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 possible, with Alisson as the goalkeeper. 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 to left midfield, and Szoboszlai moving to right midfield to strengthen protection on the 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 approach features giving the ball to Wirtz to initiate attacks, emphasizing passing and movement to deliver the ball to the opponent's penalty area, creating shooting opportunities or passing back to the edge of the box for another shot. Due to opponents focusing 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 control the ball or pass, 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 direct pass into the box. Ekitike intercepted the ball after it rebounded off an opponent and scored with a one-on-one shot. The second goal was Kerkez making a direct pass to Ekitike in the penalty area, who then returned it to Gakpo. Gakpo cut inside past two defenders to score. This new approach has shown good results, but the main issue is the lack of time to gel and improve understanding, and Wirtz needs to adapt quickly to the defensive intensity of the Premier League.
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 box for midfielders to take long shots. If the full-backs overlap, they could also pass to the defenders for crosses. This approach created some opportunities, but unfortunately, Salah and Wirtz both missed their shots. The third goal came from Salah passing to the middle of the small box; although Jones missed the ball while trying to tap in, the ball was parried by the opponent's goalkeeper and then headed back into the middle of the box, where Chiesa scored with a volley, netting a crucial go-ahead goal. Another routine involved Gakpo cutting inside from the left to shoot or passing to the middle of the small box for teammates to tap in, with Gakpo cutting inside more often and passing less than Salah.
Other attacking patterns included set pieces and counterattacks. Wirtz mainly took set pieces, targeting high balls to van Dijk and other tall players in the box, or passing first before crossing, but the effectiveness has been average so far. Counterattacks used to be Liverpool's strength, but with many new signings, the understanding has been lacking, and the counterattack speed is not as quick as before. The most effective method remains the goalkeeper or defenders kicking long balls to the front, with Salah using his speed and excellent ball control to receive the ball. The fourth goal came from Endo's long kick, with Salah making a forward run, receiving the ball, cutting inside from the left side of the box, and scoring with his right foot.
Currently, the attacking patterns are quite rich and can create many opportunities, with a strong ability to capitalize on chances, 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, who tends to be overly aggressive in his defensive actions, risking fouls and cards, and is also more easily beaten by opponents or caught out of position. Right-back Frimpong, being shorter, struggles against opponents who exploit height and strength. In the second half, head coach Slot considered Frimpong's potential 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 at right-back. Endo is relatively slow; while he can play center-back adequately, he is too slow to recover as a full-back, leading to the right side being easily penetrated, 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 was pushed forward to play as a false nine, but the effect was not good; Szoboszlai's ball control and passing skills are relatively rough, and he lost possession in the front without any pressure, leading to the opponent's counterattack that equalized the score. 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 to attacking midfielder, and the team's attacking patterns returned to the familiar traditional style, relying on Salah and other teammates' efforts to regain the lead and secure 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 might also change in the starting lineup; if Frimpong is injured, Gomez, Szoboszlai, or Jones could replace him, and Roberson might replace Kerkez in the starting lineup. Other positions are expected to remain unchanged. Guehi or Isak, even if they arrive, will not play immediately and will need time to adapt. There shouldn't be major changes in tactics; the focus may shift more towards traditional play, primarily featuring Salah. Given the away match against a strong team, it is likely that more emphasis will be placed on 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.