Thread by @AlexanderBrkr

🧵Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest | live tactical thread...

Yes, it's finally time! Enzo Maresca's Chelsea are up next for me. It's time to give analysis live, in a thread you can read along or bookmark for later. Will end up pinning it too 👍

So, before we begin:

🔹I, have watched Chelsea this season sparingly. I've not really done any analysis on them. The last time I did, was ahead of the season when I predicted how Enzo Maresca's tenure would go.

In this thread, I basically said they would.
-Start really strongly
- Struggle as more teams would low-block them
- Then we would see how good Maresca actually was

Why do I mention this?

Well, it's because in this game against Forest, I'm going be paying close attention to the movement of Chelsea's players.

I'm looking for signs that Maresca is coaching his players to find space and build patterns. Things that going forward, will see Chelsea become a top top top side.

🔹Final point before starting: I have kept in the loop on Chelsea through creators like @ConnorHolden00 and @JohyanCruyff (top tier chaps)

I also watched the latest video from my colleagues on @TheAthleticFC - go watch!

Rightio, here are the lineups. Let's begin. Do reply to the tweets live, I always like to respond quickly as I do these!

I'll watch until James Ward-Prowse is sent off, I always find there's less interesting stuff to glean in 11v10 games.

1:05 in and already have found a nice bit of play from Chelsea.

Cucurella plays the ball to Colwill here. All of his immediate options are blocked...

So, Colwill and Gusto are doing to do a couple of clever things.
▪️Colwill steps forward into the space, quite bravely
▪️While Gusto stops, shifts backwards, which takes his marker with him and away from Colwill!

This keeps the channel open, Colwill hits the pass. Nice combo!

Caicedo also shifts a little wider too, keeping that channel open.

Gonna need help here chat, I THINK I've spotted Cole Palmer do something pretty cool 🧐

He's just playing the ball into Noni Madueke, and moves up to support him.

I keep replaying this.

So Palmer looks like he's going to run into the space behind, but holds his run.... and I'm about 75% sure he actually points to Madueke to drive in behind, as he drops off to open up that exact space!

I mean, it works! Madueke gets to the byline and crosses.

It's important to ask now that I'm 10 minutes in: Does Maresca usually get his #8s to receive outside of the block, like this? (Palmer far side)

The reason I ask this, is because I think while this has logic I'll explain in a second, it means Chelsea are looking a bit toothless in the final third...

Here are Chelsea's ball touches in the opening 20 minutes ⚽️

You're smart, you don't need me to tell you there's a gaping hole in the middle of the final third. AKA: Basically the best area to create chances from.

So why is that?

Well, let me explain in a video.

🔵 Why Chelsea's build-up is smart, but they're still not getting the ball into dangerous areas...

This was a lot to pack in, so may be hard to follow. Don't feel stupid asking for clarification if you got a bit lost x

I'm basically certain that every single pass Enzo Fernandez has made in this position has gone backwards/sideways.

And hey, I really really like Enzo Fernandez!

The Enzo I know is someone who would be a little braver firing the passes through from these positions. Maybe it's confidence I guess.

Still, he doesn't offer athletic/one-vs-one threat in these positions, which is a bit of a hinderance

And what I said in the video about Madueke/Palmer footedness is excellently proven here.

Palmer (my word what a player) has dropped wide, and fires an inch-perfect pass through into Madueke, who is about to make his first touch...

And of course, because he is left-footed, you can't help that so much, his instinct is to slow it down so he can cut inside - maybe he doesn't spot it, but Jackson is making a great run to the back post!😅

This ended up in a goal kick

I did hint I would be critical in this thread, but I should say I am broadly impressed by this Chelsea side. I think the back three (in-possession) especially have been top.

Here's Colwill finding about his fourth line-breaking pass directly through the middle of the block.

This was a rare occasion of Palmer receiving centrally too. If he wasn't tactically fouled, then I wonder what could have happened here. Much more of a menacing situation.

On a similar note, Enzo Fernandez has been pretty impactful defensively for me - something I didn't expect to say.

Fotmob suggest during this game he:
🔹 Won 4/8 ground duels
🔹 Won 1/3 aerial duels

I think on the aerials, he is consistently putting off the opponent

Maybe he can play in the pivot alongside Caicedo?

For games like these (it would be bold) you play just Cucurella, Colwill and Fofana - with Caicedo and Enzo in the pivot - and have Madueke tracking back oop to form a back four

Well probably Gusto over Cucurella because wow he is magic

Not really commented on Sancho. I think he has slowed the game down unnecessarily at times and isn't getting the better of Aina enough. However, lovely pass through here.

Another example of the Palmer x Madueke issues - being they both want to get into the same spaces, cutting onto their left foot.

I'm being nitpicky. However, Chelsea look GOOD. It's just that, if you can nail these things, then you're a side that might be able to consistently break down strong defences like Forest's.

That's the difference between a T4 side and one competing for a title.

Well, top 6 side, let's not get carried away

Side note: I've heard lots of good things about Murillo for Forest but he's had a hand in basically every big chance for Chelsea.

First half done, think the stats are fair.

- Chelsea the more dangerous side going forward
- Largely kept Forest quiet
- Both sides struggling to create big chances

Think if you're Maresca at this point, you consider switching Palmer and Enzo Fernandez to get a L&R footer on each wing.

For me, I'm going to try and focus more on Chelsea defensively in this second half and provide analysis on that.

Alright, we back. I had a break (definitely didn't get distracted trying to build a new ultimate team).

First note: Sanchez, why do you feel the need to throw this when Jackson is surrounded by three players

And wow, this is where the goal comes from!

GOAL (49) Chris Wood

Jackson gave away a free kick. You guys know I don't tend to specialise in set piece analysis (to put it shortly).

However...feels like quite a high defensive line, no?

Also, it's so high, wtf is Sanchez doing! If that's me in goal, I'm sticking close to the goalline. The balls going to land around the edge of the box, you're legally unable to handle it at that point.

It means he's only just getting resettled in position for when the knockdown comes, and the finish

Anyway, I think Maresca identified the lack of central touches. Look at this.

🔹Palmer receives out wide
🔹Madueke then shifts inside
🔹And receives it once Jackson bounces it to him

This is a much more threatening situation that two players sitting on the touchline

GOAL (58) Madueke

Pretty simple this one. Palmer floats inside while the ball is on the left, taking up a very nice position.

Could argue that Gusto is attracting JWP too, which opens up the space for Palmer.

Enzo finds him pretty smoothly, and Forest are in big trouble. This is also a good example of Palmer and Madueke occupying different space!

Now you might think the rest is just down to Noni Madueke.

Well, you wouldn't be too wrong. However! Worth praising Palmer for holding his position on the edge of the box, which means JWP can't come across to cover Madueke. This helps create the channel through which he shoots.

Man, Gusto is a diamond talent. This entire game he's been 💯 with his positioning, and movement. He was always pretty good, but credit has to go to Maresca and his staff for his performances in this role.

It's simple stuff like this - the pass doesn't actually come off here - but the movement to lure his marker a *bit* more centrally, opening up that little bit more room for Fofana to exploit. It's top.

I did say I'd focus on the out of possession stuff, but that has been tricky when Chelsea are dominating and Forest are hitting long.

However, something that has surprised me is how, safe, Chelsea have looked in transition.

In this sequence for example, Enzo has a bozo moment and gives it away on the edge of the box after a corner. Disaster. It's an immediate 3v3.

Yes, it's far away from the goal, but Forest are a team of killers in transition.

And yet...the positioning of the defenders (In this case, Caicedo and Gusto), is good. They stay close, they're central and tracking the runner. It's been pretty tight all game.

When Forest switch it, the back two don't jump, and they hold their line well. Meanwhile, every Chelsea player is tracking back hard nearly 70 minutes into the game.

Meaning Forest's counter-attack becomes...this. Chelsea end up dealing with it well.

Could Forest have been punishing? Probably. However, I remember Pochettino's Chelsea getting torn again and again and again and again and again during transition.

Take out the goal, which was from a set piece, and Forest have put up around 0.8 xGoT.

And wow, that counter is basically the last notable event of the game until JWP's sending off. Well, time to close out!

Honestly, I was expecting Chelsea to be worse in this game. I'd heard quite bad things, and it was a 1-1 draw at home against a low block side. Was expecting Chelsea to be fairly rigid, lacking creativity and threat.

I'm....pretty positive after watching that! Not just on Chelsea's chances of having a good season, I've consistently thought that anyway. But, positive on Maresca as a coach.

✅ Malo Gusto, Cole Palmer, and Levi Colwill are all showing characteristics I didn't see last season. Their decision-making in possession has impressed me, and it looks like stuff that's been worked on in training.

✅ While I did think the tactical setup was flawed, the second half showed signs that Maresca had spotted the problem. Also, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't working due to the personnel Chelsea had.

✅ I'm not sure Forest posed a large threat, but like I said, I'm encouraged at how comfortable Chelsea looked during transition. I expected a lot worse.

The main caveat that I have in my head is:

Chelsea's squad is really, really good. So, it's hard to discern what's the thoughts/instinct of extremely talented players (see Sancho) and what's the work of a top coach. It's obviously a mix, but how much of a mix is what we don't know.

Right now though, if you were to ask me about my prediction earlier, I'd still say Chelsea are due to struggle when more teams give them the respect and sit deep.

However, I feel a bit more optimistic for Maresca that he'll find his way through that phase. When I watched his late-season Leicester side, I saw a really rigid team that didn't really have sustainable ways of creating dangerous chances. That wasn't really what I saw in this game 👍