Game Analysis about Chelsea 1 Manchester City 1 Premier League game, played at Stamford Bridge 31.01.2015

1. SARAIVA FOOTBALL COACH
CHELSEA
VS
MANCHESTER CITY
Premier League
Saturday 31 January 2015
msaraiva1987@gmail.com

2. Manager
José Mourinho
Line Up Tactics
Position
First
Goals Scored/Against
51/19
Points
52
Chelsea had 2 major casualties. And it couldn’t be
worst – the player with the most assists, and the best
scorer of the league. Fabregas and Diego Costa
respectively.
Mourinho opted for the usual 1x4x2x3x1 with Matic
and Ramires securing the midfield, and helping
offensively one at a time.
In the wings Hazard and Willian had diferente roles.
Hazard tried to make his diagonals to the center, and
Willian was more vertical and looking for the line to
cross.
With Navas making a good performance we saw a
less offensive Azpilicueta and Ivanovic helped Willian
more often.
Oscar, altough he started well advanced in the field,
played more like a box-to-box, making sure the team
had the usual defensive consistancy.
And Remy. A fightin player, more like Costa, but with
less killer instinct.

3. Manager
Manuel Pellegrini
Line Up Tactics
Position
Second
Goals Scored/Against
45/22
Points
42
With Yaya Touré fighting to win Can ’15 there was no
space for big changes.
With Clichy and Sagna supporting the wings with
Navas and Milner, it was in the middle with
Fernandinho, Silva and Fernando that Pellegrini won
the advantage in the game.
With the trio against Ramires and Matic Manchester
City always had one plus elemento in the crucial zone
of the pitch.
Milner and David Silva change positions very often
trying to confuse the opponent’s defensive
organization.
To score goals, Aguero is the target man. Despite his
lack of inspiration, he’s always a danger player in
every match, specially the big ones, were he likes to
shine.

4. Mourinho had a very good day at Stamford Bridge. Playing against Manchester City, he couldn’t ask better than 3 shots – 1 save, 1 missed
and a goal. 33% Eficciency.
On the other hand, Courtois made 4 saves, and despite the 8 shots from Mancini side, they could produce more. The 1st and 2nd phases were
well connected and evolved in the game. They just needed a more inspired Aguero – Fernandinho ended with more shots then him.

5. Manchester City tried to take advantage of 2 things offensively – the attacking and agressive style of Ivanovic, and the youngster Zouma.
As we can see, this was the most stepped zone offensively, taking sided by the consistancy of Milner both defensive and offensively, and by
Clichy, which was stepping in advanced areas of the field, trying to create more pressure on Ramires and Ivanovic. This was well supported
by Fernandinho and David Silva, and sometimes Fernando.
But Chelsea was very organized and the duo Zouma-Ivanovic was impeccable the entire game.

6. On the other side, Azpilicueta was struggling a bit. Altough he managed to stop Navas most of the time, he couldn’t do much.
Navas had a great game, starting the play that ended in the equalizer, making 5 crosses, 2 of them successfull, 2 recoverys, and always
putting Chelsea’s defence in alert.

7. If Manchester City had more ball, more shot, more crosses
and played most of the time in the offensive half, how
could Chelsea managed to score first and not losing the
game?
Defensive concentration, amazing defensive work from the
midfielders and Matic being Matic. Seven disarms and six
interceptions.
Another interesting fact is the interceptions by shot. This
reveals good positioning from Chelsea players and effective
defensive transitions, giving them the chance to be were
they’re supposed to be.

8. Offensively we can see that Chelsea plays with defensive awareness. If they loose the ball in the middle,
they put the team at risk with the oponente’s counter attack. So, how can they risk it without putting
the team in danger?
In the wings. That’s exactly what we can se. Mourinho’s teams are specialized in this kind of patterns.
Supporting what e’ e said about Ivanovic and his offensive style is this graphic. He was the 3rd player
with most lost balls. The first two, are the most offensive players. Giving substance to the fact that
Mourinho was more worried with his defence, even when they were in the offensive moments – they
were the players who could risk it.

9. Chelsea didn’t create great volume of offensive plays. And this was one of the the facts.
In 27 lost balls, only 4 were in the defensive midlfield. This gives great security to the defensive process –
they’re hard to get caught in transition. And Loic Remy goal, was one of that few times.
This pattern is due to the players (and their characteristics) in the midfield. Fernando and Fernandinho
are top defensive players. They can’t give too much in offensive moments, but on the other side its
consistancy has a tremendous value.
But the really connecting point there is David Silva. He supports the team both defending and attacking.
And with 2 against 2 in the middle (Fernando e Fernandinho, against Matic and Ramires) it was David
Silva who created numeric advantage for Manchester City.

10. 1 – 1
This was one of the top games of this league. And once again Mourinho survived another day. The defensive consistancy outshined the
creativity and offensiveness of the actual champions. We just have to wait and see if it enough for Mourinho to steal the title or, on the other
side, if Manchester City can make another great season finish and claim the title again.

11. SARAIVA FOOTBALL COACH
MSARAIVA1987@GMAIL.COM