How Liverpool dissected Rangers’ defensive blueprint with ‘surprise’ fourth forward

It was a strong but merited statement for a side who sit 11 points behind in the title race after just seven league games. Last night, variation from their usual attacking structure perhaps played into Rangers’ struggles to compete. By Klopp’s own admission, this was a new version of Liverpool’s tactical set-up and it appeared to catch the visitors by surprise.

“Our set-up was the biggest surprise tonight,” Klopp said after the game.

“We surprised ourselves! And yes, this situation can happen. It can be difficult to defend against. I think Diogo Jota moved particularly well between the lines and Darwin [Nunez] kept working away.”

Take Liverpool’s pass network from their aforementioned game in Naples, lining up in their recognisable 4-3-3 formation as a template. Remember, this graph illustrates the average position from which a player makes their passes, thus depicting a team's shape in possession.

The full-backs are high providing and the width, Harvey Elliot and James Milner offer attacking support as No.8s and complete either wide triangle. Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Luis Diaz line up as the attacking front three.

However, a difficult start to the season has caused Klopp to go back to the drawing board. And last night, his new experiment coincided with a much-improved showing. 

Last night’s shape with the ball was different, as outlined below.

Alexander-Arnold played much deeper than opposing full-back Kostas Tsimikas while Thiago and Jordan Henderson started in a midfield two. Up top, a rotating front four caused constant problems for the visiting defence.

It was more 4-2-3-1 than 4-3-3, becoming a 3-2-5 in possession at points with Mo Salah or another forward pulling wide, a back three forming and Diogo Jota dropping deep to cause havoc in midfield.

The combination of these factors made it difficult for Rangers. Who were defending in a man-for-man style at points and left outnumbered in the midfield after falling into a low block.

A pass made in the opening few seconds depicts the constant issues they faced. Below, as they seek to press, the midfield pairing of John Lundstram and Steven Davis have been pulled to the right-hand side. Jota, the fourth Liverpool attacker, is able to get on the ball unmarked and launch an attack.

The Rangers midfield duo were constantly attracted towards Henderson and Thiago, leaving a gap for Jota to occupy.

Time and again, this allowed Liverpool to slice through their opponents by finding Jota. As shown in the forward's pass reception map below.

StatsBomb (Image: StatsBomb)

This example, which sees Thiago play through the lines to Jota before he in turn slides through Nunez is particularly revealing. It’s been common to see Klopp field a false No.9 who inhabits the type of areas that Jota did yesterday. However, with Nunez constantly stretching the defence and the dual threat of Salah and Diaz also a factor, the extra 'surprise' attacker's deep movement overwhelmed the Ibrox side.

It should be said if not for the visiting backline and goalkeeper's performance, this scoreline could've been far more empathic. 

Rangers seemed caught in a halfway house. They wanted to push up in their customary man-for-man pressing style against the ball, like the below throw-in, at points. 

But the pace of the four rotating forwards left the visitors at a disadvantage. Once the throw-in is played below, Jota can turn James Tavernier and receive a flick-on from Nunez. Again, the presence of an extra forward makes the difference in this scenario and Liverpool break through the defence in two passes.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst referenced an “obvious” quality gap post-match. And while the money taken to assemble this Liverpool squad is far and away above his own resources, by the Dutchman's own admission that doesn't make defeat a certainty.

His starting 11 were not compact and unable to limit Liverpool when they did defend aggressively. Sitting back but allowing gaps that could be exploited, with centre-backs going tight at points and dropping off at others and the midfield overran.

With a fresh blueprint and extra attacker, Klopp's men constantly streamed forward and had no difficulties in shifting the low block.