Premier League · Manager Fabian Hürzeler · Nominal 4-2-3-1 (Opta team sheet)
Sample: last 5 league matches — v Aston Villa 4-0, @ Chelsea 3-4, v Leeds 1-1, @ Coventry 5-0, v Arsenal 3-0
Build-up5-2 / 6-1
Progression2-5-1
Final third3-7
Rest defence3+1 / 3+2
In possession
attack → · shapes are phase snapshots, not formations
IP · 01
Build-up
5-2 / 6-1
LOWINFERRED6-man first line in 3/5 · per match: 2-4, 6, 6-1, 5-2, 6-1
First line: Boscagli, Dunk, Ayari, Vuskovic and Kadioglu; De Cuyper and Groß next. Ayari drops into the first line; Kadioglu steps inside from right-back.
Own-third passes / match 142.2long 15%goal kicks short 83%
IP · 02
Progression
2-5-1
MEDIUMSTRONGLY INFERRED2-man first line in 2/5 · per match: 2-4-2, 4-3-1, 3-3-3, 1-2-3-1, 2-3-5
1 on the highest line (Gómez).
Middle-third passes / match 279.0into final third / match 39.4
IP · 03
Final third
3-7 · 4 box
MEDIUMSTRONGLY INFERRED3-man first line in 2/5 · per match: 5-4-1, 7-1, 3-6, 3-7, 8
4/5 lanes occupied, width from Boscagli. Box presence: Groß, Gómez, Kostoulas and Yalcouyé.
Box touches / match 30.0crosses 17.4shots 19.0
IP · 04
Rest defence
3+1 / 3+2
MEDIUMSTRONGLY INFERRED3+1 in 2/5, 3+2 in 2/5 · game-state dependent (players shift 10.7m on average when trailing)
Across 142 sustained final-third attacks, Vuskovic, Dunk and Ayari took the ball outside the final third (pooled 2+1). Per match: 3+1, 3+2, 3+1, 2+2, 3+2 — 4 behind the ball in 3/5.
Opp. fast-break shots / match 0.8opp. shots 12.0
Out of possession
positions = where each player makes his defensive actions
First engagements high: Kostoulas 17%, Gómez 15%, De Cuyper 14% of the team's actions in the final 40%. Line structure: insufficient evidence (defensive actions sit where the ball is; no tracking).
PPDA per match 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 10high regains / match 18.2actions in final 40% 28%
Deep defending led by Vuskovic 24%, Boscagli 21%, Dunk 15%. Formation: insufficient evidence.
Def. actions in own third 45%per match 49.2
OOP · 04
Rest offence
1 HIGH
MEDIUMMEASURED15 outlet balls in the sample
Outlet after a deep regain: Kostoulas 22% of the balls played out beyond halfway.
Deep regains / match 29.4played beyond halfway ≤3 passes 10%
Transitions
the first seconds after the ball changes hands
TR · 01
Defensive transition
CONTROLLED COUNTERPRESS
LOWINFERREDpooled 225 losses · mode agrees in 2/5 matches
Controlled counterpress (inferred from thresholds): 45% of losses won back within 5 s, opponent reaches their half within 10 s after 14%. Per match: aggressive counterpress, hybrid, aggressive counterpress, hybrid, retreat-first.
Losses (front 60%) / match 45.0won back ≤5s 45%tactical foul ≤5s 2%
TR · 02
Attacking transition
HYBRID
LOWINFERREDpooled 224 regains · style agrees in 2/5 matches
Hybrid (inferred): first pass forward 29%, long 11%. Forward receptions: Kostoulas, De Cuyper and Yalcouyé. Per match: controlled, hybrid, direct, direct, hybrid.
Regains → final third ≤10s 20%shot ≤15s 4%
Involved — median spot of his actions in the phaseOccupation zone (25th–75th pct)Rarely involved — overall positionForward receptionsLoss not won backLoss won back ≤5s
Tactical phases · Brighton & Hove Albion1 / 2
Tactical phases · 2026/2027
PHASES OF PLAY
Set pieces · Tactical summary
Brighton & Hove Albion
Sample: last 5 league matches — v Aston Villa 4-0, @ Chelsea 3-4, v Leeds 1-1, @ Coventry 5-0, v Arsenal 3-0
Set pieces
goal at the top · corners shown from the right
SP · 01
Corners for
FAR POST
MEDIUMMEASURED
Deliveries: near post 27% · centre 19% · far post 54%; 4% played short.
Corners / match 5.4shots from corners 10goals 2
SP · 02
Corners against
1ST CONTACT 50%
MEDIUMMEASUREDmarking scheme: UNVERIFIED
Win the first contact on 50% of corners against. Event data can't show the marking scheme — the dots show where they clear it.
Corners against / match 4.6shots conceded / match 3.0
SP · 03
Free kicks for
CROSS
MEDIUMMEASURED
Of 18 free kicks in the final 40%: 10 crossed, 6 short, 0 shot direct.
Set-piece shots / match 4.0from these FKs 9
SP · 04
Free kicks against
10 FACED
LOWMEASURED
10 opposition free kicks in the final 40%; 3 led to a shot within 12 s.
Set-piece shots conceded / match 3.6
Involved — median spot of his actions in the phaseOccupation zone (25th–75th pct)Rarely involved — overall positionForward receptionsDelivery → shot / contact wonNo shotOpp. delivery
Tactical summary
phase map · confidence · evidence
Phase
Structure
Recurrence
Confidence
Evidence
Game state
Build-up
5-2 / 6-1
6-man first line 3/5
LOW
INFERRED
game-state dependent (players shift 9.3m on average when trailing)
Progression
2-5-1
2-man first line 2/5
MEDIUM
STRONGLY INFERRED
game-state dependent (players shift 11.0m on average when trailing)
Final third
3-7
3-man first line 2/5
MEDIUM
STRONGLY INFERRED
game-state dependent (players shift 9.9m on average when trailing)
Rest defence
3+1 / 3+2
4 behind in 3/5
MEDIUM
STRONGLY INFERRED
game-state dependent (players shift 10.7m on average when trailing)
High press
PPDA 7.3 · formation n/a
pooled
LOW
MEASURED
not tested
Mid block
insufficient evidence
pooled
LOW
MEASURED
not tested
Low block
insufficient evidence
pooled
LOW
MEASURED
not tested
Rest offence
1 high
15 outlet balls
MEDIUM
MEASURED
not tested
Defensive transition
controlled counterpress
2/5 matches agree
LOW
INFERRED
not tested
Attacking transition
hybrid
2/5 matches agree
LOW
INFERRED
not tested
Set pieces
corners mostly far post
27 corners
MEDIUM
MEASURED
not tested
Match sample
opponent context from the Opta feed
Date
Opponent
H/A
Score
Pass share
Nominal (Opta)
Opp. PPDA
Reds for/against
Game-state minutes
2026-08-23
Aston Villa
H
4-0
72%
4-2-3-1 v 4-2-3-1
26.8
0/1
level 8′, leading 93′
2026-08-30
Chelsea
A
3-4
74%
4-2-3-1 v 3-4-2-1
30.1
0/0
level 4′, trailing 94′
2026-09-05
Leeds
H
1-1
67%
4-2-3-1 v 3-5-2
15.8
0/0
level 37′, trailing 59′
2026-09-13
Coventry
A
5-0
69%
4-2-3-1 v 3-4-2-1
49.4
0/1
level 36′, leading 62′
2026-09-19
Arsenal
H
3-0
40%
4-2-3-1 v 4-2-3-1
15.1
0/0
level 31′, leading 67′
Limitations
No tracking / freeze-frame data: positions are where players take part on the ball, not off-ball spacing.
Out-of-possession formations cannot be read from event data (actions sit at the ball) — reported as insufficient evidence.
5 matches: game-state splits compare player displacement; late-game (75'+) splits are too small to report.
Corner in/out-swing and marking schemes are not in the feed (UNVERIFIED).
Transition labels are threshold classifications calibrated on a small set of teams.
Sources & method
Opta event data (every on-ball event, x/y, qualifiers)
Match data: fixture list, crest, club colour, manager
Shapes = median on-ball location per player per phase; lines by optimal 1-D k-means
Confidence = agreement of single matches with the pooled structure + sample size
