How Mo Salah bamboozled Man City with genius ‘backpedal...

LIVERPOOL have one hand on the Premier League title after dismantling champions Manchester City on Sunday. The Reds put in a top away performance as they left the Etihad with a 2-0 win. And there was magic all over the pitch from Arne Slot’s men. But how did Mo Salah bamboozle City with a genius back-pedal trick?.

Image Credit: The Sun [Mohamed Salah celebrating a goal.]

And which midfielder carried out Liverpool's team’s instructions perfectly?. MO SALAH is tactically brilliant. The first thing is this back-pedal thing he does. It sounds easy, but it’s the timing of it and when he does it. When Josko Gvardiol, the Man City left-back, pushes up the field, Salah waits for that to happen when he’s in a space close to Nathan Ake, the left centre-back.

Image Credit: The Sun [Mohamed Salah's 2024-2025 Premier League stats: minutes played, goals, assists, goals + assists, total shots, shot conversion rate, and chances created.]

When he sees the ball go into a certain area, he back-pedals towards the touchline. He takes a few steps back. It means two things. He’s got the space in front to receive the ball to feet, and also Gvardiol is blindsided. He’s behind him and Ake’s stuck.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of a soccer game showing a pass from Salah to Szoboszlai.]

Does Ake go all the way out, leaving space for other Liverpool stars to run? Or does he stay where he is and then give Salah that run?. Salah’s roasted him on the outside. The other time Ake did the other option and Jones went bombing through the space, he can’t win.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of a soccer formation graphic showing Salah's position.]

For Szoboszlai’s goal, Salah backs into that position and has Gvardiol with his back to him. If you see the number on the back of someone else’s shirt, you’re winning. Salah then runs into that space, then it’s all about timing. Amazing touch from the ball in the air, a little nudge on Gvardiol and then he backs in and plays it into Szboszlai who runs into the box.

Image Credit: The Sun [Diagram of a soccer play showing Salah attacking blockers.]

With the disallowed goal where Jones scored, Salah’s wide and Ryan Gravenberch plays a difficult pass. Saslah does the exact thing where he back-pedals into space, then as Gravenberch is about to play him the ball, Salah goes, “Not me, I don’t want it. Turn and play it in behind.”.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of a soccer play showing Salah's movement toward the goal.]

The City defence all come one way and it opens up that running channel for Szoboszlai. You can see those two vertical runners from midfield and in attack the two wide men dragging the defence out. You see Salah’s unbelievable tactical brain to see a situation unfold in front of him and his role in it. We’re talking Lionel Messi levels here, and that’s not an exaggeration.

Image Credit: The Sun [Diagram of a soccer offside call.]

THIS is straight off the training ground for the first goal. Liverpool are going to take a free corner to the front post, and they’ve got a man running off the front to play the ball around the corner. What’s important here is Andy Robertson is a blocker at the front who stops Kevin De Bruyne getting the ball.

Image Credit: The Sun [Diagram of a soccer play showing Salah and Szoboszlai's positions.]

There’s also three other blockers on the edge, and City are not marking Salah. Liverpool identified City sit just outside the six-yard box, so there’s a huge open space to the edge of the penalty area. Blockers stop the City players coming out, the ball is flicked round the corner, Salah is in loads of space.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of Liverpool's 4-4-2 formation with Arne Slot as manager.]

After the goal, it also created indecision from City so the rest of Liverpool’s set-pieces were very dangerous. City fell for it hook, line and sinker. A bit lucky with the deflection, but you earn your luck. SZOBOSLAI was the best player on the pitch other than Salah.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of Liverpool's 4-4-2 football formation with Arne Slot as manager.]

He’s the player who carries out the manager’s duties for him. The midfielder breaks from a third-man run. The ball gets played back into Salah’s feet. He pops it back to Trent Alexander-Arnold and they know the ball’s going over the top. Szoboszlai runs into that space for the trick. He’s offside and Ake’s left in there. The focus is on Szoboszlai.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of Phil Foden's 59 touches on the pitch during a Man City vs Liverpool match.]

This is like a decoy runner in order for Salah to get in, a ghost run. Then the offside player joins in again. He’s in an offside position, but he’s not offside because he’s not touching the ball, he’s not impacting the play. But what he’s doing is impacting a defender’s ability to defend Salah. He goes into that space, Gvardiol turns his back and Ake comes across.

They all think it’s offside and slow down, but as the ball’s in the air, Salah then runs. Salah’s onside and takes the ball, Szoboszlai peels off, gets into the space and Salah gives him the ball — goal. It’s a new phase of play, Salah’s not offside, City all drop off. There’s a big space in front and Jones also blocks Khusanov. Just brilliant.

OLD school stuff. A big reason Liverpool are top is Arne Slot can adapt his formation to play against whatever he’s facing. This was 4-4-2 out of possession, so no striker. Salah on the right, Diaz on the left. But with no striker they played Jones and Szboszlai as vertical runners, the two up front.

Gravenberch and MacAllister could then separate with Jones and Szoboszlai coming into the two. And it meant the attacking players then were the wingers. So four defensive players keeping it compact in the middle, with Diaz and Salah the outballs. It was lovely from Slot, Liverpool were so comfy out of possession and were actually more dangerous because they move out of their positions and then go.