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There has always been a perception that Brendan Rodgers has been tactically evangelical with a belief in a possession-first approach.

Indeed last year, he told our own Joe Molloy that his philosophy is "death by football".

However that is not borne out by Liverpool's approach this season and, if anything, is more like "death by counter-attack" as The Times' Tony Barrett described the 5 - 1 win over Arsenal on Off The Ball tonight.

"Liverpool have switched their formation round. And it's only minor tweaks. But you've now got Philippe Coutinho in centrally who's pressing as well as anyone. You've got Raheem Sterling who has grown in confidence and stature and is pushing players back. With Steven Gerrard sitting, the front five absolutely pin midfields and defences back. When that happens, [the opposition] can't get out and yield possession easily. It's what happened with Mesut Ozil on a couple of occasions."

But the biggest change for Barrett is the way in which Rodgers has shifted his philosophy to suit the players at his disposal. Statistically that is evident by the fact that the Reds are only ninth in the Premier League possession rankings with an average of 53 per cent which is the lowest of the teams with over 50 per cent possession.

"As the season has worn on, I think Brendan Rodgers has recognised that the players at his disposal are more effective playing a different style. I think it's his great credit because there are other managers who come into clubs and only have one way of playing and impose that way of playing on the club, come what may. 

"When Sturridge and Coutinho arrived, I think that was the turning point. I also think that when the summer transfer window came, Liverpool didn't bring in players who would suit that philosophy. The only one you would really say who is a possession footballer is Luis Alberto. The rest of them are not built on that type of culture. He doesn't have the players to play his idealistic style so he's going to have to revert to a different style. And he's done that successfully."