#3 The 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 and inability of Premier League teams to cope with it
Whether it is called 3-4-3 at times or a 3-4-2-1, when the wingers tuck in, the system has dumbfounded Premier League sides who have faced it. Conte used a 3-5-2 for Juventus and the same for Italy at Euro 2016 in June.
When Chelsea defend, they have a free central defender in Luiz, and in a 5 man defence line i.e when Moses and Alonso fall back, or when at the other end of the pitch when the full backs overlap and there are 5 players running into the box.
A standard attack goes like this – Costa drags the central defenders through the middle while the space on the flank is an overload or a 2 v 1 almost always. Pep Guardiola is well known for adopting this kind of a strategy, which in football theory is called “Giochi di Posizione” in Italy. This is fundamental to Italian defending, in English this method is simply known as “Positional Play”.
It is in one part, about gaining numerical “superiority” or more 2 v 1’s and exploiting the space thus so. Everton fell pray to it once again as a ball from Luiz or Kante was delivered to the flanks. Either Alonso and Hazard on the left were against a single Everton right back or Moses and Pedro against a solitary left back. It happened against Hull, Leicester, Manchester United and Southampton. Every team has had to change to a back three to simply compete against them while even after they make the shif, Chelsea continue to dominate.
Against Everton, Marcos Alonso scored Chelsea’s second after a well-timed run into the box, and Victor Moses hit the post; both were top class. It is certain that teams will start to deploy three at the back from the start against Chelsea to simply match them man for man. How many teams in the world get their opposition formation changed every game just for that particular game?
Full credit goes to Antonio Conte and the famed ‘Il Metodo Conte’ or ‘The Conte Method’ which seems to be reaping dividends, not to mention his incessant touchline shouting. It is almost as if he conducts the grand show from the sidelines imbibing his energy to his players. Top stuff.
