Saturday 3 December 2016 12:04, UK
Each week Danny Higginbotham analyses the key tactical battles in the big Premier League clashes live on Sky Sports. Here, he takes a look at why the wings will be key when table-toppers Chelsea travel to Manchester City on Saturday lunchtime.
Chelsea have won their last seven and only conceded one goal. But attacking-wise, they've been very good, too.
Everyone talks about the front three of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Pedro, but for me the wing backs have been absolutely crucial for the way Chelsea play.
The front three will play quite narrow a lot of the time. The problem the opposition full-backs then have is - because Chelsea's forwards are creating a 3 v 2 against the centre-backs - they have to go narrow to give support.
That's when Chelsea's two wing-backs come in. Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso are having so much time on the ball to dictate play and do what they want to do.
On the defensive side, if the wing-backs are caught out, central midfielders N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic have no problem whatsoever of taking Moses' and Alonso's position out wide when they're up the field and Chelsea lose the ball. The recovery run of the wing-backs is then into those areas vacated by Matic or Kante.
It's been outstanding. They attack with a five, they defend with a five. The system suits all the players and we know it is Conte's favoured system.
On the other side, we've seen this season Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is not afraid to change his system.
We saw last week at Stamford Bridge Tottenham looked like they were setting up in a 4-2-3-1 but it was actually a 4-1-4-1 against Chelsea with Victor Wanyama sitting in front of the defence, giving others the licence to go forward. That's a system which could counter the way Chelsea like to play - and one City may use.
It gives you 2 v 1s in the wide areas, with Raheem Sterling and Bacary Sagna attacking Alonso, and Nolito and Gael Clichy getting at Moses.
You then need to commit men forward and get players into the box.
John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi and Fernandinho are the insurance policy, giving licence for Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne to get into the box. Chelsea centre-backs Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta are then occupied in the box - but they could also be outnumbered if City's opposite winger to where the ball is coming from gets into the area as well.
The wings are going to be key for both teams and it promises to be an interesting and intriguing game.
A lot of the squads at the top of the Premier League are similar in ability - it's the tactical tweaks the managers make which could make the difference in the big games.
We'll see who comes out on top this time live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 11.30am on Saturday.
