First and second in the Premier League, the teams of Antonio Conte and Jürgen Klopp may find not playing in the Champions or Europa League will help decide who secures the titleForget Brexit. Now Chelsea and Liverpool are first and second in the Premier League we should start discussing Chexit and Lexit. This weekend I asked an executive from a leading Premier League club whether Chelsea and Liverpool had an advantage by not being in Europe this season. Of course they have, he replied. The only question is, how much? Related: Ruthless Diego Costa sees off Middlesbrough and sends Chelsea top Related: Liverpool left frustrated as dogged Southampton hold on for a draw Continue reading...
Chelsea and Manchester City have adopted this formation but it was a fraught night in Basel that caused the former Liverpool manager to set a growing trendIn a modern world in which style so often matters more than substance – and at times neither seems to matter much at all – moments of significance can be lost amid the swirl. It’s easy to dismiss Brendan Rodgers’ last full season at Liverpool: the ineffectiveness of Mario Balotelli, the falling out with Raheem Sterling, the final-day humiliation at Stoke … and yet it also included a nugget of genuine tactical innovation. It’s not to say that Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola or Serbia’s Slavoljub Muslin have copied Rodgers or have in any way...
False No9s are in; free roles, with the exception of Mesut Özil, are out; back threes are making a comeback; and pressing is en vogueA few years ago possession was the most discussed concept in football. Since then there has been a shift from a possession-based approach and more attention paid to pressing. Mauricio Pochettino’s Southampton and Tottenham sides pressed in advanced positions to win the ball quickly, Klopp popularised counter-pressing, winning the ball immediately after it has been lost, and Guardiola also emphasises the importance of closing down in advanced positions. Related: Tammy Abraham, Pontus Jansson and the Championship’s most eye-catching players | Nick Miller Continue reading...
Arsenal’s title hopes are on hold, Tony Pulis is hoping for money in the January transfer window and Loris Karius is keeping Jürgen Klopp happy Related: The Dozen: the weekend's best Premier League photos Continue reading...
Since changing to 3-4-3 system Chelsea have been rampant but Ronald Koeman’s decision to fight fire with fire on Saturday had disastrous consequencesIt is now five consecutive victories for Chelsea since Antonio Conte switched to a 3-4-3 system – 16 goals scored, none conceded – and this was their most impressive attacking display for years, a wonderful demonstration of efficient turnovers, intelligent running and intricate interplay. If there was any doubt about the difficulty of switching from a four-man defence to a back three, you only needed to look at Everton. Related: Chelsea top the Premier League as Eden Hazard inspires Everton thrashing Continue reading...