Football
How possession became a dangerous game in the Premier League
Possession is defined as “having, owning or controlling” and perhaps that last word best sums up the philosophy in football: if you have possession, you have control. “Maybe one day they will change the rules,” Pep Guardiola once said with a smile. “But I think to score a goal you need the ball.”
Yet in the Premier League this season there is growing evidence that the teams who really have control are the ones without the ball. They are the ones lulling their opponents into a false sense of security, who can pickpocket at any moment, who can turn a tackle on the halfway line into a shot on target in seconds.
We have seen the signs over recent months: Nottingham Forest’s rapid breaks; Bournemouth’s high press; Manchester City’s crumbling passing game. Counterattacking is an age-old ploy but its newfound success is striking.