Digging Deeper Into Liverpool’s 2-0 Victory Over Brentford
With a victory over Brentford in the books, we take a closer look at what it all means for the Reds.
It wasn’t easy, breaking down a well-organized and committed Brentford defense. Thomas Frank’s side also posed threats sporadically throughout the match (more on that later), making the result seemingly in doubt for all of it. But Liverpool managed to make their 37 attempts on goal count, extending their lead at the top of the table back to 7 points and putting pressure again on Arsenal. Let’s take a closer look at what went right for the Reds on a largely difficult day in West London.
Winners and Losers (Header2)
Winners
Darwin Nuñez
Can’t really begin any discussion on the outcomes of this match without talking about our Human Chaos Agent, Darwin Nuñez, and his stoppage time brace. Nuñez has looked an awkward fit most of the year, doing the hard work willingly on the one hand, but often an inch or so off in terms of movement, final ball, and finishing on the other. What we saw today, though, is that tantalizing ideal when everything comes together: his positioning on the first, for example, and the combination of confidence and absolute leathering of the ball for the second. Darwin deserved a match like this - and more - as he’s clearly shown a ton of growth when it comes to focusing on the work and letting the game come to him. I know it’s unlikely that he’ll be back next season, but it’s also hard to find fault in a guy that works this hard for a system wherein his individual gifts are not exactly good fits. Here’s hoping Slot can find a way to better knit him in and that, maybe, this is a sign that we’re closer to solving the Problem of Darwin.
Ryan Gravenberch
What else can we say about the Dutch midfielder who is, next to Mohamed Salah, the likely pick for Player of the Season? He was terrific in terms of winning the ball back, again showed his resistance to the press, and was once more pulled into playing in the back as tactics shifted in an effort to win the full three points. I’m running out of superlatives for the performances of a player that many were ready to write-off over the summer; despite relatively good flashes in a system that did not favor him!
Losers
No One
This was an incredibly entertaining - if frustrating - match and the tactical work involved on both sides was a big part of that. This is the odd 2-nil that I feel serves as a great advert for the Premier League.
Talking Tactics
An interesting wrinkle was the shape that Liverpool took in the final 25 minutes or so. When in possession, Trent Alexander-Arnold moved much more centrally - even seemingly having a free role - with Ryan Gravenberch tucking into the left side of a back three alongside Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. Though the opening goal saw Trent pick-up the ball ostensibly on his natural right side, he was still tucked inside of the attackers ahead of him. I’m guessing it was to force an advantage in numbers against a defense that was effectively packed in, as well as to ensure that one of the best progressive passers in the world had more touches in dangerous parts of the pitch. It worked a treat as the mis-matches finally worked to pull Brentford apart. Would personally love to see us trot this out more often as we’ll likely see low-blocks pretty much the rest of the season.
Giving Credit to the Opponent
I’m not familiar with Brentford’s current set-up and style, but I spent most of the match marveling at the commitment to defending while also balancing what felt a rather good ability to spring forward on the break. Mbuemo, Wissa, and Damsgaard all presented threats and often tried to play it into the space that would naturally be vacated by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Thomas Frank’s tactical choices were better than most sit-and-counter teams, probably because they actually seemed committed to making it forward and were not content to settle for a draw.
In the end, it’s likely that commitment to chasing the points may have cost them - I would argue that the defensive work likely took a major physical toll on the defenders and played a large contributing factor - but in a game of inches, Brentford created chances that could have swung the match in a different direction. If Brentford had managed to hold on, their defensive work would have deservedly taken up the bulk of the talking points.
What Happens Next
Liverpool return to Champions League action this week as they host Ligue 1 side, Lille, at Anfield. The Reds will be happy to take a strong defensive performance along with the ability to breakdown committed defenses into this match as they look to close out their league-stage play on a high.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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