The first variation, with Cejudo attacking the space in front of Risdon.

There were two new variations which Western Sydney introduced, culminating in what some would describe as a masterclass in wide combinations. When Risdon was on the ball, Zullo would move towards him to apply pressure.

When this happened, Cejudo engaged in an inside-out movement behind the left-back and into the space left behind. This 2v1 situation was a viable method of penetration and often resulted in Cejudo having time and space behind the opposition back four.

Cejudo’s movement was generally covered by the nearest centre-back, which opened up space for Roly Bonevacia to move into provided Oriol Riera took the opposite centre-back in the other direction, as shown above.

A variation where Risdon acted as an inverted full-back.

There were times when Cejudo maintained his width, and would often receive the ball in wide areas. In these circumstances, Risdon would act in a completely different manner, engaging in behaviour consistent with a typical inverted full-back.

Aiming to attack the half-space (as highlighted above), Zullo looked to exploit the area between opponents in a position which was unclear in terms of defensive responsibility. This allowed Risdon to get in behind Zullo and create goal-scoring opportunities on a regular basis. Melbourne Victory’s successes were obviously identified by Western Sydney and taken a whole lot further, with two distinct variations adding further ways to break down Sydney’s defensive block.

Conclusion

A drawn Sydney Derby that could’ve gone either way was high on atmosphere and provided interesting viewing from a tactical perspective, as Western Sydney expanded upon previous approaches to take advantage of Sydney FC’s weaknesses in their defensive scheme.

This result, in combination with the goals conceded in earlier rounds, may well provoke Arnold into changing the way his side defends. If they are to stand any chance of winning a second championship in a row, it may be their only option. 

Nathan Muir is an Australian tactical analyst and coach. You can contact him on Facebook @NathanMuirFootball or on Twitter @NathanKMuir.