SARAIVA FOOTBALL COACH

CHELSEA

VS

MANCHESTER CITY

Premier League

Saturday 31 January 2015

msaraiva1987@gmail.com

Manager

José Mourinho

Line Up Tactics

Position

First

Goals Scored/Against

51/19

Points

52

Chelsea had 2 major casualties. And it couldn’t be

worst – the player with the most assists, and the best

scorer of the league. Fabregas and Diego Costa

respectively.

Mourinho opted for the usual 1x4x2x3x1 with Matic

and Ramires securing the midfield, and helping

offensively one at a time.

In the wings Hazard and Willian had diferente roles.

Hazard tried to make his diagonals to the center, and

Willian was more vertical and looking for the line to

cross.

With Navas making a good performance we saw a

less offensive Azpilicueta and Ivanovic helped Willian

more often.

Oscar, altough he started well advanced in the field,

played more like a box-to-box, making sure the team

had the usual defensive consistancy.

And Remy. A fightin player, more like Costa, but with

less killer instinct.

Manager

Manuel Pellegrini

Line Up Tactics

Position

Second

Goals Scored/Against

45/22

Points

42

With Yaya Touré fighting to win Can ’15 there was no

space for big changes.

With Clichy and Sagna supporting the wings with

Navas and Milner, it was in the middle with

Fernandinho, Silva and Fernando that Pellegrini won

the advantage in the game.

With the trio against Ramires and Matic Manchester

City always had one plus elemento in the crucial zone

of the pitch.

Milner and David Silva change positions very often

trying to confuse the opponent’s defensive

organization.

To score goals, Aguero is the target man. Despite his

lack of inspiration, he’s always a danger player in

every match, specially the big ones, were he likes to

shine.

Mourinho had a very good day at Stamford Bridge. Playing against Manchester City, he couldn’t ask better than 3 shots – 1 save, 1 missed

and a goal. 33% Eficciency.

On the other hand, Courtois made 4 saves, and despite the 8 shots from Mancini side, they could produce more. The 1st and 2nd phases were

well connected and evolved in the game. They just needed a more inspired Aguero – Fernandinho ended with more shots then him.

Manchester City tried to take advantage of 2 things offensively – the attacking and agressive style of Ivanovic, and the youngster Zouma.

As we can see, this was the most stepped zone offensively, taking sided by the consistancy of Milner both defensive and offensively, and by

Clichy, which was stepping in advanced areas of the field, trying to create more pressure on Ramires and Ivanovic. This was well supported

by Fernandinho and David Silva, and sometimes Fernando.

But Chelsea was very organized and the duo Zouma-Ivanovic was impeccable the entire game.

On the other side, Azpilicueta was struggling a bit. Altough he managed to stop Navas most of the time, he couldn’t do much.

Navas had a great game, starting the play that ended in the equalizer, making 5 crosses, 2 of them successfull, 2 recoverys, and always

putting Chelsea’s defence in alert.

If Manchester City had more ball, more shot, more crosses

and played most of the time in the offensive half, how

could Chelsea managed to score first and not losing the

game?

Defensive concentration, amazing defensive work from the

midfielders and Matic being Matic. Seven disarms and six

interceptions.

Another interesting fact is the interceptions by shot. This

reveals good positioning from Chelsea players and effective

defensive transitions, giving them the chance to be were

they’re supposed to be.

Offensively we can see that Chelsea plays with defensive awareness. If they loose the ball in the middle,

they put the team at risk with the oponente’s counter attack. So, how can they risk it without putting

the team in danger?

In the wings. That’s exactly what we can se. Mourinho’s teams are specialized in this kind of patterns.

Supporting what e’ e said about Ivanovic and his offensive style is this graphic. He was the 3rd player

with most lost balls. The first two, are the most offensive players. Giving substance to the fact that

Mourinho was more worried with his defence, even when they were in the offensive moments – they

were the players who could risk it.

Chelsea didn’t create great volume of offensive plays. And this was one of the the facts.

In 27 lost balls, only 4 were in the defensive midlfield. This gives great security to the defensive process –

they’re hard to get caught in transition. And Loic Remy goal, was one of that few times.

This pattern is due to the players (and their characteristics) in the midfield. Fernando and Fernandinho

are top defensive players. They can’t give too much in offensive moments, but on the other side its

consistancy has a tremendous value.

But the really connecting point there is David Silva. He supports the team both defending and attacking.

And with 2 against 2 in the middle (Fernando e Fernandinho, against Matic and Ramires) it was David

Silva who created numeric advantage for Manchester City.

1 – 1

This was one of the top games of this league. And once again Mourinho survived another day. The defensive consistancy outshined the

creativity and offensiveness of the actual champions. We just have to wait and see if it enough for Mourinho to steal the title or, on the other

side, if Manchester City can make another great season finish and claim the title again.

SARAIVA FOOTBALL COACH MSARAIVA1987@GMAIL.COM