As the season reaches half way mark, 4-2-3-1 is the formation used mostly in majority of leagues.
English premier league
West ham
Everton
Chelsea
Leicester City
Manchester United
Wolves
Arsenal
Brighton
Laliga
Real Betis
Athletic club
Real Sociedad
Granada
Eibar
Serie a
Napoli
Sassuolo
AC Milan
Bologna
Bundesliga
VFB Stuttgart
Bayern Munich
RB Leipzig
Shalke
Monchengladbach
Hoffenheim
Borussia Dortmund
ISL teams
Mumbai City
Hyderabad
ATK Mohun Bagan
East Bengal
Why?
This formation balances team in attack and defence. And helps in covering most of the ground easily so that team can keep possession and convert possession to attack and goals.
There are many other teams who use its variants like 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1 which gives supremacy at midfield.
In modern day football, most of the team wishes to start from back , build attack then reach in opposition box in numbers. That's why 4-2-3-1 is so much accepted.
Teams like Real Madrid and Liverpool use long airballs to attack so use 4-3-3. Instead, 4-2-3-1 uses penetrating passes, space behind defenders, 1-2 s and off ball movements. Instead of crosses, formation uses box and area infront of goal to attack and score.
Mourinho used this formation in 14-15 season to make Chelsea champions, with Matic and John Obi Mikel as CDM and Hazard , Oscar and Willian as attacking midfielders. Mourinho used Diego Costa as one Forward, who was strong , would hold the ball at attacking third of pitch and combine with attacking midfielder to score.
When team loses possession, formation helps to re organise very quickly and cover danger areas as CDM always waits for ball at midfield. Formation also gives more freedom for wing backs.
Even though , it uses front area of opposition field more to pressure, when they regain ball possession, uses wingers to take ball forward or into box and uses small ground crosses to score using AMF and FW. If the ball gets cleared, Wing backs and CDM will be ready to get it back and attack.
In modern football, as teams try to press early and high up the opposite team pitch, 4-2-3-1 gives more chances to win ball early without running more so that players can keep their stamina.
It is said that the formation got wide spread acceptance from Spain first. Then, with its success and changing need of speed and possession in football, formation got more users.
How to learn/practice 4-2-3-1?
Formation based small sided game sessions are the best way to practice this formation.
4 a side
Use 3-1 formation as lone FW and 3 midfielders.
6 a side
Gradually add CDM into the practice with 2-3-1 into form in play. In opposition, make defenders play in 4-2 formation.
Rondo
4v2 and 6v3 rondos are very effective for its practice as formation demands high level of coordination among players, especially attacking players, movement.
My boys playing 4-2-3-1 and winning comfortably.
https://youtu.be/vTQ0lG2oyng
Practicing for 4-2-3-1 in small sided game 7 a side
https://youtu.be/C0Zyymqz-QE
Vineeth
vineeth673@gmail.com