Premier League has every season brought up shocking results, teams and players. This campaign hasnt been the exception. With Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United having an irregular start with very poor results and performances after 15 games, teams like Newcastle United have taken advantage of these situations to show off their amazing and hardly-worked football style that comes from an intense, purposeful, direct and beautiful game that has helped them win 30 points, winning eight matches, drawing six and losing only one in 15 games played. A really amazing tally and run of performances that started since the arrival of Eddie Howe, who has turned massively the image and spirit of the squad.
On the other hand, Chelsea are still adapting to Graham Potters principles, functions, roles and ideas, as well as his constant change of shapes and formations that keep his teams confusing to analyse and defend. Lately, they have been very slow with the ball, and unable to break rival pressures or lower blocks that close down the spaces to run or create fast touches on the ball to arrive at the box.
This past Saturday, in the last Premier League matchweek before the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they faced each other at St. James Park, resulting in a 1-0 impressing victory for Newcastle. Both of them arrived at this match at really different moments. Newcastle has recorded five consecutive wins and were on a 10-game unbeaten streak since they lost 2-1 against Liverpool at Anfield. Chelsea have recently been the polar opposite of them, going six games without a win, a tough moment for Potter and his staff.
In this tactical analysis, we dive into the tactics of both teams and see how Eddie Howes Newcastle won the tactical battle against Chelsea.
Lineups
Eddie Howe went with his preferred 4-3-3 and his typical back-four composed of Nick Pope on the goal, Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schär, Sven Botman and Dan Burn. In front of them, Bruno Guimaraes played as the deep-lying-playmaker, the role who fits in perfectly, accompanied by Joe Willock (LCM) and Sean Longstaff (RCM) who were very important in the attacking third creating overloads on the outside and exchanges of channels that confused Chelseas marker. Up front, Howe decided to go with Joelinton (LW), Chris Wood through the middle and fashioned-boy, Miguel Almirón (RW).
Graham Potter picked, as well, one of his typical shapes, and a common one that Chelsea had used with Thomas Tuchel in past years, the 3-4-2-1 with narrow wingers that were closer to being a double 10 rather than wingers.
Edouard Mendy came back into goal, and the back-three was formed by Kalidou Koulibaly, Trevoh Chalobah and César Azpilicueta, nonetheless, this was modified in the 5th minute as Ruben Loftus-Cheek (RWB) picked up an injury and Thiago Silva replaced him, with César Azpilicueta the one who took the RWB spot. Lewis Hall grabbed his first start in the Premier League, and Mateo Kovacic (LCM) and Jorginho (RCM) set up the line, with the mentioned substitute over the right. Mason Mount (LAM), Conor Gallagher (RAM) and Armando Broja (CF) completed the starting eleven.
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