Has Man-Marking Lost Its Effect?
All defensive schemes have to be organized in both a zonal and man-marking sense: but football’s development in flexibility threatens one of these techniques. In an environment of deep buildups, rotat...
West Ham United – Arsenal: Gunners Blast Irons To Smithereens (0-6)
Arsenal last left the London Stadium with title ambitions tainted, they left this time with those ambitions invigorated. Off-ball movements and set-piece routines carved through an uncharacteristic We...
Internazionale – Juventus: Crowning Court Favors Inter In Regista Ruling (1-0)
Whereas Manuel Locatelli was often left isolated against overloads, Hakan Çalhanoğlu connected in the middle as Internazionale comfortably stepped past Juventus. Now four points ahead of their opponen...
AC Milan – Bologna: Big Game Motta Gives Pioli Problems (2-2)
Having lost to just two of the top-half teams so far this season, Bologna impressed at the San Siro through their dynamic deep buildup and switch to pragmatism. AC Milan found a route, but with two pe...
Arsenal – Crystal Palace: Have The Gunners Turned A Corner? (5-0)
Three defeats on the spin, pressure built during the break on Arsenal, whether they were able to keep the pace of the title challengers. Originally, Crystal Palace appeared to provide a tough contest ...
Newcastle United – Manchester City: De Bruyne Brings The Bite To Troubled Toons (2-3)
Having found a way to strike its prey, Manchester City still needed its sharpest tools to puncture through. Newcastle United had worked its way into a valuable lead, but Pep Guardiola deployed Kevin d...
AS Roma – Atalanta Bergamo: Distinctive Directions Between Romans And The Goddess (1-1)
Similar in position, but different in direction. Whereas Atalanta Bergamo tried to slice through the sides, AS Roma found Romelu Lukaku directly down the middle. The result leaves much to be desired. ...
AS Roma – Napoli: The Long Term Picture Is A Blurry One (2-0)
AS Roma finally pierced through towards the end, after Matteo Politano’s dismissal, but the game was reflective of just how stagnant things have gone in the Southern part of Italian football. Tactic...
Liverpool – Manchester United: Blunt Tools In Need Of Sharpening (0-0)
At least half of the script was followed. Everyone expected Liverpool to control proceedings, but perhaps the method of their attacks did more harm than the Manchester United block that they encounter...
Tottenham Hotspur – Newcastle United: Strong Spurs Waves Knock Magpies Overboard (4-1)
Even the best surfers are not prepared for every wave. Without a middle third presence, Newcastle United found themselves backpedalling as Ange Postecoglou’s tweaks in his selection helped Tottenham H...