Arne Slot’s Unusual 4-2-4 Formation Explained

Arne Slot’s Liverpool kicked off their pre-season tour of America with a narrow 1-0 win against Real Betis. Dominik Szoboszlai scored the only goal of the game as Jurgen Klopp’s successor picked up his first victory in the hot seat.

Having already played a behind-closed-doors friendly against Preston North End before heading to the States, the players already had a brief taste of life under their new boss before taking to the field in Pittsburgh. Losing that match 1-0 to a Robbie Brady screamer, the Reds notched up their first win under Slot and did so with an unusual tactical set-up.

Liverpool are short on centre-forwards due to the international competitions that took place over the summer. Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota all took part in the Copa America and Euro 2024 for their nations. Gakpo and Nunez are still on holiday while Jota linked up with his teammates just one day before the game against Real Betis.

Liverpool’s Unique Setup vs Real Betis

Szoboszlai benefitted from the tactical tweak

A lack of options in the centre-forward role resulted in Slot lining his side up in a rather unusual way. The Dutch manager displayed his tactical flexibility in only his second match as the Reds’ boss as he deployed Harvey Elliott and Szoboszlai in roles he described as ‘Number 10s’.

Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho held their width on either flank to allow Elliott and Szoboszlai to occupy the attacking roles in central areas. This left Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo with the job of protecting the backline as well as getting on the ball and getting the ball to the more attack-minded players.

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The 4-2-4 set-up proved beneficial as Szoboszlai received the ball in an advanced area before playing a quick one-two with Salah and firing the ball into the far corner to give his team the lead. The Hungarian is looking to improve on his first season at Anfield and this role could greatly benefit him if it becomes a regular occurrence under the new regime.

Arne Slot on New System

A lack of forwards forced his hand

Slot was questioned about the way he lined up his team for the pre-season encounter. The 45-year-old stated that the decision was made out of necessity, but he was also conscious of playing Elliott and Szoboszlai in their natural positions. During his post-match press conference, Slot said:

With Jota’s return to training and Gakpo and Nunez getting closer to a comeback, it will be interesting to see how the formation is adapted for upcoming friendlies against fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester United.

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Curtis Jones picked up a slight knock in the first half of the win against Real Betis, but teenager Trey Nyoni was able to step into the fray and impress his new manager. The rest of the Liverpool squad emerged from the match unscathed and should be available to face the Gunners in the next fixture.