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. […]
Aston Villa secured their first points of the season in an intriguing Friday night football affair. Building rapid attacking transitions was the key to unlock Everton’s defense. Marco Silva’s team, once again, showed problems in their buildup, as they struggled to handle a relentless, fast-paced Villa. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. Not […]
A solid game plan by Ole Gunnar Solksjær got undone by a wonderfully crafted set-piece goal by Ruben Neves and a penalty miss by Paul Pogba in Molineux as the teams shared the points. Manchester United looked very much in control, despite not creating many chances. United found the opener with a nicely worked goal, […]
In a game of two halves, Chelsea’s attacking blitz on Leicester had them clinging on for dear life, but time took its toll as the home side’s intensity gradually faded, as did their ability to control events. The away side’s ‘lightbulb moment’ was minor but made all the difference to provide their second half flourish. […]
Manchester City were held to a draw against Tottenham Hotspur, despite being the far better side. City dominated the game for large stretches as Spurs struggled to deal with their dangerous wing attacks. Spurs, on their turn, could rarely break through City’s pressing when they had the ball. Despite this, a long range strike from […]
In a familiarly tight encounter, treble holders Manchester City edged past European champions Liverpool in the Community Shield thanks to a penalty shoot-out. Pep Guardiola was as unorthodox as ever, with his team asking Liverpool very different questions than the last time around, opening the scoring as a result of one of them. Liverpool’s second […]
It is difficult to give a coach or a team credit after losing 6-0, especially in a cup final. However, against this extremely dominant Manchester City team, any kind of new ideas on how to defend are significant. Javi Gracia, who proved himself as one of the most successful coaches of the season by overachieving […]