Sunderland 1 Leeds United 1: Lee Sobot's video verdict
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been paying closer attention to one of Leeds United's formations in particular after a bruising Elland Road experience.
Whites boss Daniel Farke made a switch to a 3-5-2 at half-time of their December game at the Etihad against Manchester City, while 2-0 down and though they lost that game 3-2 the second half was transformative. Leeds have not lost since that game, battering Chelsea, holding champions Liverpool 3-3, drawing at Brentford, hammering Crystal Palace and drawing at Sunderland.
Farke has used the 3-5-2 system from the start in each of those games but has been able to switch to a back four system to good effect when needed. One such occasion was the Liverpool game. The Reds went 2-0 up early in the second half at Elland Road only for Farke to change things. A pulsating second half saw Leeds come back to level, go 3-2 down and then equalise late on through Ao Tanaka.
The two teams meet again on New Year's Day at Anfield and Slot has been thinking about the December 6 encounter, but specifically about how Liverpool failed to contain Leeds when they changed formation. Asked if he could cope with another thriller like the first one, he responded: "Yes, I could [cope], but I don't prefer to cope with another day like that. But it's part of our lives in football. We have highs and lows, so we have to accept that. What I mainly took and take from it is that we struggled a lot, or much more, when they went to a four when they started to play 4-3-3 in the last 20 minutes of the game. That's also when they scored their goals. Okay, the first one was another VAR intervention, but the second one was a really good goal from them. The third one was a set-piece. But we struggled more when they played with four than when they played with five [at the back]. I will definitely look at both, but especially the moment when they went to a four at the back."
For the first time since that early December fixture, it is hard to predict whether Farke will start with a back three or a back four. Joe Rodon's ankle injury is set to keep him on the sidelines for between three and four weeks, presenting Farke with a brand new problem. Rodon has been available for every league game since October 2023, a mainstay of the side and a player Farke has relied on relentlessly. The manager must now decide if Sebastiaan Bornauw, James Justin or another can drop into a back three, or if he wants to return to a back four and continue with the Pascal Struijk-Jaka Bijol partnership that impressed with their control against Sunderland on Sunday after Rodon's withdrawal. If that is the case, another central midfielder could come into the side and allow Brenden Aaronson to return to the right side of the front three, or if the American stays in the middle then Willy Gnonto could come into the attack.
Continue Reading