🧵Match Highlights Thread🧵 - GW10, Sunday Games
Here are my early conclusions after going through the highlights compiled by
@stadiumastro . This long post will cover:
⚒️WHU 0-1 EVE
🦹♂️AVL 3-1 LUT🎩
🕊️BHA 1-1 FUL🏡
🔴LIV 3-0 NFO🌲
😈MUN 0-3 MCIⓂ️
⚒️West Ham⚒️
#WHUEVE
⚒️Without Soucek, Paqueta from the left created for the right, minimising the impact of JWP while heightening the goalscoring potential of Bowen as an unexpected second target in the box
⚒️This match exposed their squad depth's scarcity in terms of tactical shifts as a plan revolving around Kudus, whether as a wide player or a no.9 (without Antonio) will still rely on Paqueta as their true talisman
🍬Everton🍬
🍬Jack Harrison takes over as the key creative midfielder from McNeil as Everton's response away from home has been to proactively displace opposition midfielders while using DCL's flicks to play the likes of Doucoure or Harrison in himself
🍬Be it Patterson, Coleman or Young, Everton's right-back issues will continue to plague them as a calculated risk
🦹♂️Aston Villa🦹♂️
#AVLLUT
🦹♂️Villa's asymmetric 442 won the game via the long pass from their temporal back-3 to their momentary front-3; Diaby and Cash initially set up for Zaniolo and Watkins using the right in the first half
🦹♂️Bailey's impact in the second half proved just as deadly as his streaks down the right tormented Osho just as heavily, especially as a far post presence when McGinn was pushed further up
🎩Luton🎩
🎩Luton's 352 attempted to promote Brown to a second striker alongside Morris, targeting Villa's central midfield using a pressing trap working with their 3 central midfielders.
🎩The centerbacks diligently tracked their markers, but their central midfielders failed to balance the aggressive positioning of their Plan A with timing their retreats into the box, conceding oceans of space between the lines
🕊️Brighton🕊️
#BhaFul
🕊️Without any senior fullbacks, DeZerbi's attempted 3241 took a calculated risk by using extra central midfield presence to handle Fulham's flank threat, while dominating the ball
🕊️Some individual brilliance from the squad players helped Brighton win their matchups and take the lead; it was when they were matched in defense that they failed to live up to their high margins in possession and conceded the equaliser after being dispossessed.
🕊️As a last ploy, Igor as a makeshift leftback allowed Buonanotte play the no.10 alongside Joao Pedro in the closing stages as an orthodox 442 setup
🏡Fulham🏡
🏡Without Andreas Pereira, two defensive triangles on either flank using a defensive midfielder, a narrow winger and an aggressive centerback to match Brighton's intense possession philosophy
🏡Outnumbering Brighton's makeshift wingbacks on the flanks garnered their most dangerous moments in the second half; Willian and Robinson did it best from the left against Adingra
🏡Andreas' introduction pushed their aggressive defense into Brighton's deep midfield that led to the equaliser - dual no.10s alongside Iwobi is a sparingly used strategy that shows its frailty when set in front of their own box
🔴Liverpool🔴
#LIVNFO
🔴A straightforward victory that punished Forest mistakes saw the right flank create for the left in the absence of Luis Diaz; Salah's creator role for Darwin came to the fore, enabled by Jota's switches to the left and Szoboszlai's incisive runs into the right half-space
🔴As both Jota and Darwin were eventually subbed off, Salah as a potential no.9 also amplified the goalscoring potential of Szoboszlai, highlighting both their values as 90-minute men
🌲Nottingham Forest🌲
🌲A defensive 541 for the opening stages attempted to build on Murillo's encouraging performance from last Gameweek, backfiring on them spectacularly as they equally failed to use their central midfield presence to squeeze MacAllister into submission
🌲Subs in the second half saw Awoniyi bolster the shooting potential of Elanga on the left; only when a conventional winger in Neco Williams was introduced did Forest link well down the right alongside substitute Yates to cross for the aforementioned two forwards
😈Man United😈
😈Specialised tactics tucked their wide midfielders narrow in order to have more central presence; they still fell foul to the positional fluidity of Stones, Foden and Bernardo, with Haaland making barely any mistakes from their shortcomings.
😈Midfielders pushing out wide were the catalyst that triggered runs between City's centerbacks; while Hojlund had a decent chance before the break, Rashford attempted his own after Garnacho was introduced but they never solved the pertinent question City posed and were clinically punished for it.
Ⓜ️Man CityⓂ️
Ⓜ️Central presence further up the pitch saw Stones crowd the left half-space while Rodri timed his runs down the right; Grealish on the left benefitted from Bernardo's overlapping runs while Rodri's switches also helped Foden and Walker outflank Lindelof.
Ⓜ️Central domination made way for potential danger conceded via the flanks; at times they failed to hunt down United's creative midfielders, conceding direct duels at the back where Walker would be disadvantageous against Hojlund or Rashford.
As I've finished all the reviews earlier this week, graphics should follow soon after the individual review posts are ready! Look forward to them popping up on my Ko-Fi/Patreon page!