Como dominated possession and generated a staggering 5.24 expected goals but drew 0-0 at home to Atalanta. The match featured an eighth-minute red card for Honest Ahanor, after which Atalanta removed forward Gianluca Scamacca and retreated into a low block. Como produced 79% possession and 28 shots but failed to convert chances, continuing a pattern of predictability under Cesc Fabregas. Earlier Como had lost 3-1 to Milan despite huge passing superiority. Fabregas defended his single-minded approach, citing wins under varied managers and warning that focusing solely on results or possession can both lead to losses.
"Cesc Fabregas found himself standing in front of the TV cameras, trying to explain a scoreline that made no sense. It's not normal, he had insisted last month, after Como lost 3-1 to Milan despite making 700 passes to their 200 (659 to 320, actually, but who's counting?). Yet there was more than a hint of deja vu on Sunday as his team drew 0-0 at home to Atalanta while holding 79% of possession and attempting 28 shots."
"Opta put Como on 5.24 expected goals the second-highest figure accrued by any Serie A team in a shut-out since the analytics company started tracking such data 15 years ago. An astonishing number, against opponents who finished third in Serie A last season and who had taken 13 points from their previous five games."
"[As a player] I won with Antonio Conte, I won with [Jose] Mourinho, I won with [Arsene] Wenger, I won with [Pep] Guardiola, he said. I won with every different style of play. You'll never hear me say that one works and another doesn't. If you only care about the result, you can still lose a lot. And when it's all play the ball, play the ball' you can lose a lot that way too."
Read at www.theguardian.com
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