Arsenal Vs Liverpool: The risk and reward of the counter attack

Arsenal travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Saturday night with most people expecting Unai Emery to set up in a counter-attacking manner. While there is obvious reward to this approach, some risk comes with it also.

In the biggest match of the season so far, on Saturday evening, Arsenal travel to Anfield to face a Liverpool side that have not lost in the comforts of their own home in over two years. Jurgen Klopp’s team have been the second-best in world football over the past two seasons and pose an almighty challenge to an exciting but still rather uncertain and extremely proven Gunners team.

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Given the recent dominance of Liverpool, especially in Europe, it is anticipated that Arsenal head coach Unai Emery will set his team up in a counter-attacking manner. Liverpool’s threat is via the speed of their wide attackers, who relentlessly look to pierce the opposing backline with runs off the ball, into the space behind created by Roberto Firmino dropping deep.

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By sitting deep, you contract the space that Liverpool can work in. Yes, possession is conceded and you have to repel long periods of slowly building pressure, but with a well-structured defence and hard-working midfield, it is possible to repel a Liverpool attack that requires space to flourish.

Klopp’s teams have always been at their most dangerous when counter-attacking themselves or immediately from transitions after they have recovered possession and can drive at an exposed and disorganised defensive unit. The reason is obvious: in both scenarios, space abounds, and there are few teams in the world who are better at exploiting space.

Moreover, by playing on the counter, Emery also plays to his side’s attacking strengths, especially if Mesut Ozil remains out of the team. With Nicolas Pepe likely to come in on the right flank for his first start and the pacy Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang playing opposite him, Arsenal too have two flyers on the flanks, both of which will be looking to either drive at exposed defenders who have little protection and lots of space to cover or run in behind and collect through passes from midfield. Both excel on the counter-attack.

These are the clear rewards to Emery, if he chooses to set his team up in this manner. However, there are drawbacks to the system, especially against Klopp’s Liverpool, and they must be acknowledged and addressed before kick-off if Arsenal harbour any chance of victory playing in this manner.

The first is quite clear: to successfully play on the counter-attack, you must have a well-organised defence that can withstand extended periods of pressure, waves of attacks, a likely barrage of crosses. With Emery having to play two reserve full-backs, a central midfield that features either a less-than-sharp Lucas Torreira or less-than-able Granit Xhaka, and two central defenders who are decent at best, it is fair to question whether this team has the ability to play in that manner.

Secondly, and more pertinently, when you do recover possession, as a deep-lying counter-attacking team, it is often in your defensive third, in which you can immediately be put under pressure by the opposition. Lose possession here, and you are immediately in trouble. Liverpool are the best pressing team in the world. They are clinical in transition. Can Arsenal protect the ball when they win it back and then work it into advanced areas to counter? Again, the answer is not convincing.

There are clear reasons why Emery might want to play on the counter-attack, and ultimately, I do believe it is the best approach for Arsenal to win this match. However, they must execute very specific aspects at a high level to be successful, and whether they have the ability to do that is questionable. There is great reward — and risk — with the counter-attack.