Going into the game no one thought that West Ham, fighting to stay in the top tier, would be the team to cause many defensive struggles to the leaders in Premier League Liverpool. The Hammers penetrated Liverpool’s defence twice and for a moment had the chance in their hands, or as it turned out in Łukasz Fabiański’s hands. The Merseyside team didn’t show any sign of worry and made a turnover (3-2), reaching their 18th consecutive win.
David Moyes’ team showed good defensive discipline and most surprisingly attacking commitment too. They employed a clear marking strategy and used player rotations for opening spaces upfront. Fabianski was highly involved in the ball distribution to the opposition half, trying to help his teammates with the build-up.
Good analysis and a second-half change by Jürgen Klopp had an immediate effect and boosted his team’s performance, leading to a comeback proving Liverpool’s mental superiority once again.
This tactical analysis aims to explore the tactics of both Liverpool and West Ham in their Monday meeting.
Lineups
Jürgen Klopp stuck to his favoured 4-3-3. Alisson covered the goal, supported by Andrew Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The midfield trio included Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho, and Naby Keïta, who replaced the injured Jordan Henderson. Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah formed the attacking line.
David Moyes opted for 4-4-1-1 out of possession (4-2-3-1 in possession). Łukasz Fabiański was on the goal, with Aaron Cresswell, Angelo Ogbonna, Issa Diop and Jeremy Ngakia in the backline. The double-pivot of Tomáš Souček and Declan Rice served as additional support, backing Felipe Anderson, Mark Noble, and Robert Snodgrass. Michail Antonio was in the role of a lone striker.
