Lineup Lessons – Gameweek 32 – Part One

Alex Iwobi retains his role on the Arsenal left for the visit of Watford. Guus Hiddink freshens up his starting XI for Chelsea’s trip to Villa, whilst Aaron Lennon is handed a central role for Everton’s clash with United.

Arsenal

Starting XI: Ospina, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Elneny, Iwobi (Walcott 73), Ozil, Alexis Sanchez (Campbell 78), Welbeck (Giroud 68).

• Arsene Wenger named an unchanged starting XI from the one that beat Everton 2-0 last time out for Watford’s visit to the Emirates.
• The Gunners lined up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alex Iwobi (left), Mesut Ozil (number ten) and Alexis Sanchez (right) forming the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Danny Welbeck.
• With the match already won, all of Wenger’s three substitutions were straight swaps, with Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Joel Campbell providing fresh legs in place of Welbeck, Iwobi and Sanchez.
• Petr Cech was an unused substitute on Saturday, but is expected to come back into the side for the crucial trip to Upton Park on Saturday. Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere are closing in on first-team returns, but following back-to-back victories, it’s likely that Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny will continue in central midfield against West Ham. Giroud, Walcott and Campbell also offer options in the final third if Wenger looks to rotate ahead of the upcoming doubles. At the back, Gabriel has now started seven of the last eight and looks to have edged ahead of Per Mertesacker.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Central Midfield

Aston Villa

Starting XI: Guzan; Hutton, Richards, Lescott, Cissokho; Gueye (Lyden 83), Sanchez (Bacuna 66), Westwood; Carles Gil (Grealish 66), Gestede, Ayew.

• Caretaker manager Eric Black only made two alterations for the home clash against Chelsea, with Micah Richards and Carlos Sanchez replacing Ciaran Clark and Jordan Veretout.
• Richards started alongside Joleon Lescott in central defence, while Sanchez was part of a three-man midfield, stationed just behind Ashley Westwood and Idrissa Gueye. Carles Gil (right) and Jordan Ayew (left) flanked central striker Rudy Gestede in the 4-3-3 formation.
• Black made a double substitution after 66 minutes, with the fit-again Jack Grealish replacing Gil, while Leandro Bacuna came on for Sanchez. Those changes saw Villa switch to more of a 4-4-2 system, with Bacuna and Grealish on the flanks and Ayew and Gestede playing as a front two. Youngster Jordan Lyden came on in place of Gueye for the final few minutes.
• After being sent off for picking up two yellow cards, Alan Hutton will serve a one-match ban against Bournemouth on Saturday. Richards or Bacuna could start at right-back, then, with Clark (if he recovers from a minor calf complaint) perhaps earning a recall in central defence should Richards be shifted over. Bacuna could also push for the starting spot on the right flank in place of Gil, although Grealish may come into the frame for that starting position. After yet another dismal performance, though, Black could choose to make any number of changes to his starting XI.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Right-Back, Central Defence, Flanks

Bournemouth

Starting XI: Boruc; Smith (Elphick 68), Francis, Cook, Daniels; Ritchie, O’Kane, Surman, Gradel (Gosling 84); Grabban; King (Pugh 46).

• Eddie Howe was forced into making two changes for the home fixture against Man City, with the injuries to Harry Arter and Benik Afobe meaning Eunan O’Kane and Lewis Grabban were handed opportunities to start.
• The Cherries reverted back to the 4-1-4-1 system on Saturday having favoured a 4-4-1-1 formation in recent weeks, with Andrew Surman back in the defensive midfield role. O’Kane and Josh King operated in central midfield, with Grabban the lone striker for the Cherries.
• After trailing 3-0 at half-time, Howe opted to make a change at the break, with Marc Pugh coming on for King. That change saw Bournemouth switch to more of a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Pugh out wide on the left, Matt Ritchie on the right and Max Gradel in the number ten role. Adam Smith then had to be replaced after 68 minutes after picking up a slight knock, with Tommy Elphick taking his place. Elphick played at centre-half, with Simon Francis switching over to right-back. Howe’s final substitution saw Dan Gosling come on for Gradel with six minutes remaining.
• Should Smith be ruled out for the match against Aston Villa on Saturday, Elphick looks set to earn a recall at centre-back, with Francis moving over to his favoured position at right-back. If Arter can shake off a nagging Achilles injury, he should push for a recall in place of O’Kane, with Gosling another option in central midfield. With Afobe looking likely to remain sidelined, King or Grabban could be stationed up front. Pugh offers another option, particularly if Howe looks to start with a 4-2-3-1 formation at Villa Park.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Right-Back, Central Defence, Central Midfield, Strikers

Chelsea

Starting XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Miazga, Ivanovic, Rahman; Mikel, Fabregas; Pedro (Clarke-Salter 74), Loftus-Cheek, Kenedy (Oscar 46); Remy (Pato 23).

• Guus Hiddink made four changes for the trip to Villa Park, with Matt Miazga and Baba Rahman coming in for the injured John Terry and Gary Cahill, while Pedro and Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaced Brazilian duo Oscar and Willian, who arrived back to Chelsea late following the international break, with the latter picking up a slight knock.
• Miazga started next to Branislav Ivanovic in central defence for the Blues, with Rahman at left-back and Cesar Azpilicueta at right-back. Kenedy (left), Loftus-Cheek (number ten) and Pedro (right) formed the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Loic Remy.
• Remy had to be replaced after just 23 minutes though, with the forward suffering a groin injury. He was replaced by Alexandre Pato, who made his Premier League debut. Hiddink made his second substitution at half-time, with Oscar coming on in place of Kenedy in a straight swap. Youngster Jake Clarke-Salter was then handed his Premier League debut, with Pedro making way with 17 minutes remaining.
• With Terry and Cahill’s injuries not thought to be serious, the pair may well be fit to face Swansea on Saturday. Miazga and Rahman may perhaps make way then, although Hiddink has suggested he is keen to hand some of the young players at the club opportunities to impress during the final weeks of the season. Likewise, Oscar and Willian could come back into the starting XI, although after strong performances from Pedro and Loftus-Cheek in particular, Hiddink will face some interesting selection dilemmas that may well see rotation from this point onwards. Pato could push for his first Premier League start after netting on his debut for the club, with Diego Costa still suspended and Remy ruled out through injury.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Defence, Flanks, Attacking Midfield, Central Striker

Crystal Palace

Starting XI: Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Jedinak, Ledley (Campbell 70); Zaha (Gayle 46), Puncheon, Sako; Bolasie.

• Alan Pardew made two changes for the trip to Upton Park, with Jason Puncheon and Bakary Sako earning recalls in place of the injured Yohan Cabaye and Emmanuel Adebayor.
• Puncheon (number ten) and Sako (left) were part of the attacking midfield trio in the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Yannick Bolasie used as the central striker against the Hammers.
• With his side 2-1 down at the break, Pardew decided to bring on Dwight Gayle for Wilfried Zaha, a change which saw Gayle play as the lone striker, Bolasie move into the number ten role and Puncheon shift over to the right flank. Pardew only made one further substitution, with Frazier Campbell thrown on in place of Joe Ledley as the Eagles looked to take advantage of Cheikhou Kouyate’s sending off and grab an equaliser.
• Cabaye appears likely to shake off a minor knock in time to face Norwich on Saturday, so one of either Ledley or Mile Jedinak look set to make way. Gayle’s goal as a substitute could mean he gets an opportunity from the start against the Canaries, although Adebayor could be back in the frame should he recover from a minor niggle, whilst Connor Wickham could also be in contention if he can shrug off a thigh injury in time. With uncertainty surrounding the striker role, then, Bolasie seems the most secure pick amongst Palace’s attackers right now.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Strikers

Everton

Starting XI: Robles; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Baines; McCarthy, Barkley (Niasse 87), Cleverley; Deulofeu (Mirallas 63), Lukaku, Lennon.

• Roberto Martinez made two adjustments for the trip to Old Trafford, with John Stones and Gerard Deulofeu earing recalls in place of Ramiro Funes Mori and Muhamed Besic.
• Stones partnered Phil Jagielka at the heart of the defence, with Deulofeu playing on the right of the three attacking midfield positions, with Aaron Lennon in the number ten role and Tom Cleverly on the left. Ross Barkley was stationed in an unusual deep-lying role alongside James McCarthy at the base of midfield in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
• Deulofeu was the first player to be replaced, with Kevin Mirallas taking his place just after the hour mark. The Belgian operated down the left flank, with Lennon drifting over to the right. Oumar Niasse was brought on in the final stages as the Toffees searched for a late equaliser in place of Barkley.
• Martinez’ side looked very unbalanced from an attacking point of view at times, with Barkley looking particularly ineffective in such a deep role. With Gareth Barry back from suspension for the trip to Watford on Saturday, the expectation would be that he would start alongside McCarthy at the base of midfield, allowing Barkley to move back to his favoured position in the number ten role. Mirallas could push for a recall out wide, though, with Cleverley’s place in the starting XI perhaps looking the most at risk. Lennon’s versatility looks to have ensured his place in Martinez’ plans, with the midfielder now starting each of the last seven league outings. In defence, though, Phil Jagielka and Seamus Coleman seem the only safe picks for those investing ahead of back-to-back doubles. Joel Robles has now started each of the last ahead of outgoing keeper Tim Howard.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Centre-Half, Left-Back, Central Midfield, Attacking Midfield

Leicester

Starting XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez (Gray 79), Drinkwater, Kante, Albrighton (Dyer 90); Okazaki (Ulloa 64), Vardy.

• Claudio Ranieri once again named an unchanged side for the visit of Southampton to the King Power Stadium.
• It was the 4-4-1-1 system once again for the Italian, then, who has little need to change his side’s successful formation.
• Shinji Okazaki was once again the first player to be replaced, with Leonardo Ulloa taking the Japanese international’s place shortly after the hour mark. Demarai Gray and Nathan Dyer providing fresh legs on the flanks in place of Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton as the Foxes held on for yet another 1-0 victory.
• There look to be no injury concerns for Ranieri after yesterday’s match, so he once again appears likely to name an unchanged side for the trip to Sunderland on Sunday.

Current Status: Very Settled
Risk Areas:

Liverpool

Starting XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno, Henderson, Emre Can, Milner (Ibe 90), Lallana (Allen 82), Coutinho, Sturridge (Origi 72).

• Jurgen Klopp made three changes for the home encounter against Tottenham, with Alberto Moreno and Jordan Henderson coming in for Jon Flanagan and Joe Allen, while James Milner returned from suspension, replacing Divock Origi.
• Klopp switched back to the 4-2-3-1 system having experimented with a 4-4-2 system against Southampton last time out, with Henderson and Emre Can at the base of midfield, Milner, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho in the attacking midfield positions and Daniel Sturridge as the lone striker. Moreno slotted into his usual position at left-back, with Nathaniel Clyne switching over to right-back.
• Sturridge once again didn’t last the full 90 minutes, with Origi taking his place after 72 minutes in a straight swap. Allen and Jordon Ibe were then introduced during the final 10 minutes in place of Lallana and Milner respectively.
• With the Reds facing two matches against Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League over the next fortnight, we could see some rotation from Klopp for the next Premier League match against Stoke on Sunday. Flanagan could come in at right-back, with Clyne moving over to left-back, while Roberto Firmino may be back in contention flowing a hamstring injury. The likes of Martin Skrtel, Allen and Origi could all be options for Klopp against the Potters, though, should he firmly prioritise the Europa League, with rotation a definite possibility across a number of positions. In addition, Emre Can is set to serve a two-match ban after earning his tenth yellow card of the season, with Milner or Allen perhaps set to partner Henderson in the centre of the park.

Current Status: Fairly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Midfield, Flanks, Attacking Midfield

Man City

Starting XI: Caballero; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho; Navas, De Bruyne (Kolarov 57), Silva (Nasri 66); Aguero (Iheanacho 79).

• Manuel Pellegrini made five changes from the side that lost the Manchester derby for the trip to Bournemouth, with Willy Caballero, Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi, Fernando and the fit-again Kevin de Bruyne coming in for Joe Hart, Bacary Sagna, Martin Demichelis, Yaya Toure and Raheem Sterling.
• City lined up in the 4-2-3-1 system, with De Bruyne starting in the number ten role. Jesus Navas (right) and David Silva (left) operated on the flanks, with Sergio Aguero the lone striker.
• De Bruyne was the first player to be replaced, with the Belgian still building up his match fitness. Aleksandar Kolarov took his place, with the Serbian stationed on the left flank. Another player making his comeback from injury, Samir Nasri, replaced David Silva shortly after, with the former Arsenal midfielder operating in the number ten role. Pellegrini’s final substitution saw Kelechi Iheanacho come on for Aguero with 10 minutes remaining.
• Hart (calf), Toure (heel) and Fabian Delph (Achilles) may yet prove their fitness in time to face West Brom on Saturday, so Pellegrini could well make changes against the Baggies, particularly given the Citizens also face Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night. Rotation in the full-back positions remains a possibility, while the likes of Iheanacho and Wilfried Bony could come into consideration should Pellegrini look to freshen up his forward line, with neither player likely to start in midweek. De Bruyne certainly looks likely to start again, though could have his minutes managed as he builds up his match sharpness. Eliaquim Mangala looks assured of starts in the continued absence of Kompany, though Otamendi seems nailed on regardless.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Full-Backs, Central Midfield

Man United

Starting XI: De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Blind (Valencia 82), Rojo (Fosu-Mensah 45); Carrick (Herrera 58), Schneiderlin; Mata, Lingard, Martial; Rashford.

• Louis van Gaal named an unchanged side from the one that beat Man City 1-0 last time out for the visit of Everton to Old Trafford.
• Jesse Lingard continued in the number ten role for United, with Anthony Martial (left) and Juan Mata (right) stationed out wide behind lone striker Marcus Rashford in van Gaal’s usual 4-2-3-1 formation.
• After struggling with jet-lag in the first-half, Marcos Rojo was replaced by Timothy Fosu-Mensah at half-time. The substitute operated at right-back, with Matteo Darmian switching over to left-back. Ander Herrera was brought on in place of Michael Carrick just before the hour mark in a straight swap, with Van Gaal’s final change seeing Antonio Valencia replace Daley Blind, who was struggling with a minor knock.
• After impressing as a substitute, Fosu-Mensah could push for a start in place of Rojo for the trip to Tottenham on Sunday. Herrera offers an alternative in central midfield, but appears unlikely to replace either Carrick or Morgan Schneiderlin given the last two results for Van Gaal’s men. With an FA Cup replay against United taking place four days before the first match in their double Gameweek 34, there may yet be a degree of rotation as Van Gaal looks to finish the season with silverware.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Midfield

Part two of Lineup Lessons, covering the remaining ten teams, will be published later this week.