Liverpool's top-4 bid suffering without Sakho at the back

Brendan Rodgers earned plenty of praise for the way he turned Liverpool’s season around after an uninspiring start to the campaign. The catalyst in the Reds’ upturn in fortunes was Rodgers’ decision to change to a 3-man defence, with the versatile Emre Can among the players to benefit most. The defensive solidity that came with the change in system, however, appears to have deserted the Merseysiders.

Against Aston Villa at the weekend, the Liverpool backline looked penetrable with every attack, which the Villans exploited to secure a 2-1 win and with it, a place in the final of the FA Cup. The best Liverpool can now hope for this season is a top-4 finish, though recent form perhaps leaves that unlikely. Rodgers’ side now looks beatable, which is cause for concern as they look to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.

A big problem in their quest to return to Europe’s elite competition has been the injury sustained to Mamadou Sakho. The powerful centre-back picked up a hamstring problem in their FA Cup quarter-final replay with Blackburn Rovers earlier this month. Without Sakho at the back, the Liverpool defence looks far shakier, and that has in no small part has been down to Rodgers being forced to call on the disappointing Dejan Lovren in his teammate’s absence.

Without Sakho in the 3-man defence, Liverpool are far more suspect at the back. The 25-year-old missed a substantial chunk of the season due to injury earlier in the campaign and it’s no coincidence that their league form improved with his return to action. Since joining from PSG back in 2013, the France international has arguably become the Reds’ most important defender.

Liverpool have developed a statistically calculated WhoScored style of play of ‘possession football’. Rodgers prefers his players to build attacks from the back given the calibre of offensive personnel at his disposal. Sakho can play out his manager’s plans, too. The former PSG star boasts a pass accuracy of 89.5% in the Premier League this season, which ranks second behind only Martin Skrtel (90.5%) of all Liverpool players. An average of 57.6 passes per game ranks third behind only Lucas Leiva (58.3) and Jordan Henderson (57.7).

This has helped him develop a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘passing’. This ability to play the ball out from the back is vital with Rodgers at the helm. Moreover, it’s the calmness he exudes that helps his teammates at the back, with Liverpool far more composed with Sakho in defence; hardly something he is widely praised for. The team as a whole benefits when the Frenchman starts, but one who has perhaps profited most is goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

It’s no secret that the Belgian’s form dipped significantly in the first half of the season, so much so that he was dropped in favour of Brad Jones. Upon his return to the starting XI, however, Mignolet’s performances improved, and like Liverpool’s better results, that coincided with Sakho’s recovery. The Belgium international looked less prone to committing errors when Sakho came back into the side.

Sakho averages an impressive 5.7 clearances per game, also winning 2.3 aerial duels per game. He is a powerful defender who is fantastically composed in possession but also adept when it comes to the art of defending. It is no surprise to learn that Liverpool's win ratio in Premier League games this season is better with Sakho starting (57.1%) than when he is missing (50%), as they concede fewer goals (1 per game compared to 1.22).

Sakho’s coolness in defence quickly spreads through the team, aiding those both in front of and behind him. Now sidelined, however, Liverpool clearly miss their imposing centre-back. In the race for a top-4 finish, players who can keep their heads are essential, which Skrtel, Lovren and Kolo Touré appear ill-equipped to do adequately.

Can may have won the praise of peers and pundits alike following his redeployment to centre-back, but for all his ability, the German does not possess the strength - both mental and physical - that Sakho boasts. The Reds will be hoping the Frenchman returns to action sooner rather than later as without their key centre-back, the defensive solidity that thrust them back into the hunt for a Champions League spot quickly disintegrates.