“Neither manager opted for a surprising selection in terms of personnel, yet both managers surprised with their choice of starting formation. Both teams used a shape unfamiliar to them in recent games. Adkins used 4-4-2, with Pogrebnyak and Hunt up front. The latter was told to play deeper and often drop on Lucas when out of possession. Rodgers selected his ‘lopsided’ variant of the 4-2-3-1 shape with Henderson tucked inside from the left flank. Surprisingly, Coutinho was handed his first start playing centrally between the lines. With Suarez as the centre-forward, it meant Sturridge had to play on the right flank.” Tomkins Times