Having assessed the team sheets and tactics from the first 10 sides yesterday, we now turn our attentions to the remaining half for signs of lessons learned.
Everton
Starting XI: Stekelenburg, Coleman, Ashley Williams, Jagielka, Baines, Gueye, Barry, Mirallas, Barkley (Deulofeu 46), Bolasie (Davies 75), Lukaku (Kone 88).
- Ronald Koeman made one change from the team that beat Stoke 1-0 for the trip to Sunderland, with the fit-again Seamus Coleman coming in for Mason Holgate.
- Coleman slotted in at right-back for the Toffees, in what was once again a 4-2-3-1 formation used by the Dutch boss.
- After lacking a cutting edge in the first half, Koeman made a change at the break, with Gerard Deulofeu coming on for Ross Barkley. The Spaniard played on the right wing, with Yannick Bolasie switching over to the opposite flank. Kevin Mirallas slotted into the number ten role. Then, after appearing to suffer from cramp, Bolasie made way for Tom Davies in a straight swap with 15 minutes left on the clock. After scoring an 11-minute hat-trick, Romelu Lukaku was replaced by Arouna Kone with two minutes remaining.
- With Everton scoring all of their goals following the half-time substitution, Barkley’s starting spot may be in doubt ahead of Saturday’s home clash against Middlesbrough. Deulofeu could come into contention to earn a recall, whilst Aaron Lennon is the other option Koeman could turn to in the attacking midfield areas.
Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Flanks, Attacking Midfield
Middlesbrough
Starting XI: Valdes; Barragan, Ayala, Gibson, Friend; Clayton (De Roon 57), Forshaw; Stuani (Traore 81), Downing, Fischer (Ramirez 57); Negredo.
- Aitor Karanka made three alterations for the home clash against Crystal Palace, with the fit-again Victor Valdes and George Friend replacing Brad Guzan and Emilio Nsue, while Viktor Fischer was handed his first league start for the club in place of Gaston Ramirez.
- Fischer was stationed in the number ten role in Karanka’s standard 4-2-3-1 formation. Friend returned in his usual position at left-back, with Antonio Barragan moving to the opposite side of defence, ousting Nsue from the XI.
- After falling 2-1 behind, Karanka made a double substitution before the hour mark, with Marten de Roon and Ramirez coming on in place of Adam Clayton and Fischer in straight swaps. With nine minutes remaining, Karanka turned to Adama Traore in the hope of finding a late equaliser, with the former Aston Villa man taking over from Cristhian Stuani on the right wing.
- De Roon returned from injury to get 33 minutes under his belt against Palace, and may be recalled when ‘Boro travel to Everton on Saturday. Adam Forshaw has played well in his absence, though, so he or Clayton could make way for the Dutchman. Ramirez featured for Uruguay over the international break, which explains why he was dropped to the bench – he is expected start at the expense of Fischer at Goodison Park.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Attacking Midfield
Southampton
Starting XI: Forster; Cedric Soares, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand; Romeu, Clasie (Hojbjerg 64), Davis; Tadic (Ward-Prowse 80), Rodriguez (Long 46), Redmond.
- Southampton manager Claude Puel made three changes for the trip to the Emirates, with the fit-again Ryan Bertrand starting in place of Matt Targett, while Jordy Clasie and Jay Rodriguez replaced Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg and Charlie Austin.
- Rodriguez started up front as Puel moved to a 4-3-3 formation, while Clasie started next to Steven Davis, with Oriol Romeu once again stationed in front of the back four. Bertrand slotted into his usual position at left-back.
- Rodriguez’s afternoon was cut short, though, with Puel withdrawing him at half-time, with Shane Long coming on in a straight swap. Hojbjerg then took over from Clasie in central midfield shortly after the hour mark, with Puel’s final change seeing James Ward-Prowse replace Dusan Tadic.
- Hojbjerg was somewhat surprisingly left out against Arsenal having impressed in his previous two starts, so he may come into contention to return against Swansea on Sunday. Ward-Prowse offers another option in midfield, but he may have to remain patient for a chance to return to the starting XI. Long missed some glorious chances after entering the fray on Saturday, so Austin may have a slightly better chance of earning a recall in place of Rodriguez in attack. Tadic and Redmond should keep their places in the side.
Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Strikers
Stoke
Starting XI: Given; Cameron, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters; Walters, Allen, Whelan (Bojan 67), Imbula (Adam 71), Arnautovic; Bony.
- Mark Hughes made three changes for the visit of Tottenham to the Bet365 Stadium, with Bruno Martins Indi and Wilfried Bony handed their Stoke debuts in place of Phil Bardsley and Peter Crouch, while Jon Walters came in for the injured Mame Biram Diouf.
- Martins Indi started alongside Ryan Shawcross at centre-half, with Geoff Cameron moving over to right-back. Walters started on the right of the front three, with Arnautovic on the left and Bony stationed as the lone striker. Joe Allen played as a central attacking midfielder, with Giannelli Imbula in a deeper role alongside Glenn Whelan.
- With his side trailing 3-0, Hughes brought on Bojan in place of Whelan, with the substitute moving into a number ten role in what was more of a traditional 4-2-3-1, meaning Allen dropped back alongside Imbula at the base of midfield. Imbula himself was replaced four minutes later after Spurs took a 4-0 lead, with Charlie Adam coming on in a straight swap.
- Following another disappointing performance, Hughes may look to make several changes for Sunday’s trip to Selhurst Park. Glen Johnson has resumed training following a thigh injury, and if he’s passed fit, could replace Cameron at right-back. Cameron and Marc Muniesa offer alternatives in central defence, while both players could also be options to replace Erik Pieters at left-back. The three-man midfield of Whelan, Imbula and Allen hasn’t really fired over the opening four matches, so Hughes could drop one of those players, and look to find a place in the side for Bojan in more of a 4-2-3-1 formation. Bojan is also an option to replace Walters on the right flank, while Hughes will desperately hope Xherdan Shaqiri can recover from a calf injury to face the Eagles.
Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Defence, Central Midfield, Right Wing
Sunderland
Starting XI: Pickford, Manquillo, Kone, Djilobodji, Van Aanholt, Rodwell, Kirchhoff (Denayer, 75), Januzaj, Gooch (Khazri 56), Watmore (Ndong 72), Defoe.
- Sunderland boss David Moyes made two changes for the visit of Everton to the Stadium of Light, with Jan Kirchhoff and Duncan Watmore coming in for the injured Steven Pienaar and Fabio Borini.
- Kirchhoff slotted in alongside Jack Rodwell at the base of midfield in the 4-2-3-1 formation, while Watmore played on the right of the attacking midfield trio, with Adnan Januzaj in the number ten role and Lynden Gooch on the left.
- Gooch was the first player to be replaced by Moyes, with Wahbi Khazri coming on 11 minutes into the second half in a straight swap. Deadline day signing Didier Ndong then came on in place of Watmore after 72 minutes and, shortly after, Kirchhoff, making his first start of the campaign, was replaced by Jason Denayer, with Moyes switching to a 3-4-3 formation. Patrick van Aanholt and Javier Manquillo played as wing-backs, with Ndong and Rodwell in centre midfield. Khazri and Januzaj flanked central striker Jermain Defoe.
- While it was a disappointing Sunderland performance, Moyes doesn’t look to have too many options available to him for Sunday’s trip to White Hart Lane. Khazri could replace either Gooch or Watmore, while Ndong is an option in the middle of the park, although he is still lacking match fitness. Moyes could look to change to a more defensive formation against Tottenham, with Paddy McNair or John O’Shea perhaps options to stiffen up the midfield in a 4-5-1 formation.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Flanks
Swansea
Starting XI: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Amat, Taylor (Barrow 41), Fer, Cork, Ki Sung-yeung, Sigurdsson (Rangel 89), Kingsley, Llorente.
- Francesco Guidolin made two alterations for the visit of Chelsea to the Liberty Stadium, with Neil Taylor and Ki Sung-yeung handed their first league starts of the season in place of Wayne Routledge and Modou Barrow.
- Those changes saw the Italian switch from the 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-5-1-1 system, with Stephen Kingsley joining Jordi Amat and Federico Fernandez in a three-man backline, allowing Kyle Naughton and Taylor to operate as wing-backs. Ki started alongside Jack Cork and Leroy Fer in midfield, with Gylfi Sigurdsson stationed “in the hole” behind lone striker Fernando Llorente.
- After seeing his side fall a goal behind, Guidolin made a first substitution four minutes before half-time, with Barrow introduced in place of Taylor. That change saw the Swans switch to a 4-3-1-2 system, with Barrow joining Llorente in attack, while Kingsley moved to left-back. With the match level at 2-2 heading into stoppage time, Guidolin brought on Angel Rangel for Sigurdsson in a bid to hold on for a point, with the Spaniard offering extra cover in front of Kingsley at left-back.
- While the switch to a three-man backline didn’t pay off on Sunday, Guidolin has revealed he is happy to use the system again. Whether he will at Southampton is questionable, though. Having been substituted instead of Kingsley, Taylor may now appear behind the Scot in the pecking order at left-back, although the decision may have been influenced by the Wales international’s comparative lack of match fitness. Ki may lose his place in the side should Guidolin move back to a 4-2-3-1, with Barrow looking certain to return to the starting XI in such a scenario. Jefferson Montero could also push for a starting berth ahead of Routledge in that formation, while the Italian boss will hope club-record signing Borja Baston can train fully this week in order to make his debut off the bench at St Mary’s.
Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Left-Back, Central Midfield, Flanks
Tottenham
Starting XI: Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Wanyama (Lamela 55); Eriksen (Sissoko 78), Alli, Heung-Min Son; Kane (Janssen 73).
- Mauricio Pochettino made three changes for the trip to Stoke, with the fit-again Hugo Lloris replacing Michel Vorm in goal, while Ben Davies came in for the injured Danny Rose. Heung-Min Son made his first start of the campaign, replacing Erik Lamela.
- Son was stationed on the left of the attacking midfield trio in Pochettino’s standard 4-2-3-1 formation, with Christian Eriksen shifting over to the right, leaving Dele Alli in the number ten role behind lone striker Harry Kane. Davies slotted into his usual position at left-back.
- Having picked up a yellow card, Wanyama was substituted 10 minutes into the second half, with Lamela taking his place. The Argentine played on the right wing, with Eriksen moving into the number ten position. Alli then dropped back into the double-pivot for a short period, before Moussa Sissoko came on to make his Tottenham debut. The France international played in central midfield next to Dier, allowing Alli to push forward once more behind Vincent Janssen, who had replaced Kane in attack after the England forward had broken his duck for the season.
- With Tottenham facing Monaco in the Champions League tomorrow night, we may well see Pochettino rotate against Sunderland on Sunday. Kieran Trippier offers an alternative to Kyle Walker at right-back, while Rose will come back into contention at left-back should he recover from the hamstring injury that saw him miss out against Stoke. Mousa Dembele will be available to face the Black Cats after serving his suspension, while Pochettino has a plethora of options for the three advanced midfield positions, with his selection tomorrow night likely to give strong clues at to who will start on Sunday. He could also consider playing both Kane and Janssen, perhaps placing Alli’s starting position in a little doubt.
Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Midfield, Flanks, Attacking Midfield, Strikers
Watford
Starting XI: Gomes, Cathcart, Kaboul (Prodl 82), Britos; Janmaat, Behrami, Capoue, Pereyra, Holebas; Deeney (Okaka 79), Ighalo (Success 69).
- Walter Mazzarri made four alterations for the trip to West Ham, with Craig Cathcart and Miguel Britos coming in for Christian Kabasele and Sebastian Prodl, while Roberto Pereyra and Daryl Janmaat were handed their first starts for the club, replacing Nordin Amrabat and Adlene Guedioura.
- Cathcart and Britos started alongside Younes Kaboul in the three-man backline, while Janmaat came in at right wing-back in the 3-5-2 formation. Pereyra started alongside Etienne Capoue in central midfield, with Valon Behrami sat just in front of the back three.
- Mazzarri made his first substitution after 69 minutes, with Isaac Success taking over from Odion Ighalo in attack. Fellow summer signing Stefano Okaka was then handed his Hornets bow, replacing Troy Deeney for the final 11 minutes. The Italian’s final change saw Prodl take over from Kaboul in central defence for the final eight minutes.
- After registering their first win of the season, Mazzarri could name an unchanged side to face Man United on Sunday providing there are no injury concerns. He does have plenty of options in central defence though, with Prodl and Kabasele offering alternatives if he looks to freshen things up.
Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence
West Brom
Starting XI: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Galloway; Yacob (Leko 82); Phillips, Fletcher (Gardner 71), Field, Chadli; Berahino (Rondon 62).
- Tony Pulis made two changes for the trip to Bournemouth, with Nacer Chadli handed his first start for the club in place of James McClean, while Saido Berahino earned a recall, replacing Salomon Rondon.
- Pulis used more of a 4-1-4-1 system at the Vitality Stadium, with Chadli stationed on the left of midfield, with Matt Phillips on the opposite flank. Berahino operated as the lone striker, while Claudio Yacob played as the holding midfielder.
- Berahino was the first player to be substituted by Pulis, with Rondon coming on in a straight swap shortly after the hour mark. The Baggies boss then turned to Craig Gardner, who replaced Darren Fletcher in the middle of the park. After falling a goal behind, Jonathan Leko was introduced for Yacob, with the substitute playing on the right wing, with Phillips shifting over to the left flank. Chadli moved into the number ten role in what was more of a 4-2-3-1 system.
- Rondon was left out of the starting XI following his exploits for Venezuela over the international break, but should return to the starting XI against West Ham on Saturday. Berahino could drop back into the number ten role should Pulis start with the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Sam Field perhaps missing out. But if he sticks with the 4-1-4-1 system, Berahino may have to settle for a place on the bench, with Phillips and Chadli likely to keep their starting spots out wide.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Attacking Midfield, Lone Striker
West Ham
Starting XI: Adrian; Byram (Tore 85), Reid, Collins, Masuaku; Kouyate, Noble (Calleri 69); Antonio, Lanzini, Payet; Zaza (Fletcher 77).
- Slaven Bilic made four changes for the home encounter against Watford, with Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini handed their first starts of the season in place of Gokhan Tore and Ashley Fletcher, while Simone Zaza was handed his Hammers debut in place of the departed Enner Valencia. The other change saw Sam Byram come in for Angelo Ogbonna.
- Having started with a 3-5-2 formation against Man City before the international break, Bilic reverted back to his favoured 4-2-3-1 system, with Payet, Lanzini and Michail Antonio forming the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Zaza. Byram slotted in at right-back, with James Collins partnering Winston Reid in central defence.
- With his side trailing 4-2, Bilic turned to Jonathan Calleri off the bench, with the striker replacing Mark Noble. He joined Zaza in attack, with Lanzini dropping into central midfield, forming more of a 4-4-2 formation. Fletcher then entered the fray with 13 minutes left, taking over from Zaza in attack. As a final roll of the dice, Bilic turned to Tore, who combined with Antonio down the right flank for the final five minutes.
- After such a poor performance, particularly defensively, Bilic could make several changes ahead of the trip to West Brom. Adrian, Byram and Collins all struggled against the Hornets, and while Adrian should keep his place in the side, Darren Randolph does provide a strong alternative in goal. Alvaro Arbeloa is lacking match fitness, so Byram may get the nod for another week at right-back, but Ogbonna now looks set to put serious pressure on Collins’ place in the starting XI. Zaza is likely to be handed another start to help improve his match sharpness, particularly given neither Calleri or Fletcher having overly impressed in their appearances so far this season.
Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Right-Back, Central Defence, Lone Striker
