After 10 games in the Premier League, Arsenal and Liverpool are level on points (23) with league leaders Manchester City, with goal difference proving to be the only differentiator between the three sides.
Of these teams, the Londoners and Liverpool have enjoyed success on the pitch by employing a free-flowing and attractive style of football this term playing in a false nine system.
Roberto Firmino and Alexis Sanchez have starred for the Merseysiders and the Gunners respectively, with able support from their ultra-mobile frontline. Both teams have enthralled their fans with Liverpool scoring 24 goals during this run and Arsenal one fewer.
In this segment, we delve a bit deeper into the role of the ‘false 9’ and its rise in this Premier League season.
The ‘false nine’ concept
The primary idea of the false nine is to play without deploying a conventional centre-forward, i.e., the number nine.
Football is played using various systems, be it 3-5-2, 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 and there may be a difference in philosophy about how you manage to get the ball to the striker(s) up the pitch but, most teams had a recognised target man at the top end of the field. The false nine was a deviation from this style.
Also read: Tactical systems explained: 4-4-2
In order to be implemented successfully, it requires players who can drop deep and draw away defenders with skill. Other teammates – preferably those with immense work-rate and mobility – are tasked with complementing the said ‘false nine’ and get into the box in goal-scoring positions.
Those playing the role of a false nine are not the target but facilitate attacking moves from all across the pitch in a free role.
The terminology
The player in the most advanced central position in this system is neither a traditional striker (number 9) nor an attacking midfielder (number 10). Since centre-forwards usually wore the number 9 shirt, this shift to a system without the target man in a fixed position came to be called as the ‘false nine.’
Famous and successful proponents
The system has not been devised or invented recently but has been in use for a while.
Although it has proved difficult to trace the origin of the false nine, the Austrian national team has been credited with playing the system way back in 1934. However, it has been impossible to verify this due to the unavailability of supporting video evidence from those days.
The genius exponent of total football Johan Cruyff and former Hungarian player Nandor Hidegkuti have known to be masters of this tactic.
In 2007, Luciano Spalletti also experimented with the system at Roma with team captain Francesco Totti playing the role, but it translated to little acclaim and success on the pitch.
In recent times, Pep Guardiola’s deployment of Leo Messi as a false nine at Barcelona has been the hallmark of the tactic, as the Catalans annihilated opponents with their pass and move game.
Liverpool, Arsenal and their successful run
While the ‘false 9’ is neither attributable to Arsene Wenger’s ingenuity nor Jurgen Klopp’s, the two managers have to be credited for finding a system that seems to suit their players best. On the pitch, Arsenal and Liverpool have captivated and thrilled fans with their movement and trickery, running riot at opposition defences.
With 47 Premier League goals scored between them, their success is driven as much by the men on the pitch and in their dug-out as their style of play which has swept away most opponents.
Liverpool
Klopp’s Reds play the false 9 with Roberto Firmino in the most forward-central role, surrounded by the trio of Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane.While Firmino drops deep into midfield to press and harry opponents, drawing away the opposition defenders, it leaves ample space for the rest of Liverpool’s attack to run into and exploit.
To quote Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew whose team have been the latest victim of the Reds juggernaut:
“Firmino plays that striker’s role really cleverly, you don’t really know where he is and it’s unnatural for centre-halves. “He pulls you around, pops up in midfield, then when he’s in midfield, someone else replaces him. It’s like a piston in an engine working there. They are as good as anyone we’ve played this year. I’d put them on the same level as Spurs and Spurs were terrific.”
There are no fixed positions for the highly mobile Coutinho, Lallana and Mane as they often interchange flanks and/or cut inside to take up threatening positions in the box, left vacated by the opposition centre-backs.
On the channels, the width is utilised amply by the fullbacks making overlapping runs; Milner and Clyne ably pitch in with crosses and cut inside to draw fouls whenever the opportunity arises.
Firmino functions as Liverpool’s first line of press as has often been stated by Klopp.
"Roberto is a player, who is always involved in all offensive actions and all defensive actions. He really likes doing things like [pressing], because it's a natural skill that he knows. It's a nice opportunity to win the ball and be close [to the opposition goal], that's why he's doing it. He doesn't think too much, he's an instinctive player; that's really, really strong in these situations. He can play nearly all offensive positions."
As evidenced by the heat-map below (a reflection of the Reds number 11’s performance during the demolition of Hull City), his all-round performance is what helps bring out the best in the team – certainly a difficult ask – week in week out.
The Brazilian’s contribution in both offence and defence has been vital to the success of this system for the Reds.
Also immensely important is the intrinsic understanding between the attacking trio and Firmino which facilitates the high pressing and quick link-up play.
Arsenal
Arsenal’s answer to Liverpool’s Firmino is their star forward Alexis Sanchez as the false nine. Sanchez took a few games to adapt to the system, prompting Wenger to wonder if his tactics were suitable enough.
It failed in the opening game against Liverpool but the return of Mesut Ozil has been a turning point and little has stopped the Gunners attack thereafter.
The Arsenal manager had this to say on Sanchez during an interview:
"I must say the few times I tried him before, he was not convincing in this position. You start to think is that a wrong decision or do I have to give him more time? In the first two games I was not completely convinced but know, game after game, he's growing into this position and getting better and better.”
The Chilean constantly drops into the centre of the park which tempts defenders to follow in pursuit, leaving a heap of space for the likes of Ozil, Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott / Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to run into.
While the wingers try to cut inside, Arsenal’s number 7 occupies the space on the channels, surging forward with pace thereby leaving defenders chasing in their wake and the opposition game-plan in shambles.
During their most recent outing against the Black Cats, Sanchez put in a Man-of-the-Match performance, scoring a brace and involved in every attack, as can be seen from his heat-map from the game.
Sanchez, Ozil and their teammates share a heightened level of communication carried forward obviously from training sessions which helps them link up with each other effectively.
The frontline, as well as midfielders, are hard workers and willing to take up different roles for the cause of the team which is what makes the system a success.
Other instances this season
Putting the team first, hustling opponents without allowing them space and time on the ball, thereby helping their teammates score while playing key roles selflessly has been the false nine model execution on which the victory runs at Liverpool and Arsenal are based.
These case studies do not mean these two teams are the only ones making use of this tactic in the Premier League.
Others have employed the system including Southampton, with Nathan Redmond as their false nine and West Ham testing the waters with Michail Antonio.
Shortcomings of the system
As with any football philosophy, the ‘false nine’ is not foolproof; there are different ways to neutralise the effectiveness of the system.
Its success depends on drawing away defenders since they cannot mark one or two strikers in the central position.
However, if the defenders stay put and organised (more commonly known in football fan circles as ‘parking the bus’) or employ zonal instead of man-marking without following their man, it can disrupt the style of play with teams simply keeping possession without being incisive.
Also read: Tactical systems explained: 4-2-3-1
Also, in a team that cannot effectively implement the ideology, the false nine can backfire with opponents launching quick counter-attacks.
A case in point could be Liverpool’s only loss this season so far to Burnley at the Turf Moor, where despite having the majority of the possession, they couldn’t score but were left susceptible at the back due to their high pressing line.
Conventional strikers may also prove to be more clinical – after all, their job is to score goals irrespective of obstacles. Lack of game time in sides that employ the system can leave their strikers disgruntled (honourable mentions: Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal)).
