2) United’s 3-5-2 vs Chelsea’s 3-4-2-1 frustrates the Blues
In what was dubbed as a battle between two master tacticians, it was Mourinho who came out on top even though both managers played three at the back. Alonso’s pre-match injury had forced Conte to switch a number of positions as he picked Kurt Zouma in defence and moved Cesar Azpilicueta to a right wingback role. This saw Victor Moses moved to the left wingback role.
On the other hand, United saw Darmian, Rojo, and Bailly play in a three-man defence aided by a five-man midfield playing ahead of them. The space between the two lines was negligible and that worked in United’s favour as Diego Costa had one of his worst games of the season.
Costa filled the highlight reel with petulant fouls and behaviour that characterised his bad-boy image when he first arrived in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Pedro and Eden Hazard were also starved of space and only had the chance to stretch their legs on the counter-attack – which were effectively shut down by the likes of Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini.
Without any creativity in the middle, Chelsea’s forwards rarely saw the ball. But there was one other reason for Hazard’s lack of contributions in the game.
