Liverpool is experiencing a run of 19 matches unbeaten in all competitions at present, with that upturn in form stemming from a tactical change enforced by Jürgen Klopp around six months ago. The Reds were sat eighth in the Premier League table and hadn’t won a game in four matches at the time, with a new approach required to turn things around.
The change originated from Pep Lijnders, Klopp’s assistant, who suggested that Trent Alexander-Arnold should become an additional midfielder whenever possession was under control, drifting towards the inside from his customary spot as a right-back. The tactical tweak has given the Scouse defender a new lease of life, and it has made Liverpool much more dominant.
The Dutchman was asked about the new structure on the Training Ground Guru Podcast recently. “The team came together again and we were really balanced, we didn’t suffer counter-attacks how we suffered them before,” he said. “A little change can be enough for players to feel comfortable again. If you dominate midfield, you will dominate the game.”
Indeed, his closing remark was perhaps the most important. Before the switch, Liverpool struggled in the middle of the park due to the aging players that Klopp had trusted for too long, with Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keïta chasing shadows for the most part before they all left this summer.
By instructing Alexander-Arnold to play as an inverted full-back, Liverpool gained an extra body in the center, with four players forming a box shape and consequently governing proceedings. There is a growing trend in England surrounding the dominance of the middle, with many sides attempting to strike the same dynamic.
