FAWSL 2019/20: Chelsea Women vs Reading Women – Tactical Analysis

The return from winter break brought a highly anticipated FAWSL match between Chelsea Women and Reading Women. Chelsea, over the break, have acquired world-class striker Sam Kerr from the Chicago Red Stars. After analysis, we can see that Kerr made an immediate impact on the squad and will almost assuredly bring an increased attacking dynamic to the team as the season continues. Reading were tasked with employing tactics effective enough to overcome a very strong Chelsea starting eleven.

Would Reading be able to negate and overcome the recently equipped home team or would Chelsea prove themselves to be a newly defined league powerhouse? This tactical analysis will look at exactly how it happened.

Line ups

Chelsea (4-4-2): Berger, Bright, Ingle, England, Ji, Reiten, Eriksson, Mjelde, Kerr, Spence, Andersson.

Reading (4-4-2): Moloney, Pacheco, Williams, James, Allen, Eikeland, Moore, Chaplen, Potter, Rowe, Howard.

Reading: high press

The instant the opening whistle rang across the pitch, Reading employed an aggressive full team press. Reading set out to allow Chelsea absolutely no time on the ball and restricted space and passing options while doing so.

Reading did this by pushing players high up the pitch in a player to player marking scheme. At some points the Reading players even had numerical superiority over the Chelsea players in the relevant area. Reading first sought to force Chelsea play out wide by tightly marking and out-numbering central Chelsea pivot players. Once Chelsea circulated the ball to a flank, Reading immediately closed down all nearby players with player to player marking in an attempt to win the ball back.

The first goal kick of the match gave us a quick glimpse of how Reading would approach their out of possession tactics. Below we can see that Reading have retained their 4-4-2 shape and have aggressively pushed their forward and midfield lines up the pitch. Forward players Amalie Eikeland and Brooke Chaplan have aligned as close to the Chelsea centre-backs as possible (who are in the 18-yard box).

The Reading midfield diamond also pushes up, with the central midfielders covering both central space and eliminating Ji So-yun and Sophie Ingle as safe passing options. The Reading outside midfielders (Remi Allen and Angharad James) remain in the halfspaces to both maintain numerical superiority in the central area and encourage passes out wide to the Chelsea fullbacks.

Once Chelsea circulated the ball to the flank, Reading transitioned into an intense player to player press. In the sixth minute we see the ball circulated to Chelsea left-back Jonna Andersson. As the ball moves to Andersson’s feet, the Reading central midfielders Fara Williams and Jade Moore shift horizontally to mark Ji and Guro Reiten. Simultaneously, Reading forward Eikeland, shifts to a position that allows her to both mark Chelsea centreback Magdalena Eriksson and create a cover shadow, preventing access to the goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.