{"id":460548,"date":"2026-02-10T17:38:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T17:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/460548\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T17:38:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T17:38:13","slug":"deciphering-the-premier-leagues-block-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/460548\/","title":{"rendered":"Deciphering the Premier League\u2019s block party"},"content":{"rendered":"

A certain vintage of football fans might turn their nose up at the ever-changing football lexicon, but when discussing a team\u2019s out-of-possession approach, we are now firmly in an era of\u2026 the block.<\/p>\n

Previously, a defensive team looking to frustrate an opponent might be referred to as \u201csitting deep\u201d, but the early noughties saw Jose Mourinho introduce the phrase \u2018parking the bus\u2019\u00a0when describing a compact shape without the ball.<\/p>\n

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot\u2019s continued frustration of coming up against a \u201clow block\u201d has rippled through the Premier League after becoming a theme in the downfall of their title-defending season.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo create chances against a low block, you need pace, individual special moments to create an overload,\u201d Slot said at the start of January.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t see a lot of 15-20-pass goals against low blocks. Another way is to create a counter-attack or win the ball high up the pitch when they want to bring the ball out from the back.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Slot\u2019s measure, overcoming an opposition \u201clow block\u201d can be achieved by having a coherent \u201chigh block\u201d yourselves \u2014 leading to more high regains, which traditionalists might prefer to term as simply \u201cclosing the opposition down\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (Ben Stansall\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

You get the picture.<\/p>\n

While they might now be executed with greater physical intensity and tactical accuracy, we have seen these defensive set-ups for decades. Terms might change, but the principles have largely been the same.<\/p>\n

What is different is our ability to measure these out-of-possession approaches at scale with sharper tools. Using SkillCorner\u2019s \u201cphases of play\u201d model \u2014 which extracts contextual metrics from broadcast tracking \u2014 we can break down each facet of the game when a team does not have the ball.<\/p>\n

Here, we distinguish between three key blocks. A \u2018high block\u2019 sees a team engaging with the opposition when they have the ball in their own defensive third. A \u2018mid block\u2019 is denoted by the average position of the deepest three defensive players being within the middle third. Finally, a \u2018low block\u2019 is denoted by the average position of the deepest three defensive players being within their own defensive third.<\/p>\n

Manchester City\u2019s 23 per cent of time spent in a high block is the largest share in the Premier League, edging ahead of title rivals Arsenal and struggling Brighton & Hove Albion (20 per cent).<\/p>\n

Oliver Glasner\u2019s Crystal Palace have the highest share of time spent in a mid block (44 per cent), while newly-promoted Sunderland are the most likely to fall back into a low block (30 per cent).<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

City\u2019s share of time spent in a high defensive block is hardly surprising when considering their in-possession style that still hinges \u2014 albeit less than in previous years \u2014 on territorial dominance.<\/p>\n

However, their defensive approach goes beyond simply counterpressing when they lose possession. Since Guardiola\u2019s assistant Pep Lijnders arrived this summer, City have been more measured in how they squeeze the pitch, with certain triggers to lock onto the opposition during build-up, including loose or backwards passes.<\/p>\n

An example of this can be seen during their home game against Brighton at the start of January. As Lewis Dunk collects the ball from the corner of the pitch, City push up their high block and go man-for-man to cut off any passing options \u2014 with Erling Haaland staying central between the width of the goal frame.<\/p>\n

Dunk\u2019s long ball is immediately cut out by defensive midfielder Nico Gonzalez, who releases Haaland with a first-time pass as City regain possession high up the field.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

This pattern was almost identical for City\u2019s second goal in their recent away game against Tottenham Hotspur. Similar to the example above, right-back Matheus Nunes has gone all the way into the final third to man-mark the opposition forward, with all options cut off by City\u2019s player-for-player press.<\/p>\n

Radu Dragusin\u2019s hopeful ball is intercepted by Rodri, who swiftly releases into a similar space for Bernardo Silva to square the ball to Antoine Semenyo, who finishes past Guglielmo Vicario.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

While Slot\u2019s comments suggest that teams are spending more time defending deeper this season, there is no evidence to suggest that a higher share of out-of-possession time is spent in a low block.<\/p>\n

Perhaps his grievance lies more in the growing efficiency of the division\u2019s defensive units, with a compactness that leaves fewer opportunities for forward-thinking players to flex their attacking muscles.<\/p>\n

Using SkillCorner\u2019s data, we can map the average height and width (in metres) of each side\u2019s defensive structure when playing in a low block. By this measure, high-flying Sunderland are not only the most active in their share of time in a deeper shape, but are the most compact when scaling the average area of that low block.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Sunderland\u2019s home form has been particularly strong, being one of only six sides in Europe\u2019s top five leagues to be undefeated in their own stadium \u2014 an exclusive list that includes Napoli, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.<\/p>\n

Part of that success has been built on solid defensive foundations, with only Arsenal and Manchester City (eight) having conceded fewer at home than their nine goals at the Stadium of Light.<\/p>\n

Regis Le Bris\u2019s side started the season with a back-four system but introduced a back-five set-up at the end of October, with Sunderland able to switch between the two formations depending on the strengths of the opposition \u2014 not unlike the success that Brentford had upon their promotion under Thomas Frank in 2021.<\/p>\n

As shown below against Burnley, a compact 5-4-1 is both narrow in width and tight in depth \u2014 leaving no space to play through and forcing the opponent into wide areas.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

With their forwards dropping in to support the cause defensively, Le Bris has previously batted away concerns that this can lead to greater bluntness in attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you think that every phase is important for the outcome of a game, confidence can be built through this defensive shape,\u201d Le Bris said in late December<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur forwards, our wingers are really important in this part of the game, even if they can often use their energy. They are doing really well so far. Obviously, you need good centre-backs and a strong goalkeeper and so on, but it is a great team effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

By contrast, it makes sense that Bournemouth are the least compact when defending in a low block. Their relentless press has subsided a little since last year, but Andoni Iraola\u2019s side still look to get touch-tight to their opposite number rather than sit back and give up territory by camping on the edge of their own box.<\/p>\n

This was shown in their recent away trip to Wolves. Here, Alex Jimenez (playing as a right forward) drops in to form a back five out of possession, but Bournemouth\u2019s coverage across the pitch is notably wider as the cross comes in \u2014 with the depth spanning from the edge of the penalty area to Evanilson on the edge of the centre circle.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Bournemouth\u2019s results have picked up in recent weeks, but their style will always have more of a chaotic style, as their manager confesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we are quite proactive with the ball and without the ball,\u201d Iraola said in a recent interview<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNormally, our games are quite open; we are one of the teams who score more goals and one of the teams that receive more goals. I would like to score more than we receive, but I feel we are closer to a result if we are always a threat to the opposition.\u201d<\/p>\n

A second theme of Slot\u2019s frustrations has been the volume of long balls his side have had to face this season. With teams becoming increasingly proficient at man-for-man pressing during opposition build-up, there is a greater tendency for opponents to bypass the press altogether with balls over the top when working the ball out of defence.<\/p>\n

That is borne out in the numbers, with only Arsenal facing a higher share of time out of possession defending direct balls, defined as a pass of 32-plus metres without being a switch of play.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

How these two teams deal with such directness is interesting.<\/p>\n

On the surface, the numbers look strong for Liverpool, who have the highest aerial success rate in their defending half thanks to the commanding presence of centre-backs Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk. However, Liverpool struggled with their ability to win second balls in the first half of the season<\/a> \u2014 conceding lucrative chances after failing to secure possession after the ball ran free.<\/p>\n

Every aerial duel must be followed by a second ball, and Arsenal\u2019s physical capabilities extend to the remaining part of the sequence.<\/p>\n

Knowing that teams are more likely to go long, Mikel Arteta\u2019s side are less suffocating in their high press compared with previous seasons \u2014 but they know they can wear teams down in other ways. Picking up on second balls and preventing the opposition from gaining territory from a single long pass is a key part of Arteta\u2019s attritional approach.<\/p>\n

An example of this can be seen in their recent game with Leeds United. A long ball from Karl Darlow sees William Saliba win the first contact, but the crucial anticipatory action is from Declan Rice, who controls the loose ball and secures possession to begin another Arsenal wave of attack. A single direct ball only plays further into the hands of the away side.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

The Premier League has experienced a paradigm shift that is notably bigger than previous seasons. Some teams are evolving, others are doubling down, but the agricultural, out-of-possession component of the game feels more important than ever.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, we now have the instruments to measure the differences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A certain vintage of football fans might turn their nose up at the ever-changing football lexicon, but when…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":460549,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[463,13931,3522,8917,35420,35421,464,2640,25461,17717,12765,3450,4896,3788,9870,2732,1084,403,99,24843,4899,8323,4041],"class_list":["post-460548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-arsenal","tag-aston-villa","tag-bournemouth","tag-brentford","tag-brighton-hove-albion","tag-burnley","tag-chelsea","tag-crystal-palace","tag-everton","tag-fulham","tag-leeds-united","tag-liverpool","tag-manchester-city","tag-manchester-united","tag-newcastle-united","tag-nottingham-forest","tag-premier-league","tag-soccer","tag-sports","tag-sunderland","tag-tottenham-hotspur","tag-west-ham-united","tag-wolverhampton-wanderers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=460548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460548\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/460549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=460548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=460548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=460548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}