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In Liverpool’s quest for Champions League glory in 2019, a correction paved the way for future success.
After putting Jordan Henderson on the right wing for the final 31 minutes against Southampton in April 2019, Jurgen Klopp played the English midfielder on the right wing in midfield against Porto four days later in the first leg. Champions League quarter-finals.
“He (Henderson) obviously likes the position, so it’s my fault that he’s been playing at number six for a year and a half,” Klopp said after that game.
Adding two people on the right wing then Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold to form a triangle will bring more titles for Liverpool. “Flexibility triangle” is what the German coach called it at the beginning of last season.
The rotation between the three kept making it difficult for the opponent the whole time. “There’s been a lot of focus this season on the two triangles – so we have an eight in midfield, full-backs and wingers on each side. It’s about making sure, At all times, there has to be one person occupying the full width, one person high in the opponent’s half and one person in the midfield or in midfield eight,” Alexander-Arnold said in an interview with The Times. Athletic last year.
“The coach said it doesn’t matter who it is, as long as we’re taking up those three spaces. With that flexibility, you can do what you want — just make sure there’s someone at those places. There’s flexibility and also an understanding of movement and position.”
The triangle of Alexander-Arnold, Henderson and Salah helped Liverpool win two trophies and reach the Champions League final in 2022. However, this season, the trio have only started seven Premier League matches together. in diagram 4-3-3. For many reasons such as form, fitness and tactics, Liverpool’s flexible triangle has not yet started to work.
The Merseyside derby is the first time the three have started together in the Premier League with a 4-3-3 on the right since the start of the year. Previously, Klopp used this style of play against Brighton on January 14 before changing formation after just the first half. The second half against Everton showed positive signs of a returning link between that triangle.
This was evident in Liverpool’s win over Newcastle United on Saturday. Two quick goals and a red card for Nick Pope made it difficult for Eddie Howe’s men despite the fragile Liverpool defense against counter-attacks and corners.
The goals all have the relevant imprint of Liverpool on the right wing. On the first goal, Henderson, Alexander-Arnold and Salah were all in their normal positions…
… Then, as Liverpool re-established attack, Henderson moved forward into space pulling Joelinton out of position while Salah stretched Newcastle’s four-man defence. Behind them, Alexander-Arnold passed the ball to Fabinho…
…the one carrying the ball forward, dragging Elliot Anderson. The movements of Henderson and Fabinho attracted Joelinton and Anderson, creating space in midfield that the Liverpool right-back could attack. So when Fabinho made the pass to Salah…
… the Egyptian player noticed Alexander-Arnold running into the midfield with Allan Saint-Maximin reacting late.
From there, Alexander-Arnold found Darwin Nunez behind the Newcastle defense with a superb pass…
…and the Uruguayan striker scored to give Liverpool the lead.
It didn’t take long for Klopp’s men to score the second, and again, coming from a flexible triangle on the right.
In the attack that led to Cody Gakpo’s goal, the Dutchman initially dribbled the ball on the left while Liverpool’s right triangle was placed on the other side.
Then, as Gakpo drifted inside, Alexander-Arnold darted forward and Henderson ran into the box, forcing Anderson to drop deeper. Salah meanwhile holds his place…
…and dropped deeper to form a pass for Fabinho. The space Salah put in was left empty as Henderson’s move dragged Anderson down the back line, and Alexander-Arnold’s overlap created confusion between Saint-Maximin and Dan Burn as the two signaled for each other to switch. location.
The position swap between Henderson, Salah and Alexander-Arnold distracted the Newcastle players and Fabinho found the Egyptian striker between the lines…
…before Salah found Gakpo’s run-in with a delicate touch that sent the ball past the Newcastle defenders…
…and Gakpo scored Liverpool’s second in the face of Pope.
Klopp has to thank Alisson for maintaining the lead throughout the game as Newcastle bounced back, even after Nick Pope’s red card. But the right triangle played an important role in both goals. That’s what Liverpool thought they had forgotten this season.
When asked after the game if Liverpool often scored goals like this in training, Klopp admitted.
“Actually, we’ve been practicing for months,” he said. “Of course, training is just preparation. You need matches to prove this method is right. You have to work in detail, and I liked the goals today.”
At dawn on Wednesday, Liverpool returned to the Champions League to face defending champion Real Madrid. That right triangle will be needed more than ever.
