Liverpool vs Arsenal: Klopp faces Wenger in battle of tactical stubbornness
Given the events of the days previous, the story from Monday night’s game was understandably how Leicester could make such a drastic improvement in the level of their performance following the dismissal of Claudio Ranieri. The champions played at an intensity that we simply hadn’t seen from them since a 4-2 win over Manchester City at the start of December.
The team guilty of not learning from the lessons dealt to Guardiola’s men that day were Liverpool this time around, whose own role in Leicester’s success on the night cannot be overstated. The Reds, after all, should have expected a reaction from their hosts, who were never going to change tack but only attempt to revert to the style of play that saw them achieve the seemingly impossible last season.
Everyone in the country that watches the game is aware of the threat Leicester carry and how they can hurt teams that afford space in behind their defence. Jurgen Klopp certainly knows it, but for some reason, be it naivety, arrogance or stubbornness, decided that the Foxes would be unable to pose that threat on Monday.
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The inclusion of Lucas in a back four has drawn criticism, but in truth it needn’t have been too much of a concern if the manager had set up his side in a way that would prevent Vardy from running off the Brazilian. While it’s true that he had a recognised centre-back on the bench in Ragnar Klavan, the Estonian doesn’t offer a great deal more pace than Lucas and has struggled for form of late, while the sale of Mamadou Sakho is a discussion for another time.
The Frenchman is no longer available to Klopp and while the absence of Dejan Lovren was unfortunate, the German should have adapted his tactics to the personnel both at his and Leicester's disposal. The players were of course to blame as well, unable to get close to their hosts’ intensity levels in the first half, but it was another instance of Liverpool playing into their opponents hands and ultimately underestimating them.
It’s telling that of the Reds’ five defeats this season, four have come against sides that found themselves in the relegation zone at the time of the match, though the loss at Burnley in the second game of the season should perhaps be overlooked. The other, a 4-3 loss at Bournemouth, came as a result of the players taking their foot off the gas and being unable to hold onto a healthy two-goal advantage, meaning Liverpool’s defeats have all come against sides currently in the bottom half of the table. While the players are of course at fault for these failings, it’s up to Klopp to tailor his tactics to the opposition and guard against complacency.
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It strikes that this is a debate that we’ve had time and again about Arsene Wenger and his apparent unwillingness to focus on how to nullify the threat of the opposition. Both Liverpool and Arsenal are in very similar positions, both in the table and in regards to their qualities and downfalls. Both are scintillating and superb to watch at their best but have defensive weaknesses and issues in terms of breaking down teams that are compact and organised.
The two come to blows this weekend in what is a massive game, with both very much at risk of missing out on a place in the top four. Manchester United are directly behind the pair ahead of this weekend and can leapfrog the two with a win earlier in the day on Saturday against struggling Bournemouth. While there is a lot of football still to be played, if the two find themselves outside the top four at kick-off the pressure will be on both managers.
Klopp faces immeasurably less from the fans than Wenger at this point in time, and understandably so given that he is still in the infancy of his tenure at the club in contrast to his opposite number, but he must begin to appreciate the strengths of so called ‘lesser’ opposition. Liverpool’s record against those around them at the top is very impressive after all but only serves to highlight the fact that they seem to take some games more seriously than others.
As it is Saturday’s hosts will more than likely be back in on it this weekend, not only to offer a reaction to Monday’s drab display but because it means more to them, more to Klopp’s image perhaps. Liverpool have earned 16 points in 8 matches against teams in the top six, which is comfortably the best record of those sides, while Arsenal's is the worst, with just five points from six matches. There’s little question that the German can get things right ‘when it matters most’ but the games that arguably matter most to Liverpool at this stage are the ones - like Saturday - that the fans fear as a potential banana skin.
This weekend’s game certainly promises great entertainment akin to the season opener that so effectively summed up the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. There are certainly far worse managers to be compared to Wenger. However, if Klopp doesn’t begin to work on restricting the threat of weaker opposition rather than focusing almost all of Liverpool’s work - both offensively and defensively - in the opposition half he may run the risk of facing the same criticism the Frenchman has for years and one that has certainly played its part in Arsenal’s inability to sustain a title bid.
