Thore Haugstad uses Stats Zone to analyse how various tactical tinkerers got on this weekend
Tactical variation can provide the element of surprise that tips a game in your favour – or at least that was the hope among several managers who spent the weekend yanking rabbits from hats. Several teams veered from their default systems, among them Tottenham and Middlesbrough, who secured satisfying draws at Arsenal and Manchester City respectively. But experimentation brought only disaster for Everton, who lost 5-0 to Chelsea, and Watford, hammered 6-1 by Liverpool.