🆕 Fresh analysis! 🙌 Liverpool will need Manchester City to drop points against Burnley if they are to secure the title against Crystal Palace, following their draw with youthful Everton. Our professional coaches assess what unfolded at Goodison Park 👇 coachesvoice.com/everton-liverp…
📋 Everton adopted a 3-2-4-1 formation during the periods they had possession; Lucas Digne, out of picture, contributed to that by advancing from left-back into midfield #EVELIV
That 3-2-4-1 became a 4-4-2 while they defended; Digne withdrew into defence, Seamus Coleman moved to right-back, and Richarlison advanced to alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin #EVELIV
Liverpool’s full-backs advancing contributed to the threat Everton posed in behind during the second half, and them creating goalscoring chances #EVELIV
The attacking rotations and movements Liverpool offered towards the right also ensured that Everton prioritised defending those spaces #EVELIV
Liverpool also occasionally offered a compact shape, from their 4-3-3; they often did so to negate the attacking potential Everton offered #EVELIV
They largely dominated possession, but even if they regularly progressed possession in midfield, they offered too little presence behind Everton’s defence #EVELIV
The press Liverpool applied further forwards made it difficult for Everton to build possession from defence, and contributed to them attempting longer balls #EVELIV
The arrival of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from the substitute’s bench invited Trent Alexander-Arnold to attack further forwards, from right-back, during the second half #EVELIV
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Manchester City’s 4-3-3 started on the front foot as Arsenal initially attempted to press into the host’s half, in a 4-4-2 shape. Arsenal went player-oriented in the wide areas, with Declan Rice and Thomas Partey tracking Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gündogan’s forward runs. However, Silva’s wide runs to City’s right-side created space for Savinho to drive inside, penetrating against the aggressive jumping of Arsenal’s left-back, Calafiori. This helped disrupt and stretch Arsenal’s back line in the early stages, including when Haaland was slid in-behind to calmly open the scoring... 🧐🧵
It wasn’t long before Arsenal formed a low block, while City responded with a 3-1-5-1 shape. Josko Gvardiol moved into a left-side number eight role from full-back, with Gündogan as the central option underneath Haaland. Rodri – soon to be replaced by Kovacic – acted as the single pivot. Still, it was City’s right side that proved most potent, with Silva’s wider positioning supporting Savinho’s direct movements and dribbles against Calafiori... 🧐🧵
Stemming from tweaks to the 4-4-2 formation, and initially most popular in Spain, the 4-2-3-1 grew in popularity from the 2000s onwards. It has since been used with success by many prominent coaches, including Pep Guardiola, Arne Slot and Erik ten Hag... 4️⃣2️⃣3️⃣1️⃣🧵
Central protection...
The 4-2-3-1 requires defensive midfielders who can duel, tackle and intercept in individual battles. These midfielders must be alert enough to land on any second balls. They must have good acceleration and deceleration to help with this... 4️⃣2️⃣3️⃣1️⃣🧵
Spain used a 4-3-3 structure and built play patiently from the back, despite Germany pressing aggressively from their 4-2-3-1. They moved the ball around the back line to isolate Thomas Müller, before a centre-back stepped out with the ball into midfield... 🧐🧵
Olmo continued to move inside and Asensio dropped deep, in the process pulling Süle out of his position in Germany’s back line. This helped Spain to build out from the back and get around Germany’s increasingly effective high press... 🧐🧵
Traditionally, full-backs are the widest players in a back four, and as a result they attack and defend mostly in the wide areas. However, full-backs who move inside into central spaces are known as ‘inverted full-backs’. This movement adds an extra presence centrally... ↩️🧐
Although Pep Guardiola is the coach most associated with the inverted full-back, Johan Cruyff used them with Barcelona many years before. Then, he often converted the 4-3-3 into a 3-4-3 diamond, with one full-back inverting into central midfield... ↩️🧐
Manchester United were set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, but Fred pushed forward from the double pivot to become a number 8 and give them a stronger attacking presence in central midfield. Bruno Fernandes then adapted his positioning, moving into the left inside channel... 🧐🧵
The hosts eventually pushed both full-backs higher, primarily working around the outside of Tottenham’s wing-backs. United’s wingers then came inside, with the freedom to rotate with Fred and Fernandes, as long as both inside channels were always occupied... 🧐🧵