressing.

Best Front Three In The World?

Liverpool’s sensational frontmen Salah, Mane, and Firmino have been terrorising defences for a couple of seasons now. They are incredibly lethal and in the 2017/18 campaign, the front three scored 57 league goals between them. The following season they managed 64 goals. The front three is a unique attack as they play with a false nine who functions deeper. Most teams operate with a traditional number nine, with the striker spending most of their time in the box. However, Firmino has spent most of his career playing for Hoffenheim and Figueirense as an attacking midfielder so naturally, he is able to play between the lines and create chances for others. This makes it difficult for defenders to mark him as they will be dragged out of position.

Firmino’s ability to hold up the ball and create space for Mane and Salah, allows them to run in behind with their pace. Salah and Mane in this 4-3-3 formation play as inside forwards, who stay central and like to stretch the defence. The front three complement each other as Mane is able to use to his pace and power to get past defenders, whilst, Salah is able to be a constant goal threat. The Egyptian has scored 70 goals in 100 league games, with 32 coming in one season. Firmino and Mane have also scored 50+ league goals for the Reds individually. Liverpool won’t struggle for goals whilst these three is around.

Workhorse Midfield

The 4-3-3 formation consists of a three in midfield with Fabinho or Henderson playing as the pivot, just in front of the defence. The two midfielders either side of the pivot are positioned higher but remain generally defensive to cover Liverpool’s fullbacks. Klopp’s midfielders tend to be quite physically dominant in order to fulfil his high demands. The hardworking midfielders must win the ball back and play it out wide, as quickly as possible so the fullbacks can disrupt the defence with early crosses. Their role is not to directly influence attacking play, but to cover gaps by either attacking full-backs or inside forwards.

The midfield trio sacrifices themselves to keep Liverpool stable, this is shown by Wijnaldum according to whoscored.com averaging 0.5 key passes per game and Henderson managing 1 key pass per game. If you compare these two to Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne who makes 3.6 key passes per game and Bernardo Silva who manages 1.5. Those statistics show the Red’s midfielders are instructed by Klopp to play a lot more conservative then City’s, in order to keep Liverpool defensively secure. The midfield pass on the creative responsibility to the full backs, the likes of Fabinho and Henderson worry about making tackles, interceptions and winning battles. However, when Klopp needs more creativity in the midfield, he does have the option of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and Naby Keita.

Playmaking Fullbacks

Every successful team has players who add creativity and ingenuity to their attack. The special thing about Liverpool’s 4-3-3 formation is their primary playmakers are fullbacks. Alexander-Arnold and Robertson are tasked with breaking down teams from defence. This is something which causes opponents trouble, as they must come out and deal with the fullbacks, which leaves space for other players. The Reds try to create as many situations as possible, where the full backs can put dangerous balls into the box. Alexander-Arnold has 12 assists currently in the league, whilst Robertson has 7. Klopp has reinvented the role of a fullback to be relied upon to create so many opportunities, as evidenced by Alexander-Arnold breaking the record number of assists for a defender in the Premier League last season.

In terms of positioning, when Liverpool are on the ball, the fullbacks play so high they are almost like wingers. By coming infield when needed, playing one-twos with the forwards, swinging in crosses from deep, or exchanging raking diagonals with each other, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson represents a new breed of outside No.10s, as said by “goal.com”. It’s also worth noting Arnold and Robertson average 2.6 and 1.4 key passes per game respectively, which is more than midfielders Henderson and Wijnaldum.

Strong Spine

When Klopp first came to Anfield in 2015, the team was considered to have a leaky defence, however the signings of Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson Becker, and Fabinho immediately plugged those holes with 21 clean sheets in the 2018/19 campaign. When breaking down defences, Liverpool often has everyone pushing up baring their centre backs and the deepest lying midfielder. This means that those three players must be physically dominant and able to deal with situations when they are isolated. Van Dijk, Gomez, and Fabinho have the right physical make up for the Reds to trust them and play this way. One of the adjustments Klopp has made this season is Liverpool play a high defensive line. The defence plays a high line relying on VAR to make the right call when opposing players are offside, they also rely on the pace of Van Dijk and Gomez to recover if the high line is broken. This has proved successful with Liverpool currently having the best defensive record in the league.

In this 4-3-3, the defence is asked to be skilled in possession, capable of playing a variety of passes – between the lines or over the top – as well as stepping out and driving into space when appropriate. Having such skilled players at the spine of your team gives freedom to the front three to express themselves knowing they are secure at the back. Van Dijk has made 2,478 passes this season (most in Prem), this shows the level of control he brings to the team.

Liverpool’s 4-3-3 has given them many achievements such as winning the Champions League and the Club World Cup. Elite teams must evolve to stay at the top, so it’s possible they may change in the future. However, this formation has proved a success at Anfield.