Serie A 🇮🇹 || PL 🏴 || Primeira Liga 🇵🇹|| Sometimes 🇪🇸🇹🇷|| Tactics ⚽️ || Analysis
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It's easier to break defensive lines in final third when players shorten distances between them. I have seen many times Caicedo, Badiashile, Palmer being ready to combine with short passes and force Sheffield defense to make a decision : foul, leave space.. 
Once the press is bypassed, Aston Villa don’t do much passes : direct way of play with lots of runs in behind with Watkins and Bailey, Man City has been frequently caught behind the defense. 
Chelsea utilizes more wide positions to progress in build-up. It eased out Enzo’s moves. Given Rice frequently anticipated the pass to Caicedo, Cucurella and Gusto had interesting diagonal passes to make behind Arsenal’s pressing. 
We all know Newcastle tends to implement an aggressive and high pressing structure. The question we all asked was if Howe will repeat the same plan against PSG ? 18 seconds needed : individual press, Isak pressing CBs and Bruno man-marking Ugarte 
As soon as second half started, Brighton implemented those kick-offs pressing, and recovered the ball high. Mitoma, a winger who usually sticks the touchline, tends to cut inside and have intelligent positioning in penalty box, this little move on the equalizer illustrates well. 
Arteta studied well Postecoglou’s first phase of build-up , and decided to implement (as many home games) an aggressive and high pressing, Odegaard as the conductor (we will go through that point later. Spurs CB took wide positions to create more space in the center for Bissouma 
Kimmich's big asset is how he can easily move around any kind of structure to receive in first phase and, usually, find Alphonso Davies wide to create unbalance. To prevent this as much as possible, 3-2 animation out of possession was a good idea from Xabi Alonso. 
I think Brighton side is a good indicator of opponent's quality in build-up, just when we take a look at the press in their games. When they don't press high (like yesterday's game), it means De Zerbi doesn't consider the opponent as a threat in build-up. 
Ferguson seemed to have the objective of taking distances from Newcastle centre backs, given their physical power. Joao Pedro supporting Ferguson with many disruptive moves. 
In first phase of build-up, Postecoglou strongly relies on two players. Bissouma, thanks to his excellent ball retention, to draw out the press. Porro, in his new inverted FB role, to accelerate the build-up.
First, it's important to differentiate their roles in first phase of build-up : what Postecoglou tries to do is to give central control to Bissouma, with the help of Porro (inverted FB). Sarr replaces Porro's position to catalyze build-up on this right flank. 
In first phase of the build-up, Pochettino seems to use Enzo Fernandez in two main situations.
Some things don’t change between seasons : and Newcastle pressing is still suffocating, doesn’t let any time to the opponent to build-up properly. The fact Guimaraes and Tonali step up to complete the second line of press makes short passes difficult for Aston Villa. 
First, lets say how Hojlund moved when Atalanta didn't have the ball : That triangle shape (usually Pasalic-Lookman-Hojlund) was supported by a another line of pressure, with short distances to avoid short passes from opponent's midfielders. 
I was talking about it before the game, De Zerbi never betrays his principles of play. For Newcastle, the key aspect of the game was not the press, but the TIMING of the press. Because if you press mate, Brighton can destroy it in two passes. 
First of all, City’s man to man press has been well executed, even if the risks to be crashed by one pass was obvious when you look at how Madrid get away from opponent’s press. 
Mourinho, as usual, tends to drop Cristante as third central defender and wants to drag the press to find space upfront. That’s why Xabi Alonso demanded from his team to NOT press. 
In build-up, we can see some concrete evolutions from Jurgen Klopp, by implementing Alexander Arnold as the conductor of Liverpool’s build-up phase. Relying on his extreme pass quality, he can pass the ball from the center and create many advantages on flanks. 
Wolves knew double pivot drop-off is the key part of Brighton’s build-up. That’s why they wanted to annihilate this possibility by implementing two players upfront. 
Newcastle learned the lessons from last week, and in their pressing phase, Murphy and Joelinton constantly harassed fullbacks, to prevent any wide passes in build-up from the opponent. 
It could be surprising, but Mourinho willingly put his midfielders higher on the pitch, letting Feyenoord think they could press easily and recover the ball higher on the pitch. 