Liverpool lost 3-0 to Manchester City, leaving them eight points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal in eighth place. Arne Slott’s side achieved victory at the Etihad Stadium. They too were overwhelmed. Have they lost their physical advantage?
Sky Sports’ team of pundits highlighted his physical problems after the match. “City looked stronger than Liverpool, they were better technically and they looked a lot better physically,” said Roy Keane. “I thought Liverpool looked like a really weak team today.”
Gary Neville delivered a similarly harsh verdict, even before Manchester City’s second and third goals. “Liverpool look like they have long legs,” he said in a joint commentary. “Physically, they seem to be doing a good job of it.”
Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher highlighted a lack of intensity in their efforts to stop City from playing in the lead-up to their opening goal. “It’s really bad from Liverpool’s perspective,” he said. “They should be able to take the challenge and touch the ball.”
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Roy Keane felt Liverpool were in crisis after defeat to Man City
Liverpool entered the game on Tuesday night after a heated Champions League game against Real Madrid. However, they had an extra day of recovery time compared to Manchester City’s match against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
So should Liverpool fans be concerned about the team’s physicality?
Has your area of strength become your weakness?
Is it becoming less strong?
After Sunday’s game, both coaches were asked about the contrasting fortunes of their teams in the encounter. The numbers show a wide disparity between success rates.
In fact, Liverpool’s duel success rate was just 38.8 percent, the third lowest of any Premier League team this season.
Liverpool are not the first team to struggle against Manchester City. They have the highest duel success rate in the Premier League this season. Coach Josep Guardiola pointed out after Sunday’s game the importance of the team’s ability to retain possession under pressure and win duels through challenges.
However, a lack of intensity off the ball has been a consistent problem for Liverpool this season. Their physicality, which was a big part of their identity under Slott’s predecessor Jurgen Klopp, appears to be waning, with numbers trending downward in several areas.
Liverpool have made fewer total tackles and interceptions than in any of the last seven Premier League seasons.
That passive attitude was also visible at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City made 17 tackles to Liverpool’s eight, even though the two sides had almost equal possession.
Tracking data revealed that Guardiola’s side ran a whopping nine kilometers further than his slot team in total.
Manchester City are top of the Premier League clubs this season in terms of distance run per 90 minutes, including stoppage time, while Liverpool are third from the bottom.
While title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal have increased their defensive coverage in their matches this season, Liverpool’s defensive coverage has decreased for the first time in recent years.
The reduction in distance Liverpool covers under the slot is partly by design. The former Feyenoord manager introduced a more controlled approach than his predecessor last season, helping Liverpool conserve energy in their bid for the title.
But at the same time, they continued to press effectively.
The same can be said about their efforts this season.
pressing problems
Liverpool’s pressure numbers have dropped significantly.
Counter pressure, defined as pressure applied within two seconds of a turnover, has also decreased.
Manager Klopp once described his excellent counter-press as “better than any playmaker” when it comes to creating chances. That became a major feature of Liverpool’s play. However, there has been a noticeable decline this season. Liverpool lack their signature bite.
This may be partially due to a Premier League-wide trend of more teams going direct with long passes to avoid pressing structures, as Slott himself notes. However, Liverpool’s counter-pressing declined faster than the league average.
Lack of cohesion is definitely another factor.
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Gary Neville believes Florian Wirtz’s performance is causing problems for Liverpool
An effective press is a collective effort that requires collaboration and mutual understanding. Liverpool need to build chemistry again after significant personnel changes.
Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak and especially Florian Wirths are capable when it comes to pressing, but they don’t have as much tactical understanding as the players they replaced.
They are not the only ones struggling to meet previous standards. All six midfielders and forwards who were part of Liverpool’s title-winning campaign last season are feeling less pressure and counter-pressure than they did last season.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s numbers may have been affected by playing at right-back in some games, but the pattern is visible across the board. Manchester City’s first goal on Sunday, when they slipped out next to the corner flag, was the latest example of Liverpool’s pressing becoming less effective.
Liverpool took some joy in their 2-0 win over Aston Villa, with both goals coming from turnovers, but Carragher pointed the blame at Villa on Monday Night Football. “Actually, I think it was Aston Villa’s mistake on the ball rather than Liverpool’s pressing,” he said.
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Jamie Carragher analyzes Liverpool’s pressing issues ahead of games against Real Madrid and Man City on Monday Night Football last week
Carragher implored Slott to be braver against Liverpool’s press. “They don’t play man-to-man enough,” he said, referring to Slott’s desire to keep extra players on the back line.
Perhaps some tactical adjustments to the way Liverpool press could make them more effective in possession. But it’s also a question of physicality. It’s clear that Liverpool have work to do to reverse recent trends and regain their physical edge.
read between the last lines
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