September is a rainy season in Manchester.
It had been overcast in the morning, and by noon, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.
Ancelotti stood atop the visiting team's technical area, watching the fine raindrops and the wet pitch, and couldn't help but curse internally, "Damn weather!"
As an Italian, he still couldn't get used to the British climate.
What made him even more uncomfortable was Manchester City's tactics for the match.
Gao Shen had actually deployed a 4-3-2-1 formation.
Yes, Ancelotti's signature tactic—the Christmas tree!
It was truly surprising. No one expected Gao Shen to adopt this style of play.
Even Ancelotti was stunned at first glance.
But once the match kicked off, he realized that the Chinese version of the Christmas tree was different from the one grown in Italy.
Manchester City lineup:
Goalkeeper: Neuer.
Defenders: Leighton Baines, David Luiz, Kompany, and Zabaleta.
Midfielders: Henderson, Fernandinho, and Yaya Touré playing deeper, with Hazard and De Bruyne pushing forward.
Forward: Robin van Persie.
In contrast, Ancelotti used a 4-3-3.
Chelsea lineup:
Goalkeeper: Cech.
Defenders: Ashley Cole, Alex, Terry, and Ivanović.
Midfielders: Ramires, Mikel, and Essien.
Forwards: Malouda, Drogba, and Anelka.
Interestingly, the two had essentially switched styles.
Ancelotti adopted the 4-3-3 formation that Gao Shen was known for, while Gao Shen used the Christmas tree that made Ancelotti famous.
This was something new.
Ancelotti knew his decision to use 4-3-3 stemmed from Lampard's absence.
But why had Gao Shen opted for a Christmas tree?
Ancelotti speculated that it was probably to conserve energy ahead of the midweek Champions League clash.
So core players like Gareth Bale, Suárez, Robben, David Silva, and Rakitić were all left out.
With Manchester City's current squad depth, Gao Shen had the confidence to do so.
But the question was: could this setup beat Chelsea?
…
In world football today, no one knows the 4-3-2-1 formation better than Ancelotti.
The formation had three main strengths. First, it covered the area in front of the penalty box and put pressure on opponents entering the final third, forcing them to attempt long-range shots.
Second, with three attacking players up front, it allowed for layered counterattacks that could exploit gaps in the opposition's defense.
Third, the attacking trio forced opposing teams to maintain a four-man back line to prevent being overrun during counterattacks.
Why?
Because without enough defenders, it was easy to be exposed by the Christmas tree's layered attacks.
Some might ask, is this system flawless?
Not at all. It has plenty of weaknesses—perhaps more than strengths.
The first issue is that the team often sits deep. It is essentially a defensive counterattacking system. Ancelotti had used it at AC Milan because his aging backline couldn't handle playing high.
But sitting deep meant that when transitioning from defense to attack, the team was far from goal.
Understand?
That's why Kaka thrived in this system—his strengths were maximized.
Also, while the 4-3-2-1 looks like a four-line formation, if the players' positioning isn't tight, it can easily split into a 4-3 and a 2-1, causing a disconnect between attack and defense.
And most importantly, it lacks width. The play is always funneled through the middle.
Look closely, and you'll see how this system perfectly fit that AC Milan side.
On one hand, they had an aging squad. On the other, they lacked wide players, but had someone like Kaka who could drive forward at pace.
So, the question is: why is Gao Shen using the Christmas tree?
He clearly has quality wingers and mobile central defenders. There's no reason for him to rely on this narrow setup.
The answer quickly became clear.
Gao Shen's version didn't sit deep like Ancelotti's at AC Milan. Instead, it pushed high.
The key was to disrupt Chelsea's midfield and attack, compressing their passing space.
Defensively, Manchester City had Henderson, Fernandinho, and Yaya Touré—three workhorses who excelled at covering ground, pressing, and physical duels.
Ahead of them were Hazard and De Bruyne.
These two young Belgians maintained central defensive positions but would drift wide during transitions, freeing up the middle for Yaya Touré to attack.
A high Christmas tree can be broken with quick wingers.
But the problem was Ancelotti had Anelka and Malouda—neither particularly quick or great at one-on-one dribbling.
Another option was to play through Drogba, using his physicality to win battles up top.
But Gao Shen had assigned Kompany to man-mark Drogba specifically.
Drogba was still a powerhouse, but at 32, his physical condition was in decline. He had been adjusting his game in recent seasons. Kompany, on the other hand, was 24 and at his physical peak.
So, when the game began, it was clear that Kompany's job was to stay glued to Drogba.
It was reminiscent of the days when Drogba bullied Arsenal center-back Senderos.
The difference now was that after a few duels, Drogba realized he had no edge over Kompany.
In strength, he was matched. In speed, Kompany wasn't slow either. In off-the-ball movement, Kompany kept up—and Drogba was burning more energy in the process.
In the end, Ancelotti painfully realized that he had no answer for Gao Shen's meat-grinder Christmas tree.
On the contrary, it was Manchester City's midfield—particularly the trio of defensive midfielders—that dominated from the start. The fluent passing Chelsea had shown in earlier matches was broken up entirely.
Essien, hailed by fans for his improved passing and distribution this season, was completely shut down.
Ancelotti knew full well: when there's space, even a former goalkeeper could look like a playmaker.
The key was how much space there was.
But being a true playmaker meant being able to receive and distribute under pressure.
Essien simply wasn't at that level.
Nor was Ramires.
…
In the 27th minute of the first half, Chelsea tried to advance but were met with Manchester City's high pressing. The ball eventually fell to Ramires.
Just as Ramires tried to control it, Yaya Touré stormed in from behind, used his strength to shove Ramires aside, and stole the ball before he had settled it.
After dispossessing him, Yaya Touré drove forward on the counter.
Hazard and De Bruyne both drifted wide, with De Bruyne closer to the ball.
Yaya Touré crossed the halfway line and, before Mikel could close him down, passed it forward to Van Persie.
City's players surged forward, while Chelsea's defense scrambled to retreat.
As they ran, Van Persie lingered between Terry and Alex. Yaya Touré's pass was perfectly placed at Van Persie's feet. The Dutch striker controlled it, spun around at the top of the arc, and struck left-footed.
The ball rocketed toward the left side of Chelsea's goal, grazing the post before slamming into the net.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"Van Persie! Van Persie!"
The Etihad erupted as Manchester City fans roared with delight.
"What a touch!"
"Van Persie opens the scoring for Manchester City!"
"And it all started with that steal and counterattack from Yaya Touré."
"You can see both players are thriving in this advanced tactical setup."
Van Persie sprinted to the sidelines, celebrating wildly, eventually sliding on his knees in front of the home fans.
On the visitors' bench, Ancelotti looked deflated.
He hadn't expected Gao Shen to face Chelsea like this.
This was an upgraded version of the Christmas tree.
There's no such thing as a perfect tactic. Only the most suitable one.
And Gao Shen had clearly found the best setup to face Chelsea.
…
In the second half, Ancelotti made a change in the 60th minute.
Zhirkov came on for Mikel.
This was a clear sign that Chelsea wanted to attack down the flanks.
Gao Shen responded quickly, pushing Hazard and De Bruyne wider.
Manchester City suddenly shifted into a 4-3-3, with Hazard and De Bruyne pinning back Chelsea's full-backs.
Henderson and Yaya Touré continued to provide cover for the flanks and support the full-backs.
Gao Shen saw right through Ancelotti's plan. He knew the Italian wanted to exploit the wings.
City's adjustments were perfectly timed.
Although Chelsea managed to create two dangerous attacks, only one truly tested the goal.
Neuer reacted brilliantly, diving to his side to deny Anelka's far-post effort.
He didn't just parry it. He caught it clean.
The German goalkeeper's outstanding save drew warm applause from the crowd.
In the 70th minute, Gao Shen made his first substitution, replacing Henderson with David Silva.
The change immediately made an impact.
Hazard received the ball on the left and took on Ivanović one-on-one. He drove into the box and tried to square it across the middle. Alex got a touch to it first, but Yaya Touré latched onto the clearance and fired a shot just over the bar.
But it gave Gao Shen insight into Chelsea's vulnerability in front of their penalty area.
With Mikel off the pitch, neither Essien nor Ramires could effectively shield the backline.
That gave Manchester City a real opportunity.
(To be continued.)
***
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