Jurgen Klopp has hinted that his new formation is here to stay after Liverpool finally “clicked” over 135 minutes against Arsenal and Leeds. Klopp shifted his setup to a 3-5-2, with Trent Alexander-Arnold moving from his natural right-back role to a position nearer the midfield. It took time for the team to settle into the new formation, but Klopp believes it truly “clicked” in the second half of the 2-2 draw with Arsenal. When asked by Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports about the planning behind the new formation, Klopp replied that it was both to get more out of Alexander-Arnold and to find a better defensive structure.
Liverpool have conceded three goals in the past two games, but two of those came while they were still finding their shape and the other was due to a mistake from Ibrahima Konate. The Reds have looked more defensively sound, while their eight goals scored is evidence that this “super-offensive formation” can work. Klopp believes that stability comes from defending, and that they can be super offensive-orientated if they react in the right moments. He hopes that these one-and-a-half games have given them the right sign for the rest of the season.