01/06/2019
Better late then never and something is better than nothing right? It will take 48 hours for the website to go live but that doesn't mean you guys shouldn't have a read through this post.
What Spurs can do to win the match.
Beat the Press
Liverpool employ a defensive system called ‘Gegenpressing’ in which they aim to win the ball in the opposing teams half. Their pressing is amplified when the other team is building an attack from the back and when they have just lost possession.
This system usually works by forcing other teams to keep the ball in the middle of their own half, Liverpool’s forwards prevent the opposition centre backs from passing the ball to the full backs/wingers, their midfielders move closer to their opposing players and their full backs are situated high up to prevent any passes to the wing (Beregi, 2019). Positioning of these players limits the options for the opposition and forces them to give the ball away.
Statsbomb, researched to determine the most common areas where teams defend, their results provide proof of Liverpool’s pressing (Statsbomb, 2019). Perhaps, unsurprisingly the teams which finished first and second in the league prefer to press the opposition in their own half, instead of ceding space to get back in a traditional formation.
In order to get anything from the game, Spurs will have to find a way to beat the press. One way by which they can do this is by playing a 3-5-2 system and overloading the midfield area.
Looking at the above picture, one way in which Spurs can overcome Liverpool’s pressing is making sure that when Vertonghen has the ball, Delli Alli drops deep to receive the pass from Vertonghen and quickly moves the ball to Eriksen or Rose. Delli Alli will have to move the ball quickly as if he takes his time, he could be closed by two Liverpool players. If Rose receives the ball then he will have an easy pass inside pass for Moura, if Eriksen receives the ball, with his passing range he should be able to extend the play deep into Liverpool’s half.
If both Fabinho and Alexander-Arnold move up the pitch to prevent Delli Alli from passing the ball then the safest option would be to go back to the keeper and restart. Another option would be attempt a pass to Moura but this is dependent on how much space there is between Fabinho and Alexander-Arnold.
This entire process can be repeated on the right side with Sanchez and Sissoko.
In Toby Alderweireld, Spurs possess one of the best passing centre backs in the league. In the above picture, if Delli Alli is closed by Firmino then he has to pass the ball back to Alderweireld, who then must attempt a diagonal pass to Moura and this would bypass Liverpool’s pressing. This pass will rely on Alderweireld not being pressured by Mane, if this happens then Spurs should be able to play their way through their right side as they will have more players. An example has been presented in the picture below.
This entire process can be repeated on the right side when Sissoko has the ball and is pressed by Milner and Firmino.
In a situation where Alderweireld is pressured by Mane, Sanchez must drop deep, allowing himself more time on the ball. He would have the options of easier passes to Trippier and Eriksen or riskier pass to Moura. In this situation Trippier’s positioning will be important, he should position himself in between Fabinho and Robertson, this would be an unusual position for him as he prefers to stay close to the touchline.
Spurs preference would be that he moves the ball immediately to Moura, however, if the player is not comfortable in attempting that pass then a pass to Eriksen would be the second option. The Danish midfielder would find himself being pressured by Henderson and Firmino.
