Diaz as Liverpool's 'false No. 9', Arsenal's set-pieces: Five tactical shifts that have worked wonders

Now much than ever, Premier League teams request to beryllium tactically flexible and consenting to adapt. Stick with the aforesaid strategy for excessively agelong and opponents volition fig you retired ... you'll soon commencement sliding down the table.

The 2024-25 play has seen a fig of ingenious oregon astonishment tactical tweaks, starring to fantabulous performances oregon a melodramatic alteration successful fortunes. We've listed 5 that we deliberation person been the astir impactful, from Arne Slot's caller solution up beforehand for Liverpool to the simple, yet effectual mode Nottingham Forest person catapulted themselves into the apical four.

Usually erstwhile you compile a database similar this, Manchester City brag Pep Guardiola is beforehand and centre of it -- yet he's obscurity to beryllium seen. Take that arsenic different reminder of however surreally mediocre his broadside person been.

Slot and Díaz revive the 'false No. 9'

Around 10-15 years ago, a spate of mendacious No. 9s appeared astatine the apical level of European football, taking their pb from Lionel Messi's mesmeric performances for Barcelona. Ezequiel Lavezzi, Raheem Sterling and Roberto Firmino, among others, each tried their manus astatine the funny role, which involves playing up beforehand but spending hardly immoderate clip investigating opposing centre-backs. Instead, the subordinate drops backmost into midfield to behaviour play and effort to provender goal-hungry wide players.

You don't spot galore of these nowadays, arsenic the athletics feels truthful diversion and compressed betwixt the lines, there's hardly immoderate country for a subordinate similar this to exist. From Erling Haaland to Robert Lewandows...