Tottenham Vs Southampton — Tactical Analysis — FA Cup 2020

Introduction — Team Structures — Defense & Offense

Spurs Lined up in a 5–3–2 defensively:

— — — — — — — — — Son — — — Moura — — — — — — —

— — — — Winks — — — — Dier — — — — Ndombele — —

Sessegnon — Tanganga — Vertogen — Aldeirweld — Aurier

Above is how Spurs structured themselves out of possession. When Spurs entered the high block they had more flexibility from their wingbacks to help press further up the field or narrow if SOU inverted their wide midfielders as they like to do. Also, when Spurs stepped up out of their third and higher into the midfield third as well as the opponents third their midfielders would seperate into two horizontal lines rather than a flat three.

SOU defended in a 4–2–2–2 shape:

— — — — — — — — — Ings — — — Long — — — — — — — — —

— — — Redmond — — — — — — — — — — Boufal — — — — —

— — — — — — — — Hojbjerg — — Romeu — — — — — — — —

— — — Bertrand— — Bednarek — — — Stephens — —Prowse —

Southampton commonly set wide pressing traps for Tottenham and looked to control the midfield three with their narrow positioning from their wide midfielders. Their structure helped them a lot spatially with controlling the Spurs holding midfielder, but going forward defending with 2 CBs against 2 STs ran the risk of the CBs getting disconnected and…