Premier League Tactical Preview: West Ham to win at Old Trafford

Werner & Havertz can expose Bielsa's man-marking

Leeds United v Chelsea
Saturday, 12:30
Live on BT Sport 1

Leeds are most vulnerable this season when holding the majority of possession, which is largely because Marcelo Bielsa wants to play an expansive system with multiple moving parts - and that invariably leaves gaps in unusual places for opponents to exploit. However, the same issues tend to play out if the opponent has direct runners who can take advantage of Bielsa's man-to-man marking system in open play.

Arsenal's 4-2 win over Leeds was the best example of this, while Aston Villa and West Ham United both won thanks to their most direct and dribbling attackers. Consequently Thomas Tuchel should be able to put extra emphasis on verticality and line-breaking runs, parking the slower possession game in favour of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.

Havertz was very good against Everton, creating both goals with his sharp movement as a false nine; he dropped deep or span in behind with equal dexterity, creating space for other with his intelligent positional play. Along with Werner's runs, this should give Chelsea enough to pull those man-marking Leeds defenders out of shape.

Contrasting styles should bring entertaining NLD

Arsenal v Tottenham
Sunday, 16:30
Live on Sky Sports Main Event

Given the upturn in form at both clubs it is hard to predict which way this match will swing, but there is plenty of evidence it will be an entertaining game with goals at both ends. First, Arsenal have emerged as a surprisingly direct team, with Mikel Arteta looking to cut vertical passes through to attacking players that prefer to play on the half-turn.

Normally, this would probably be blunted by a Jose Mourinho low block, but recent Tottenham performances have been more expansive and free-form in attack. The addition of Gareth Bale has provided balance on the flanks, taking pressure away from Heung-Min Son and creating space for him to flourish, while Bale's movement between the lines gives Spurs an out-ball to launch counter-attacks.

Spurs' front three will counter-attack with venom, and consequently will help stretch the pitch for Arsenal to then hit them back with that direct football through Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe, and Bukayo Saka. We should get extended periods of end-to-end action, with both formations pulled a little out of shape.

Moyes' low block ideal to stump Man Utd

Man Utd v West Ham
Sunday, 19:15
Live on Sky Sports Main Event

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's improvisational attacking lines make Manchester United particularly poor at breaking down a low block. Time and time again they struggle to pull the defence apart as midfielders and forwards pass the ball sideways, lacking the tactical detail to enact set plays that force the opponent into uncomfortable positions.

West Ham United are very good at this, of course, and in particular with Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek creating a powerful foundation in the middle of the pitch. These two players will fancy their chances of blocking all routes through to Bruno Fernandes. If Fernandes is kept quiet then Man Utd won't create chances.

At the other end, West Ham's counters might not do much from open play (especially without the ineligible Jesse Lingard) but they should win plenty of dead balls with Michail Antonio running the channels. West Ham have scored more non-penalty set-pieces (14) than any other Premier League team. Man Utd have conceded the third most (10). That is ominous for the hosts.

Jota return may expose small chink in Wolves' armour

Wolves v Liverpool
Monday, 20:00
Live on Sky Sports Main Event

Given how poor Liverpool's form has been, normally it would make sense to assume Wolves' 5-4-1 formation will keep a clean sheet. Nuno Esperito Santo will sit deep to frustrate these confidence-stricken Liverpool attackers, while his back five is the perfect system to negate Jurgen Klopp's: three centre-backs can stay tight to the forwards and the wing-backs have licence to get out to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.

But the return of Diogo Jota gives this game a twist. Klopp, who found some form earlier in the season by switching to a 4-2-4 that shook Liverpool out of their tired patterns, can return to that system again with Jota back on the right. If he picks this system, with Roberto Firmino just behind Mohamed Salah, then the visitors can expose a defensive issue developing on the outside of Wolves' centre-backs.

Against Manchester City and Newcastle United they left surprisingly large gaps between their outside centre-backs and wing-backs. They were regularly pulled out of position by more direct dribblers, opening a space that is usually slammed shut when Wolves are in form. With Jota and Sadio Mane cutting infield to ghost into these spaces, and with Firmino and Salah supporting, Liverpool could overwhelm the inside channels with bodies to expose a developing flaw in Nuno's formation.