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Tactical talking point: poor defending at Arsenal and Liverpool



Facebook Twitter Pinterest Steven Gerrard and Rickie Lambert reflect upon another defeat for Liverpool. Photograph: Matt Dunham/AP

With every passing week one can’t help but continue to wonder when the Arsenal and Liverpool managers will take drastic action to stop their teams from making the same defensive mistakes. Both teams struggled to score goals this weekend but their more glaring issues were at the back and, once again, they succumbed to defeats.

It is genuinely shocking to see a team led by a manager as experienced as Arsène Wenger continually choose to shirk defensive responsibilities, opting to commit men forward in search of a(nother) goal. Doing so while 1-0 down and chasing an equaliser at home to Manchester United is understandable, but leaving only one defender back – and barely in a defensive position, at that – stank of naivety. And they employ the longest-serving manager in the Premier League. It was far from the first time we have seen defending of that ilk from this Arsenal team.

Only a week earlier – away at Swansea – Arsenal were a goal to the good and should have been content. Another goal would have killed off the game, and that is exactly what the best teams do, but at the same time, pushing too many men forward leaves the possibility of being hit on the break. What is so shocking about Arsenal’s insistence on throwing players forward whatever the occasion is that they keep being caught out. On Saturday, a midfielder tasked solely with protecting his own goal may well have prevented United’s crucial second goal.

Meanwhile at Selhurst Park, Liverpool contrived to let an early lead slip at struggling Crystal Palace, losing 3-1 after having led within 90 seconds. The hosts had found a way back into the game after having waltzed all too easily through central midfield, before Yannick Bolasie left Dejan Lovren dumbfounded to set up Joe Ledley and then Martin Skrtel gave away a cheap free-kick that was dispatched by Mile Jedinak. For the first goal, a defensive midfielder schooled in the art of ball-winning would have solved the problem; for the second, Ledley should have been tracked, and probably would have been by a more mobile midfielder than Steven Gerrard.

Both teams have been in decent form with the ball this season. Arsenal have the highest possession statistics in the league (62.1%) and Liverpool are not far behind (57.2%), while their passing accuracies (86.1% and 84.6%) are also among the best in the country. They also rank second (161) and fourth (134) for chances created and first (182) and eighth (117) for successful dribbles. They have plenty of invention in their squads but both teams have been incredibly wasteful in front of goal this season – and no more so than Arsenal against United this weekend. They have scored with just 13.8% of their shots this season. Liverpool have been even more profligate, scoring with just 12.5% of theirs.

And yet, the biggest problems for both teams are at the back. Both sides seem to bring their troubles on themselves. Since the start of last season, only the ever self-destructive Tottenham (23) have committed more errors leading to an opposition goal than Liverpool (18) and Arsenal (13). If these mistakes were corrected, the clubs could challenge for the title. Add to this Arsenal’s insistence on their full-backs – and sometimes a centre-back too – attacking simultaneously and you have the unquestionable conclusion that both teams are the makers of their own downfall.

Both Arsenal and Liverpool invested heavily this summer but both overlooked glaring issues. That Wenger is the only man who did not see the need to buy a defensive midfielder during the summer is utterly bemusing, while Brendan Rodgers is seemingly the only person who sees no need to replace Gerrard at the base of his midfield. In a season so far dominated by a Chelsea side that identified and resolved their problem areas in the summer effectively, the travails of Arsenal and Liverpool are even more apparent.



All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, where you can find yet more stats, including live in-game data and unique player and team ratings.

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