Injuries to Christian Benteke and Daniel Sturridge may have helped new coach Jurgen Klopp discover his best formation at Liverpool. They were a sight to behold in the 4-1 thrashing of Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The link-up play and fluidity of their forward line was sensational: the movement of Roberto Firmino especially, who played, most of the time, in the traditional centre forward role, caught the eye.
The Brazilian has had a slow start to his Liverpool career since a big money move from German side Hoffenheim in the summer, but he is now beginning to show his talent.
He combines pace with a lovely touch, and offers Klopp options: he is a different player to Benteke and more versatile than Sturridge.
Firmino played up front for Brazil at the Copa America in the summer but Brendan Rodgers seemed to view him as one of the two wide men in a 4-3-3 formation.
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Klopp’s formation is not much different to his predecessor’s, and who knows whether Firmino would have been given a chance down the middle if the rest of Liverpool’s strike force was missing.
But Liverpool were so good at City that Klopp now has to stick with the Brazilian. Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Firmino, Liverpool’s front three on Saturday, are all skill players who can beat a defender with ease. Klopp appears to have struck gold.
However, this season has been all about away wins, with teams setting up for counter-attacking football. Liverpool are a classic example of this: they have a better away record, with wins at Chelsea and City sandwiching a poor home defeat to Crystal Palace.
On Saturday the game flowed perfectly into their hands with an early goal, coupled with woeful City defending, allowing them to pick City off on the counter-attack.
How much success can Firmino and Co find at home to Swansea City on Sunday, when the visitors are likely to set up with 10 men behind the ball and there is less room in the final third? Finding solutions to those problems is the key to Liverpool’s home form, and hopes of challenging for a top-for finish.
December will shape Leicester’s season
Who, at the start of the season, would have picked out Leicester City v Manchester United next week as a top-of-the-table clash?
Leicester keep on defying expectations and playing some pretty decent football with it.
There were plenty of pre-season predictions from pundits (this one included) that they would battle relegation and yet here they are, a third of the season played, in top spot.
They have scored the most goals and lost only once, though their defence, the worst outside the bottom six, might eventually trip them up.
December will be a crucial month for Claudio Ranieri’s side, and if they can get through it unscathed maybe there needs to be a serious discussion about their Uefa Champions League hopes.
But their next six games are daunting. Following the United game they face Swansea (away), Chelsea (home), Everton (A), Liverpool (A), Manchester City (H).
That is a daunting run for any team and may see them drop away from the top four.
twoods@thenational.ae
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