Fans may have noticed that two of Liverpool’s five goals against Everton came from direct passes from the back. Trent Alexander-Alexander Arnold drilled a diagonal ball for Sadio Mane before Xherdan Shaqiri made it 2-0.

The long pass from Dejan Lovren for Divock Origi’s second goal was even more route one, and the Merseyside derby has not been the only game where the Reds have employed these tactics this season.

Liverpool have played more long balls than any other team in the Premier League this campaign. They have passed it long on 885 occasions, 35 more than their nearest rival Burnley.

Manager Jurgen Klopp hasn’t necessarily embraced the percentage football utilised by Clarets boss Sean Dyche, but he is trying to play to the strengths of the most creative players in his team.

The Reds generally avoid attacking through the middle if they can help it. Losing possession in the centre of the pitch can be punished by teams who are good on the counter-attack, and with the Merseysiders dominating most games, playing against a low block means you need to keep your width.

The solution has been for their best passers like Trent Alexander Arnold and Andy Robertson switching play constantly from flank to flank to stretch the play. A perfect example of this was Mo Salah’s header against Manchester City last month.

Alexander-Arnold arrowed the ball to Robertson who dually delivered a pinpoint cross to the Egyptian to put Liverpool 2-0 up. These are long balls, but unlike the percentage plays usually employed by teams like Burnley, they are delivered with intent.

Of course, it doesn’t always work. Teams that play 3-5-2 or 3-4-3, in particular, can nullify these switch of plays. The wingbacks can mark Alexander-Arnold and Robertson, while the left-side and right-side centre-backs can take care of Mane and Salah.

It’s why the Reds struggled to create many chances against either Manchester United or Sheffield United, It is something that Racing Genk manager Felice Mazzu also pointed to following their narrow 2-1 defeat at Anfield in November.

Everton also tried the same tactic, but they made one fundamental mistake. They played a high line, which meant Liverpool could launch long passes into large spaces in behind them.

Klopp’s use of the long pass would probably not have even entered his mind when he first arrived in England, but his ability to adapt and exploit weaknesses in his opponents should be praised more often. The Reds are now a multifaceted attacking unit, with the long pass a key weapon in their arsenal.