Friday night under the lights at a raucous Selhurst Park would be a stern test of Arsenal’s metal. Notwithstanding their early lead, the visitors were under the cosh for stretches of this match. But they weathered the storm, thanks to a man whose debut was well worth the wait. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel revamped his midfield structure at the interval to overcome a difficult first half period and knock London rivals Crystal Palace out of the FA Cup. The results underlines the tactical versatility and astuteness this Chelsea side possess. Tactical analysis and match report by Charles Orchard. February’s close-fought fixture between these two […]
Eager to rebuff Spurs’ quest for fourth place, Arsenal needed a win. But if Patrick Vieira ought to have been in a giving mood to bestow his old club a favor, he had not read the script. Potency in transition, pressing, and possession stunted the guests, whose season will go down to the wire. Tactical […]
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 […]
For thirty minutes, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace produced an intriguing but unproductive affair. However, the hosts had showcased solutions to passing problems and seized on a Palace collapse to gain a comfortable three points. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. When the time turned to reinvent, both London clubs looked to iconic midfielders, […]
On a rainy night in Nice neither Christophe Galtier nor Patrick Vieira were able to coax the best out of their sides. The latter’s inability to harness a consistent buildup was on full display, as the home side’s 3-4-2-1 formation sputtered throughout the course of the evening. The same can be said for Lille, as […]
After a difficult domestic start following the Champions League final, PSG finally showed more quality and efficiency in this performance against Nice. Patrick Vieira’s ambitious plan was interesting from a tactical point of view, but it was not enough to beat Kylian Mbappé and Keylor Navas. Tactical analysis and match report by Simon Piotr. It […]
Nice put on one of their best offensive performances in the first half against Rennes. However, an adept Julien Stéphan made several key adjustments at half-time and in so doing the visitors were able to turn the fixture on its head and force a draw through a Flavien Tait marker in the 81st minute. Tactical […]
Unlike most teams in Ligue 1, Nice chose to press PSG high up the field and paid a heavy toll for that. Led by Di María, PSG dominated an eventful game of football. Tactical analysis and match report by Simon Piotr. After being bought last summer by the company Ineos – directed by the British […]
OGC Nice were most impressive in their pressing and midfield compactness, alongside creating a few opportunities and eventually getting the lead through a Rémi Walter penalty. In the second half, Lyon created numerous chances and took control of the flow of the game but failed to equalize as Nice put up a resilient defensive block. […]