Sky Sports’ Adam Bate on why managers are searching for ‘half spaces’ and how it affects tactics

The importance of space can be overlooked. There is a tendency to describe matches in terms of individual battles but in this season’s Premier League the search for space has been key.

Antonio Conte’s Chelsea are on course to win the title thanks in large part to the head coach’s success in using a 3-4-3 formation to unleash Eden Hazard.

While 4-4-2 was the default shape in English football going into the Premier League era, clubs such as Arsenal later exploited space by using Dennis Bergkamp in in a deeper role or Thierry Henry drifting wide.

Antonio Conte's system at Chelsea has allowed Eden Hazard to shine

In his first spell at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho used Claude Makelele at the base of a midfield triangle to plug the space in front of his own defence and also to pose problems for the 4-4-2.

The reaction to these changes brought about the rise of 4-2-3-1, with the aim of freeing up the creative player in the No 10 role, such as Mesut Ozil drifting around between the lines for Arsenal.

The problem is that this central area can become congested, particularly with many teams playing with two holding midfielders.

Arsenal's Mesut Ozil is a classic example of a modern No 10

So where is the space against the 4-2-3-1 set-up?

Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation finds that space by getting the wide forwards into positions that are difficult to deal with.

That is particularly good news for Hazard and it is no coincidence that the Belgian has emerged again as arguably the Premier League’s best player.

Chelsea's average team shape in their 3-1 win v Arsenal shows Eden Hazard (10) as the most advanced

Conte switched formation for various reasons, not least defensive stability, but it has had the effect of freeing Hazard from defensive duties against the full-back.

Hazard is operating in the space between full-back, centre-back and midfielder. Playing in the space to the left side in a 4-2-3-1 system has made him a tricky man to mark.

Eden Hazard's average position in the win v Arsenal was in space between the lines

Individual brilliance still matters, of course. Hazard’s quality makes him far better equipped to take advantage of time on the ball. But even he can be ineffective when he finds himself in the wrong system or the wrong areas of the pitch.

It is the half space that has helped him to flourish and Conte’s formation change that has enabled his star player to find it.

Adam Bate (@ghostgoal) writes for Sky Sports. This is an excerpt of an article also analysing how Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp attempt to exploit space.

See: Why Premier League coaches are obsessed with the 'half spaces'