Antonio Conte has been praised for his bold use of Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso but history suggests it is part of a wider trend dating back to the 1960sBarring an extraordinary collapse, this season’s Premier League title will have been decided at half-time at the Emirates Stadium on 24 September when Antonio Conte moved from a back four to a back three. The game was already lost but Chelsea, adapting remarkably swiftly to the new shape, then embarked on their record 13-match winning run.It was a change that, rightly, has earned Conte great praise for his decisiveness and his capacity, albeit unhindered by the demands of European football, to instil a new formation. But its radicalness has passed largely...
Sean Dyche’s side turn game into a battle to make it an uncomfortable afternoon for the league leaders, who have only Manchester City of the title pretenders left to play this seasonAs he sought to disrupt Chelsea from their relentless rhythm, Sean Dyche may have reminded his players of their 2-0 win over Liverpool at Turf Moor on the second weekend of the season. On that afternoon his Burnley team were able to soak up what was thrown at them then when opportunity knocked punish their opponents by being quick and slick in front of goal.On Sunday they performed a similar feat and offered a clue to as to where Chelsea might be got at if they are to be...
Arsène Wenger elected to play a 4-3-3 but Antonio Conte’s side essentially attack with five players and this was underlined by the Premier League leaders’ first goalArsenal’s 3-1 defeat by Chelsea felt somewhat familiar; it was their seventh loss from their past eight visits to Stamford Bridge. However, whereas Arsène Wenger has frequently been accused of tactical naivety after these defeats and ridiculed for failing to adapt his tactics, on this occasion Arsenal’s manager had attempted to surprise Chelsea with his lineup. Related: Arsenal’s Arsène Wenger fumes at first goal after defeat by Chelsea Related: Eden Hazard mesmerises Arsenal to tighten Chelsea’s Premier League grip Continue reading...
Tweaks here and some fine-tuning there make no difference as Arsène Wenger’s men show at Stamford Bridge how they flatter only to deceiveThey bring in a new fitness coach, embrace analytics in an attempt to modernise their scouting department and hint at enhanced ambition in the transfer market every summer. They no longer lose their best players to richer rivals. Every now and then, they produce a statement victory that suggests the grand project is approaching a golden conclusion and greatness beckons. But for all the little tweaks and fine-tuning, nothing much of any major significance changes at Arsenal.Examining this pattern of underachievement, there is one constant. Easy though it is to point the finger of blame at the manager...
The damaging home defeat by Watford has raised familiar concerns about the capability of Arsène Wenger’s side to maintain a title challenge when the pressure is really onThe vast majority of a football manager’s life revolves around dealing with situations that are testing, thought-provoking and demanding but once in a while something magical comes along that makes all the questions and pressures and nonsense they have to deal with in their everyday work seem humdrum.For Arsène Wenger one of those came along at the beginning of this season when he watched his team produce a blueprint performance. Chelsea were demolished with a swagger, 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to an impressive demonstration of dashing attacking mixed with rigorous team control....