Premier League: Klopp, Guardiola and Sarri's philosophy of football with scorch

Liverpool hosted Chelsea on Wednesday for the third round of Carabao Cup. The gameplay went through various gears over the 90 minutes and will be remembered for the exceptional deciding goal by Eden Hazard. But, what stuck with me more is something else.

A lot of players on the pitch from both the teams showed immense quality - technical skills, composure, adaptability - at times, it was fantastic to watch. And, this was in a match where some of the most important players were given rest as this particular competition would be fourth in the pecking order.

Pep Guardiola came into the Premier League in 2016 with a defined footballing philosophy and a trophy cabinet to back it up. It was not the smoothest of the introductions though, he had gone trophyless for the first time in his coaching career for an entire season. But, his second season was special. The football was unique and exceptional all through the season making trophies and records a mere formality. There has got to be a reason for the surge in quality.

There were a couple of more managerial signings made by the bigger clubs of the Premier League sandwiching Guardiola's arrival which, which, in a way, redefine the footballing norms in England - Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool (arrived in 2015) and Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea (arrived in 2018).

The three managers have their unique playing styles. To dwell in a bit - Pep would like his team to hold on to the ball long enough and pounce when an opening comes up, Klopp would train the team to master the transitions as they press hard and counter vertically, Sarri would promote the build-up through the midfield pivot who strays passes on to the wings.

As different as they as they seem to be, a few common elements are being harnessed across the footballing culture.

Players' Reaction

The players had to up their game to survive. These teams insist on building from the back urging the centre-backs and the goalkeepers, in particular, to get better at managing the ball. These teams build a habit of breaking the press which needs the players to be available for the pass at the right areas - build the awareness which leads to relevant actions. The biggest of changes is when the ball is lost - they are not only made to press high and fast but also as a team.

Sterling is one of the many players to improve the game under Pep

Once the players are made to train accordingly, the changes are evident - they would be the teams with higher goals scored, increase in the number of interceptions, recoveries and, duels won and be the hardest working teams on the pitch. On a whole, they end up being better football players with an evolved understanding of the game.

Opponent's Reaction

Opponents tend to react in a similar way against these three sides. Accepting that they are inferior at their skills with the ball when compared, most of the opposition chooses to fall back and create lines of defence. This seems like a damage limitation exercise as the setup is an ideal one for a draw. So, the rival’s chances of winning are directly dependent on their capabilities of counters or on the hope of a mistake from these ball-playing teams.

Teams show up with strong defensive lines against Chelsea as they like to be in command with the ball

Though this strategy does work occasionally, the ball-playing teams are getting better at cracking the defences up with each passing day. And once the first goal is registered, a few more follow almost every time.

European Reaction

With better players and tactics, England has the potential to be a powerhouse in European Football in the coming years. The initial signs showed up when Liverpool made it to the Champions League final in 2018 and the footballing style registered across Europe.

The reality is that Premier League clubs earn the highest which should make it easier, and they are now able to compete with the European elite in Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern and PSG with a real identity and driving results.

Klopp and Pep have lighted up Europe with their play

This is in stark contrast to the EPL clubs’ performances a few years ago.

At the end of it, as a lover of the game, it is beautiful to watch these masters engineering spaces, presses, runs and goals on such a consistent basis. There’s hardly any time wasting as the teams love to have the ball at their feet. The game in Premier League is manoeuvred to a more proactive state and there’s no one more at an advantage than the viewer itself.