Arne Slot had very little room for tinkering with his Liverpool team as they returned to London for a clash against Arsenal on Thursday.
Reds fans have been dreading the match against the Premier League leaders, fearing the worst following a dreadful string of performances.
While Slot deserves much of the blame for some tepid recent displays, the Liverpool head coach has also had to face dwindling options due to injury and unavailability.
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That was evident again on Thursday, when Slot was forced to make do without any of the Reds’ striking options.
Hugo Ekitike was not passed fit in time, leaving the Dutchman with severely limited options in attack. Ultimately, Slot went with Florian Wirtz as a false nine, but while watching on at the Emirates, Gary Neville claimed the decision was absolutely the wrong one.
Arne Slot urged to play Cody Gakpo centrally
Against Fulham on Sunday, Slot chose to play a front two of Gakpo alongside Wirtz. But while some may have been expecting similar in North London, Liverpool reverted to more or less a 4-3-3.
According to Neville, that was the wrong decision, with the Reds desperately short of a focal point in attack.
Cody Gakpo clears the ball during Liverpool's Premier League match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP via Getty Images
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“I actually thought it would be better with Gakpo up top, a bit more presence in the game, the conditions,” said the pundit.
“Everything will have to be a bit more perfect with Wirtz, things into his feet. Gakpo [could’ve been] running onto things in the channels.”
Minutes later, Neville’s point was virtually proven, with Gakpo even showing up well out of position at centre-back.
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All level at the break…
Liverpool and Arsenal players argue during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium (Credit: Getty Image/Ben Stansall/AFP).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Ben Stansall/AFP
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“Wirtz is going so deep so how do Liverpool get out from this?” he mused. “Gakpo is playing left centre-back in a back three, that’s where he can’t be. Kerkez has come out and he’s got stuck in there with him.”
Slot had no real choice with Liverpool XI
Although Slot could have put Gakpo centrally and Wirtz wide left, you can understand why Slot sacrificed having that bigger focal point through the middle.
His main remit against the Gunners was to be compact and to make sure Liverpool did not give anything silly away. Having Gakpo running his usual shift on the left was the best way to do that.
In an ideal world, this would obviously not be a choice Slot was having to make. But with Ekitike and Alexander Isak both missing, he is having to make do and mend.
Generally, Liverpool have actually done fine despite fielding a rather makeshift forward line. There could have been more threat, sure, but the Reds still had their moments in an evenly-contested first-half.
Having grown into the game, Liverpool may feel they can grab an unlikely result from the Emirates.
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