Wide men central to Stamford Bridge derby

An inspired second-half comeback ensured Tottenham Hotspur’s last visit to Chelsea ended in a heartbreaking defeat and confirmed Leicester City as Premier League champions.

Almost seven months on Mauricio Pochettino’s men return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and tactics expert Adrian Clarke gives us the lowdown on what to expect.  

Wide men will be central figures

Chelsea’s in-form wing-backs, Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso, have earned widespread praise for their attacking influence in recent weeks.

In the last four Premier League matches, Diego Costa is the only Chelsea player to have attempted more shots than the rejuvenated Moses. It is a surprising statistic and proves the 25-year-old has not just held his width brilliantly, but also driven inside. 

It is no mean feat for someone still learning a new and unfamiliar role.

Alonso is perceived as being far more defensive, and while that is the case, he is also contributing greatly inside the final third.

The former Sunderland defender looks a perfectly suited acquisition by Antonio Conte; he averages 12.3km per-90 minutes and is ranked sixth in the PL for most distance covered.

Chelsea v Spurs full-backs: MW9-12

Tottenham Hotspur’s full-backs are just as instrumental in the opposition half and the contests on the flanks will be engaging to watch.

Playing for a manager who encourages his attacking midfielders to roam infield (see average position map below) the speedy and aggressive pairing of Kyle Walker and Danny Rose are asked to provide the bulk of the width. This has made them hugely important players. 

But having created nine goalscoring chances in his last four PL matches, the suspended Rose will be sorely missed on Saturday evening.

Stand-in Ben Davies is a serious injury doubt, which could mean Jan Vertonghen is shifted across to the left.

Will that impact on Spurs’ balance and hand an advantage to Moses down the right? There is a real danger it could.

Well-timed runs into wide channels crucial 

The downside of playing with adventurous full-backs is that gaps are often left in behind them. Whoever seizes on the open space the quickest and most efficiently will be in the box seat to win.

No team has come close to exploiting them in Chelsea’s last six PL contests, but the best way to stretch the Blues’ three-man rearguard is to switch play instantly or to clip early passes for runners to chase in the wide channels.

Dragging the likes of Gary Cahill, Cesar Azplicueta and David Luiz towards the wings will be Spurs’ aim. The central defenders will not be comfortable there and it will drag the trio apart from another. 

Spurs are excellent at switching play, so if they can pick the right passes fast enough they could taste success.

In terms of running down the sides, South Korea international Son Heung-min is tailor-made to hurt the Blues.

Given a free role away at Arsenal he went past central defender Shkodran Mustafi on the wings with ease on a couple of occasions, and his sharp darts into space beyond West Ham United’s full-backs last weekend also created two late goals.

If he starts, Chelsea must be wary of Son spinning into the channels on turnovers. There are few better players in the division at causing damage from the left side of the box. 

At the other end, Eden Hazard and Pedro are delivering some scintillating football.

Since being asked to play in behind Costa in a 3-4-2-1, Hazard has registered five goals and one assist, while Pedro has delivered two goals and four assists.

Freed from defensive responsibilities inside their own half, as shown below, they have played with enthusiasm.

The problem Spurs face is that Hazard and Pedro are capable of hurting them in between the lines or by running into space beyond. Both are happy to mix things up.

In recent matches, full-backs, centre-backs and central midfielders have all been left a little confused as to who should mark the pair, and that indecision has proved costly for opposing sides.

The answer may be for Spurs to sit deep and play on the counter, but this goes against their natural instincts; they are happiest when pressing high and dominating possession.

To keep Chelsea’s lively front three quiet, the north Londoners face a quandary.

Do they opt for a defensive approach that nullifies their hosts, or do they seek to dominate the play and in turn limit their own influence? If they choose the latter, counter-attacks will be their biggest concern. 

Solidity comes first

Chelsea and Spurs are the best organised Premier League sides without the ball. Scoring against either of them from open play has been exceptionally difficult.

What has been most impressive about Conte’s team is their positional structure. Every individual knows their role and as an XI they uniformly occupy the areas their head coach wants.

When dominating on the front foot they play in a 3-4-3 formation, but as soon as possession is lost they shift seamlessly into a 5-4-1 with men safely tucked in behind the ball. 

Keeping six straight clean sheets proves how adept Chelsea are at reorganising their shape, with midfield men N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic especially helpful when it comes to providing cover.

To stretch and breach them Spurs must shift the ball at speed before the Blues have time to reset.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men have only shipped one goal from open play all season, which shows how resolute they are too. Using their physical strength in midfield to good advantage, they are disciplined and rarely get pulled out of shape.

Final thoughts

Upon studying the form guide, everything points to a tight and hard-fought encounter, but there are three reasons why it makes sense to lean towards Chelsea.

The absence of key defenders Rose and Toby Alderweireld could prove significant, not least with Costa, Hazard and Pedro in such great shape.

With Cahill and Costa extremely strong at set-pieces, Spurs’ fragility from dead-ball situations could also be an issue.

Every goal Pochettino’s men have conceded away from White Hart Lane in the PL this season (four in total) has originated from a corner or free-kick. They have issues with their set-up and marking.

There is also a feeling that Spurs are not playing with the same levels of high intensity that they displayed for much of 2015/16.

Spurs 2015/16 v 2016/17 per 90

While they remain one of the hardest-working teams around, the stats do indicate that an edge has dropped off, and that does not make them quite as difficult to play against.

Right now you cannot say the same about Chelsea. On and off the ball they are producing energetic, well-balanced, nicely controlled football. You have to make them favourites.