The final game of the Premier League in 2020 saw reigning champions Liverpool travel to Newcastle United looking to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League. Just a few days earlier, Liverpool almost got a practice at this game from a tactical perspective, with Liverpool taking on a compact, defensive West Brom side and drawing the game 1-1, although it felt like more of a loss. Steve Bruces Newcastle were looking to create the same frustration on Wednesday night, and the Magpies were able to do exactly that, securing a 0-0 draw in the game despite Liverpools late pressure.
It was a solid defensive performance from Newcastle, and despite some reactionary takes, Liverpools performance was by no means terrible, with the side creating key chances in the game and recovering defensively as the game went on. In this tactical analysis, I will look at the defensive system used by Newcastle and examine how it sought to target one part of Liverpools build-up, as well as looking at some of the faults in Liverpools positional play and decision making, which is what ultimately led to them being unable to find a winner.
Lineups
Both teams lined up in an unsurprising manner, with Newcastle opting for a 5-4-1, with Joelinton starting as a left winger while Callum Wilson acted as the lone striker. Liverpool went with their usual 4-3-3, with Nat Phillips the latest player rotated into Liverpools back line.
Newcastles 5-4-1
The base shapes of both teams are outlined below to show the general shape of the game on paper. When Liverpool built up in their base formation of a 4-3-3, Newcastle aimed to stay compact and manage the overload in midfield. To do this, they would often become more passive, and so they dropped deeper and allowed Liverpools centre backs to have possession of the ball up until around the halfway line at times.
Their pressing scheme against the back four involved the wingers within the 5-4-1 pressing the Liverpool full-backs, while Callum Wilson and the two Newcastle central midfielders would look to cut central options by creating a 3v3 where possible. Callum Wilson would also apply pressure on the centre backs when certain triggers were present, which is something Ill discuss later in this analysis.
