Football writer Adrian Clarke identifies the key players, team tactics and where matches could be won and lost in Matchweek 24.
Team analysis: West Ham United
Graham Potter has not been appointed as a quick fix at West Ham, but a strong second-half showing against Aston Villa has provided early evidence that his tactical tweaks are already making a positive impact.
The new Hammers head coach will need time for all his ideas to become embedded within a squad that was asked to play a very different brand of football under Julen Lopetegui and before that, David Moyes.
But even though results so far have been mixed – one win, one draw and one defeat – it is clear the 49-year-old is working hard behind the scenes to implement a fresh style of play.
No doubt determined to make an impression on his return to Stamford Bridge as an opposition head coach, all eyes will be on Potter’s game plan on Monday evening.
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What is Potter’s preferred formation?
Throughout his management career, Potter has earned a reputation for being a tactical tinkerer.
Never wedded to one way of playing, he is happy to change his formation on a match-by-match basis.
In-game, he has always been partial to one or more shape alterations too.
Over time, he will coach the West Ham players to seamlessly switch from one system to another, but in these early weeks it is important not to overload them with too much information.
He began his spell with the Hammers using 4-2-3-1 at Villa in the FA Cup, and at home to Fulham, but across the last two Premier League matches, against Crystal Palace at home and Villa away, he has started with a 3-4-2-1.
This is how we expect him to line West Ham up in Monday's London derby.
Adventure is being encouraged
Injuries have played their part in Potter's decision-making, but it was still bold of the new head coach to start with a back three that contained just one natural central defender at Villa Park.
Maximilian Kilman was flanked by Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal, both full-backs by trade.
This did cause early problems, and Coufal’s uncertainty in that role was punished early on when Jacob Ramsey surged past him inside the box to score.
After that, we did see both wide centre-backs given freedom to express themselves by Potter.
Cresswell and Coufal were encouraged to push on and link play inside the opposition half, and on occasion they even took up positions right at the top end of the pitch.
In this image below, you can see left-sided centre-back Cresswell (circled) showing for a pass infield, occupying the last line of Villa’s defence.
Potter wants to create overloads, and cause uncertainty by allowing his defensive players to step up at the right moments, even if it means committing seven players to an attack like this one.
This would not have happened under the previous regimes.
The liberated nature of Potter’s philosophy also came to the fore for West Ham’s equaliser at Villa Park.
With eight men joining in the attack, they played the numbers game to good effect, freeing up left wing-back Emerson to pop up unmarked at the far post to score.
Below, you can see how right-sided centre-back Coufal (at the bottom of the image) pushed on to create a decoy overlap, while wing-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka drifted into the box to occupy a Villa defender.
This sense of adventure and freedom will be popular among Hammers fans, and I anticipate their team playing just as enterprisingly at Stamford Bridge.
Better pressing
Sitting back in a low block is not Potter’s style, so it has been good to see him implement tactics that demand pressing at the right times.
West Ham's 3-2 win at home to Fulham was inspired by tenacious closing down, with Carlos Soler and Lucas Paqueta both cashing in on loose passes that were made under duress.
As soon as Paqueta went to press the Cottagers' goalkeeper Bernd Leno, the Hammers worked hard to pin their opponents into a corner, and it prompted a square pass across the box that was finished by Soler for the opener.
West Ham’s third goal that night was triggered by Danny Ings' press on Leno, who presented an open-goal chance for Paqueta that was gratefully received.
As shown below, Potter’s men squeezed up tight man-to-man, but also kept a solid back four in place while that press took place, not leaving themselves unduly exposed.
Potter is encouraging his team to hunt in packs, and you can see they have worked in their training sessions on co-ordinated movements that strike the right balance between risk and reward.
Far more of a mid-block side under their previous two head coaches, the Hammers now appear hell-bent on winning the ball back much higher.
These pressing stats (below) show an immediate rise in the number of turnovers they are creating.
West Ham's pressing 24/25
| Pressing per 90 | First 20 games | Last three games |
| Possession won in final third | 3.8 | 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Final-third pressures resulting in turnover | 9.3 | 12 |
| Pressures resulting in turnover | 22.95 | 28.66 |
This bodes well, as the players should, in theory, improve dramatically in this department with even more practice.
Hammers midfielder Edson Alvarez, who often sat deep and was relatively passive under Lopetegui, made 32 pressures against Villa compared with his season average of 18.
A new role for Paqueta
Injury problems have forced Potter's hand to some degree, but it has been fascinating to see Lucas Paqueta asked to play as a false nine in two of their last three matches.
The Brazilian playmaker is not ideally suited to this role, but his fighting qualities have impressed.
Paqueta will happily drop off the front and be a dogged first line of defence, he can hold the ball up for his team-mates, and he will press opposition defenders with relish.
In that 3-2 win at home to Fulham, he made an incredible 59 pressures; almost double his season average of 31.93 per 90.
I expect Paqueta to play as one of two inverted support strikers (with Mohammed Kudus the other) when they have a fully fit striker available, but for now he is trusted with that role as the spearhead of their attack.
It would be no surprise if the South American playmaker was a difference maker on Monday night, given he is a quality technician who knows how to finish.
His excellent defending from the front will certainly pose a challenge to a Chelsea side who take risks when playing out from the back.
