Head-to-Head

Two managers, one tactical matchup, ranked by fit.

MOCK DATA

Manager A

David Moyes

Everton

4-2-3-1

Manager B

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

4-4-2

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

David Moyes

Everton

GafferScore

Current base shape

4-2-3-1

Age

Win % — club, league

37.9%

EmployedDDLLW

🇪🇸

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

GafferScore

Current base shape

4-4-2

Age

Win % — club, league

52.1%

EmployedWWWLL

Tactical matchup

Mock data

David Moyes

Everton · 4-2-3-1

Unai Emery

Aston Villa · 4-4-2

SLIGHT TACTICAL EDGE

Unai Emery

SLIGHT TACTICAL EDGE

GafferLens model output: 57 – 43

Model output describing stylistic advantage — not a measured figure and not a win probability.

Confidence: High

Both managers have several seasons of top-flight evidence and comparable matchups on record.

Key battleground: Space behind the defensive line
Biggest advantage: Unai Emery's very high line is less exposed to David Moyes's break quickly through wide runners and set-piece restarts.
Biggest vulnerability: No obvious stylistic vulnerability in this matchup.

Why Unai Emery has the edge

Unai Emery's very high line is less exposed to David Moyes's break quickly through wide runners and set-piece restarts.
Unai Emery's mixed build-up, baiting the press before switching is press-resistant against a medium press.
Unai Emery's In-game changes are a core weapon, allowing the shape to be re-set once the pattern of the game is clear.

How David Moyes could respond

Time the step-up better and pair the offside trap with a deeper resting midfielder, an adjustment David Moyes has used when caught in behind.
Set sharper pressing triggers and accept a mid-block start rather than pressing the goalkeeper, which David Moyes has used when the first line is played through.
Pre-plan two shape changes rather than reacting late — David Moyes has switched structure at the interval in similar matchups.

▶ Watch tactical collision ▶ Moyes's simulations

This is not a match prediction. It does not mean Unai Emery would win a fixture, has the better squad or is the better manager. It answers one question: if both managers had approximately equal squads, whose style would naturally cause more problems for the other? Results evidence is kept separate from tactical evidence. Past head-to-head records are shaped by squad quality, so the counter score is derived only from build-up, pressing, defensive and transition structures.

Matchup summary

Prototype dataset

Tactical similarity

53%

Unai Emery holds the clearest edge in in-game flexibility (16 points). Unai Emery follows in possession control, which is where the game is most likely to be decided second.

1
In-game flexibility
Touchline changes are a secondary weapon.
Emery +16
2
Possession control
Balanced tempo against balanced tempo.
Emery +12
3
Build-up
Pragmatic build-up, direct when pressed vs mixed build-up, baiting the press before switching.
Emery +11
4
Chance creation
4-2-3-1 shape versus a 4-4-2 mid-block.
Emery +10
5
Pressing
Medium press against a high press.
Emery +9
6
Transitions
Break quickly through wide runners and set-piece restarts against aggressive offside trap into fast direct breaks.
Emery +8
7
Defensive organisation
Medium line against Unai Emery's attacking model.
Even

Expected phase-by-phase difference

Prototype dataset

David MoyesUnai Emery

In-game flexibility
78 — 94
Possession control
70 — 82
Build-up
72 — 83
Chance creation
74 — 84
Pressing
75 — 84
Transitions
80 — 88
Defensive organisation
86 — 88

Bars show the projected gap in each phase of play. Left of centre favours David Moyes; right of centre favours Unai Emery.

Tactical matchup highlights

Prototype dataset

Press vs build-up
Unai Emery
David Moyes's press (75) against Unai Emery's build-up (83) decides whether the first phase survives.
Build-up vs press
Unai Emery
Unai Emery presses at 84; David Moyes builds at 72.
Attack vs defence
Unai Emery
David Moyes's attacking model (74) against Unai Emery's defensive organisation (88).
Transition duel
Unai Emery
Both sides live in the seconds after a turnover — 80 vs 88.
In-game flexibility
Unai Emery
Who changes the game from the touchline: 78 vs 94.

Assessment profile

Prototype dataset

David MoyesUnai Emery

David Moyes — mentality

Prototype dataset

Proactivity
73
How far the team seeks to dictate rather than react.
Risk appetite
73
Willingness to accept exposure in exchange for territory.
Game control
71
Preference for managing tempo and possession.
Pressing aggression
71
Intensity and height of the defensive commitment.
In-game adaptability
78
Frequency and impact of structural changes.
Development focus
81
Weighting given to improving individual players.

Unai Emery — mentality

Prototype dataset

Proactivity
83
How far the team seeks to dictate rather than react.
Risk appetite
87
Willingness to accept exposure in exchange for territory.
Game control
82
Preference for managing tempo and possession.
Pressing aggression
84
Intensity and height of the defensive commitment.
In-game adaptability
94
Frequency and impact of structural changes.
Development focus
82
Weighting given to improving individual players.

Against a common opponent (aggressive high press)

Prototype dataset

Build-up
65
76
Progression
72
83
Chance creation
69
78
Pressing
55
70
Attacking transition
83
90
Defensive transition
62
51

Updated this week · Updated this week · Confidence HIGH · Source: GafferLens editorial review

MOCK DATA — matchup modelling is derived from provisional editorial ratings and does not represent measured match outcomes.

Prefer the classic side-by-side table? Open in Compare →