Liverpool tactics
Brendan Rodgers kept the same starting XI that won at Stoke City but the Reds boss shuffled his attacking midfielders. The Liverpool manager was probably wary of the threat of Bournemouth’s right flank, where Jordon Ibe protected Joe Gomez from two-on-one situations.
Liverpool defended in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Jordon Ibe tracking back with the Cherries’ right-back down the left flank. Christian Benteke led the defending while Philippe Coutinho worked from the other flank. In central midfield, Adam Lallana worked just behind Benteke while Jordan Henderson double-pivoted with James Milner at the base of midfield.
Despite having Benteke’s aerial presence up top, the Reds primarily attacked through the middle in a 4-1-4-1 offensive formation looking to create chances through intricate play around the edges of the box. That meant that the Belgian centre forward had to work more with his feet and back to goal than attacking crosses.
In midfield, Coutinho drifted in off the right flank to thread balls through as the number 10 while Milner broke forward from the base of midfield to fill the space that Coutinho vacated on the right.
Ibe tried to isolate Bournemouth’s right-back Simon Francis on the left, where he hoped to skip past his man before supplying service into the box. Lallana helped Coutinho in linking up play centrally before making runs into the box to support Benteke.
Full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and Gomez completed that offensive system by pushing into the Bournemouth half to add width to play while Henderson remained in front of the central defenders as the sitting midfielder.
Bournemouth tactics
Eddie Howe had Max Gradel in the starting line-up as the left midfielder after the new signing impressed in his cameo against Aston Villa. The Cherries retained their usual 4-4-2 formation with the intention of spreading play and using the flanks to penetrate the Reds.
When Liverpool had the ball, Bournemouth contained the Reds by packing the central area in the defensive third with two flat lines of four. That was designed to deny Liverpool’s technicians the space just in front of goal where they usually create chances.
Callum Wilson led the defending from the halfway line while Joshua King dropped into midfield to balance the numbers. With King working off the main centre forward, the rest of the outfield players formed the two banks of four.
Gradel and Ritchie worked from the sides of the midfield line while Andrew Surman and Eunan O’Kane protected the defenders in central midfield. The back-four spread their compact line of four across the penalty box with full-backs Charlie Daniels and Francis on the edges of the box.
Howe’s men had to get the ball down the sides before creating chances, with O’Kane remaining as the main holding midfielder. That allowed Surman to use his passing range in switching play as a ball player.
Gradel operated from the right flank, looking to cause Nathaniel Clyne problems with his dribbling ability, while Ritchie worked as an inverted right winger, checking back to whip in left-footed crosses for the strikers. King supported Wilson in the box with Surman making late runs to add numbers in Liverpool’s 18-yard box.
Key tactical changes
Bournemouth started the game with a high tempo. They looked the most likely side to score but the Reds got the opener and grew into the first-half. In the second-half, Howe’s men started pressing for possession higher up the pitch and they regained control of the game.
The Cherries were clearly on top in the last quarter-of-an-hour so Rodgers tried to see the game out by detailing his charges to drop deep and protect their defensive third in a 4-5-1 formation. Roberto Firmino and Alberto Moreno tracked back with Bournemouth’s full-backs while Milner, Lallana and Emre Can worked in central midfield.
With Liverpool dropping deep, Bournemouth needed Lee Tomlin’s finishing prowess more than King’s pace. Ritchie switched to the left flank to finish the game as a natural winger.
Overall, Howe’s men chased the equaliser with their usual expansive style. The wingers and full-backs combined down the flanks with the aim of supplying crosses to the strikers while both central midfielders made runs from deep to back play centrally.
Bournemouth sustained pressure on the Reds in that last period but Simon Mignolet was not tested enough because the Reds defended the crosses well.
