Great tactics-focused write-up here:
Mauricio Pochettino shows how it is possible to beat Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation | Michael Cox
Mauricio Pochettino shows how it is possible to beat Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation | Michael Cox
Mauricio Pochettino has earned a reputation as a fine tactician, and this was a very impressive strategic performance by the Tottenham Hotspur coach against Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 system – the first time anyone has truly outwitted Chelsea in that shape.
Since Conte switched to 3-4-3 after a 3-0 defeat against Woolwich at the Emirates Stadium in September, Chelsea had won all 13 league matches, and had been so utterly dominant that opposition managers have found themselves terrified of playing their regular system for fear of being torn apart. The problem, though, is that no one had actually worked out which alternative shape to deploy either, and the most dramatic change in system from an opposition coach – Ronald Koeman sending out his Everton side in a 3-4-3 formation, matching Chelsea across the pitch – resulted in Conte’s most comprehensive Premier League victory, 5-0. Pochettino’s decision to use a 3-4-3 of his own, therefore, was a very brave move – although the 4-1 weekend win over Watford in that shape proved very useful preparation.
Throughout much of the first half, it was obvious Spurs had sought to match Chelsea’s system, and the two sides effectively cancelled out one another. Neither side was capable of finding midfielders in space: Mousa Dembélé and Victor Wanyama were up against N’Golo Kanté and Nemanja Matic in a particularly feisty central battleground, while Danny Rose was tracked by Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso nullified Kyle Walker. In a 3-4-3 versus 3-4-3 battle, the midfield quartets were locked together closely.
Tottenham dominated possession, however, and there was a difference in how the teams pressed. Chelsea’s three forwards pressed sporadically, but Pedro Rodríguez and Eden Hazard often dropped back to keep Chelsea compact, allowing Spurs’ centre‑backs time on the ball. The left-sided centre‑back Jan Vertonghen, in particular, looked to bring the ball forward from defence and the majority of Spurs’ promising attacks in the first half came down that flank. Rose’s incredible pace and stamina became increasingly obvious, forcing both Pedro and Moses into clumsy tackles, while Dembele found space by drifting left and going on one of his typical, mazy slaloms between opposition defenders.
Pedro and Hazard offered surprisingly little counter-attacking threat, partly because Wanyama and Dembélé protected the defence well. Chelsea’s most memorable counter-attack was launched by Diego Costa through the centre of the pitch, which resulted in an almighty squabble between him and Pedro when the latter made a poor run. Hazard, so often the catalyst for Chelsea’s best attacking play this season, was quiet by his standards and the away side’s most promising approach was playing through-balls for Costa, who had a running battle with the linesman’s offside flag.
Tottenham pressed more intensely and forced Chelsea’s defenders to play longer, often unsuccessful passes from the back. Their two attacking midfielders, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, played important roles and tended to drift inside into central positions. Without possession they pushed inside to help press Chelsea’s central midfielders, which often left the Chelsea wing-back on the far side unattended, and with possession they took up clever positions, which contributed to Alli’s opener. Eriksen was always drifting between the lines, while Alli is in fine goalscoring form and at times played more like a second striker. It was not entirely surprising, then, that Spurs’ goal came from Eriksen finding a pocket of space and dinking a perfect cross on to the head of the onrushing Alli, who looped a header past Thibaut Courtois. That, in first-half stoppage time, was the first shot on target of this contest, summarising a game when both teams seemed determined to stop the other.
Chelsea started the second half strongly, enjoying longer spells of pressure – although this allowed Tottenham more counter-attacking opportunities, and it took less than 10 minutes of for them to double their lead. The second goal was a carbon copy of the opener – after Eriksen exchanged passes with Walker, he again curled a perfect cross into the path of Alli, making a near-identical run, to head home once again. Chelsea, clearly, had not learned their lesson – and while their defence has been absolutely superb in recent months, Cesar Azpilicueta’s lack of height means he’s somewhat vulnerable to powerful far‑post runs to meet deep crosses.
Alli was the hero, but the real matchwinner here was Eriksen. In a fast-paced contest based around pressing, physicality and a clear clash of similar systems, the Dane was the only pure playmaker on show, and the only performer playing the game at a more reserved tempo, varying his position intelligently to find space away from his direct opponent. Indeed, it may have been crucial that Gary Cahill was booked for clumsily rugby‑tackling Eriksen on 38 minutes – having previously shut him down extremely quickly, suddenly the centre‑back was reluctant to move out from defence, and Eriksen found freedom. He took full advantage with two delicious assists.
