Manchester City went into Saturday’s game against Chelsea well aware of the stakes. A loss would turn the already large 9 point deficit between them and Liverpool into an astronomical 12 points, but fortunately for Guardiola and the sky blues, they came out on top courtesy of a 2-1 victory. The
Tactics
Analysing the Beautiful Game
Breaking down the tactical nuances of Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta B.C
Atalanta B.C have graduated from being relegation candidates to regulars in European competitions. Their acclaimed academy has served them well, but it is Gian Piero Gasperini who has helped them break out of their cocoon. After making some smart investments here and there, they are now borderline outside contenders in
The Bielsa Way – A Brief Explanation
READING, ENGLAND - MARCH 12: Marcelo Bielsa, Head Coach of Leeds United looks on prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Reading and Leeds United at Madejski Stadium on March 12, 2019 in Reading, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images) Written by Enzo Karema “Football rests on four fundamentals, as outlined
Analysing Barcelona’s tactical set up this season
Let’s talk about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s in-game management against Wolves
![[Opinion] - Let's talk about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's in-game management against Wolves](https://www.elartedf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/yo-800x509.jpg)
The understated value of the modern winger
Written by Tiki Taka Style Unpredictable forces, wizards of the dribble, electricity personified. Wingers have traditionally been seen as a lovable commodity and the primary source of entertainment for football romantics. A museum piece. Capable of lifting thousands of fans from their seats and making the whole crowd roar with a
The 4v4+3 Rondo – The most effective training drill for positional football
Positional football has evolved at an astounding rate over the years. Most teams have adopted positional football as the pivot around which their respective individual game models are based. Positioning oneself efficiently with respect to the space, the ball, the teammates and the opponents throughout the course of 90 minutes
Compactness and how it can be used subtly to control matches
The evolution of the 4-3-3 and its impact on wide players
Written by Dipanjan Chowdhury Just like any other sport the game of football has evolved massively over the years. On a strictly tactical level, one such noticeable area of evolution in football has been that of the adoption of more possession focused systems. In conjunction with such an evolution, a modern
Fitting the Griezmann piece into the Barca Puzzle
By Udhav Arora After what was a rather craggy and overstretched pursuit, FC Barcelona finally announced the transfer of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid for €120 million. Griezmann had decided to stay in the capital last year after coming bizarrely close to a move. So much so, Barcelona's vice-captain, Gerard Pique,
Intracacies of Zonal Defending – Staggering, Compactness, and Spacing
Football has evolved leaps and bounds over the years, especially in areas pertaining to collective defending. Over the years, teams have adopted different formations, structures, and tactics while defending. However, the basic principles of defending have rarely ever varied. It is based on these principles, that the art of zonal
Wolves – Breaking down Nuno Espirito Santo’s tactical nuances
Liverpool’s defensive framework – An in depth analysis
Frenkie de Jong – An in depth tactical profile
The Dutch Eredivisie has always been renowned for producing highly talented individuals over the years. It has acted as a feeder league for most of the other big European heavyweights. However, not all the promising young talents that come out of the Eredivisie have fulfilled their potential. In recent years,