Jurgen Klopp praised for two tactical changes which turned game vs Arsenal

07 January 2024 , 20:43

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Jurgen Klopp has been praised after Liverpool's 2-0 win over Arsenal (Image: Getty Images)

Jurgen Klopp has been hailed for making two tactical alterations which helped Liverpool overcome Arsenal 2-0 to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Reds were put under the cosh by Arsenal and better finishing would have seen Mikel Arteta's side go into the break with the lead, with Reiss Nelson and Kai Havertz missing huge chances. Following a disappointing first-half performance, Liverpool were much improved in the second and their best spell came after Klopp made a double substitution which changed the game.

In the 75th minute, Klopp brought on youngsters Conor Bradley and Bobby Clark for Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones. This enabled Alexander-Arnold to move into midfield, with Bradley coming on at right-back. Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota had already been introduced and it felt like moving Alexander-Arnold into the No.8 position was the final roll of the dice for Klopp, though he did have one substitution remaining.

Five minutes after those changes, Liverpool took the lead. Alexander-Arnold's delightful free-kick was glanced into his own net by Jakub Kiwior to spark delirium among the travelling fans. Klopp's changes also saw Darwin Nunez move out to the left - and the Uruguayan provided so much more of a threat in that position than he did when he was playing through the middle.

Nunez was involved in the counter-attack that led to Liverpool's second goal in stoppage-time. The move ended with Jota slipping in Luis Diaz, who slammed the ball into the roof of the net. It was an excellent victory for Liverpool, with Danny Murphy, Martin Keown and Gary Lineker all singing Klopp's praises for the tactical changes during the match.

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"I think the positional changes made the difference," Murphy told the BBC. "Diaz went to the right, Nunez went to the left and (Cody) Gakpo down the middle, especially the two substitutions, Jota added that bit of calmness in the final third and Arsenal didn’t have the same dominance in the second half.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was influential in Liverpool's win over Arsenal (Getty Images)

"There was always going to be a reaction because Liverpool’s first half performance was poor. Jurgen (Klopp) obviously gave them a kick up the backside at half time and I thought in the second half they did really well. To win that game from where they were in the first half, it shows resilience and togetherness. We spoke about the players that are missing, this is a hell of a win."

Keown added: "Play Alexander-Arnold in the midfield, that's where he wants to be. You wouldn't play Gerrard at right-back." Lineker also commented on Alexander-Arnold's influence. He said: "There was a lot of brilliant stuff from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Sometimes he can be exposed defensively but the rewards are probably worth that."

Speaking on Liverpool's overall performance, Klopp said: "I'm super proud. It's a super difficult draw. Maybe the most difficult we could have got. With all the things we had to consider coming here, Arsenal lined up slightly different, that was smart. We changed a bit at half-time. We were really in the game in the second half. We scored the goals and brought the kids on. We fought for 95 minutes. We have a winter break now."

Kieran King