From footy365.com:
1) Will Chelsea look to frustrate Liverpool by backing right off?
We all know how Liverpool will approach this game; Jurgen Klopp has never been one for caution or game-management tactics. But Chelsea are more difficult to predict. Most likely, Antonio Conte will hold a deep defensive line and refuse to confront the Liverpool players in the Reds’ half. Shutting out space in behind and compressing space between the lines is the tried and tested way to frustrate Liverpool’s high-pressing, direct approach.
The introduction of Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold into the first XI has improved Liverpool’s ability to open up deep defences, but the problem still persists. The last four Premier League teams to take points from Liverpool held an average of 34% possession between them. Chelsea will probably follow Manchester United’s lead: packing the midfield and holding a dense low block, preventing Liverpool from a) slipping through balls from midfield and b) playing long balls over the top, as they did so successfully against Roma at Anfield.
2) Will Conte risk Bakayoko against Liverpool’s gegenpress?
Tiemoue Bakayoko made it through 90 minutes against Swansea City last weekend looking like an actual professional football player. The Frenchman’s nightmare debut season in England is nearly over, but before the summer break he has one more difficult task. It’s hard to see why Conte would have played Bakayoko at Swansea (with Ross Barkley, Willian and Pedro all on the bench) if it wasn’t to prepare him for the Liverpool game.
Assuming Chelsea broadly go with the above tactical plan, they’ll need a second defensive midfielder alongside N’Golo Kante. Teams who play a two-man midfield tend to get overrun by Liverpool’s three centre-mids (again, look at Roma in the first leg), and so Cesc Fabregas with Kante would be far too meek.
Bakayoko will, of course, be targeted by Liverpool. Klopp’s side are excellent at setting traps with their pressing and honing in on weak spots; Bakayoko will be left as the only free man, but as soon he receives the ball, Roberto Firmino and company will rush at the Frenchman from all sides. Can he handle the pressure? Liverpool will punish even a single mistake.
3) Can Hazard lead the counter-attack from the spaces behind Liverpool’s midfield?
Another major benefit of sitting in a hunched formation against Liverpool is luring Klopp’s team too far forward, increasing their vulnerability to the counter-attack. Liverpool don’t really possess a defensive midfielder, with all of Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner pouring forward together.
This means Eden Hazard, likely to start behind Olivier Giroud in a 3-5-1-1, could dominate the number ten zone. Dejan Lovren and Alexander-Arnold are particularly error-prone when frantically back-pedalling, which should give hope to Chelsea fans; Hazard can draw Lovren out of defence and carry the ball deep into Liverpool territory. What’s more, Hazard and Fabregas will take confidence from Radja Naingollan’s long-range first goal in midweek. There is always space on the edge of the box for a moment of quality.
4) Will Chelsea win the battle for the flanks?
Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have become vital components of the Liverpool attack, adding width and directness (with their crosses) to provide an alternative route to goal when opponents are sitting deep. Consequently Chelsea’s wing-backs, Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses, will be more cautious than usual.
However, the urge to get forward will be hard to resist. Roma attempted 35 crosses against Liverpool in midweek, reflecting the Reds’ inability to adequately close down space in wide areas. Their narrow 4-3-3 formation, in which the three forwards stay high, inevitably leaves the full-backs too exposed to close down crosses, which means Moses and Alonso should be able to pick out Olivier Giroud.
5) Will Salah come out on top in his battle with Rudiger?
The biggest individual battle on the pitch is between Mohamed Salah and Antonio Rudiger, the left-sided centre-back and clearly the weakest in the Chelsea defence. If Liverpool successfully win the ball in the Chelsea half there is a danger of a three-on-three developing, at which time Rudiger might struggle to mark the Egyptian.
Rudiger was particularly poor in each of Chelsea’s three defeats against Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotpsur. His positional play looked timid on each occasion, reflecting his inexperience in English football. Salah and Firmino will give him a hard time.
1) Will Chelsea look to frustrate Liverpool by backing right off?
We all know how Liverpool will approach this game; Jurgen Klopp has never been one for caution or game-management tactics. But Chelsea are more difficult to predict. Most likely, Antonio Conte will hold a deep defensive line and refuse to confront the Liverpool players in the Reds’ half. Shutting out space in behind and compressing space between the lines is the tried and tested way to frustrate Liverpool’s high-pressing, direct approach.
The introduction of Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold into the first XI has improved Liverpool’s ability to open up deep defences, but the problem still persists. The last four Premier League teams to take points from Liverpool held an average of 34% possession between them. Chelsea will probably follow Manchester United’s lead: packing the midfield and holding a dense low block, preventing Liverpool from a) slipping through balls from midfield and b) playing long balls over the top, as they did so successfully against Roma at Anfield.
2) Will Conte risk Bakayoko against Liverpool’s gegenpress?
Tiemoue Bakayoko made it through 90 minutes against Swansea City last weekend looking like an actual professional football player. The Frenchman’s nightmare debut season in England is nearly over, but before the summer break he has one more difficult task. It’s hard to see why Conte would have played Bakayoko at Swansea (with Ross Barkley, Willian and Pedro all on the bench) if it wasn’t to prepare him for the Liverpool game.
Assuming Chelsea broadly go with the above tactical plan, they’ll need a second defensive midfielder alongside N’Golo Kante. Teams who play a two-man midfield tend to get overrun by Liverpool’s three centre-mids (again, look at Roma in the first leg), and so Cesc Fabregas with Kante would be far too meek.
Bakayoko will, of course, be targeted by Liverpool. Klopp’s side are excellent at setting traps with their pressing and honing in on weak spots; Bakayoko will be left as the only free man, but as soon he receives the ball, Roberto Firmino and company will rush at the Frenchman from all sides. Can he handle the pressure? Liverpool will punish even a single mistake.
3) Can Hazard lead the counter-attack from the spaces behind Liverpool’s midfield?
Another major benefit of sitting in a hunched formation against Liverpool is luring Klopp’s team too far forward, increasing their vulnerability to the counter-attack. Liverpool don’t really possess a defensive midfielder, with all of Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner pouring forward together.
This means Eden Hazard, likely to start behind Olivier Giroud in a 3-5-1-1, could dominate the number ten zone. Dejan Lovren and Alexander-Arnold are particularly error-prone when frantically back-pedalling, which should give hope to Chelsea fans; Hazard can draw Lovren out of defence and carry the ball deep into Liverpool territory. What’s more, Hazard and Fabregas will take confidence from Radja Naingollan’s long-range first goal in midweek. There is always space on the edge of the box for a moment of quality.
4) Will Chelsea win the battle for the flanks?
Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have become vital components of the Liverpool attack, adding width and directness (with their crosses) to provide an alternative route to goal when opponents are sitting deep. Consequently Chelsea’s wing-backs, Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses, will be more cautious than usual.
However, the urge to get forward will be hard to resist. Roma attempted 35 crosses against Liverpool in midweek, reflecting the Reds’ inability to adequately close down space in wide areas. Their narrow 4-3-3 formation, in which the three forwards stay high, inevitably leaves the full-backs too exposed to close down crosses, which means Moses and Alonso should be able to pick out Olivier Giroud.
5) Will Salah come out on top in his battle with Rudiger?
The biggest individual battle on the pitch is between Mohamed Salah and Antonio Rudiger, the left-sided centre-back and clearly the weakest in the Chelsea defence. If Liverpool successfully win the ball in the Chelsea half there is a danger of a three-on-three developing, at which time Rudiger might struggle to mark the Egyptian.
Rudiger was particularly poor in each of Chelsea’s three defeats against Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotpsur. His positional play looked timid on each occasion, reflecting his inexperience in English football. Salah and Firmino will give him a hard time.
