It was an all too familiar feeling for Blues fans as the final whistle blew at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. Chelsea had lost an FA Cup Final for consecutive seasons, succumbing to Leicester City in this years’ edition of the competition. It would be remiss, however, to believe that this was a one-off occurrence for the team as head coach, Thomas Tuchel had suggested in his post-match interview. Rather what culminated at Wembley, was a week of trials and tribulations for Tuchel that ultimately ended in heartbreak.

Stamford Bridge – Wednesday May 12th

The week from hell started at home to Arsenal. A win in the contest would put Chelsea one step closer to the top four and all but guarantee its placement in next seasons Champions League. But as Blues fans have come to realise, nothing comes easy for the club when the pressure is on. A torrid spell for the hosts, that started with Kai Havertz, who fluffed a glorious opportunity to put the team ahead after skying an effort over the bar, ended with a moment of madness from Jorginho who proceeded to pass a ball back into an open Chelsea net. Chelsea goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga tried his best to spare the Italian midfielders blushes with a miraculous save off the line, however, the ball fell to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who teed up Emile Smith-Rowe to cooly slot the ball into the far corner of the Chelsea post. The Gunners had managed to hoodwink their way to a 1-0 lead and managed to see out the result after a resilient defensive performance.

Where did it go wrong for Tuchel?

Tuchel’s pragmatic approach to falling behind cost Chelsea a way back into the game. Instead of withdrawing Jorginho, he opted to take off the inexperienced Billy Gilmour at halftime, for Callum Hudson-Odoi. The second change of the evening came in the 65th minute as Olivier Giroud came on for Kai Havertz, and Tuchel’s final roll of the dice saw Cesar Azpilicueta withdrawn for Hakim Ziyech in the 78th minute. While this change forced a reversion to a back four system which allowed Chelsea to exploit spaces on the wing, it came too late for any Chelsea players to have an impact. The loss was disappointing, but fans hoped Tuchel would learn from his mistakes as the focus quickly shifted to the FA Cup Final on Saturday.

Wembley Stadium – Saturday May 15th

Buoyed by the belief that Tuchel would learn from his mistakes in mid-week, Chelsea fans came into this encounter with renewed optimism. Unfortunately, that optimistic approach sonly turned pessimistic as Blues fans yet again witnessed Timo Werner spurn a number of chances to put the team ahead. One moment of brilliance from Youri Tielemans separated the two sides, and though the Blues dug deep and managed an equaliser in the 88th minute, it was heartbreakingly chalked offside after VAR deemed Ben Chillwell offside in the build up to the goal.

Where did it go wrong for Tuchel?

Pragmatism again rung true for Tuchel in this encounter as he stubbornly stuck with the formula that has worked for most of the season. Instead of conjuring up a strategy to beat Leicester he was seemingly more focused on how he could stop them. The result? Recce James dropped to right centre back and Cesar Azpilicueta was deployed at right wing back. As fate would have it, it was James’ misplaced pass that eventually fell to Tielemans that proved the difference.After falling behind, Tuchel, to the surprise of most, turned to his bench after just five minutes. A double change saw Marcos Alonso and Hakim Ziyech replaced by Ben Chillwell and Christian Pulisic, but one must beg the question as to why those players didn’t start in the first place. Less than ten minutes after that change, Tuchel again went to his bench and withdrew Jorginho and Cesar Azpilicueta for Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson Odoi. Chelsea finally had its much-needed threat down the right side of midfield, but it was again too late. As desperation kicked in, Werner was finally withdrawn for Olivier Giroud, but the Blues came up short.

What’s next for Tuchel?

Tuchel will have to pull out all the stops to win the ensuing three fixtures of the season. As he referred to it himself, the three remaining fixtures are three finals. Chelsea will host Leicester City again on Tuesday, close out the season away to Aston Villa on Sunday, then play the Champions League final six days later in the ensuing Saturday against Manchester City. What’s in store for City? The club has already won the league, so all that Pep Guardiola’s side have left to play for is total points and pride.

Some can argue this could fall in Chelsea’s favour as they will be sharper than City entering the encounter, however, the added rest for City could also prove the difference. Among the many discussions which will take place in the build up to the game, one thing rings true, Tuchel must change his pragmatic approach to games and begin to take more risks if the Blues are to have a chance. He has to push all the proverbial chips in, or possibly end the season empty-handed. Blues fans should not dwell too much on what was possibly the worst week for Chelsea in recent history, instead they must look to the final three fixtures (finals) with optimism that Tuchel can and will eventually get it right.

Chelsea F.C. will travel to the North West of England, On Saturday to take on a Manchester City F.C team that is desperate for a win. At the moment, one point is all that separates the two teams, with the Blues occupying third place in the table with 26 points, while the defending champions, City sit in 4th, with just 25 points.

Tactical Analysis: Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola VS Frank Lampard

This will be the first career managerial meeting of Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola and Frank Lampard. Guardiola’s record against Chelsea, however, shows mixed results. In the previous thirteen meetings in all competitions, he has won 6, drawn 3, and lost 4, and surprisingly, is is only against Liverpool F.C (5) that the Spaniard has lost more than he has against Chelsea (4). Lampard, on the other hand, has never faced City in his managerial career, but has played for both teams in the past. From a tactical perspective, Guardiola will undeniably have the upper hand as he has been managing in Europe’s top leagues for eleven years, whereas Lampard has only been in management at the top level for a little over four months.

Playing with the backing of a home crowd desperate for a victory, Guardiola will set his team up to play expansive attacking football and will throw everything at Chelsea. Lampard, however, will acknowledge this threat, and he will adjust his tactics to counter City’s approach. Both managers’ share similar philosophies of possession-based football, however, they differ when it comes to the battle of possession over space. Guardiola favours the former, while Lampard favours the latter. This differing in opinion will be shown on the field in the sense that Guardiola will ask for his team to dominate possession in all phases of the field, whereas, Lampard will ask for his team to possess the ball in the meaningful quadrants of the pitch, mainly the oppositions final third.

Knowing that anything but a win will not be good enough to sustain a title challenge, Guardiola will stick to what he knows best, which is to throw everything at Chelsea for ninety minutes. From the onset, Lampard will try to match City’s attacking output, but he will adapt to a more conservative counter-attacking style of play if he sees his team being played off the park in the early stages. While defending the football, both managers will ask for their players to press the opposition relentlessly, which will set the fixture up to be open and exciting.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup:

Predicted Manchester City Lineup:

Prediction: Manchester City 2 Chelsea 1

Chelsea F.C. will travel to the South East of England to take on Southampton F.C. at St. Mary’s Stadium for game week 8 of the Premier League season. Currently sitting in 7th place in the table, the Blues’ are chasing a Champions League qualification placing, and can climb as high as 4th with a win. Conversely, the Saints’, sit in 14th place in the table and are 2 points adrift from a relegation spot.

Tactical Analysis: Ralph Hasenhüttl VS Frank Lampard.

This will be the first meeting of managers’ Ralph Hasenhüttl and Frank Lampard. Both managers share a mutual respect for one another and they are drawn to similar philosophies of football: they both want to play a high tempo game, want their teams to press well, and want their teams to play exciting attacking football.

Dubbed the “Austrian Klopp” due to his footballing similarities to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Hasenhüttl plays an aggressive form of pressing football, referred to by Klopp as the “counter-press”. Where the Austrian differs from the German coach, however, is that he utilizes a long-ball approach instead of a possession-based style of play.

Chelsea manager, Lampard on the other hand, will utilize a counter-press of his own, however he will also try to dominate possession of the football and take the game to the opposition. Unlike his counterpart, he will play patient football and will try to break down the opposition by forcing them to chase the ball for 90 minutes.

Ultimately, Hasenhüttl’s counter-press approach in combination with his teams propensity to play high-risk long balls, will make for a demanding afternoon for the Chelsea backline. Still, on the back of a two game win streak, the Blues’ will make it three in a row at St. Mary’s Grounds as the team heads toward the international break.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup:

Southampton Predicted Lineup:

Prediction: Southampton 1 Chelsea 3

Chelsea F.C. will host Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. (Brighton) at Stamford Bridge, on Saturday, for game week 7 of the Premier League season. Having won twice this season, the Blues’ head into this encounter occupying 11th place in the table. The Seagulls, meanwhile, have won just once, and occupy the 15th place in the table.

Tactical Analysis: Frank Lampard VS Graham Potter.

This will be the third meeting of managers’ Frank Lampard and Graham Potter in league play. The pair butted heads twice in last seasons English Football League Championship, when Lampard was managing Derby County F.C. and Potter was managing, Swansea City A.F.C. Lampard led his team to 2-1 and 1-1 results at home and away, in those games respectively.

Both coaches share similar philosophies of football and want their teams to dominate possession of the football. The main difference between the two coaches is that Potter swears by his 3-4-3 formation, but, Lampard is more adaptable, and can set his team up in both 3-back and 4-back formations.

Playing at home, Lampard will ask for his team to show its attacking intent early on in the game. He will ask for his team to press relentlessly to try to win the ball back in advanced positions and counter attack with pace and skill.

Potter, on the other hand, will ask for his team to sit back and absorb whatever pressure Chelsea sends at them in the early stages. His 3-4-3 formation will revert to a 5-4-1 and he will try to break down Chelsea on the counter-attack. When his team finally grows into the game and is able to possess the football for extended periods, he will try to play a brand of possession-based football and press Chelsea.

While this shouldn’t be considered an “easy” contest for Chelsea, it should be a match that the team should comfortably win at home. Potter will give it his best effort, but Lampard’s Chelsea will prove too much for the team from East Sussex.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup:

Brighton Predicted Lineup:

Prediction: Chelsea 2 Brighton 0

Chelsea F.C. will host, Liverpool F.C. at Stamford Bridge, on Sunday, for game week 6 of the Premier League season. Sitting in first place in the table, Liverpool come into this encounter on the back of a five game win-streak, whereas, Chelsea, who sit in 9th, have won just twice in the League this season.

Tactical Analysis: Frank Lampard VS Jurgen Klopp

Playing at home, Chelsea should attempt to play its own brand of possession-based football. Manager, Frank Lampard has experimented with a 3 backline formation in the past two games, however, he should revert back to his trusted 4-3-3 formation to facilitate the return of Ngolo Kanté to the team.

From the onset, Lampard will ask for his players to maintain possession of the football and press relentlessly when defending the football. In possession, initial build up play will start at the defence, as short balls will be played amongst the centre-backs and Jorginho, and once an opening is created, the ball will be played towards the advanced centre midfielders. Those players will then attempt to beat the first line of the oppositions press, and if the first line of press is successfully beaten, they will try to play passes towards the wingers or the centre forward. Once in this position, the team will rely on the creativity of its wide players to create a crossing opportunity for the centre forward to attack. If the opportunity to cross, is not there, the wingers will play the ball back towards the midfielders and wait for another opportunity to eventually present itself.

On the other side of the dugout, Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp will also try to play possession-based football, yet the key difference will be that his style of play will be more direct and his team will concentrate on attacking down the right side of the field.

Both managers will defend using a counter-press style of play, whereby the players will press the opposition relentlessly, in an attempt to win back possession of the football in advanced positions. In order to facilitate this style of defending, both sides will play a high defensive line, which will allow for space to be exploited behind both defensive lines. This will set the stage for a mouthwatering encounter of attacking football.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup:

Predicted Liverpool Lineup:

Prediction: Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1

Chelsea F.C. will travel to to the West Midlands to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. (Wolves) at Molineux Stadium for game week 5 of the Premier League season. Heading into the matchup, Chelsea sit in 11th place in the Premier League table, after winning just one of their four League matches, while Wolves sit in 17th place, following a win-less streak in the League this season.

Tactical Analysis: Nuno Espirito Santo VS Frank Lampard.

This will be the first League meeting of managers, Nuno Espirito Santo and Frank Lampard. The two don’t share a managerial history together as yet, but, they have suited up against each other as past-players, when Santo played for Porto F.C. and Lampard for Chelsea. The pair were also linked with the Chelsea managerial position during the summer due to them sharing similar philosophies of football.

Santo is a very attack-minded coach. Playing at home he will try to take the game to Chelsea by utilizing a counter-press and will look to attack the wide areas of the field. Likely lining up in his favoured 3-5-2 formation, the Portuguese manager will ask his wing-backs to drive forward at the opposition in an attempt to crowd the wide areas of the field. This will cause many problems for the Blues, as they found great difficulty defending this approach in their last game against Sheffield United F.C.

The Portuguese tactician will also adapt his tactics to the flow of the game. In periods where possession is hard to come by, his formation will revert to a 5-3-2 with the wing-backs dropping back into defence. When defending the football, he will ask his team to press relentlessly and counter-attack with pace and skill. This will be another area of concern for Chelsea as they have struggled to defend counter-attacking teams.

Lampard, on the other hand, favours a more orthodox approach when lining his team up. He’s favoured a 4-3-3 formation for three of the four League matches, while utilizing a 4-2-3-1 just once this this season. Lining up in the 4-3-3 will allow for Chelsea to counter-press with two blocks of three, so it is expected that he will continue to opt for that approach. Additionally, playing with three midfielders will allow for the left and right centre midfielders to help out with the counter-press to press the Wolves’ wing backs.

When possessing the football, Lampard will want his team to be energetic and attack the opposition relentlessly. The midfielders will try to seek out balls toward the wingers, who will tuck in to a more central position, while the full-backs will advance forward to create overlaps with the wingers. Once the ball is moved towards the wing areas, the full-backs will try to play quick low crosses into the box for the centre-forward to pounce on. When the option to cross is not available, the ball will be played back to a supporting midfielder in an attempt to find a better option towards the Wolves goal. The caveat to playing this way, however, is that it is extremely demanding both physically and mentally on the players and it leaves the defence open at times. Wolves’ will try to exploit these spaces, especially in the centre of midfield and the wide areas.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup:

Predicted Wolves Lineup:

Prediction: Wolves 1 Chelsea 2

Chelsea F.C. will host Sheffield United F.C, at Stamford Bridge for gameweek four of the Premier League season. The Blues’ will be hoping to build on the momentum of their first win of the season as the first international break period looms.

Both teams share identical records this season heading into this encounter, having won one, drawn one, and lost one, however, the Blades have a goal difference of 0, which places them in 9th position, whereas, the Blues have a goal difference of -3, which sees them occupying the 13th position in the table.

Tactical Analysis: Frank Lampard VS Chris Wilder:

This will be the third meeting of managers’, Frank Lampard and Chris Wilder in League play. Last season, both managers shared the spoils as then Derby County F.C., coach, Lampard led his team to a 2-1 victory at home, yet he suffered a 3-1 defeat to Wilder’s team away from home.

As the visiting manager, Wilder will have his work cutout for him, but he will trust in his players and his philosophy to try to get the job done. That philosophy is one which most fans would consider quite unorthodox. He swears by the 3-5-2 formation, but his variation of it is quite different to other managers. Rather than utilize the formation to allow for a more compact midfield block of five, Wilder utilizes this formation to allow his players maximum creative freedom on the ball. At any point in time, the player in possession of the ball can advance further up the pitch to create overlapping runs with the full backs, while a covering man deputizes for that player. His requires a lot of rotation on the pitch; his centre backs have freedom to advance further up the pitch, the midfielders can drop deeper to collect the ball and allow for other players to advance further up the pitch, and the strikers can play in a wider role as they are adaptable. All these things are dependent on how the opposition is playing, and what Wilder thinks is best for the team at that point in time.

While defending the football, his team can remain compact and revert to a 5-3-2 formation during periods of sustained pressure from the opposition. The midfield five can also put in a shift defensively and will drop back to defend when asked to do so. When attacking the opposition, Sheffield United play possession-based football and attack the oppositions wings with numbers. Aided by the centrebacks making overlapping runs, it is difficult for the opposition to account for the crowded wings, which in turn, allows for United to get balls into the box. Wilder will hope his adaptable shape with and without possession will cause Chelsea problems.

On the other end of the field, Lampard will most likely trot out a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation and will continue to implement his possession-based style of football. The key difference in this matchup will probably lie with the teams propensity to allow the wing backs’ freedom to advance forward. Due to United’s tendency to attack the wings, the Chelsea wingbacks will likely be asked to not advance forward as much as they would on average.

Predicted Lineups:

Prediction: Chelsea 2 Sheffield United 0

Though Sheffield United have shown a good account for themselves, so far this season, Chelsea will be a step too tall for the Blades’ as the team eases to a win at home and its first clean sheet of the Premier League season.

Chelsea F.C. will head to Carrow Road, Norwich, on Saturday to take on a rejuvenated Norwich City F.C. team in match week 3 of the Premier League season. Currently occupying 15th place in the table, the Blues’ will be searching for its first win of the season. Conversely, Norwich having already picked up three points on the back of a win against Newcastle United F.C., are currently occupying 11th place in the table.

Tactical Analysis: Daniel Farke VS Frank Lampard

This will be the third time managers, Daniel Farke and Frank Lampard will matchup against each other. The pair battled it out in the EFL Championship last season when Lampard was the manager of Derby County, playing out to a 1-1 draw at the IPro Stadium and a 4-3 Derby win at Carrow Road.

Farke is an attack-minded coach and his philosophy is similar to Lampard’s own. He wants his team to dominate possession of the football for 90 minutes and create goal-scoring opportunities. Still, he is also pragmatic when the opposition calls for him to be, and he can alter his tactics to a more counter-attacking style of play when possession of the football is difficult to come by. The German coach is consistent in his approach, as he consdiers his Norwich team to be well-oiled when it lines up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

When attacking, his Norwich team will play very few long passes and try to retain possession of the football by playing shorter, accurate passes. Norwich will invite the opposition upon them and attempt to tire them out by forcing them into chasing the football around for 90 minutes. The Canaries will attempt to break down Chelsea by playing through balls in behind the Blues’ backline and advance toward the Chelsea goal with pace and numbers.

When defending, Farke asks for his team to press the opposition situationally, or when his players believe it is best to do so. As a result, his teams centre backs play a high line and his full backs play in a more advanced role when pressing. The backline can, at times, look like a back three due to the right back staying in advanced positions. During these times the backline will rotate their positions to accommodate the press. Though the team defend adequately, the main purpose of the situational press is to win the ball higher up the pitch to set themselves up for a quick counter-attack.

On the other side of the dugout, Lampard will ask for his team to execute his possession-based style of football, and will ask his team to be patient in its build up play. He will look to his wingers to create goal-scoring opportunities, supported by the overlapping full backs. He will try to attack mainly down the left side of the field and will attemp to catch the Norwich fullbacks out of position.

When defending, he will ask for his team to adopt a counter-pressing style of play, whereby the forward line and midfielders will be relentless in its attempt to win back possession of the football. This will set Chelsea up in a favourable position when the ball is won back successfully as the team will be in advanced attacking positions.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup and Team News:

Lampard is expected to trot out an unchanged backline, due to Antonio Rüdiger continuing his progress toward full fitness. In midfield, Ngolo Kanté should drop to the bench, or potentially miss the fixture all together after spraining his ankle. Deputizing for the Frenchman will be Matteo Kovacić, who will form a pivot with Jorginho Frello in midfield. Christian Pulisic should retain his spot on the left wing, as Callum Hudson Odoi is not yet ready to suit up, while Willian should get his first start of the season on the right wing. After scoring last week and putting in a man of the match performance last week, Mason Mount should retain his spot in the no.10 role, while Tammy Abraham return to the lineup in place of Olivier Giroud.

Predicted Norwich Lineup:

Prediction: Norwich 1 Chelsea 3

Norwich should present a difficult task for Chelsea, however, this should be the week that the Blues’ string together a solid performance. While Norwich will be relentless in its attacking style, Chelsea will break down the Canaries backline early on and and will break the deadlock. Norwich should find its way back into the game, and an eventual equalizer in the second half, but key changes from Lampard will lead to two unanswered goals and a Chelsea victory. As the Englishman did with his Derby team last season, he will lead the Blues’ to its first win of the season.

Chelsea F.C. will make its 2019-20 Premier League home debut, on Sunday, as the Blues’ will host east-midlands club, Leicester City F.C, at Stamford Bridge.

Both clubs are coming off unfavourable results after last weeks start to the Premier League, as Leicester City played out to a goalless draw at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., while Chelsea were battered 4-0 away to Manchester United F.C.

Tactical Analysis: Frank Lampard vs. Brendan Rodgers

Playing in his first home Premier League game as Chelsea boss, Frank Lampard will be out to prove to the fans and the rest of the league that his team is ready to challenge for a top six spot this season. As such, it is expected that the English boss will try to take the game to Leicester from the get-go. He should again line his team up in a 4-2-3-1, but there will be cause for rotation as a handful of players will be fatigued due to prolonged action in Wednesday’s Super Cup.

Lampard will expect his team to dominate possession of the football and he will call on his players to try to break the deadlock early. While possessing the football, Lampard’s team will build attacks from the centre of defence. Possession of the football will try to be retained by the teams centre backs and the supporting midfielders will drop deep to help retain possession. The ball will be moved among the backline and midfield, until a penetrative pass is unearthed towards the attacking line. Chelsea will need to be clinical when their chances arrive, as they will be hard to come by.

While attempting to gain possession of the football back, the English boss will call on his team to adapt a counter-press approach, whereby the front line and midfielders will mark the oppositions midfielders and defenders higher up the field. Setting his back line up will make it susceptible to forward runs from Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, however, Lampard will trust in his centre backs and full backs ability to track back and recover the ball.

Brendan Rodgers shares a similar possession-based football philosophy to Frank Lampard, however, he can also adopt a more pragmatic approach when the fixture does not favour his side. Last week, against Wolves, his team dominated a whopping 70% possession of the ball over 90 minutes, but against Chelsea that number should be split fairly evenly. I expect Rodgers will try to take the game to Chelsea for the majority of 90 minutes, but if Chelsea are dominating possession he will set his team up to counter-attack with the pace and skill of his midfielders and Vardy.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup and team news:

Andreas Christensen trained on Friday ahead of Sunday’s game, so he should retain his position at centre back along with Kurt Zouma. Despite both wing backs, Emerson Palmieri and Cesar Azpilicueta playing for 120 minutes in the Super Cup, the pair should also be in contention to start, due to uncertainty surrounding the future of 2nd choice full backs, Marcos Alonso and Davide Zappacosta.

At the heart of midfield, despite also playing for 120 minutes on Wednesday, Jorginho Frello should retain his role as field dictator along side Matteo Kovacic, who played 110 minutes of action. In front of them, Mason Mount should return to the lineup after playing just over 50 minutes off the bench on Wednesday, while the American star, Christian Pulisic should make his first Premier League start on the left wing, after playing just 74 minutes against Liverpool. Pedro should lineup on the right wing, despite also playing 120 minutes on Wednesday, and in order to not stunt the young strikers confidence, Lampard should trust in Tammy Abraham to again lead the line for the Blues’.

Predicted Leicester City Lineup:

Prediction: Chelsea 1 Leicester City 0

Chelsea should dominate possession within the first 15 minutes of the game and the team will try to get bodies forward in order to break the deadlock quickly. Through patient build up play and retention of the football, the Blues’ will find a way past the Leicester backline and Tammy Abraham will silence his haters by registering his first ever Premier League goal for the club. East Midlands outfit, Leicester will try to answer back, however, the team will not be clinical enough to get an ever-important tying goal. Eventually Lampard will throw on Ngolo Kanté, and possibly Antonio Rüdiger to see out the result and it will be curtains for Leicester City after 90 minutes. Brendan Rodgers will be left reeling as he will have to wait for his first victory against Chelsea after 13 attempts.

In the first-ever all-English UEFA Super Cup affair, 2018-19 UEFA Europa League winners, Chelsea F.C. will travel to Istanbul, Turkey on Wednesday, to take on 2018-19 UEFA Champions League winners, Liverpool F.C. in a battle for the first major piece of silverware for both clubs for the season.

tactical analysis: Jurgen Klopp vs. Frank Lampard

This will be the first time Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp has ever faced Chelsea in a UEFA sanctioned competition, however, the German tactician has an impressive record when competing in Europe, winning 47 times, drawing 21 times, and losing 24 times, across a span of 92 games. On the contrary, this will be Frank Lampard’s competitive managerial debut in a UEFA sanctioned competition.

Klopp is expected to line up in his trusted 4-3-3 formation in order to counter-press Chelsea. Popularized by Klopp, the counter-pressing style of play refers to a teams’ attempt to win back possession of the football immediately after losing it. The advantage of this style of play is such that it allows a team to set up in an offensive stance, even when defending the football, and when possession is won back, the team is set up to attack a vulnerable opposition defence.

While defending, Liverpool will play a high defensive line in order to keep the pressing compact. Led by the mastery of Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip the Reds’ defence will be organized and difficult to break down. In order to facilitate the counter-pressing style of play, wings backs, Andrew Robertson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold will take up positions in the midfield to force the opposition to move the football. Centre defensive midfielder, Fabinho will sit deep in order to help out the centre backs, while James Milner and Jordan Henderson will also help out with counter-pressing the opposition. The front three consisting of Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino, and Mohammed Salah will also put in a shift while defending the football by pressing the oppositions backline in an attempt to win back possession of the football in the oppositions half.

When attacking Chelsea’s goal, Liverpool will play a mixture of possession-based football and counter-attacking football. When dominating possession of the football for long periods of time, the team will gradually move the ball from the defence to attack, and the focus will be on tiring out the opposition and exploiting open pockets of space. Conversely, when possession of the football is hard to come by, the team will set itself up to counter-attack the opposition and will get the ball toward the front three quickly, once possession of the football is won back.

Each player that makes up the Liverpool’s front three, is given license to rotate with one another dependent upon which is the best outlet towards the opposition goal. Wingers, Sadio Mané and Mohammed Salah can either drift wide or play central, whereas, centre forward, Roberto Firmino can drift wide to open up space for the wingers, or drop deep to play in a “false 9” role.

Contrariwise to Klopp, Frank Lampard has only been coaching at the highest level for a little over a month. While, the focus at Chelsea is to play an attacking brand of football, it will be difficult for the team to do that against Liverpools counter-press. And having been dished out a harsh reality of what managing at the top level looks like on Sunday, after losing 4-0 away to Manchester United, the English boss would be reluctant to take the game to Liverpool by playing an aggressive brand of football again. For that reason, it is possible that he will revert to a more pragmatic approach and set his team up in a 4-3-3 formation to match Liverpool.

When defending, Chelsea will sit deep in order to not get caught out by the pace of Liverpool on the break. Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma will make just their second start start as a defensive pairing, flanked by Marcos Alonso at left back and Cesar Azpilicueta at right back. The midfield three will consist of Jorginho Frello, Ross Barkley, and Matteo Kovacić, who will be tasked with counter-pressing the Liverpool midfield.

When attacking, Chelsea will try to move the ball quickly towards the front three of Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud, and Pedro. There will be a significant focus on getting the ball towards Giroud, who’s hold up play will allow time for the wingers and wing backs to exploit the open spaces which are left behind the oppositions wings. In periods where Chelsea are dominating possession of the football the team will try to retain its possession and force the oppositions press to one side of the field. If successful, the team will subsequently switch possession to the opposite side in an attempt to exploit the open pockets of space on the other side of the field.

Predicted Chelsea lineup:

Predicted Liverpool lineup:

Prediction: Chelsea 1 Liverpool 2 (AET)

Chelsea F.C. will travel to Old Trafford, Manchester, on Sunday, for the Blues’ opening game of the 2019-20 Premier League season.

Coming into this encounter Manchester United are unbeaten in their last six home matches against Chelsea, albeit, four of those matches have ended in a draw.

Tactical Analysis: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer vs. Frank Lampard:

Since taking charge of Manchester United, manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has only played Chelsea FC in the Premier League once, in a match that ended 1-1 at Old Trafford last season. Conversely, this will be Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard’s first Premier League match since taking the reign at Stamford Bridge.

Playing at home, it is expected that Solskjaer will attempt to unease Lampard in what will be the Englishman’s Premier League managerial debut. In order to do that, the Norwegian manager will employ an attacking 4-3-1-2 formation to try to force Chelsea to defend early and often.

While defending, the Red Devils’ boss will ask for his backline to remain compact and implement a pressing game. Led by the leadership and experience of Victor Lindelof and newcomer, Harry Maguire, the backline will play a higher than usual line to facilitate the transition from the defensive phase of the field to the attacking phase. Wing backs Luke Shaw and summer signing, Aaron Wan-Bissaka will either push forward or stay back depending on how the opposition are performing.

When attacking, the centre backs will be given license to beat the oppositions first line of press and play the ball towards the supporting midfielders Paul Pogba, Scott Mc Tominay, and Nemanja Matić. The attacking three consisting of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, and Juan Mata, will also drop back in order to collect the ball in midfield and advance forward. This quick movement of the football will allow for United to play a free-flowing brand of football, in an attempt to tire out the oppositions press.

On the other side of the field, Lampard will probably set his team up in a more defensive 4-2-3-1 shape, in order to provide support to his inexperienced backline and implement a counter-attacking approach to the game.

When defending, the Blues’ boss will ask his more advanced players to press the opposition in an attempt to force them into making mistakes, however, the backline will remain deep in order to invite the opposition to attack with numbers. Both centre midfielders, Jorginho and Ngolo Kanté will form a pivot and will take turns putting in shifts defensively.

When attacking, the English manager will want his team to advance the ball quickly in order to catch the opposition out of shape and out of position quickly. Centre backs, Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen will be tasked with distributing long through balls to wingers Christian Pulisic and Pedro, to catch the opposition off guard. Centre forward, Tammy Abraham will be tasked with holding up possession and will try to link up play with centre attacking midfielder, Mason Mount and the wingers Christian Pulisic and Pedro.

In order for the Blues to exit Old Trafford with all three points, the team will need to defend diligently and be clinical with the few chances that it creates on the counter-attack. If the team experiences any defensive lapses they will be punished by the attacking prowess which United possesses.

Predicted Manchester United Lineup:

David De Gea should get the nod between the sticks as Solskjaer hands debuts to summer signings, Harry Maguire (centre back), and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (right back). The reliable, Victor Lindelof will lineup next to Maguire, while Luke Shaw will slot in at left back. The midfield three should consist of some combination of Paul Pogba (on the left), Mc Tominay (central), and Nemanja Matić (on the right). Leading the line for United will be the enticing young partnership of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, while Juan Mata will play the no.10 role behind the duo.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup:

Under the guidance of Lampard, Chelsea will undoubtedly look different this season. First choice goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga should get the call behind a back line consisting of; Emerson Palmieri at left back, Cesar Azpilicueta at right back, and Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen will form a Premier League defensive partnership for the first time in their careers. In front of the backline, Jorginho Frello and Ngolo Kantê will form a pivot in midfield, while Mason Mount will play an attacking midfield role behind striker Tammy Abraham and wingers, Christian Pulisic and Pedro.

Prediction: Chelsea 2 Manchester United 2

Most pundits believe this game will finish as either a stalemate or a share of the points with a goal a piece, however this match has the potential to be a high-scoring draw. Manchester United will play with intensity and pace from the kickoff, which will trouble Chelsea’s unpractised defensive pairing. The Red Devils will break the deadlock before half time through the pace and goal-scoring prowess of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

Chelsea will eventually settle into the game in the second half, and buoyed by the passion of Lampard and the travelling fans, the Blues will find a way back into the game by testing the opposing teams untrained defensive pairing. Substitute Ross Barkley and Pedro will score the goals that prove to the rest of the league that this Chelsea squad will not go down without a fight this season as the Blues pick up their first point of the season.

In part 1 of the UEFA Europa League Final preview, Arsenal coach, Unai Emery and his predicted starting XI will be explored.

Unai Emery is a an experienced manager who won the Europa League in three consecutive years from 2013-16 during his previous managerial spell at Sevilla. He has developed a tendency to utilize a variety of formations and has lined up in five different formations in the Europa League tournament. He is versatile and can can alter his tactics to match the opposition he is facing, so it will be difficult to predict how his Arsenal team will lineup in Wednesday’s final.

If history is an indicator, the Spanish tactician may opt for the 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-2-1-2 formations he utilized in the previous two Premier League meetings with Chelsea, yet, in the Europa League, since his Arsenal side lost to Rennes in the first leg of the round of 16, he has switched to a 3-4-1-2 formation.

Assuming the Spanish tactician sticks with that formation, he will do so because it will allow him to get the best out of his strikers, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Moreover, playing a four midfield with two wing backs will allow Arsenal to exploit open spaces on the wings.

An analysis of the 3-4-1-2 formation:

In order for the 3-4-1-2 to work, there are four main subsystems that the team must rely on: the back line, the wing backs, the two midfield pivot, and the ‘front three’ (one attacking midfielder and two strikers).

The backline:

The backline is the most crucial subsystem of the formation. It is made up of three central defenders that must have a great understanding of both positioning and spacing. The trio must also be comfortable with the ball at their feet, as they are relied upon to also link play with the wing backs and the midfield.

For Arsenal, the defender who is positioned central of the three is Laurent Koscielny. Having played in a back three formation since former manager, Arsene Wenger adopted it in 2017, the Frenchman is well suited to be deployed in the position. To the left and right of ‘Kosc’ are, Nacho Monreal, who also played in a back three for Wenger, and newcomer Sokratis Papastathopoulos, respectively.

The wing backs:

The wing backs are another critical subsystem of the 3-4-1-2 formation. They are relied upon to utilize the wide areas of the field. Both players are expected to put in a shift on both halves of the field, but they have the freedom to choose when to push forward and when to stay back.

For Arsenal the wing backs are Sead Kolašinac, who takes up a position on the left side of midfield, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who plays on the right side of midfield. Kolasinac works in tandem with Monreal and Maitland Niles with Sokratis.

The two midfield pivot:

The two midfield pivot work in tandem to assist both defensively and offensively. Both players serve as cover for the backline, but can also drive forward to add numbers to the midfield if needed.

For Arsenal, Granit Xhaka plays the role of a traditional box-to-box midfielder for his attacking prowess, while Lucas Torreira is relied upon for his ‘bulldog’ mentality of hounding down the ball and forcing pressure on the opposition.

The two strikers and attacking midfielder:

The pivotal subsystem of the formation is the ‘front 3’, which Arsenal rely on for goals. The two strikers are supported by a lone attacking midfielder, who plays in a traditional no.10 role. Due to the centre attacking midfielders tendency to stay central, the two strikers have the freedom to either drift wide or drop back deep in order to gain possession of the ball and start an attack.

For Arsenal, Mesut Özil plays the role of the central attacking midfielder, while Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang form a formidable partnership up top. While the ‘front 3’ haven’t clicked as yet, the world class ability that each possess will pose a huge threat to the Chelsea backline.

*In part 2, which will be posted tomorrow, Chelsea’s coach Maurizio Sarri and his predicted XI will be examined.