Pep Guardiola’s side were difficult to deal with in this match thanks to their structural advantages in midfield, plus their incredibly strong combinations on the left side of their attack. United carried some threat in transition in the first half but could not get to grips with City’s ball circulation. City’s dominance was reflected in […]
Jesse Marsch made his Premier League debut as he took Leeds United to visit Leicester City in a very important match. With just a two-point buffer to the relegation zone, points are precious for the visitors, especially because the likes of Burnley and Everton below them were starting to pick up good results. Although Leeds […]
Though they eventually found their feet in the game, the damage was already inflicted to West Ham which they could not recover from. Liverpool worked the ball around the West Ham block but looked shaky when Moyes’s men produced runs on the far side. However, without the proper profiles and last-minute interventions, the hosts kept […]
Chelsea enjoyed a good start, using the wide areas well to create solutions against Liverpool’s pressing. Liverpool eventually came more into the game thanks to their strengths in transition situations, and the Chelsea central midfield struggled to cover the necessary spaces at times. The two teams both had good spells over the course of the […]
Manchester City might be etched more closely to beautiful football than most, but even they have to turn to scraps when they are forced to. A resounding Everton defensive display had kept an awkward City restricted, but give a Pep Guardiola team control and you will be punished. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel […]
Manchester City have been the outfit to beat— all in the absence of a designated striker. But if the league leaders were on the hunt for a classic marksman, the point man of the away team delivered as good of an audition as one could imagine. City monopolized ball and space, but a man at […]
A combination of a stale set-up and effective Crystal Palace block left Chelsea in another state of stagnation. With a low shot count and sporadic phases of quality, the game was destined for a goalless draw, only for Hakim Ziyech to find space at the back-post to squeeze in a late winner at the game’s […]
In a season where Leicester City’s quest to usurp the top four has fallen flat, fixtures against Liverpool have gone to plan. So, at the third time of asking, Brendan Rodgers hoped to seal a victory against his old employers on their home turf. But the home team were too wily for the Foxes, turning […]
After ten minutes, Ralph Hasenhüttl changed his team’s shape to not only close the defensive holes but be the launchpad for adaptive buildups too. Against his coaching graduate, Ralf Rangnick struggled to find solutions as Southampton produced another impressive away display, to keep United tied. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. The reunion […]
Thirty-three minutes into the game against Leicester City, the score is tied at 0-0, and a fully packed Anfield sees Trent Alexander-Arnold take three firm, yet closely measured steps backward. Eyes on the ball, eyes on the box, left arm up and before he even hits the ball, it has already happened. A well-rehearsed drill […]