Two elite managers are leading teams struggling to play in their image. The outcome of their meeting at the Etihad was another exciting encounter that gave both questions to answer. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. Clubs do not win titles in January but can lose before the final bout has begun if […]
Arsenal clinched another victory and this time the three points would have felt huge. This was a complete performance not only from a tactical standpoint but also in terms of their ability to adapt to different situations thrown at them. An own goal from Hugo Lloris was followed by a thunderous strike by Martin Ødegaard […]
Questionable officiating has hogged most of the headlines from this clash, but this derby was a taut duel worthy of the occasion. City forged forward paths, but Erik ten Hag has a statement victory to his name that raises hopes of what his outfit can achieve over the rest of the season. Tactical analysis and […]
Aston Villa continued their charge up the Premier League table under Unai Emery with a win over Leeds United. The visitors certainly put in an improved performance relative to their recent run of results, but it should be noted that the tactical pattern of the match suited them as Villa were happier to keep more […]
Pep Guardiola was once again able to adapt his team to unlock Chelsea’s defense here, as a structural shift helped Manchester City dismantle Chelsea over the wings. City capitalized in the first half to go three goals up, leaving them a comfortable second half despite Chelsea’s slight tactical improvements. Tactical analysis and match report by Josh […]
The third round of the FA Cup began with a big tie between Manchester United and Everton. The scoreline may suggest that this was a relatively routine win for the hosts, but they made life tougher for themselves than it needed to be. In the end, though, they had too much quality for their opponents […]
Pep Guardiola was at his experimental best as Manchester City visited Chelsea, as he set his side up in a very unique system in possession. After a goalless first half, though, he reverted to a more normal setup (by his standards) which enabled his side to come away with a one-goal win, with the decisive […]
Arsenal started brightly against Newcastle’s high pressing but once the away side got settled into deeper defending, the game became quite scrappy and the quality of possession phases decreased. This continued into the second half where Arsenal carried on dominating the ball but were unable to find a way through a resilient Newcastle side who […]
In the second half of 2022, Liverpool endured one of their worst starts to a season in Jürgen Klopp’s tenure, so they would have been keen to turn things around after the World Cup break. They did win their first two league matches after it, but some cause for concern remained in their performances. Those […]
Brighton have routinely upset the odds against Arsenal, but they faced a team keen to break from their past. Roberto de Zerbi is stamping a mark on the side from the south coast, but his men were swept away by a ruthless rhythm that might be the making of something special. Tactical analysis and match […]