Analysis: Slot's tactics prove Liverpool are title favourites

Alex Keble analyses Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Manchester City.

There is still a long way to go in this season’s title race but it’s been many years since one team looked quite so dominant after 13 matches played.

The Premier League title is Liverpool’s to lose. That is the undeniable conclusion to be drawn from a confident, even swaggering 2-0 victory over Manchester City that could conceivably have been four or five.

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The performance and result marked a tectonic shift in the power struggle between these two clubs; one nine points clear at the top of the table, the other now on a seven-match winless run in all competitions.

Indeed, Liverpool’s lead is their biggest margin since the final day of the 2019/20 campaign, whereas Man City have lost four Premier League matches in a row for the first time since August 2008.

Here’s how Arne Slot masterminded a 2-0 win over Man City on Sunday.

Liverpool’s press overwhelms Man City’s 4-2-4 from the start

Considering the hesitancy of a confidence-stricken Man City in recent weeks, and the energy with which Liverpool play under the lights at Anfield, it was no surprise to see the hosts swarm from kick-off.

For three specific tactical reasons Liverpool should have been four or five up within the first 20 minutes.

Liverpool’s urgent hard press from the start – sharper than anything we have seen under Slot so far – was a clear strategy to unsettle their vulnerable opponents and it worked superbly, suffocating Man City and hounding them into retreat.

City had just five touches in Liverpool's final third in the first 25 minutes and a pass accuracy of just 82 per cent.

It wasn’t all about the press. Man City’s man-to-man system in open play meant Liverpool frequently had a spare man because, with City in a 4-2-4 formation, spaces inevitably appeared on the outsides of the two-man midfield.

This was especially true on their left, as Man City’s "average positions" graphic from the first half shows here, with a big space between Matheus Nunes (LW) and Nathan Ake (LB).

Liverpool effectively had three central midfielders versus City’s two at all times, a situation made worse by the fact that Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan lack the anticipatory speed required to keep up with such an athletic trio.

Silva and Gundogan were outflanked, allowing Dominik Szobozslai to move into the spaces behind, and not until Manuel Akanji helped out in the second half did this situation change.

Slot’s instruction to hit long balls pays dividends

Liverpool’s press was superb and Man City’s off-the-ball shape helped the hosts play through them, and yet it was the third tactical advantage that actually led to the opener.

Slot’s bravest tactical decision in the first half was the instruction to hit long balls over the top of the Man City defence towards Mohamed Salah, the intention being to get behind the City line despite the risk of stretching the pitch.

Diagonals were played to both sides, although inevitably it was the ones to Salah that worked best, leading to two good chances before the goal.

Below, you can see how many long-range passes Liverpool attempted in the first half, with several reaching their target.

The goal resulted from Man City’s high press again leaving space behind them.

Pep Guardiola had his team too high in these moments, leaving room for the long ball to Salah, who crossed for Cody Gakpo to score.

Guardiola injects pace into the team as City dominate second-half possession

Having missed so many chances to put the match to bed it was surprising to see Liverpool fail to race out of the blocks again in the second half.

Instead, Man City took control as Guardiola successfully turned the possession share around.

From the beginning of the half City were more careful with the ball, which meant we could finally see their in-possession formation and its original intention.

Akanji stepped into midfield and Man City, in a 3-2-2-3, had a midfield box that could now compete with Liverpool. They held 66 per cent possession in that second half, up from 46.5 per cent in the first period.

From their new position of territorial advantage, Guardiola then brought on Savinho and Jeremy Doku, an injection of pace into a team that badly needed it in that lacklustre first half.

City attempted 20 dribbles in the second half, which is more than their usual average over 90 minutes (18.9), and four times as many as the first half. Doku attempted six of these, while City funnelled almost all of their attacks down that side.

Where Man City attacked from in second half

But it didn’t work.

Liverpool stay in control despite reversing their tactics

Slot’s side might have been pinned for long periods, and they might have failed to press with anything like as much urgency, but they never really lost control.

After a dominant first half they were forced into retreat but remained calm, doubling up on those new speedy wingers and picking Man City off on the counter-attack.

Salah should have scored a one-on-one after City gave the ball away, before mistakes by Ruben Dias and Stefan Ortega lead to a penalty dispatched by Salah.

It was an interesting change of tactics from Liverpool, and one that showed maturity and intelligence.

Slot’s team have the capacity to speed up and slow down at the right moments; to control the rhythm of the match and manage the "game state", whether in possession or out of it.

Forget City’s problems: that’s the biggest reason why Liverpool are strong favourites for the title.