After a disappointing performance last season that witnessed a failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, Liverpool made a magnificent start to the 2023/24 English Premier League season, winning five of their first six games. A significant part of that success is due to the great variation theyve demonstrated in their rest defence shape and the brilliant adaptability on show in every game.
Our tactical analysis and scout report will provide an analysis of how Liverpools rest defence tactics have led them to better control of the game and announce themselves as title contenders this season. Lets start with their build-up phase.
During the build-up
Firstly, in Liverpool versus Bournemouth, The home side used the rest defence shape of 3-2, with Virgil Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, and Andrew Robertson forming the base. At the same time, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alexis Mac Allister were positioned just ahead of them.
As you can see below, both Konaté and Robertson have to be positioned widely, with Van Dijk being slightly on the left, creating a gap between the Dutch and the French centre-backs.
It is worth mentioning that Konaté and Robertson have to stay wide to make it harder on the oppositions forwards to press the Reds build-up. Alisson Becker could occupy this space to form a back four or Alexander-Arnold, as we are going to discuss later.
From almost their first build-up situation against the Cherries, Alexander-Arnold loses the ball, and Philip Billing immediately plays the ball towards Dominic Solanke, who is utilising the space between Van Dijk and Konaté, so Robertson had to run backwards to cover the centre and leave a space for Bournemouth right winger Antoine Semenyo to run unmarked.
Both Van Dijk and Ro
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