After a unique season that seemingly progressed infinitely, European club football concluded with the Champions League final on Saturday with Thomas Tuchel leading Chelsea to their second European crown in a resounding five-month turnaround since his arrival at Stamford Bridge. Throughout the knockout stages of the Champions League, in particular, Chelsea looked the most prepared…

There are very few teams in women’s football that have the preeminent history of Olympique Lyon both domestically and in UEFA cup competitions.  Lyon are the most successful club in the history of French D1 Feminine, winning a total of 19 league titles since being introduced as the female counterpart of the club in 2004. …

On March 13, 2021, Manchester City traveled to Craven Cottage stadium to meet Fulham, beating them 0–3 thanks to the written names on the score sheet, John Stones, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Agüero.   Fulham’s Man-Oriented Approach Against Manchester City   The locals had a plan to stop the Citizens as they formed in a…

Another big English football club, another post-José Mourinho salvage mission. The Portuguese manager’s time at Tottenham Hotspur was probably his worst overall as a manager, as his 86-match stint was the shortest since his União de Leiria days in 2001 and 2002, and this was also the first time he failed to lead a club…

The 5-3-2 formation is known to be composed of 5 defenders, 3 midfielders and 2 forwards. That’s just a general way of putting it. A more football-related description would be 5-3-2 when out of possession and 3-5-2 when in possession / building up phase. The 3 center backs consist of 2 man-to-man markers and one…

As Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City prepare to take on Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea in the Champions League Final in Porto, it shows the reign of positional play as both managers have established the style of positional play in their team.   But to stand out among a wide range of teams using positional play these managers…

This article will investigate the 5-3-2 more abstractly, and subsequently use Antonio Conte’s Inter as a case study of the shape. Inter are the highest quality team currently operating with the shape and therefore can highlight its advantages to the greatest extent and reveal why playing in such a way is viable for runaway champions;…

Emma Hayes’ 2020-2021 WSL Super League campaign is nothing short of remarkable and is a resounding story of hard work and perseverance through a multitude of trials and tribulations. Hayes experienced both success and failure throughout her career which consisted of time spent in the United States in various football positions consisting of club, collegiate…

With a 2-0 win over AZ Alkmaar 2 weeks ago, Ajax secured the league, completing their domestic double. This team played in the traditional Ajax way – dominating possession and defending on the front foot. Alongside some beautiful leaked kits for next season, playing with the style they have shown further cemented Ajax as one…

The 2016/2017 season was the peak of Mauricio Pochettino’s five-year reign in charge of Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham finished with 86 points (their highest ever point total in the Premier League era), second place in the table (also their highest ever finish), and led the league in both goals scored and fewest goals conceded.   In…