Premier League 2021/22: Why Arteta’s “clear idea” failed against Klopp’s experienced Liverpool – tactical analysis

Arsenal and Liverpool met for a fourth time this season in a very important game for both sides. The Londoners were in desperate need of points so they could move away from Manchester United, West Ham and Tottenham who are all in the fight for a Champions League spot. This was a must-win fixture for the Jürgen Klopp’s side, who had to close the gap to Manchester City and stay in the title battle.

The night ended with a third defeat for Mikel Arteta’s team, and while there are many positives that could be taken from this game, they still lacked the maturity to deal with the changing circumstances. Liverpool, on the other hand, managed to get out of a difficult situation as the manager used his available players in the best possible way. In an unusual manner, the team were caught unprepared and struggled to bypass Arsenal’s press and create quality opportunities.

This is not an isolated case for the Merseyside, though. The team have shown vulnerability against opponents that match their press intensity, with the most recent example being the CL first leg against Inter. Klopp’s ability to change the direction of the games with his substitutions makes the difference in these situations.

In this tactical analysis, we examine both teams’ tactics and explain how Arsenal’s strategy has improved and how Liverpool tilted the scales to get another win over the Gunners.

Line-ups and main traits

Arteta opted for his optimal squad for the game and set the team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Aaron Ramsdale covered the goal, while Kieran Tierney, Gabriel Magalhães, Ben White and Cédric Soares formed the back four. The double-pivot of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey provided midfield support, with Martin Ødegaard strolling in front of them. The manager didn’t move away from his latest set-up and relied on Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on the flanks, while Alexandre Lacazette was covering the central areas.

Despite the pressure, the team managed to keep their structure throughout the game and demonstrated their improved positional sense and actions on the ball. The centre-back pair was crucial once again and their contribution kept Liverpool away from scoring more goals. The Xhaka-Partey partnership starts to impress, and the midfielders were crucial both in and out of possession.

So