ENZO MARESCA’s deployment of a new shape played a big role in Chelsea once again getting the better of Tottenham.
The Blues moved level on points with their fierce London rivals last Saturday with a 1-0 win at the Stadium.
Chelsea ran out 1-0 winners of Tottenham on Saturday nightCredit: EPA
Enzo Maresca’s tactical genius – and change of formation – was the key to the Blues’ victoryCredit: GETTY
Joao Pedro‘s 34th-minute strike sealed all three points for the visitors.
Blues boss Maresca would’ve been frustrated his troops didn’t win the match by a wider margin.
But the Italian will be thrilled with the success of his tactical choices, which handed the west Londoners their fifth straight league win over their rivals.
And SunSport’s tactical experts Will Pugh and Dean Scoggins are on hand to break down just how Chelsea did yet another number on Spurs.
Maresca’s shape-shifting
IT WAS about seven, eight or nine seconds into the match. And straight away I went, ‘New shape for .’
And it was a W shape, a trident if you like, in midfield where they have two midfielders at the base, Caicedo and .
And Enzo Fernandez ahead of that and then the two wingers wide. And then obviously, you’ve got Joao Pedro floating in between.
But that W shape, which was just flooded across Spurs, meant that Caicedo or at any one time can release the press.
Enzo Maresca deployed a W shape in his troops’ trip to the Tottenham Hotspur StadiumCredit: SKY SPORTS
So then you’ve got cover. So that’s what I mean by Maresca giving them the licence to be free.
In the Premier League, if a midfielder runs around like a headless chicken and goes and presses the ball all over the place, it’s an easy pass in behind them.
But with that W shape, if the ball goes this way, the left-hand point at the base of that can go and join the other three on the press. And the other one drops in behind.
Go the other way, exactly the same thing. So they can go into those positions. And when you press like this guy [Caicedo] and Reece James, to be fair, then that’s gonna cause all sorts of problems.
Moi Bien
I reckon that Bentancur, Palhinha and Xavi Simons were probably looking over their shoulders when they got home, wondering if Caicedo was gonna creep up behind them again.
Let’s start with the goal, because it was the obvious key moment in the game. Although Chelsea dominated and should have scored more than they did.
But to me, when you’re giving the tactics as a coach or a manager, the holding midfield player needs a licence to go.
And to give him the licence to go, what Enzo Maresca has done is pick a specific shape in midfield.
But what Caicedo does is he just sniffs danger. He sniffs it out.
First of all, I don’t know what Djed Spence is doing running into an area that is Moises Caicedo’s domain.
Moises Caicedo was Chelsea’s main man at the Tottenham Hotspur StadiumCredit: Reuters
Don’t run in the lion’s den, don’t stick your hand in the cage, right? That is going to cause you danger.
But then even from there, from the grab, we’ll see how the Spurs concede from there. Where Xavi Simons has got a simple pass back to Mickey van de Ven
Mickey van de Ven’s got a simple clearance to make. And for some reason, they make a hash of it. But let’s not take the credit away from that man Caicedo.
Because as I say, he sniffs it and he goes and wins the first one.
Wins the second one and wins the third one, where six foot three inch Kevin Danso decides he doesn’t want to make a tackle inside the area.
But again, full credit to Caicedo and a brilliant finish from Joao Pedro.
Moises Caicedo has the most interceptions in the Premier League this season
Game of Throws
We know set pieces are big, really big at the moment. Including the throw-ins.
We know Kevin Danso’s got a great throw. And do you know what, I’d do it in youth football. I do that to try and empty the area in youth football.
Because I just feel like it’s easier for your dominant headers to head the ball because there’s more room to attack the ball. And that’s what Chelsea did.
When it happened, I think I WhatsApped you straight away or I WhatsApped the group going, ‘Look, look, look.’
It was just just really clever, so let’s just recap that. They sent three players up the field, and I actually thought Spurs were quite brave in response to it, in only taking three back.
Because I thought you’d have to take at least four back, maybe even five, which empties the box even more.
But Spurs put three back and then when Sanchez caught one of them and then they went on the counterattack, that was great fun for 30 seconds.
As nobody knew what position they were playing in or whatever and it was absolute chaos.
It was just a really great example of a coach thinking outside the box, outside of Chelsea’s box again and doing something different.
Which meant that not only did it help them defend it better, it then confused Tottenham and it caused a problem on the counterattack. So win, win, win, great stuff.
Fernandez standing tall
He’s a complete tactical diamond. He’s the at Manchester City. He’s the player who makes them tick in a shape sense.
So if they get dragged about, as you do in a Premier League game, and then you think, ‘Oh, there’s an overload that side’, he appears.
It’s like he’s got back there and then he’s seen the danger that’s broken down.
He’s got that ability almost to lift himself above everybody and see where the danger is. And it is very amazing.
It’s very difficult, or very easy, sorry, when you’re sat where I sit in the stadium to to look over the top and have a much more bird’s eye view of what’s going on.
“And you think, ‘Oh, there’s a mistake to be had there. There’s a mistake in that position there. If they get it out of there, they can hurt them.’
He spots it and fills in the gap. And then not only that, when they’re attacking, we talked about the crossing over of Chelsea in the Team Talk Show, which they did very, very well. Garnacho and him, especially.
Enzo Fernandez was here, there and everywhere in Chelsea’s win over TottehhamCredit: SHUTTERSTOCK
The Argentine was his usual box-to-box self in the 1-0 winCredit: SKY SPORTS
But then, he’ll then find himself in the left striker position. And then as a centre back, you’re thinking, ‘The striker’s over there. How have I got someone to pick up here as well?’
And he’s the one that gets in those positions, in between defenders, which give you a real problem.
Because if the ball then goes wide, let’s say, to Cucurella and then to Garnacho, the fullback should be thinking, ‘I can go and press.
‘But hang on a minute, I’ve got Enzo Fernandez standing next to me.’ So he’s causing those problems all over the field.
Maybe, at times, he doesn’t do as much on the ball as some Chelsea fans would like. But I thought one of the moments of the game was the nutmeg inside the area in the first half.
Without him, I don’t think Maresca can do the tactical things that he’s been doing.
And I just think that every team needs an Enzo Fernandez.
