Manchester United came into this game with a tactical surprise as Ole Gunnar Solskjær deployed a new 5-2-1-2 system against Liverpool. United’s pressing was able to blunt Liverpool’s attacking play in the first half and they were able to catch the away side on the counterattack to go ahead. In the second half Liverpool made […]
Neither team played spectacular football in this game, but Liverpool still created enough chances to ultimately deserve the win. Leicester stayed in the game but massively struggled to create going forward against Liverpool’s compact defending. A couple of second half changes helped them to equalise against Liverpool’s initial 1-0 lead before a late James Milner […]
A match so painfully short of effective attacking mechanisms that neither team pushed on to be the dominant force, as both sides mostly mirrored each other’s defensive shape. The most that could be said on the invention front was Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s various tweaks throughout, which were positively reactive but equally limiting at times. Tactical […]
Manchester City’s positional play was pivotal in the champions latest victory – despite Everton creating a number of chances from set-pieces. Both İlkay Gündoğan and Kevin De Bruyne were key to City’s buildup on the flanks, as both teams had opportunities to take all three points. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. Pep […]
Pochettino needs time in an environment where time is a luxury.
Monday night Premier League football saw a clash between Aston Villa and West Ham United. These two sides provided an absorbing back-and-forth contest throughout, despite the 0-0 scoreline. Tactical analysis and match report by Julian Chingoma. Dean Smith sent the hosts out in a 4-3-3 formation. There were two changes to the starters from their […]
Marcus Rashford’s early penalty was all that separated the sides in a game where both teams were energetic but neither was able to make many breakthroughs. Both teams defended in relatively narrow starting shapes, forcing much of the attacking play into wide areas. Leicester got stronger as the game went on and put United under […]
Everton dominated the first half with a good plan in possession to exploit Wolverhampton’s problems against the ball. However, the guests’ direct attacking play created chances as well, meaning they trailed the game by only one goal at half-time. Both teams then could not hold on to their performances of the first half after the […]
Arguably the two most offensive sides of the opening Premier League weeks produced a feisty affair at Carrow Road, with four goals scored in the first thirty minutes. Both teams impressed going forward, but the defensive woes continued. Tammy Abraham’s second of the day punished Norwich’s poor defensive transition and proved to be the winner. […]
Unai Emery, already known for his tactical experiments in big games at Arsenal, once again attempted to pull a rabbit out of the hat in this weekend’s big-six clash. Instead, what he pulled out was, yet again, nothing. The application of an untried diamond system proved costly, albeit survivable thanks to Liverpool’s relatively cautious approach. […]