Manchester City invoked an extremely fluid formation, which saw them buildup in a nominal 3-2-2-3 shape. The freedom of the front five made it nearly impossible for Manchester United to get near the ball for the better part of seventy minutes, with the guests eventually snatching their first goal, settling back into a comfortable defensive […]
Aston Villa brought good counterpressing, quick free-kicks and a narrow defensive block, but Manchester United withstood their rampant opponents to go level on points with Liverpool. This high intensity and entertaining affair brought the best out of few, but Paul Pogba’s role on the left turned out to be too much to handle for their […]
Intelligent sequences of play interspersed with battles in midfield saw Manchester United take the lead twice, but the resilience of the home side saw them do enough to secure the draw. Brendan Rodgers’ side managed to claw back through goals from Harvey Barnes and the inevitable Jamie Vardy, but it was clearly United who won […]
Ole Gunnar Solskjær will have another semi-final to look forward to, as his Manchester United team dominated proceedings at Goodison Park. Though their chance creation was not supreme, the movement of their midfielders pulled their opponents apart before goals in the last two minutes delivered a crushing blow to Everton’s hopes of a much-needed trophy. […]
With critics to be proven wrong, and a return to the top four at stake, the expectation was high for the latest edition of the Manchester derby. However, both teams produced a limited, lethargic and lackluster affair, with bad buildup structures being cancelled out by tangible defensive organizations. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. […]
In a do-or-die clash for both teams, early goals from Angeliño and Amadou Haidara pegged Manchester United back before they could rouse themselves. Despite a spirited second half comeback following Bruno Fernandes’ penalty and Paul Pogba’s late goal, Justin Kluivert’s 69th minute strike posed an insurmountable obstacle for Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side, who now find […]
Manchester United travelled to London and aimed for three points against West Ham to shake off their midweek loss against Paris Saint-Germain. But their opponents were not to be underestimated as they have won their last three matches, including a win against Aston Villa on the previous weekend. Tactical analysis and match report by Daryl […]
Paris Saint-Germain took a number of tactical risks to start the match, most of which failed to pay dividends. As a consequence, they would not look comfortable until shifting to a 3-5-2 formation in the 65th minute. Manchester United defended well, but were undone by their manager’s inaction and the reckless play of Fred, who […]
While both Everton and Manchester United had limitations in their respective buildups, only one team had Bruno Fernandes. His roaming from the number ten spot was pivotal to progressing through Everton’s passive 4-5-1 defensive formation, being involved in all three of their goals and provided Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side with an important three points. Tactical […]
Arsenal dominated from the start thanks to their well-designed pressing system which helped to take advantage of the deficits in United’s buildup. Neither attack was overly impressive, and it took Arsenal some time to capitalize on their superiority. Eventually, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put them ahead from the penalty spot and from there on Mikel Arteta’s side […]