Maurizio Sarri brought his Chelsea side to Wembley on Saturday evening unbeaten in the Premier League and left on the receiving end of a tactical masterclass from his opposite number Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentine deployed his Tottenham side in a narrow 4-4-2 diamond formation, which saw Dele Alli stifle Blues playmaker Jorginho and allowed Son Heung-min to wreck havoc in behind David Luiz.
Spurs’ formation ensured that there was no space for their visitors to get their intricate passing game going and exploited the oceans of space left behind when Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso bombed on.
Pochettino is preparing his side for yet another crucial game tonight; anything less than a win against Inter Milan and they will be eliminated from the Champions League.

So does he stick with the weekend formula or look to dream up a new masterplan?
In their 3-0 weekend win over Frosinone, Luciano Spalletti deployed Danilo D’Ambrosio and Kwadwo Asamoah at full-back; so while that aging full-back duo may leave space behind, the fact they only need a draw will likely mean they are not pushing so high up the field.
Inter don’t really have a midfield playmaker like Jorginho to stifle, so perhaps a return to the usual 4-2-3-1 might make sense for Pochettino.
However, there is something to be said for fielding two strikers in a must-win match, as well as sticking with a winning formula. Pochettino’s decision could shape the game.
Receive weekly football news and updates to your mailbox
