Pep Guardiola’s insistence upon fielding players out of position within a bewildering array of tactical systems that they scarcely understand led to a facile evisceration by Claudio Ranieri’s under-fire champions. Continue reading
Tag Archives: English Premier League
Manchester City 1-3 Chelsea: Costa efficiency decides game of fine margins
Out-pressed and overrun by Manchester City’s midfield throughout, Chelsea weathered a storm of spurned chances to secure a ruthlessly efficient eighth consecutive league victory. Continue reading
Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Wing-backs the key to victory for Conte
Pinned back initially by Tottenham’s high press, Chelsea’s wing-backs took full advantage of some poor defensive transitions in wide areas to convert a woeful opening 44 minutes into a seventh consecutive league win. Continue reading
Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal: Toothless Wenger selection extends Mou hoodoo
Although Olivier Giroud’s late header earned his Arsenal side a scarcely-merited point, Arsene Wenger’s undue preoccupation with possession – at the expense of penetration – resulted in the Frenchman’s 12th consecutive failure to inflict defeat on José Mourinho. Continue reading
Chelsea 5-0 Everton: Koeman’s kamikaze tinkering costs Toffees
Ronald Koeman’s disastrous decision to field a three-man defence for the first time since August 20 helped Chelsea to inflict upon Everton one of the most one-sided thrashings of the 2016/17 Premier League season. Continue reading
Manchester United 0-0 Burnley: Heaton heroics and first-half conservatism foil ten-man United
Tom Heaton’s heroics, paired with the dismissal of Ander Herrera, limited the impact of Manchester United’s second-half tactical rejig, ensuring that José Mourinho’s side paid for yet another anaemic first-half performance by dropping two points to Sean Dyche’s Burnley. Continue reading
Bournemouth 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur: Congested Spurs attack plays into Howe’s hands
Mauricio Pochettino’s obsession with controlling the central midfield battle against fellow pressers Bournemouth rendered his attack completely toothless and cost Tottenham Hotspur the opportunity to top the Premier League. Continue reading
Manchester City 1-1 Everton: Pep’s new-look back-three drops two
Manchester City’s new-look 3-2-2-3 formation survived the effects of an ingenious half-time tactical switch from Everton’s Ronald Koeman to emerge with a point. Continue reading
Swansea City 1-2 Liverpool: Swans press the self-destruct button
Out-pressed in the first-half by a relentless host midfield, Liverpool survived Mike van der Hoorn’s incredible injury-time miss to complete a second-half turnaround against a spent Swansea City. Continue reading
Manchester United 4-1 Leicester City: Pogba pre-eminent in better-balanced United midfield
Paul Pogba starred in a better-balanced Manchester United midfield three, as José Mourinho’s side ended a two-game losing streak with a first-half demolition of champions Leicester City. Continue reading









