Liverpool vs. Manchester City: Tactical Review of North-West Derby

Liverpool took a gargantuan step toward the Premier League top four with a brilliant 2-1 victory over Manchester City. Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho scored stunners either side of a Edin Dzeko strike.

Formations and XIs

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Liverpool played in a now-normal 3-4-2-1 formation with Raheem Sterling, not Daniel Sturridge, leading the line. Coutinho was restored in one of the No. 10 roles, Lazar Markovic came in for the injured Jordon Ibe at right-wing-back and Dejan Lovren stepped in for Mamadou Sakho once again.

Manchester City played 4-4-2 again, with Dzeko and Sergio Aguero up front, Yaya Toure in midfield and Aleksandar Kolarov at left-back.

1. Wide-Open City

Manuel Pellegrini took a pelting for his team selection and shape against Barcelona, and he should take heavy criticism for repeat mistakes here. City were wide open once again, playing a loose 4-4-2 that looked fantastic on the ball but absolutely dreadful off it. 

The two-man central midfield struggled immensely against the movement of Coutinho and Co., with Liverpool's dual No. 10s finding space between the lines, turning and pressuring the centre-backs.

Credit: Canal+

Add Sterling's brilliant lateral movement to the mix—surging left and right to split, switch and confuse the defenders—and you've got a recipe for success.

The openness in the back end of midfield was one thing, but why you wouldn't try to protect Vincent Kompany, who is in shocking form, with a three-man midfielder and one nominated holder (Fernando was on the bench unused) is incomprehensible. 

Kompany was drawn out for missed challenges, and the opening goal came as a result of one: Coutinho tempted him out, beat him, released to Henderson and the ball soon found the top corner. 

2. City's Route One

Two minutes after Henderson's opener, City hit the post through a brilliant Aguero run and shot. It showed the manner in which the away side would attack throughout the game.

Long balls over the top of a relatively high defensive line proved effective; Aguero was able to run the channels and collect accurate long passes from Yaya Toure and David Silva.

Credit: Canal+

Ordinarily this wouldn't be too much of an issue—usually the goalkeeper would sweep up in a system such as this—but Simon Mignolet's near-point-blank refusal to come off his line and claim heaped the pressure on a defensive line missing its best performer in Sakho.

Aguero was afforded swathes of space to get in behind and latch on, and Liverpool placed little pressure on the likes of Toure who consistently lifted accurate balls. 

3. Second-Half Adjustments

City equalised with a sweet move ending in a Dzeko finish, but they were getting completely overrun in midfield and were fortunate to reach half-time level.

That pattern continued into the second half, and despite reaching the 60-minute mark with the score at 1-1, Pellegrini flinched and replaced Dzeko with James Milner, converting to a 4-4-1-1 formation.

Milner solidified the flank with Silva moving into the No. 10 role; on paper it places three in midfield, but in reality Silva did nothing defensively and played too high up to help turn the midfield battle. It was in essence a bit of a pointless substitution considering its intention.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Toure and Fernandinho continued to get overrun, while Fernando sat still on the bench. Sterling kept on torturing and eventually opened the space for Coutinho—the game's Man of the Match—to bend a wicked finish home and win the game.

Wilfried Bony was introduced as a reactive substitution as City went back to 4-4-2 in search of an equaliser, pushing Silva to the right, Samir Nasri to the left and Milner into central midfield.

Brendan Rodgers made a few countermoves himself, bringing Kolo Toure on to settle matters and moving Emre Can to right-wing-back. It was enough to seal the win.

Quickfire Conclusions

• Sterling was brilliant up front again. He grabbed two assists, but it was his immense movement opening space for others that was key here.
• Lack of protection or not, Kompany's torrid form continues. Another poor, poor showing.
• Joe Allen is now fully growing into a solid role. He was excellent on the ball, and his confidence is back; now he needs to play a consistent defensive 90 minutes.
• Dejan Lovren, the midweek laughingstock, started poorly but grew into the game. Mignolet's reluctance put him in hot water a few times, but his decisiveness and passing improved throughout.

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