Torres shines bright as Chelsea climb to second in the table

Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini were under the spotlight as their new squads met at Stamford Bridge, Sunday afternoon. Arguably the two legitimate favourites to contend for the title in May were aiming to keep pace with league leaders Arsenal, who defeated Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

However, Fernando Torres stole the headlines from both managers, as he produced his best performance this season – including the match-winner at the death. In particular, Torres thrived in the first half, due to City’s poor shape without the ball. It was evident that they would drop into two banks of four, but Pellegrini’s men left gaps between the lines and around the final third for Chelsea’s attackers to exploit.

Torres dropped deeper to link play and he was allowed time and space to receive the ball between the lines and then turned to run at defenders. One of the issues the Spaniard has faced during his spell at Chelsea has been adapting to the football philosophy at Stamford Bridge. At Liverpool, Torres enjoyed space between the lines and his pace terrified defenders – this is a key feat that Mourinho is trying to implement in Chelsea’s style of play.

Nevertheless, Mourinho’s men benefitted from the space available – specifically on the right – and it started with Oscar delivering a great ball to an unmarked Gary Cahill, but the English defender skied his shot over the bar. In the 28^th minute, Torres beat the offside trap, and admirably controlled Ramires’ cross from the right side, but the Spaniard also sent his shot over the bar.

It was a shocking miss, and a familiar scenario, leaving many to believe we’d witness another uninspiring performance from El Nino, but minutes later Torres won the ball and turned onto his left shoulder to mount an attack. The Chelsea striker used his pace to blitz past the poor Gael Clichy, and the Spaniard delivered a great ball for Andre Schurrle to tap in.

Manchester City did enjoy a few decent spells in the first half, as their aim was to sustain possession and get their fullbacks forward to provide width. Fernandinho and Javi Garcia sat deeper to protect the back four, and although Garcia was poor, Fernandinho was continuously winning tackles and aiming to provide a direct approach to City’s game. Oscar was handed the role of pressing the deepest midfielder, but both midfielders sitting deeper was beneficial to City as they always had passing option going forward.

City started the second half in fine fashion, when Samir Nasri played a lovely through ball to Sergio Aguero. Aguero did well to sneak behind Cahill and John Terry, and the Argentinian striker fired a sensational shot past Cech to equalize. Pellegrini’s men vastly improved in the second half, as Nasri and Silva pulled the strings.

 

Similar to the first half, Nasri and Silva dropped deeper into midfield to sustain possession, as they patiently waited for openings. The main difference was the tempo, precision and the penetration in their passing. Pellegrini’s men began to play more incisive passes into the box, forcing Cech to make a few key saves.

Also, City’s shape without the ball in the second half improved – gaps were limited as Pellegrini ordered his men to maintain a compact shape. Torres wasn’t allowed to receive the ball freely, or penetrate space between lines.

 

Furthermore, Chelsea didn’t attempt to push for a victory, as their substitutions were strictly player swaps – with Samuel Eto’o’s introduction being Mourinho’s sign of attacking intent without risking the balance of his side. Pellegrini introduced Aleksandar Kolarov, Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas to give City a direct threat, but City was unable to find another significant opening.

Conclusively, Chelsea won the match in a bizarre manner. A simple long ball over the top provided miscommunication between Joe Hart and Matija Nastasic, allowing Torres to run past the latter and tap the ball into the net. The goal highlighted a significant issue City suffered throughout the match, as they were unable to cope with balls over the top.

City packed the midfield to avoid being blitzed on the counter, but it was also to sustain possession when attacking. However, City succeeded when they played a more direct style of football in the opening 15 minutes of the second half. On the other hand, Chelsea focused on attacking on the counter, but with City aiming to sustain possession, they left gaps of space available when they pushed higher up the pitch.

“When everybody was expecting a draw, even ourselves, I tried to play Samuel and give a bit more but I didn’t want to risk too much. It was the kind of game that you wanted to win but you didn’t want to lose, because if you lose it you lose points against a title contender, so I wanted to take a risk but with balance,” Mourinho said. 

Stamford Bridge erupted, Torres shined and Chelsea kept pace with league leaders Arsenal, despite encountering a difficult schedule compared to majority of their title rivals. Although Chelsea didn’t play well, results of this magnitude can tilt the balance of the title race in May.

Analysis

• Arsenal faced adversity midway through the second half when Mikel Arteta was harshly sent off for fouling – former Gunner – Marouane Chamakh. Palace created two key chances to equalize when Joel Ward received Kagisho Dikgacoi’s wall pass and smashed a scintillating shot, which Wojciech Szczesny deflected off the crossbar. Off the initial corner kick, Szczesny failed to clear his lines and Mile Jedinak forced the Arsenal goalkeeper to make a phenomenal save.

Prior to Arteta’s dismissal, Arsenal continued to overload central areas and patiently waited for openings. Ramsey took the initiative to surge forward and join the attack, while Arteta sat deep. While Arsenal was in full control of possession, it took a silly Adlene Guedioura challenge on substitute Serge Gnabry to hand Arteta a penalty, giving the Gunners the lead. Giroud added the second goal to secure all three points, nodding in Ramsey’s cross, after the Welshman did well to hold the ball up. Arsenal remains top of the table, and now have their eyes set on a showdown against Liverpool, next week.

• Manchester United mounted a late second half comeback to survive a shocking defeat against Stoke City. Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez were on the score sheet, as United scored twice in two minutes to earn all three points. However, United struggled for large portions of the match to assert their dominance on the match. Mark Hughes’ men targeted the space behind Chris Smalling and created a few legitimate goal-scoring opportunities. Peter Crouch’s first goal came through Erik Pieters’ cross on the left flank. 11 minutes later, Marko Arnautovic beat Smalling, and delivered a cross to Jonathan Walters who nodded the ball to Crouch, who flashed his shot over the bar.

 

Crouch was the main cog in attack, and the dismal performance from United’s entire backline contributed to Stoke’s threat in the final third. Meanwhile, United’s issue was down to their narrow shape in attack. It took the introduction of Adnan Januzaj to lift United’s energy. His direct penetrating runs, and will to be on the ball gave Moyes’ men a new element of attack. Arnautovic’s departure also played a key role, as Marc Wilson didn’t offer any attacking threat going forward. Moyes introduced Hernandez and Antonio Valencia to increase the Red Devils’ attacking impetus – a moment of brilliance from Wayne Rooney, David De Gea’s top saves, and natural width led to their victory. United’s poor defending, along with their narrowness in attack, halted their attacking fluidity. Over the years United’s attack has relied on width, and once again it was a key component towards earning three points.

• Gus Poyet earned his first victory as Sunderland manager in the all-important Tyneside Derby. Steven Fletcher and Jozy Altidore worked exceptionally well as a strike partnership, as they dropped deep to link play and played off the shoulders of the Newcastle defence. Fletcher opened the scoring from an Adam Johnson cross – handing the Black Cats the attacking movement they’ve lacked in their opening games. Alan Pardew initially started in a 4-3-3, but the Hatem Ben Arfa experiment as centre forward miserably failed. Pardew altered his formation into a 4-4-2 and although Ben Arfa began to find more space, Loic Remy and Papiss Cisse were unable to hold up the ball and link play. More so, Poyet’s decision to introduce Fabio Borini reaped rewards, as he scored a fantastic goal to hand Sunderland their first win of the season.

• Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge continued to cause havoc against teams in the Premier League; this time their opponent was West Bromwich Albion, as Suarez scored a hat trick and Sturridge scored the fourth. The win leaves Liverpool two points behind league leaders Arsenal, heading into their showdown at the Emirates Stadium next weekend. Also, Roberto Soldado notched his third penalty shot of the season, which earned Tottenham three points, and sees them climb into the top four.

Results: Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal, Aston Villa 0-2 Everton, Manchester United 3-2 Stoke City, Norwich City 0-0 Cardiff City, Liverpool 4-1 West Brom, Southampton 2-0 Fulham, Sunderland 2-1 Newcastle, Swansea City 0-0 West Ham, Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City, Tottenham 1-0 Hull City

Weekend Stats

• Mikel Arteta’s last six Premier League goals for Arsenal have come from the penalty spot.
• Luis Suarez scored his first hat-trick for Liverpool at Anfield – all his previous three for the club had come away from home.
• Javier Hernandez scored his 12th ‪Premier League goal as a substitute. Only Ole Gunnar Solkjaer (17) has more substitute goals for Manchester United.
• Chelsea win opening five Premier League home matches for the third time (2009/10 & 2010/11). They are unbeaten in all 65 Premier League home matches under Jose Mourinho (W51-D14)
• Peter Crouch has yet to win a Premier League match against Manchester United: 17 previous matches, W0-D4-L13.
• Arsenal will be leading ‪Premier League after nine matches for first time since 2007/08. They finished 3rd that season.

Infostrada Sports @InfostradaLive provides all the stats available

 

Manchester City 4-1 Manchester United

Manchester City thrashed rivals Manchester United at the Ethiad Stadium.

David Moyes made two changes to the side that defeated Bayer Leverkusen midweek. Danny Welbeck led the line in a 4-4-1-1 with Wayne Rooney positioned behind him. Ashley Young was also included in the starting eleven, pushing Shinji Kagawa to the bench. Robin van Persie was excluded from Moyes’ eleven due to a thigh injury he suffered earlier in the week.

Manuel Pellegrini made one change to the side that comfortably dispatched of Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League, as Alvaro Negredo pushed Edin Dzeko to the bench. Negredo led the line in a 4-2-3-1, ahead of Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri and Jesus Navas. Yaya Toure and Fernandinho formed the double-pivot, while Vincent Kompany and Nemanja Nastasic formed a centre back duo.

City blitzed United from the opening whistle, displaying superiority over their rivals all over the pitch, as United produced a diabolical performance.

Shape

City’s dominance in the opening 20 minutes of the match was down to hunger and determination, but also due to United’s shape without the ball. Moyes’ men dropped off into two banks of four and allowed City’s double-pivot space to play positive passes and drive forward. Valencia sat narrow, Carrick and Fellaini tried to stay compact, whereas Young was in a wider position – as they aimed to minimize pockets of space and movement between the lines.

Unfortunately for Moyes, City’s intricate passing and space to push forward, allowed Pellegrini’s men to assert their dominance on the match. Aguero was dropping into pockets of space to hold up the ball and link play with the midfield, while Toure pushed forward providing an attacking thrust in advanced positions.

Aguero between the lines

Fernandinho and Yaya Toure allowed to play forward passes

However, United did enjoy a fair amount of possession throughout the match, which saw City also drop into two banks of four – the difference being City’s compact shape and their wide men dropping deep to protect their fullbacks.

United’s shape allowed City to dictate the tempo of the match – Moyes’ cautious approach in big matches was evident, but his idea to soak up pressure at the Ethiad was absurd.

Kolarov overlaps

A consistent theme throughout the match was the enjoyment City had on the left flank. City possessed two full backs that enjoy getting forward in Aleksandar Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta, which is why Moyes’ decision to drop Kagawa was logical – here he fielded two wingers that he felt were disciplined enough to protect their fullbacks, but could provide width and pace on the counter attack.

Surprisingly, United failed to dominate an area that they expected to cope with. Young did a great job defensively in keeping Pablo Zabaleta quiet, as the Argentinian fullback didn’t have a significant influence going forward. But despite Young’s efficient defensive work on Zabaleta, the English winger was lethargic in attack, often providing poor crosses into the box and conceding possession.

Valencia enjoyed a great outing against Leverkusen mid week, and based on past experiences he’s a key cog for United in big matches, but the Ecuadorian was the weak link in the opening 30 minutes. Nasri picked up narrow positions to help sustain possession and Smalling stuck to him, thus leaving ample amount of space for Kolarov to attack.

There were four occasions which Kolarov got forward freely with Valencia failing to track the Serbian fullbacks run.

1)   In the 10^th minute Kolarov surged forward and provided a devastating cross that Nemanja Vidic cleared for a corner.

2)   Minutes later, the Serbian repeated the same run, but his delivery went over the head of the on-rushing Navas, who was able to control the cross and maintain possession.

3)   Aguero’s opener in the 16^th minute was down to Nasri’s ability to hold up the ball on the left flank, allowing Kolarov to attack the space behind him to receive his pass, and play in a terrific ball for the Argentine striker.

4)   Seven minutes later, Kolarov got the better of Valencia again, but he lost control of the ball, and made a comical appeal for a penalty.

In the span of 23 minutes, Kolarov attacked the space behind Smalling four times, and this was a key component to City’s attack in the first half.

United going forward

Welbeck and Rooney looked bright earlier in the match prior to City’s dominance, as they were finding space between the lines to receive the ball. Fernandinho and Kompany did a great job in containing the English striker at certain moments throughout the match, but Rooney worked hard to get into key areas to link play with his teammates.

City’s energy levels dropped minutes after Kolarov’s cry for a penalty, and United began to enjoy more possession. Yet, United didn’t create any legitimate goal-scoring opportunities and failed to get behind the City backline.

There’s been a recurring theme in United’s matches against the top sides thus far, where their passing tempo is slow, penetration is non-existent and the link between midfield and attack is disappointing.

Carrick and Fellaini had space to play passes, but they were often sent sideways, opposed to between the lines. Carrick’s passes lacked conviction, while Fellaini was patient with his passing, rarely attempting to play a ball forward.

 

It was a dire first half outing from United going forward, as Rooney was the only player that looked capable of bringing Moyes’ men back into the match.

45^th-50^th minute

Ultimately, this was when the match escaped United, as they were aiming to take the match to City from the start of the second half. But once again it was the play from City’s left hand side that played a key role in their third goal. Nasri cut in centrally as Kolarov surged forward, but this time United’s right side coped, as Valencia followed Nasri and Smalling stuck with Kolarov. But Nasri played a ball into the box for Negredo, who comfortably turned Nemanja Vidic and squared a ball for Aguero to side-foot past David De Gea.

Three minutes later, Kompany broke up play in his third, and played a nice ball to set Navas free. The Spaniard drove forward from his half to the United byline – attacking the space Evra left free – and delivered a well-weighed cross to an oncoming Nasri, who slotted the ball into the net.

United were down four goals to City on the road, and with 40 minutes remaining, a City onslaught looked evident, as United was dejected.

4-3-3

Moyes was quick to react to a dismal opening five minutes in the second half, as he introduced Tom Cleverley for Young to add numbers in midfield. United were now a 4-3-3 with Welbeck pushing to the left – an approach Moyes could’ve started the match with due to van Persie’s absence, to assure midfield dominance.

Tom Cleverley completed the match with the third highest amount of successful passes, despite being on the field for 39 minutes.

It’s difficult to assess United’s improved display in the second half, because City looked to have taken the pedal off the gas in an attacking sense. Yet United were better in possession due to the extra passing outlet in midfield, and they began to string passes into wide areas for Valencia and Welbeck to run onto.

Valencia and Welbeck were ineffective in the first half

The change to a 4-3-3 saw United’s midfield focus on playing passes to their wingers

Fellaini still looked lost at the tip of United’s midfield three, while Cleverley provided glimpses of penetration in his passing and forward runs – but with the quality in wide areas poor, but slightly improving and City’s lead stretched to four, it was too big a mountain for the champions to climb.

Fernandinho – Fellaini

It was always going to be interesting to see how the two marquee summer signings would perform alongside arguably two of the best midfielders in the league, in Carrick and Toure. Both Fellaini and Fernandinho were brought in to bolster midfields that have suffered in Europe, but have also been overrun domestically, and this was the first big test for both men.

Fernandinho didn’t have one of the best games of his career, but displayed why City splashed £30m for his services this summer. Despite Rooney receiving space between the lines to receive the ball, the Brazilian did well to disrupt and occasionally dispossess the United striker in the final third. Fernandinho provides Pellegrini with adequate balance in midfield – he’s a reliable passer from deep positions, who sits in front of the back four, allowing Toure to push forward in attack. One of City’s weaknesses in the past has been their vulnerability towards quick counters, but the Brazilian midfielder has played a key role in preventing City from being dragged out of position when pushing men forward.

 

On the other hand, Fellaini’s mental toughness was challenged today, and the Belgian midfielder was futile. Fellaini can be held responsible for City’s second and third goal, where his lapse of concentration left Toure free in the box, along with allowing Aguero to run from midfield to tap in Negredo’s cross. It’s moments of this stature that separate top class players from the rest, and besides his impressive pass rate – solely based on sideways passes that lacked invention – the Belgian endured an unimpressive derby debut.

Fernandinho provides City protection, flexibility and balance in midfield, allowing the attacking players more freedom to express themselves, yet the verdict is still out on Fellaini’s arrival – despite his physical presence, a deeper role lessens chances of him making runs into the box from midfield and he’s far from a genuine match-winner.

Kompany

City fans were relieved when they heard Kompany was declared fit to play earlier this week. Last year’s runners-up have been often criticized for looking feeble at the back without their captain, and his inclusion in the squad was influential.

The City captain made several vital interceptions and tackles in his third of the field and his defensive work on Rooney was also impressive. Pellegrini’s men looked stable defensively, and were fairly organized for the duration of the match, which is down to the Belgian’s presence at the back.

“Maybe the game meant a little bit more to us than to them. We’ve been looking forward to it, our fans have been speaking about it for a long time and we needed to win. We have a fantastic home record and we know there is no reason we should fear the opposition,” Kompany said. 

United struggled to pose much of an attacking threat throughout the match, yet when they did, Kompany made the difference.

Conclusion

Manchester City dominated United in nearly every aspect possible, and their intent to overload the left flank was pivotal.

“We did say it was a difficult start, didn’t we? I said at the time, the way the balls came out of the Premier League bag, I wasn’t convinced… and I’m still not,” Moyes said.

It was an inane statement made by the United manager, considering every team faces one another, and other teams – with lesser talent – has endured difficult fixtures as well. Nevertheless, his cautious approach failed, and it was shocking to see Moyes wait so long to make alterations. More importantly, they continue to look dismal going forward, lacking creativity and penetration, and it’s an issue that needs to be sorted out – United hasn’t scored a goal from open play in the Premier League since their win against Swansea and that’s worrying.

Pellegrini’s men were hungrier, faster, sharper, and created more chances than United making them worthy winners on the day. Nasri continues to show signs of rediscovering form, while City’s core of Kompany, Toure and Aguero all had terrific outings.

“I would be very happy if we win all of the games 4-1 but we must improve every game. Not every game is the same, we are just starting in another way to play and I hope we will improve every day,” Pellegrini said.

“Always winning against Manchester United and the way we won could have an important impact,” he added.

City’s performance was impressive, and once again it showcases why they’re contenders to claim the Premier League title.

 

Manchester United 4-2 Bayer Leverkusen

Manchester United cruised past German side Bayer Leverkusen in David Moyes’ debut in the Champions League group stage.

Shinji Kagawa and Marouane Fellaini made their first appearance in United’s starting eleven – Kagawa was assigned to left of a midfield three, behind Robin Van Persie, while Fellaini played in the double pivot with Michael Carrick. Wayne Rooney and Antonio Valencia kept their spots in the attacking three, and Chris Smalling replaced Fabio at right back.

Sami Hyypia stuck with his traditional 4-3-3 that saw Sidney Sam, Stefan Kießling and Son Heung-Min lead the line. Hyypia was forced to make two changes to his midfield introducing Simon Rolfes and Emre Can along side Stefan Reinartz, as Gonzalo Castro was unavailable and Lars Bender was unable to play a full 90 minutes.

This was a match that featured minimal tactical feats – United’s solidity at the back and ruthlessness in attack made easy work of a Leverkusen side that lacked creativity in midfield.

 Shape

There was no surprise to see Leverkusen sit back in their shape opposed to pressing United at the first whistle. Hyypia’s side focuses on organization – closing gaps and minimizing space between the lines – but the absence of Castro and Bender were evident after the opening 10 minutes. Bender’s short cameo showcased his impact on the match as he completed more tackles than Can and Reinartz.

 

 Sam and Son tracked back to prevent Evra and Smalling from pushing forward, but the problems Leverkusen encountered were in midfield. Leverkusen had a numerical advantage in midfield, yet it was Kagawa’s movement and Rooney’s ability to find space between the lines that made the difference. Kagawa drifted centrally into space throughout the midfield, and dropped into deeper positions to help Carrick and Fellaini push forward.

 United took another approach, they occasionally pressed the entire Leverkusen backline forcing them to concede possession. For the most part, United dropped into two compact banks of four and limited space between the lines. The one issue United faced was the movement of Kagawa – albeit the positive aspect he provided on the attack – there was a large amount of space on the right flank for Donati to exploit. The Leverkusen right back bombed forward on several occasions, but his delivery was poor.

Leverkusen’s shape was logical, but Rooney and Kagawa found gaps to exploit, whereas United’s organization nullified Leverkusen’s attack. This was a constant theme in the first half, and besides Rooney’s opener, the main tactical feat.

Leverkusen’s attack

United was expected to dominate possession, so it was logical for Leverkusen to attack on the counter – mainly because that’s when they’re at their best. Yet, with all the opportunities presented to Hyypia’s men, they failed to have an impact on the break. When they won possession deep in their third, the tempo on their transition was slow and there was no link in midfield. Sam and Son failed to have an impact in wide areas, forcing the Leverkusen duo to drift centrally.

Another issue Leverkusen faced was the lack of productivity from midfield. Despite sustaining a decent amount of possession, most of the passes played were sideways. Leverkusen’s midfield failed to provide penetration in the final third, and didn’t offer the creativity required.

The German side was poor on the counter – mainly their transitions were slow – and Kießling was an isolated figure upfront, deprived of service from midfield.

Valencia’s width

Antonio Valencia has struggled to reach his best form in a United shirt over the past 18 months, but the Ecuadorian was a key cog in United’s attack.  United possessed a great balance in wide areas – Evra provided width and Kagawa drifted centrally on the left, while Valencia stretched the pitch on the right with a conservative Smalling behind him.

Valencia relished his battle against Sebastian Boenisch – the Ecuadorian’s pace kept the Leverkusen fullback worried, and without substantial cover from Son, Boenisch was left vulnerable in 1v1 situations. Moyes was conscious of this flaw in Leverkusen’s backline, thus leading to United aiming to get the ball to the Ecuadorian frequently. Valencia was successful in his battle against Boenisch, delivering venomous balls into the final third, and it was his threat from wide areas that led to two of three goals scored in the second half.

 Both goals stemmed from United winning the ball in deep areas, and resulted in the Ecuadorian winger driving forward into space behind Son. This was a recurring theme in United’s attacking approach in the second half, thus leading to one aspect of their dominance in the second half.

Rooney

Wayne Rooney’s persistent attempt to push for a transfer to Chelsea a few weeks ago has become a vivid afterthought. The Englishman was imperious on a night, which he celebrated his 200^th goal in a Manchester United jersey along with providing Valencia with an assist for United’s fourth goal.

It was another positive performance from the English striker, as he continues to improve weekly. Rooney was dropping deep into midfield to make up numbers, finding gaps between the lines to receive the ball, along with spreading passes wide – with a combination of short and long diagonal balls. Rooney’s performance instilled energy with his surging runs forward, and once again he displayed his ability to score goals from a deeper position.

An interesting feat in United’s attack was the connection between van Persie and Rooney. In fairness, van Persie had another mediocre outing, albeit his acrobatic finish that gave Moyes’ men the lead. Rooney and van Persie made eight passes in total amongst each other, and the partnership has lacked cohesion going forward. Rooney was venturing around Leverkusen’s half looking for areas to penetrate, yet van Persie drifted wide on several occasions attempting to link play – which did start the buildup to Rooney’s opener.

Nevertheless, Rooney continues to show signs of improvement, which may lead one to believe he’ll reach a world-class status in the near future. The Englishman is smiling, increasing his work rate, causing havoc in the final third and scoring goals – and this is the Rooney we’ve grown to admire.

Leverkusen centrebacks

It would be impossible to ignore the shambolic display of the Leverkusen centrebacks in the second half. Toprak and Spahic were pathetic – constantly being dragged out of position due to off the ball movement, while suffering mental lapses in their third of the field. There were several situations throughout the match that displayed their defensive deficiencies, but in particular, three legitimate goal-scoring opportunities stood out.

1. Toprak slipped while carrying the ball out of his 18-yard box, thus leaving Rooney 1 v 1 with Bernd Leno, who rounded the keeper but flashed his shot wide of the net.
2. Carrick fizzled a direct ball to van Persie, and the Dutch striker turned Spahic easily, but Toprak drifted over to deny the prolific forward a shot on goal.
3. Seconds after David De Gea denied Bender from point blank range. The Spanish goalkeeper’s long punt flew over Leverkusen’s centre back duo, and Rooney latched onto it, this time beating Leno at the near post.

Considering the duo had a decent outing in the first half, it was shocking to see such poor defending in a Champions League fixture. Although United’s attack was impressive on the night, it would be irrational to ignore the abysmal display from Leverkusen’s centre backs.

Conclusion

This was United’s best performance as a unit to recent memory, led by Rooney’s energy and Valencia’s width. Meanwhile, from a defensive aspect, Hyypia’s men were dire, more so in the second half. However, the Leverkusen manager stated that his side – missing Castro and Bender (for most of the match) in midfield – lacked mental toughness. 

“Before the game, we talked a lot about the mental aspect of these matches, because it’s a very important factor in football. I think we were lacking some elements of that today. We have to continue working hard in order to improve in that area,” Hyypia said.

United start their Champions League campaign with a convincing win, in what’s made out to be their toughest group over the past decade. The midfield displayed balance and they exposed deficiencies in a limited Leverkusen squad. In hindsight, Moyes’ men are beginning to develop an identity as they head into the Manchester derby.

 

Tyrrell’ BPL Weekend Recap – Young creative debutants make their mark for London clubs

Courtesy of Steindy

Weekend in 100 words or less

The battle for the final Champions League spot has become entertaining over the past few years. This season, North London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal, have been tipped to challenge for the final spot in Europe’s prestigious tournament, which has led to Spurs spending approximately £110.5m in the transfer window. However, Arsene Wenger made his big move on deadline day, when he managed to persuade a world-class talent to take his talents to the Emirates. Both sides acquired talented players in the no.10 role, and this weekend they showcased why the clubs aspiring to solidify Champions League football sought them out.

Analysis

United’s issue in the final third

David Moyes celebrated his first win at Old Trafford, as the Red Devils cruised past 10-man Crystal Palace. For what it’s worth, United struggled to find their rhythm until Kagisho Dikgacoi was wrongfully sent off for a foul on Ashley Young that actually took place outside of the 18-yard box. Ian Halloway’s men were organized well and they maintained a compact shape for majority of the half. Dwight Gayle, Mile Jedinak, Dikgacoi and Jose Campana tucking infield kept Michael Carrick and Anderson quiet, but it also left United space on the right to exploit.

Fabio and Valencia worked hard to create overloads and isolate Dean Moxey, but the Palace fullback coped well. Moyes’ men dominated possession but they lacked thrust, penetration and creativity in the final third. A recurring theme in United’s style of play under Moyes is their intent on pressing the oppositions defenders on goal-kicks or when they attempt to play out of the back – which led to the Young controversy – and it’s been successful thus far. In fairness, United didn’t really face any scares on the defensive end, as Halloway’s men struggled to complete three successive passes, along with Carrick doing a fantastic job in breaking up play.

United stamped their authority on the match in the second half with the man advantage, as Wayne Rooney began to drift around midfield picking up the ball and linking play, while substitute Adnan Januzaj was a direct threat from wide areas. However, United struggled to create legitimate goal-scoring opportunities, and relied on a Rooney free-kick to put the match out of sight.  United has failed to score from open play since their opening day victory against Swansea, which shouldn’t be overlooked. The service from wide areas has been mediocre and Rooney still looks somewhat disinterested, thus leaving Van Persie craving service – because there doesn’t seem to be a link between midfield and attack.

Nevertheless, United can’t complain about claiming seven points from four games – equaling title contenders Manchester City and Chelsea’s point tally – but they’ll need to improve in the final third if they intend on being victorious in next week’s Manchester Derby.

Ozil proves his worth, while Ramsey continues to dominate 

Mesut Ozil displayed to Premier League fans why he was worth the £42.5m Arsenal splashed on him at the end of the transfer window. The German international enjoyed a fantastic debut for the Gunners, and was one of the few influential players in a third consecutive Arsenal victory. It took the German 11 minutes to make a statement, as he ran into space and calmly brought down a long ball, which he squared for Olivier Giroud, who gave Arsenal an early lead.

Ozil laterally glided across the final third, combining with wingers and dropping into midfield to overload central areas. Overloading central areas in midfield has been a feat in Arsenal’s approach over the past few matches – Ozil and Wilshere dropped into deeper to help Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini assert their dominance in midfield. Ozil was most threatening on the counter attack, where he played two defence splitting passes, sending Theo Walcott 1v1 with Keiren Westwood, but the Sunderland keeper denied Walcott on both occasions. Ozil was imperious throughout the match, specifically in the first half, where he was allowed to attack pockets of space in the final third.

Frankly, Paolo Di Canio’s approach to the match was lethargic. His side sat in two banks of four with his forwards failing to apply pressure to the centre backs and his midfield sitting off – with Adam Johnson tucking in – which allowed Flamini and Ramsey to dictate the tempo of the match and Kieran Gibbs to freely surge into advanced positions.

Sunderland improved in the second half, and was awarded a penalty when Laurent Koscielny committed a clumsy challenge on Adam Johnson, which substitute Craig Gardner converted. Di Canio’s men limited the gaps of space in midfield, sitting narrow and compact, and Arsenal struggled to break them down. Meanwhile, Johnson began to penetrate in wide areas, and Sunderland was catching the Gunners out of shape on the counter. Wenger’s men were fortunate not to go down a goal, when referee Martin Atkinson wrongfully halted play when Jozy Altidore was clearly fouled by Bacary Sagna – but Altidore was on a clear breakaway and put the ball in the back of the net.

Arsenal took advantage of their fortunes minutes later when Jenkinson got forward and played in a wonderful cross to Ramsey, who displayed great skill to volley the ball past Westwood. Ramsey put the match out of reach when he made a pass to Ozil and ran into space and collected a pass from Giroud, after he combined with Ozil. Ramsey was superb defensively, and he continues to show maturity going forward in midfield.

This was one of the better Arsenal performances over the past few years, albeit it coming against a feeble Sunderland side.

Eriksen makes his mark 

Spurs bounced back to winning ways with a convincing victory against Norwich City. Andre Villas-Boas handed Christian Eriksen his Tottenham debut, and the Danish midfielder flourished. A significant factor in Spurs’ loss to Arsenal two weeks ago was a link between midfield and attack, and Eriksen filled that void in a fantastic manner.

Eriksen received balls between the lines and played key passes out wide and penetrating balls between defenders. The Danish midfielder provided a defence-splitting pass for Gylfi Sigurdsson’s opener and his ball out wide to an advancing Paulinho led to Sigurdsson’s second goal.

Villas-Boas men cruised through the match due to Norwich’s lack of pressure and defensive structure. Soldado dropped into midfield and wide areas to link play, Dembele and Paulinho were allowed time to play sideways passes into wide areas and push forward, Sigurdsson drifted infield and made runs from midfield, while Andros Townsend’s direct running caused the Norwich backline several problems.

Norwich rarely provided an attacking threat, but they did identify spaced behind Kyle Walker to exploit. Chris Hughton’s men attacked the right side several times, and they created their best chance of the match by doing so. Nathan Redmond broke free behind Walker and played a ball into the six-yard box for Ricky van Wolfswinkel, but Danny Rose recovered well and cleared the danger.

The inclusion of Eriksen to the Spurs squad is a massive improvement – they now possess an attacking link that can create chances in the final third, which is an element AVB’s men required in their quest for Champions League football.

Naismith nods unbeaten Everton past Chelsea 

Roberto Martinez earned his first win as Everton manager this weekend, as his men showed grit and resilience to fend off a strong Chelsea side. Samuel Eto’o and Gareth Barry made debuts for their clubs, while Juan Mata started in a no.10 role for the Blues. It was a tight opening half that saw Everton maintain a slight advantage in possession, but Chelsea got into better areas in the final third. John Obi Mikel tracked Leon Osman, Ramires kept tabs on Ross Barkley, and Mata pressed Barry when he dropped deep, while Eto’o occupied both centrebacks.

Mourinho’s men aimed to hit the Toffees on the counter, but they failed to make the most of their chances. Mata slowed down the tempo when Chelsea broke on the counter, Eto’o lacked match sharpness and Andre Schurrle was poor in front of goal. Ramires and Mikel were allowed space in midfield to play forward passes, while the attacking three drifted between the lines to receive the ball in pockets of space.

Eto’o didn’t have a poor debut, and in the first half he displayed why he’s a better option than Fernando Torres and Demba Ba. Mourinho wants his centre forward to link play with the attacking three and interchange with them, thus providing fluidity in the final third. In the opening 45 minutes, Eto’o drifted to the right flank to allow overloads and connect with midfielders making forward runs. The Cameroonian striker should’ve handed the Blues the lead in the first half but Schurrle played a poor pass to the striker allowing Barry to block his shot.

For all of Everton’s possession, they failed to create legitimate goal-scoring chances, often being stifled around the 18-yard box, but the Toffee’s found an area to attack. Surprisingly, Baines and Coleman were cautious about moving forward – and it was logical based on the space left available to expose on the counter – yet Coleman was more adventurous with his positioning. There was vacant space behind Cole to exploit on the right, encouraging Naismith and Coleman to overload the right flank. Despite Eden Hazard replicating the great defensive work of Naismith in tracking back, Barkley often drifted over to the right to maintain a numerical advantage.

Everton took the lead at the stroke of half time when Ramires was dispossessed in midfield. The attack was pushed to the right and a cross was played into Nikica Jelavic, and the Croatian nodded the cross back to an open Naismith, who headed the ball in from two yards out. Terry was left marking space, while Cole failed to track Coleman’s run into the box, and after several attempts to exploit space on the right hand side, Martinez’s men succeeded.

Chelsea rallied in the second half, upping the tempo and applying more pressure, but the Blues created minimal chances. Mourinho introduced Oscar and Frank Lampard for the unimpressive Schurrle and Mata, but they didn’t have a significant impact on the match. Martinez reverted to a 4-5-1, introducing James McCarthy for Jelavic, thus leaving Mirallas, Barkley and Naismith upfront – three players capable of causing havoc on the counter. Mourinho’s last attempt to salvage a result saw him introduce Torres for Cole, pushing Mikel to centre back and David Luiz to the left – but Torres was poor and Luiz didn’t offer much going forward.

Osman and Naismith were standout performers on the defensive end – Naismith tracked back effortlessly to prevent Eden Hazard from isolating Coleman, while despite failing to dictate the match, Osman prevented Chelsea’s midfield from dominating midfield.

Also, Barkley continues to display his significance to this Everton side, as he used his pace, trickery and vision to help Everton break on the counter, while playing a few key passes in the final third.

Chelsea produced a good performance, which should’ve seen them up a goal or two in the first half, but the lack of quality in the final third led to their downfall – Everton took their chance and defended admirably in the second half, which merited three points.

Saints lack creative spark against Hammers 

Southampton was one of many Premier League sides that made significant improvements in the summer, which has tipped many to believe that they could finish in the top half, this season. Yet, they’ve been ridiculed for their lack of creativity in their attack. Mauricio Pochettino continued to experiment with Rickie Lambert and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo upfront, but once again they failed to have test the West Ham back line.

Sam Allardyce’s men pressed West Ham on goal kicks and when they aimed to play from the back, forcing Pochettino’s men to concede possession. Ravel Morrison, Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble closed down Victor Wanyama and Morgan Schneiderlin, who struggled to get forward to join the attack. Southampton created a handful of chances throughout the match, but Jussi Jaaskelainen made several top saves to keep the score leveled. Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez drifted centrally, while Lambert moved into wide areas to receive the ball, but the quality in the final third was dire. Pochettino’s men improved in the second half with Schneiderlin occasionally making darting runs into the box, Rodriguez running at defenders from central positions and West Ham’s press dwindling.

West Ham struggled to create opportunities going forward, receiving their best chances from wide areas, specifically Jarvis’ delivery. Allardyce looked for another element of attack by introducing Ricardo Vaz Te, but the Portuguese forward was merely an isolated figure. The Hammers had a chance to take the lead in the dying minutes of the match, but James Collins skied his shot from six yards out.

More importantly, Southampton lack a link between midfield and attack, and the Lambert/Osvaldo experiment is failing miserably, without a creative spark. It was surprising to see James Ward-Prowse enter the match so late, and Pochettino’s reluctance on using Gaston Ramirez. Nevertheless, Southampton drop more points in another match that they dominated, and it’ll be interesting to see how much longer Pochettino sticks with the Lambert/Osvaldo duo and keeps Ramirez on the bench.

Other Results: Stoke City 0-0 Manchester City, Fulham 1-1 West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa 1-2 Newcastle United, Hull City 1-1 Cardiff City,

Weekend Stats

• Robin van Persie scores his 125th Premier League goal and the first vs. Crystal Palace. Of the current Premier League clubs, he has now only not yet scored vs. Cardiff City.
• Since the start of 2008/2009, five players have been sent off for fouls on Ashley Young, joint most of all current Premier League players with Scott Parker.
• David Moyes recorded his first-ever win as a Premier League manager at Old Trafford (P13, W1-D4-L8)
• Christian Benteke has now scored 9 goals in his last 10 Premier League home matches for Aston Villa.
• Laurent Koscielny caused his sixth penalty in the Premier League since the start of 2008/09, joint most with Robert Huth, Sebastien Bassong among players now active in PL
• Chelsea’s 7 points after four Premier League matches is the WORST start for the club in the Roman Abramovich era (Jul 2003)
• Everton & Liverpool keep clean sheets in their opening two top-flight home matches of the same season for the first time in history.

@InfostradaLive provided all the stats used in this recap

Follow me @TEEWHYox

Tyrrell Meertins.

 

Moyes’ Alterations Lead Manchester United to Community Shield Glory

Robin Van Persie’s brace left Manchester United supporters jubilant at Wembley this afternoon. It was a sigh of relief for Mancunian’s around the world, but most importantly David Moyes, who smiled as his players celebrated their Community Shield victory.

Moyes faces the daunting task of living up to Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy, but the Scotsman seemed calm in his post-match conference, and was keen on giving Ferguson full credit for his side’s victory.

“I class that as another piece of silverware for Sir Alex. I was in charge, but the ones

going forward will be down to me,” Moyes said.

This was not an impressive United performance, but Van Persie’s goal in the opening seven minutes was vital, thus leading to their dominance throughout the match. It’s become evident that besides Mourinho, Moyes will be vigilantly assessed, ridiculed and praised by the media throughout the season.

Yet, unlike most Community Shield encounters in the past, today’s match was somewhat important for Ferguson’s successor. It was the start of a new era, and with that came a different approach to United’s style. Now these weren’t monumental adjustments, but merely minor tweaks that showcased Moyes’ tactical prowess.

For instance, Moyes stuck with his preferred 4-4-1-1, which saw Danny Welbeck play behind Van Persie, seeing as Rooney wasn’t match fit. It’s a partnership that was rarely used last season, but did feature in United’s second leg match against Real Madrid, and was successful, despite the loss.

Welbeck, mostly in the first half dropped into midfield to link play with the midfield, giving the Red Devils an extra passing outlet, as they looking for openings in the Wigan defence. He also occupied the left flank when Giggs drifted infield and used his brute strength to shrug off defenders on the break. The England international was surprisingly reluctant to take his chances that were presented to him, but he did force Scott Carson to make a good save, and assisted Van Persie’s second goal.

The key element in the Welbeck/Van Persie strike force was their intent to lead the press higher up the field, aiming to close down James Perch and Leon Barnett. It worked successfully, and Owen Coyle witnessed his men concede possession in their half on numerous occasions. Although the decision to press high was logical, it will be interesting to see whether United continue to implement a pressing game in the near future.

United’s right-hand side was also an interesting feat in this match, but not for the right reasons. Rafael enjoyed the opening minutes, constantly bombing forward to combine with 20-year-old Wilfried Zaha. But a James McClean tackle left the Brazilian fullback in pain, thus injuring his hamstring, which resulted in his departure. This forced Moyes to introduce Chris Smalling, pushing Phil Jones to right back for a short period, before swapping positions later in the half.

Rafael’s injury benefitted Wigan as Zaha began to show his inexperience, and despite his numerous step overs he failed to get the better of Stephen Carney. McClean also began to flourish, often being Wigan’s main threat with his direct runs on the left flank. Towards the end of the first half, and the start of the second, the Scottish winger found space behind Smalling to penetrate – but his teammates were unable to connect with his deliveries.

Van Persie’s second goal of the afternoon secured the victory, and it came at a critical moment in the match, when it looked as if Wigan could potentially level the match. United were fortunate to double their lead, but the buildup was down to Patrice Evra’s excellent outing on the left flank – frankly producing an identical performance to Leighton Baines during Moyes’ tenure.

Ryan Giggs started on the left flank, and was replaced by Anderson in the latter stages of the match. Evra was free to get forward at ease when Giggs drifted centrally, ultimately dragging Emerson Boyce out of position – while Anderson sat in midfield during his time on the pitch. Giggs gave United an additional passing option, but he also ensured that United dominated the midfield, as Wigan theoretically had a numerical advantage.

Evra’s cross led to Van Persie’s opener, and his surging run down the left flank initiated the buildup to the Dutchman’s second. The Frenchman was by far United’s most influential attacking player, and he will be eager to showcase that he’s more than capable of being United’s first-choice left back – especially with rumours circulating that Moyes is keen on bring Baines to Old Trafford.

A new era has begun at Old Trafford, and we’re already beginning to see alterations in United’s approach. Ferguson was the reason United were at Wembley today, but Moyes’ philosophy won the match – albeit against an inferior side.

Wayne Rooney’s future has yet to be decided, but Moyes reiterated post-match that the English striker is not for sale. Moyes realizes the importance of keeping Rooney and selling him to a rival will surely damage their chances of retaining their league title.

More so, Moyes will embark upon sturdier opposition in the near future, but the Scotsman has taken his first step out of Ferguson’s shadow and into Manchester United’s history.

 

2 Guys and a MIKE – Barclays Premier League Podcast April 29th

Tyrrell Meertins and Hugo V breakdown all the action that transpired in the Premier League this weekend. They discuss the relegation battle, the fight for Champions League football, and are vocal about their problems with the PFA Awards.

 

Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City

Manchester City produced an impressive performance, which sees them win back-to-back league games at Old Trafford for the first time since December 1970/April 1972.

Sir Alex Ferguson made a few changes to his side that lost to Chelsea in last weeks FA Cup replay. Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Ashley Young and Rafael were called up into the starting line up, as United played in a 4-4-1-1.

Roberto Mancini made two changes to his side that defeated Newcastle last week. James Milner started out wide with Edin Dzeko dropping to the bench, while Matija Nastasic was cleared fit to partner in defence with captain Vincent Kompany. Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero wasn’t fit enough to start, but he was on the bench.

City dominated the match in terms of possession, as United sat back and looked to break on the counter. In a game that provided very few clear-cut chances, United’s approach, with their inability to make significant tactical system changes and substitutions led to City’s victory, along with Mancini outcoaching Ferguson, led to City’s victory.

Pattern

The match started at an incredibly high tempo, with the ball going from end to end, in what was an open 10 minutes.

City took control once the tempo slowed down, as United approached the match in the same manner as they did against Chelsea. United sat back in two banks of four with Young and Welbeck playing narrow. United stood off, and only seemed to press City when they got near the edge of the box, while Rooney stayed close to Toure. It was strange that we didn’t see Cleverley play out wide tucked into the midfield, with Welbeck staying close to Toure, considering Welbeck’s great performance against Xabi Alonso in the Champions League. Carrick was dealt with in a fine manner, and he was forced to play several balls sideways or back to his defence. It’s been shown that with a bit of pressure Carrick fails to have an influence on matches, and Mancini’s plan to nullify the English midfielder in this match worked to great effect.

Fullbacks on both sides were significantly quiet offensively, because both managers played direct wingers (apart from Nasri), which restricted the fullbacks’ movement getting forward. City had Silva pressing Carrick, with Nasri and Barry supporting at times, while Nasri and Tevez helped press the centre back on the ball and the available fullback. With United inviting City’s pressure, and United unable to play out of the back, they struggled to muster up any real possession. Fergie’s men also failed to break on the counter when they won the ball, with Welbeck’s surging run their only legitimate opportunity, in which he failed to play a ball to the advancing Rooney.

City dominated the game in terms of possession, while United attempted to break on the counter as they’ve done against most top-sides this season. It was an ongoing pattern throughout the match, and both sides struggled, because they were unable to create legitimate goal scoring opportunities.

City attack down left/between the lines

Two main features of City’s dominance in the first half besides their pressing, was their play down the left hand side and the space they received in between the lines.

Silva was often drifting over to the left hand side, while Tevez found himself turning on Ferdinand in that area, opposed to Phil Jones, who in fairness had him self a decent game. Gareth Barry played higher up the pitch compared to Toure and he often sprayed balls to Nasri or Clichy on that left hand side.

Most of Barry’s completed passes are on the left side

With Welbeck tucked in, Clichy was able to pick up the ball unmarked, and we saw him drive forward once, only to see his shot go wide. City’s opening goal came from the left hand side, as Barry won the ball from Giggs and drove forward into the penalty area, and the play eventually ended with Milner’s deflected shot flying past David De Gea.

United fell to Chelsea a week ago by a slender scoreline of 1-0, in which they nullified the threat Oscar, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata possess in between the lines. Surprisingly, they were unable to do this today, and Silva, Nasri and Tevez worked well in the space provided. Tevez dropped into the space to receive the ball several times, and he linked play with Silva and the two wide men. Nasri often drifted into that space with the ball, while Silva also picked up the ball in that space and got into great areas in between Ferdinand and Rafael.

Ultimately, Yaya Toure found Sergio Aguero in that pocket of space in the second half, and the Argentine skipped past a few United defenders and scored the winner.

The two main areas in which Mancini’s men exploited led to their goals and United was unable to cope.

Second half

There weren’t many tactical alterations in the second half, but we did witness three goals. United pressed better, and improved in the second half, but failed to stop City from playing in between the lines and on the left side of the pitch.

Mancini introduced Aguero in place of Nasri and dropped Tevez behind him. It seemed like the perfect substitution at the time, because Aguero provides energy, great movement off the ball and he constantly makes runs in behind defenders. It’s always a luxury to have a world-class player of his stature on the bench, but the change gave City a new spark, and the Premier League’s best striker was the game changer.

Ferguson brought on Antonio Valencia for Welbeck and Javier Hernandez for Rooney, who had a poor outing, but the change to 4-4-2 had no affect on the match. Shinji Kagawa came on in injury time, but the match was already won. City’s final changes were made to secure the lead as they introduced Javi Garcia and Joleon Lescott.

Conclusion

United lose to City at Old Trafford for the second season in a row, in a convincing matter. Mancini’s men dominated possession and exploited areas on the pitch and United was unable to cope, as they failed to change their system. Mancini’s decision to bring on Aguero in the second half was the difference maker, and ultimately, he outcoached Fergie on the night.

Manchester United lose their second game in the span of seven days, and Fergie and his top players will have questions to ask themselves going forward. The Giggs-Carrick midfield pairing was woeful, while Rooney and Young both had disappointing nights. The personnel brought on, along with the timing of the substitutions were also poor. The title is all but won, but its games of this magnitude in where top players strive, and many United players failed to show up.

“This season we had some problems with players injured. We are not a team that can lose three or four players. We can’t lose Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany together. We are not so strong that we can lose three or four players like this.” –Roberto Mancini post-match

 City may finish the season several points behind their cross-town rivals, but Mancini raises a valid point here. They’ve gone through the season missing these two key figures along with Aguero for lengthy periods, and it has had a massive affect on their league position. Nevertheless, Mancini has defeated Fergie once again, and has provided us a reason as to why he deserves to manage this team in the future.

Three Stars

1.    Carlos Tevez

2.    David Silva

3.    James Milner

Tyrrell Meertins

@TEEWHYox

 

2 Guys and a MIKE – Premier League Podcast March 18th

Tyrrell Meertins briefly breaks down all the games that took place this weekend in the Premier League. He touches on Tottenham’s March woes, Mancini’s job, and crowns Manchester United champions.

You can find our podcast on iTunes as well, so subscribe now!

 

Everton 2-0 Manchester City

Everton bounced back from their shocking FA Cup exit last week, by defeating Manchester City and destroying their chances of retaining the Premier League title.

David Moyes left out Phil Neville and Nikica Jelavic, and introduced Darren Gibson and Victor Anichebe to the starting lineup. It was Moyes’ traditional 4-4-1-1 that saw Marouane Fellaini play behind Anichebe, while Kevin Mirallas, Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman joined Gibson in the midfield.

Roberto Mancini included Javi Garcia, James Milner, Matija Nastasic and Joe Hart in the starting line up. Joleon Lescott, Samir Nasri and Costel Pantilimon were dropped to the bench. Yaya Toure was unavailable as the Ivorian midfielder suffered from a migraine, while Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero were sidelined.

City’s shape

The news that left many fans puzzled pre-match was Mancini opting to play in a 3-4-3. His decision could’ve been based on how effective Wigan’s 3-4-3 was against Moyes’ side a week ago. Mancini picked up mixed results when opting for a back three, but with City having only three natural attackers at his disposal, he took a gamble.

Without the ball, City was ultimately a 5-3-2, as Silva tracked back periodically to help defend. The problem was Milner and Kolarov were unable to deal with overloads. The movement from Mirallas and Pienaar dragged City’s wingbacks and defenders out of position, leaving space for Coleman and Baines to exploit. Fellaini was also able to drop into pockets of space unmarked, to receive possession far too easily. City’s shape allowed Everton to dominate, and they should’ve been down a goal 11 minutes in, when Kevin Mirallas was wrongfully ruled offside.

Everton Press

Everton started the match at a high tempo, pushing their defensive line high and pressing effectively. They were quick to close down the City players throughout the match, and City conceded possession easily. The champions were unable to settle into the game due to the Toffee’s will to win the ball back instantly.

Victor Anichebe worked extremely hard to close down City’s defenders and force them into conceding possession. On the other end, Edin Dzeko was lackadaisical when he pressed, and it allowed Everton’s defenders to play balls into the midfield. City was unable to settle into the match with Everton’s high tempo pressing, and it led to an Everton onslaught throughout the first half.

Coleman

Leighton Baines has provided the width, and created several chances this season for the Toffees. Surprisingly he wasn’t the main source of attack against City, and it could be down to Mancini playing Milner ahead of Zabaleta in hopes to nullify the English fullback. Baines did get forward occasionally, but Coleman’s surging runs made a significant impact on the match.

The downfall to playing with wingbacks is that they’re vulnerable to overloads when fullbacks decide to get forward, and Coleman did so frequently. Mirallas and Pienaar swapped flanks, and Pienaar drifted centrally dragging either Kolarov or Nastasic out of position, which left space for Coleman to exploit. When there wasn’t space to exploit, Coleman simply dribbled by Kolarov several times, and the Serbian had no answers for the Everton fullback.

There was no surprise that Coleman was involved in Everton’s opening goal, providing Osman with the assist. Osman’s fantastic strike from outside the box swirved into the top corner, and Hart could only watch it.

When Mancini reverted to a 4-4-2, it pushed Silva to the left flank. This didn’t help Kolarov, because now he was left with no cover and Coleman used his pace to beat him 1v1. Silva isn’t the greatest defender, and even when he did trackback, Coleman imposed his superiority on that flank.

Tevez

Tevez came into the match netting six goals in four games, and was City’s hottest player. Due to Everton’s effective pressing, Tevez, Dzeko and Silva didn’t see much of the ball in the first half. Tevez was dropping into pockets of space and working hard through the channels to receive the ball, and he troubled Mucha on a few occasions. Tevez was one of the better City players on the day, but he came across a goalkeeper that was determined to end his scoring streak.

10 v 11

Steven Pienaar received his second yellow card, and was sent off with 30 minutes to play in this match for a clumsy challenge on Javi Garcia. This didn’t affect Moyes’ shape, but it did force Everton to sit deeper than they expected. Leon Osman pushed over to the left, while Fellaini dropped deeper and played alongside Gibson.

They sat in two compact banks of four and threatened City on the break. Everton’s possession dropped from 52 to 28 percent in the second half when going down to 10 men, but their work ethic off the ball was still impressive. They worked hard to close down space/City players, and it frustrated Mancini’s men, who struggled to cope.

Pienaar’s sending off opened up space for David Silva to drift into, and the Spanish midfielder created six chances. City looked likely to score with 30 minutes remaining, but Mucha made a few glorious stops to deny Tevez, Milner and Zabaleta from equalizing.

Substitutions

Mancini waited until the 70^th minute to make his first substitution, by bringing on Samir Nasri for Barry. The change was about 20 minutes late, but it was refreshing to see Nasri play in his natural position. During his time on the pitch he had a 96 percent pass completion rate and half of the passes were in the final third. Nasri has had his discipline issues and isn’t as effective when playing on the wing, but in a game that you need to win, it was a surprise that Mancini waited until the final 20 minutes to include creativity into his midfield.

The final minutes saw Mancini revert to a back three once again, by introducing Gael Clichy and Scott Sinclair. Clichy dropped into the back and pushed Kolarov higher up the pitch, while Sinclair moved to the right. Mancini’s changes would’ve been suitable had City been leading the game, but the players he brought on didn’t possess the attacking impetus to spark a comeback.

Moye’s brought on Steven Naismith to replace Mirallas, who worked hard on the flanks during his time on the pitch. Mirallas ran out of energy and Naismith is ideally a like-for-like swap. Jelavic came on for Anichebe in stoppage time, and it was fitting to see the Croatian striker put the game out of reach. Fellaini launched the counter and he played in Jelavic, the Croatian cut inside and his deflected shot beat Hart.

The stoppage time goal saw the Croatian’s 12 game goal drought come to an end.

Moyes was able to bring on players of the same quality, and stick to his game plan, which ultimately paid off. Mancini looked to his bench when it was too late, and he simply didn’t have the quality to turn this result around.

Conclusion

Mancini’s back three was unsuccessful, as David Moyes earned his fifth Premier League victory against the City manager. His changes were late and ineffective, and this result has ended City’s chances of retaining their title.

Mancini will receive a lot of negative comments for his tactical approach, but what was disappointing was his inability to immediately locate and fix the problem his side encountered in the first half.

Everton has built a gap between themselves and their Merseyside rivals, and they keep their Champions League hopes alive with this victory. Moyes’ ability to target Kolarov was essential to Everton’s first half dominance and vital to his side picking up three points.

Three Stars

1.    Seamus Coleman

2.    Leon Osman

3.    Jan Mucha

Follow me @TEEWHYox

Tyrrell Meertins

 

2 Guys and a MIKE – Continental Podcast March 4th

Mike “The Mod” returns to the studio and he’s joined by Paolo and Tyrrell to breakdown the action around Europe this weekend.

SUBSCRIBE to our Podcast on iTunes! http://itun.es/i6JM4wc