In a game that was essentially over after twenty-five minutes, Manchester City overwhelmed Chelsea in all phases of play. Agüero was key in overcoming Chelsea’s press, Jorginho was pressed out of the game, and City efficiently took advantage of Chelsea’s individual mistakes in defense. Despite Chelsea’s best efforts and a more relaxed City after the […]
Apart from a few good counterattacks, Everton did not trouble City’s defense at all. Their impressive defensive shape did partly nullify City for large parts of the match. Especially their very organized midfield set-up hindered the opponents. As for the visitors, they created a lot of good opportunities by stretching the play horizontally, creating multiple […]
The title race in England is still partly open, as Liverpool failed to capitalize on Manchester City’s loss against Newcastle United. A very unexpected result, moreso because Sadio Mané scored as early as the second minute, putting the wind in Liverpool’s sails. But Leicester hung on and worked themselves back into the contest, allowing them […]
Sturdy defending and quickfire counterattacks allowed Manchester United to take a commanding lead despite Arsenal pressure. From there it was all about careful game management, a test which the new manager passed with flying colors. Arsenal were subsequently sent crashing out of the FA Cup, but a promising performance means there are positives to take […]
Huddersfield’s shape against the ball was not enough to stop Manchester City’s attack despite a very strong defensive approach. Guardiola’s men were very passive in the first forty-five minutes, but got into the groove of things in the second half to triumph over Huddersfield. Tactical analysis by Chris Baker. Caretaker manager Mark Hudson made six changes […]
Wolves showed up at the Etihad stadium with similar intentions to the ones that earned them a point at Molineux earlier this season. Even though Nuno Espírito Santo’s side has been a big threat to the Premier League’s top teams, this time around, City won easily. Wolves’ ten men were forced into a job of […]
Liverpool struggled to find a consistent way of breaking down Brighton’s medium block, giving Chris Hughton’s side hope in the first half. However, a cheaply conceded penalty allowed Mohamed Salah to score the game’s only goal, leaving Brighton with an uphill battle against a defense that never really looked like conceding.
After a shaky start, West Ham succeeded in making this an even match that could have gone either way. The home team scored the game’s only goal from a set piece and defended that minimal lead until the final whistle. Arsenal seemed to lack what they deliberately kept outside of their squad: a creative playmaker […]
During the first half, the mobility and vision of Juan Mata allowed United to control an unruly Newcastle side. During the second half, the entrance of Jonjo Shelvey and a more aggressive defense allowed Newcastle to better control the game. However, United’s superior offensive talent would ultimately allow them to create the better chances… and […]
This game felt so close that it is hard to actually point out the better team. Manchester City beat Liverpool due to more composure on the ball and better finishing. And some luck, too. Tactical analysis and match report by Erik Elias. How do you beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City? If you would have to […]