The De Zerbi tweak that saw Brighton outwit Ten Hag and Manchester United

Tactical changes are often associated with switches in shape — a back three becoming a back four, say, or a midfield three turning into a diamond. However, it’s not exclusive to that.

Shapes are a way of explaining the positioning of the players on the pitch in simple terms. The dynamic of how a team operates within a given shape is another dimension — two identical formations could attack and defend in different ways depending on the movement of the players concerned with and without the ball.

A tactical adjustment could be a switch in strategy within the same shape, using the same players, by introducing different types of movements or occupying different spaces. Brighton & Hove Albion’s latest win against Manchester United is yet another example of how tactical changes can occur in different ways.

Limited by the non-availability of his wingers, Erik ten Hag’s United entered the game at Old Trafford yesterday in a different formation, moving away from their regular 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 to play a diamond in midfield, with Bruno Fernandes operating at its forward tip, behind Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund:

Within that shape, United wanted to press Brighton’s 2-2 build-up using only three players, to allow themselves a free man in defence. The idea was for Hojlund or Rashford to press whichever Brighton centre-back had the ball, while blocking the passing lane to one of the midfielders as Fernandes pressed the other one.

Here, Hojlund is pressing Lewis Dunk while blocking the passing lane to Mahmoud Dahoud, allowing Fernandes and Rashford to press Pascal Gross and Jan Paul van Hecke respectively, without worrying about Dahoud:

With limited passing options, Dunk plays a ball to Van Hecke…

…who is immediately pressed by Rashford with Fernandes marking Gross just outside the penalty area. Further wide, Christian Eriksen, the left midfielder in the diamond, is in a position to press Joel Veltman…

…which is what happens when Van Hecke moves the ball on to his fellow Dutchman, playing as Brighton’s right-back.

As customary with Brighton’s build-up, Danny Welbeck drops alongside Adam Lallana to support, followed by United centre-back Lisandro Martinez. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pitch, Scott McTominay moves inside to help United’s pressing as Brighton couldn’t reach their left-back, Tariq Lamptey, from this position by using only one pass:

Under pressure, Veltman tries to find Simon Adingra down the line, but Martinez intercepts:

In our next example, the angle from which Hojlund is pressing Van Hecke means the central defender can’t play the ball forward to Dahoud.

As a result, Rashford and Fernandes can press Dunk and Gross without worrying about a pass to the German midfielder. A couple of lines beyond them, Martinez is sticking tight to Welbeck…

…making it a three-versus-three situation on the far side of the pitch when Van Hecke plays the ball to Gross. This pass triggers a press from…