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The Premier League Did Not Stop Pressing. Teams Learned to Avoid the Press.
A goalkeeper places the ball down for a goal-kick. Ahead of him, the opposition are waiting. The striker blocks one passing lane. A winger positions himself to jump towards the full-back. Midfielders stand ready behind them, hoping the first pass will give the signal for the entire team to move forward. A few years ago,…
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Has the Premier League’s Possession Era Given Way to Direct Football?
For much of the past decade, Premier League football has been defined by one dominant idea: control the ball, control the match. From Pep Guardiola’s positional play to the growing influence of build-up structures across the league, possession became more than a statistic. It became a philosophy. Goalkeepers were expected to initiate attacks, centre-backs split…