“If you don’t play counter-attack, then it’s because you are stupid.”
Those were Jose Mourinho’s words in 2015 after his Chelsea side won the Premier League by eight points and only lost three times.
“Counter-attack is a fantastic item of football, an ammunition that you have, and when you find your opponent unbalanced you have a fantastic moment to score a goal,” he added.
There are few managers so closely associated with this way of playing. Many consider it antiquated, defensive and unentertaining — and it is the polar opposite of the controlled possession desired by most contemporary European head coaches.
GO DEEPER
Liverpool's No 6 hunt: Lavia, Amrabat, Phillips, Luis and more analysed
Yet counter-attacking goals surged in the Premier League last season. Opta defines these chances as attempts created following the defensive team quickly turning defence into attack after winning the ball in their own half. This specific definition has been in place since 2018-19, with last season (2022-23) seeing the most counter-attack goals under this definition, and reversing two years of downward trend.
Why? Players finished chances better, particularly compared to 2019-20 where there were more shots and xG from counter-attacks. But variation is only a partial explanation and this overperformance itself warrants analysis.
The Premier League has never been so homogeneously focused on organised possession, particularly outside of the ‘Big Six’, which facilitates teams defending in mid/low blocks, setting traps and counter-attacking.
Advertisement
Inverted wingers — an athletic, quick profile of forward, capable of attacking individually and spontaneously while being effective at ball carrying — became popular in the 2010s with the reduction of No 9s. Inadvertently, these players have become ideal counter-attacking “ammunition”, as they have evolved.
“Counter-attacking is now much better organised and well thought out,” said Carlo Ancelotti in 2014, head coach of a Real Madrid side who had produced a counter-attacking masterclass that year to win 4-0 in the Champions League semi-final second leg away to Bayern Munich with only 31 per cent possession.
“It’s not just about launching a long ball forward — counters tend to be more elaborately planned and can create more goals,” Ancelotti added.
Transitions have become tactical: ‘Rest defence’ — where teams position defenders while attacking in preparation to counter-press a turnover — is now coached and systemised. Teams attack how they want to defend and defend how they want to attack, adjusting how, where and when they press accordingly.
It was not just that counter-attack goals rose across the Premier League last season, but that Big Six sides dominated that metric for both chances created and goals.
Manchester City scored more counter-attack goals in 2022-23 (seven) than the previous two seasons combined (five); Liverpool and Tottenham had their best counter-attacking seasons since 2019-20. Only 2019-20 title-winning Liverpool (10 goals) have scored more counter-attack goals in the last five seasons than 2022-23 Manchester United (nine).
Here’s how…
Manchester United
In 2022-23, Manchester United had as many big chances from counter-attacks (14) as in the previous two seasons combined (six in 2021-22; eight in 2020-21).
Even as Erik ten Hag started to implement a high-possession 4-2-3-1, having a fully-fit Marcus Rashford — who played more than double his 2021-22 league minutes — meant United were a constant transitional threat.
Rashford, a right-footer who primarily plays off the left, scored similar match-winners against Arsenal and Liverpool early in the season.
GO DEEPER
The resurgence of Marcus Rashford
In the home match against Arsenal on September 4, United are defending in a 4-4-2 mid-block, inviting their opponents to play expansively and leave space to counter-attack.
When Scott McTominay makes the regain in the defensive third, United get out quickly through their midfield. Christian Eriksen acts as the link to Bruno Fernandes, with the Portuguese remaining upfield when United are defending — he often leads the press.
Rashford angles his out-to-in run between Ben White and William Saliba…
… and duly finishes past Aaron Ramsdale.
United’s goal against Liverpool on August 22 starts similarly, defending in a 4-4-2 mid-block. Raphael Varane heads Trent Alexander-Arnold’s high pass away, and Anthony Martial pounces on Jordan Henderson’s miscontrol.
Rashford again runs out-to-in, on the blindside of Joe Gomez, meeting Martial’s through ball before beating Alisson.
Manchester City
Many expected City to become more transitional with Erling Haaland up front. And City were, but not just because of the Norwegian.
“We have Kevin (De Bruyne), we have Jack (Grealish), we have Erling, especially, and Julian (Alvarez) and they can run, definitely,” said head coach Pep Guardiola in March.
“It’s a team who can run 30, 40 metres in a few seconds and damage the opponent, and of course we are going to use it.” That is some progression from his 2021 statement that “We (City) need to play one type of football and with transitions, we cannot play in that way, we are not good in that way.”
GO DEEPER
Welcome to Manchester City 3.0
City, like United, defended in a 4-4-2 mid-block, typically with De Bruyne up alongside Haaland. Though City’s counter-attacks were effective in killing games — five of their seven goals came when already winning — City’s possession average when ahead was their lowest (still at 61.6 per cent) in the past five seasons.
Advertisement
“Before, we used to think that we need to be 90 minutes dominating the game, controlling in their final third,” said Bernardo Silva after the Champions League quarter-final win over Bayern. City did more defending without the ball this season, setting central traps, forcing turnovers and then utilising De Bruyne and the wingers’ ball-carrying abilities.
For their fourth goal in their 6-3 home win over United on October 2, City have eight outfield players behind the ball — De Bruyne and Haaland are upfield — as Sergio Gomez blocks Antony’s shot.
The ball ricochets to De Bruyne, who holds off Eriksen and drives through midfield. Haaland’s and Phil Foden’s runs are important: Foden stays in Tyrell Malacia’s blind spot; Haaland peels wide and is supplied by De Bruyne. This keeps United’s defence stretched and exploits the space vacated by their advanced full-backs.
In 11 seconds, City go from box to box and Foden applies a one-touch finish to Haaland’s low cross.
Foden’s late runs also featured against Bournemouth in the 4-0 home win on August 13.
City are defending deep, with the wingers back, as Bournemouth try to progress down the left.
Ryan Christie overhits a pass back to Jack Stacey and Riyad Mahrez pounces…
The pattern is the same. Mahrez carries the ball inside and City are four-versus-five. He switches play to De Bruyne, who has pulled wide. De Bruyne dribbles to the edge of the area but the back-post pass to Haaland is not on, which gives time for Foden to catch up and make an underlapping run, before finishing.
Haaland’s goal in the 3-0 home win over West Ham on May 3 is another example.
When Danny Ings miscontrols Lucas Paqueta’s pass, Bernardo recovers possession and releases Grealish. West Ham right-back Ben Johnson is too wide to affect play. Grealish advances quickly, bypassing the West Ham midfield, as Haaland arcs his run between the centre-backs. Grealish provides the through ball, Haaland a chipped finish.
Liverpool
Nobody does counter-attacks like Mohamed Salah.
Over the past five Premier League seasons, he has the most counter-attack shots (54), goals (15) and assists (eight).
“We realised how unbelievably fast Salah was and thought a lot about ways to bring his strengths to bear on the pitch,” Peter Krawietz (Jurgen Klopp’s assistant) told The Athletic in 2019.
Advertisement
“In order to get the most out of his ability to go deep, we needed to move beyond the classic, random counter-attacking situation and instead prepare situations for him systematically.”
That has involved leaving Salah (5ft 9in; 175cm) upfield at defensive set pieces.
Goalkeeper Alisson has assisted Salah three times in the Premier League, and his set-up for the Egyptian last season was the most significant of Liverpool’s eight counter-attack goals that campaign, double their 2021-22 total (four).
Salah’s winner against Manchester City on October 16 is almost identical to the goal he scored against Manchester United in January 2020: Alisson launches a drop-kick downfield to the Egyptian, isolated, who carries the ball into the box before scoring in front of the Kop. Against City, Salah made the most of Joao Cancelo’s error, but it is telling that City were prepared to leave Salah one-v-one.
Liverpool’s opener in last season’s 2-0 Anfield Merseyside derby on February 13 is another opposition corner-turned-counter.
Salah and Darwin Nunez — another quick, inverted forward — are the key architects and Liverpool’s two most advanced players as Dwight McNeil shoots.
When his shot is cleared, Nunez and Salah escape with a quick one-two. Liverpool spring five forward in attack as Nunez races down the left and crosses early with three players attacking the back-post. Salah gets there first (ahead of Cody Gakpo and Andy Robertson) and pokes past Jordan Pickford.
A third example — this time against Manchester United in the 7-0 thrashing in March — and another counter which ends with a Salah goal in front of the Kop.
Bruno Fernandes’ cross, from a short corner, is headed clear, and Antony’s miscontrol allows Liverpool to counter.
This one is slightly messier, but again Liverpool have early runners out wide. Henderson finds Nunez out on the left, and the Uruguayan dribbles wide then inside onto his right foot. His initial pass to Harvey Elliott is blocked but, when the ball drops, he pokes it forward to Salah, who spins and volleys past David de Gea.
What was once a method of attack attributed to inferior sides is now increasingly significant for top teams.
As Premier League football continues to become ‘passier’ and more organised, there will be even more opportunities for structured counter-attacking.
Maybe Mourinho was right. Teams would have to be “stupid” to not counter-attack next season.
(Header photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)