Adrian Clarke looks at trends from the 2019/20 season.
Formation shift
This campaign, 3-4-3 became one of the most fashionable formations.
Wolverhampton Wanderers played in that system 21 times, the most of any side, and Nuno Espirito Santo's success with it inspired other head coaches to follow suit.
Graham Potter sporadically used it at Brighton & Hove Albion, and in the second half of the season Aston Villa, Leicester City and Arsenal all experimented with it too.
In total, 10 different sides tried their luck in a 3-4-3 formation.
Viewed as a positive, attack-minded system, its usage almost doubled from 25 instances in 2018/19 to 48 in 2019/20.
Back in 2015/16, this shape featured in just one Premier League match.
Very much in vogue, 3-4-3 can no longer be considered an unusual tactical shape.
The top six formations
| 2019/20 | Used | From 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|
| 4-2-3-1 | 186 | Up 52 |
| 4-3-3 | 129 | Down 31 |
| 4-4-2 | 123 | Up 25 |
| 3-5-2 | 65 | Up 39 |
| 4-1-4-1 | 53 | Up 3 |
| 3-4-3 | 48 | Up 23 |
Out of favour
In 2018/19, 4-3-3 was the most-used formation, but it dropped to second in the rankings this term.
It remains the first choice for Liverpool and Manchester City, but elsewhere it has fallen out of favour.
At Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer switched to 4-2-3-1, which worked wonderfully well once Bruno Fernandes arrived in January to play in the No 10 role.
And Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has adopted a more flexible approach than his predecessor Maurizio Sarri, who used 4-3-3 in all 38 of his Premier League matches in charge.
Two up top
The popularity of strike partnerships also rose in 2019/20.
Sheffield United remained loyal to the 3-5-2 formation that helped earn them promotion.
Meanwhile, at Goodison Park, Duncan Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti both preferred Everton in a traditional 4-4-2 shape.
The success of the partnership between Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin was arguably their biggest positive in a difficult campaign.
Teams using 4-4-2 the most
| 2019/20 | Times used |
|---|---|
| Burnley | 35 |
| Southampton | 25 |
| AFC Bournemouth | 20 |
| Everton | 18 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 8 |
Using two forwards also proved effective for Burnley and Southampton, helping them finish 10th and 11th respectively.
A more attacking style earned them 15 Premier League wins apiece.
Between them, they improved their points tallies by a combined 27 points on the previous campaign.
It will be fascinating to see if more clubs use two strikers in 2020/21.
Also in this series
Part 1: Season trends: High press more popular than ever
Part 2: Season trends: Tackles tumble behind closed doors
Part 3: Season trends: Quality on rise as midfield takes focus
