Jahanbakhsh’s spectacular bicycle kick ultimately drew what was a tactically rich game conditioned heavily by Brighton’s changes in midfield. In the first half, Chelsea initially dominated by exploiting the narrowness of Brighton’s midfield diamond, until Potter shifted his team to a flat 4-4-2 shape when defending and evened out the tables. During the second half, […]

Mikel Arteta’s initial changes sprung a more than successful surprise upon Chelsea, which eventually, was counteracted by Frank Lampard’s own intelligent tactical alterations. In the end, the side on the losing end could feel most hard done by given the circumstances of their defeat. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter Munnelly.  In his home […]

Frank Lampard’s switch to a 3-4-3 system turned out well for Chelsea as they largely outplayed Spurs in all aspects of the game. Spurs struggled to build through midfield and were – not for the first time under Mourinho – reliant on direct means to move the ball forwards, while Chelsea found ball circulation relatively […]

In a scrappy, tight and intense affair, Duncan Ferguson’s first game as interim Everton boss could not have started better. Chelsea controlled the ball, but an aggressive low block and fast transitions in attack was enough to see the hosts gain an important three points.  Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. Everton have […]

Chelsea came to the Etihad with a positive attitude and looked to impose themselves on the game in a way that not too many teams do away at Manchester City. They were able to take the lead through N’Golo Kanté. City quickly replied through Kevin De Bruyne, and then began to find joy through De […]

Even though it started out as an interesting tactical battle, this match can only be remembered as a representation of utter chaos on a football pitch. Two Chelsea own goals, two Ajax red cards conceded in the same Chelsea attack and a disallowed Chelsea winner meant that when the dust had settled in, both teams […]

Two evenly matched sides delivered a high-energy game with few genuine chances. The match was defined by the way both teams pressed and it titled Chelsea’s way late, as Michy Batshuayi scored a late winner. Tactical analysis and match report by Erik Elias.   The appointment of Frank Lampard as Chelsea manager was greeted with […]

For spells in the game, neither team were at their best, but Liverpool were able to get in front with two goals from set-pieces in the first half. A common theme for both teams was to seek direct routes to beat the opponent’s press. As the game progressed, Liverpool began to defend deeper, which allowed […]

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. […]

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.  […]