The new season has begun, and as a Liverpool fan, I will write some post-match comments for each game I watch, focusing on tactical analysis and personal feelings.
In the Premier League opener, Liverpool fielded the strongest lineup available, with Alisson in goal. The formation was the same as last season's 4-2-1-3, with the two center-backs being last season's partners van Dijk and Konate. The full-backs were both new signings, with Kerkez on the left and Frimpong on the right. Gravenberch was unable to play due to a red card from last season, so Szoboszlai took his position. New signing Wirtz replaced Szoboszlai as the attacking midfielder, and Mac Allister returned to the starting lineup after a long injury absence. The forward line had Gakpo and Salah playing as left and right wingers, respectively, with new signing Ekitike as the center forward. The formation changed slightly during defense to a 4-3-3, with Wirtz moving to left winger for defense, Gakpo dropping back to left midfield, and Szoboszlai moving to right midfield to strengthen protection on both flanks.
The starting lineup saw four changes, and the playing style also had some variations, mainly focusing on a new approach centered around Wirtz in the midfield, while retaining some old attacking patterns. The new style features passing the ball to Wirtz, who initiates the attack, emphasizing passing and cutting combinations to deliver the ball to the side of the opponent's penalty area, creating shooting opportunities or passing back to the edge of the box for another shot. Due to the opponent's focus on defending Wirtz and increasing pressure on him, and with the Premier League's lenient foul standards, Wirtz has not fully adapted yet, struggling to carry the ball or pass comfortably, and losing possession a few times. However, Wirtz attracted a lot of defensive attention, allowing other players opportunities to pass the ball to the penalty area. The first goal came from a wall pass between Mac Allister and Ekitike, who made a through ball into the box. Ekitike intercepted the opponent's clearance and dribbled past the defender to score. The second goal was Kerkez making a through ball to Ekitike at the edge of the penalty area, who then passed back to Gakpo, and Gakpo cut inside past two defenders to score. This new approach has shown good effectiveness, but the main issue is the lack of time to gel, and the understanding among players still needs improvement. Additionally, Wirtz needs to adapt quickly to the intensity of Premier League defenses.
The old attacking patterns were also retained, mainly involving passing the ball to Salah, who would cut inside to shoot or pass to the back post or middle for teammates to tap in, or pass to the edge of the penalty area for midfielders to take long shots. If the full-backs overlap, they can also pass to the defenders for crosses. This approach also created some opportunities, but unfortunately, Salah and Wirtz's shots did not find the net. The third goal came from Salah passing to the middle of the small box; although Jones missed the tap-in, the ball was parried by the opponent's goalkeeper and then headed back into the middle of the box by the opponent's defender, allowing Chiesa to score with a volley from the center of the box, netting a crucial go-ahead goal. Another regular pattern involved Gakpo cutting inside from the left to shoot or passing to the middle of the small box for teammates to tap in, with the difference being that Gakpo cuts inside more often and passes less.
Other attacking patterns included set pieces and counterattacks. Set pieces were mainly taken by Wirtz, focusing on high balls to find van Dijk and other aerial threats in the box, or passing first and then crossing, but the effectiveness has been average so far. Counterattacks used to be Liverpool's strength, but with many new signings, the understanding is lacking, and the counterattack speed is not as fast as before. The most effective method remains long balls from the goalkeeper or defenders to the front line, with Salah using his speed and excellent ball control to retrieve the ball. The fourth goal came from Endo's long ball, with Salah making a run to receive the ball, cutting inside from the left side of the box to score with his right foot.
Currently, the attacking patterns are quite rich, creating numerous opportunities, and the ability to capitalize on chances is strong, but further cohesion is needed. A bigger issue lies in defense, as the two new full-backs have not fully adapted yet, especially left-back Kerkez, whose defensive actions are too aggressive, leading to fouls and potential injuries, and he is also relatively easy to get past or to shift the ball away from. Right-back Frimpong, being shorter, struggles against opponents who exploit height and strength. In the second half, head coach Slot considered Frimpong's possible leg injury and Kerkez's yellow card, substituting both full-backs. Due to Bradley's injury and Gomez just returning from injury, he chose Endo to fill in as right-back. Endo is relatively slow, and while he can play center-back adequately, he is too slow to recover as a full-back, leading to the right side being easily breached, resulting in the first conceded goal. Fortunately, Slot recognized the situation and, considering Ekitike and Mac Allister's fitness issues, substituted them for Gomez at right-back and moved Endo to midfield. Jones played as a defensive midfielder, and Szoboszlai pushed forward to play as a false nine, but the effect was not good, as Szoboszlai's ball control and passing skills are relatively rough, leading to a loss of possession without opposition in the front line, allowing the opponent to counterattack and equalize. On the bench, the only attacking players available were Chiesa, who played very little last season, Elliot, and young players Ngumoha and Nyoni, so Slot had to choose Chiesa to replace the fatigued Wirtz. Chiesa played as a center forward, Szoboszlai moved back to attacking midfielder, and the team's attacking patterns reverted to the familiar traditional style, relying on Salah and other teammates' efforts to regain the lead and achieve a winning start.
A simple prediction for the next away match against Newcastle: Gravenberch should start as a defensive midfielder, with Szoboszlai possibly on the bench. The two full-backs may also change in the starting lineup; if Frimpong is injured, Gomez, Szoboszlai, or Jones may replace him, and Roberson might replace Kerkez in the starting lineup. Other positions are expected to remain unchanged. Even if Guehi or Isak arrive, they likely won't play immediately and will need time to adapt. There shouldn't be major changes in tactics, possibly leaning more towards traditional play, focusing on Salah. Given that it's an away game against a strong team, they will likely prioritize defense, with the two full-backs reducing their forward runs, and the midfield will pay more attention to intercepting and protecting. A narrow victory by one goal is anticipated.