Premier League 2019/20: Southampton vs Chelsea – tactical analysis

Gameweek eight of the 2019/20 Premier League season some of the biggest shocks of the season so far. Three of last years top six faced unexpected defeats, with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, and current champions Manchester City all failing to get a single point. However, Chelsea, alongside Liverpool and Arsenal, was able to win their match against Southampton at St. Marys Stadium.

Ralph Hassenhüttl was brought in by the club last year after Mark Hughes had left the club in the relegation zone. He managed to keep Southampton up with a sixteenth placed finish. Currently, they are in seventeenth place, just above Everton, with some tough fixtures coming up after the international break. Hassenhüttl is a fantastic manager, who has definitely elevated the club and their performances since he has come in. That being said, with a very weak squad at his disposal, itll be difficult for him to get to a point in the season where they are not fighting relegation, and they are comfortably midtable.

Chelsea have also recently brought in a new manager, with club legend Frank Lampard at the helm after Maurizio Sarri left to go back to Serie A. Lampard was tasked with gaining back the fans trust after Sarris playstyle left a sour taste in their mouth, and to get results despite a transfer ban. A shaky start saw them perform well, but unable to win games. But now, with four wins in all competitions in a row, Lampard has Chelsea in fifth place before the second international break.

This tactical analysis will look at the tactics deployed by both managers, and show, through analysis, how Chelsea were able to win so convincingly away from home.

Lineups

Hassenhüttl took a huge risk lining up in a 4-3-3 formation. He often deploys a 4-2-2-2, 4-4-2, or a formation that consists of a back five. The 4-3-3 saw a back of Yan Valery, Jan Bednarek, Maya Yoshida and Ryan Bertrand start ahead of Angus Gunn. Oriol Romeu was at the base of midfield as the defensive midfielder, with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and James Ward-Prowse in front of him. A front three of Shane Long, Nathan Redmond, and Danny Ings led the line.

Lampard on the other hand, stuck to his preferred 4-2-3-1. The back four in front of Kepa Arrizabalaga consisted of César Azpilicueta, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori, and Marcos Alonso. The midfield pivot consisted of Jorginho and NGolo Kanté. A front four of Mason Mount, Willian, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Tammy Abraham led the attack.

Southamptons lack of ruthlessness

The scoreline of 1-4 suggests that Chelsea played Southampton off the park. And at times, they did. That being said, there were moments where Southampton created good chances to score. Their xG of 1.27 is quite high for a team playing a top six side.

Hassenhüttl, who is sometimes referred to as the Alpin