Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace manager, has shared his observations about Chelsea after watching them live. Here are some key points ¹:

Chelsea’s Tactics and Style

– Formation: Glasner noted that Chelsea often play in a 3-2-5 or 3-1-6 structure, which gives them numerous possibilities in attack. This flexibility allows them to adapt to different situations and opponents.
– Attacking Players: Glasner highlighted Chelsea’s talented young players, including Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer, and João Félix, who are known for their dribbling skills and ability to find space.
– Midfield Control: Glasner mentioned Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo as key midfielders who provide great passing ability and control.

Challenges for Crystal Palace

– Controlling Chelsea’s Attack: Glasner acknowledged that controlling Chelsea’s attacking players will be a significant challenge for Crystal Palace. He emphasized the need to limit their space and prevent them from creating scoring opportunities.
– Using Space Effectively: Glasner also noted that Crystal Palace will need to use the space effectively and capitalize on Chelsea’s mistakes to create scoring opportunities.

Glasner’s Overall Assessment

– Chelsea’s Strengths: Glasner praised Chelsea’s clear structure, talented squad, and ability to control games with possession and short passes.
– Chelsea’s Weaknesses: He also noted that Chelsea can be vulnerable to transitions, as seen in their game against Ipswich Town, where they lost 2-0 despite having a strong overall performance.

Head-to-Head Matchups

– Previous Encounter: Glasner referenced the 1-1 draw between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where his team showed resilience and adaptability in the second half. He believes that Crystal Palace can learn from that experience and develop strategies to counter Chelsea’s strengths ².