Henderson's dual role key to Liverpool hopes

Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur is an encounter certain to have huge repercussions in the race for the Premier League's top spots. 

Adrian Clarke looks at how Jurgen Klopp can end a five-match winless streak on Saturday and breathe life back into Liverpool's top-four hopes. 

Better versus top six

Liverpool’s home form may not be great, but it will suit them to play against a team willing to come out and trade blows.

Klopp's men have experienced less than 50% possession in only four Premier League contests this term, but on each occasion the result was positive.

Victories at Arsenal (49.3% possession) and Chelsea (47.3%), at home to Manchester City (43%), and a 1-1 draw at Manchester United (44.1%) display how well-suited they are to such circumstances. 

Liverpool also impressed in the reverse fixture against Spurs, drawing 1-1 at White Hart Lane, where they enjoyed 50.7% possession. 

When an opponent pushes bodies forward, Liverpool’s nimble ball players are adept at exploiting the spaces that open up on turnovers. This is a key reason why they remain unbeaten against fellow top-six teams (W3 D4).

They tend to struggle against opponents who sit deep, defend in numbers and sacrifice the ball.

The key to stopping Liverpool appears to be slowing down their attacks inside the final third.

Often committing too many men forward in their search for a goal, Klopp's side have been far too prone to the counter-attack.

Three of their four league defeats this season have come in matches in which they had more than 72% possession.

Most Liverpool possession in 2016/17

Plan B required

Why have Liverpool struggled to break down defensive opponents?

Under Klopp they have probably been too one-dimensional.

When they move the ball fast, interchanging positions fluidly, Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana’s skills and angular runs are too hot for many sides to handle, irrespective of their approach.

But when that movement and distribution is not quite as sharp or dynamic, the team can get stuck in a rut.

Playing too many short balls in front of packed defences, Liverpool have racked up 5,043 final-third passes this season; the most in the division. 

See: Final-third passes by clubs

Chelsea and Spurs are way behind, on 4,135 and 3,944 respectively. A little more direct, these two teams prefer to test defenders early before giving them time to get set.

This is where Liverpool can improve, and a varied approach would help them.

Klopp’s squad may lack the presence of a natural target man, but Firmino is robust and deceptively powerful in the air.

The Brazilian has won 41 aerial duels (compared with Diego Costa's 25 and Harry Kane's 27) but his team-mates do not throw enough early balls into the area for him to attack or knock down for others. 

Firmino’s second-half brace against Swansea City highlighted why a spot of direct football is worth a try when Plan A is failing. 

That day he headed home a quickly-delivered James Milner cross, and on the back of two lofted passes hoisted into the box, struck a sweet half-volley to grab an excellent second.

See: Most aerial duels won

When opponents drop so deep that there is no space in behind them, it helps to have the option of testing them aerially.

It is by no means Liverpool’s strength to play this type of percentage game, but Firmino can help make it work when needs must.

Cutting corners

If Hull City’s opening goal last weekend against Liverpool felt familiar for their fans, their instinct was correct.

During 2016/17, Liverpool have conceded five goals from corners that bear striking similarities.

Within their zonal marking set-up, Liverpool’s issue has been a slow reaction to "second balls".

Here we break down those concessions:

• v Hull (A): Three Liverpool defenders sprinted towards the penalty spot as the ball was crossed, but Nathaniel Clyne and James Milner did so slowly. Harry Maguire knocked the ball down, two Hull players were played onside, and Alfred N’Diaye scored (see video below).
• v Swansea (H): A row of red shirts along the six-yard line pushed up again, but behind them just three yards out, Wayne Routledge stood in front of Georginio Wijnaldum, pinning him back. Federico Fernandez won the header, Routledge laid it back and Fernando Llorente scored (see video below).

• v West Brom (H): Liverpool lost the first header on the six-yard line, and with Milner playing everybody onside and his team-mates on the wrong side of Gareth McAuley, the Irishman was able to poke in from close range.
• v Swansea (H): Borja Baston won a header at the far post, his knockdown bounced across the area, where two Swansea players were left alone, goalside of Liverpool’s zonal markers and Leroy Fer tapped in from a yard.
• v Hull (H): The initial corner was partially cleared, but as the ball looped up every Liverpool player had dropped too deep. David Meyler, who had held his position 20 yards out, was free to find the net.

Liverpool are simply not winning enough headers from standing jumps to make their zonal marking work.

As a collective they are also consistently failing to anticipate where the "second ball" will land, taking up positions that are not goalside of the attackers.

It may be wise for them to consider a part-zonal, part-man-marking set-up in the coming months, starting against Spurs.

Key man

Liverpool’s attackers have attracted plenty of praise this season, and deservedly so, but captain Jordan Henderson has been just as influential.

Taking on a new role at the base of Klopp’s midfield, the 26-year-old is the side’s main ball-winner and playmaker, performing the dual role with real distinction.

Henderson's influence

Henderson has made more passes than any other PL player - he is fourth highest for forward passes - and is the second-most prolific winner of tackles, after Everton's Idrissa Gueye.

With and without the ball he is a key figure and, in many ways, the club’s main man.

See: Gueye, Henderson, Romeu: Most tackles won

Provided he can get on the ball to deliver long and accurate forward passes to the front men, Henderson can play a vital role in stretching Spurs with his distribution.

Defensively, it will also be imperative Henderson shuts down the space between the lines that Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen enjoy so much. He has done so brilliantly against Eden Hazard, Paul Pogba and Ross Barkley and will need to repeat the act at Anfield.

The powerful combination of Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele will provide the toughest of tests on Saturday, but if he can dictate that midfield duel, the skipper will give Liverpool a great shot at breathing life back into their title charge.