THREAD! 👇 Our coaches reveal the tactical strategies used by Chelsea and Liverpool in their fixture on Sunday 🔵 #CHELIV 🔴
1️⃣ Chelsea were organised into a 4-3-3 formation led by the front three of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Timo Werner 🔵 #CFC#CHELIV
2️⃣ That 4-3-3 became a 4-5-1 during the periods they were defending, through Mount and Werner withdrawing into midfield 🔵 #CFC#CHELIV
3️⃣ Their most consistent threat came through the runs Werner attempted to make behind Liverpool’s defence, and they sought to find those runs 🔵 #CFC#CHELIV
4️⃣ Chelsea’s midfield was short in attacking instinct and variety; even with a weakened defence, Liverpool defended comfortably against their predictability 🔵 #CFC#CHELIV
5️⃣ Visitors Liverpool again adopted their familiar 4-3-3 formation; on this occasion Fabinho featured in central defence alongside Virgil van Dijk 🔴 #LFC#CHELIV
6️⃣ They remained in that 4-3-3 when they were without possession; with Fabinho in central defence, Jordan Henderson instead sat at the base of their midfield 🔴 #LFC#CHELIV
7️⃣ Henderson moving to adopt a quarterback’s role, and Roberto Firmino withdrawing into midfield, helped Liverpool to advance beyond Chelsea’s midfield, often via a four-on-three 🔴 #LFC#CHELIV
8️⃣ The movements they offered towards the left, in the attacking half, complemented by Henderson’s diagonal passes, gave Liverpool significant attacking potential 🔴 #LFC#CHELIV
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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... 🧐🧵
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Central protection...
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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... 🧐🧵
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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... ↩️🧐
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