Line-up Lessons – Gameweek 7 – Part Two

Heung-Min Son starts up front as Spurs end City’s unbeaten record. Michail Antonio leads the line for West Ham before shifting to the flank, and Alvaro Negredo drops to the ‘Boro bench for the first time.

After rolling out part one of Line-up Lessons yesterday, here’s the take on the remaining 10 sides…

Manchester United

Starting XI: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Blind; Herrera (Depay 83), Pogba; Lingard (Martial 67), Mata (Rooney 67), Rashford; Ibrahimovic.

• Jose Mourinho named an unchanged starting XI from the one that beat Leicester City 4-1 for the visit of Stoke City to Old Trafford.
• Ander Herrera was again the preferred partner for Paul Pogba at the base of midfield in the 4-2-3-1 formation, while Jesse Lingard (right) and Marcus Rashford (left) continued in the wide positions.
• With the match goalless, Mourinho turned to Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial off the bench, with the pair replacing Juan Mata and Lingard for the final 23 minutes. Rooney took over the number ten role, while Martial played on the left wing, meaning Rashford switched over to the opposite flank. After Stoke’s equaliser, Memphis Depay was thrown on as a final roll of the dice, replacing Herrera. Depay played on the right wing, with Rashford moving into a more central role next to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, leaving Pogba and Rooney in central midfield.
• The Herrera and Pogba combination in the middle of the park struggled to impress, but with Mourinho not appearing to have much faith in Michael Carrick and Morgan Schneiderlin, only Marouane Fellaini appears to offer a viable alternative. Martial’s goal means he could push for a recall, perhaps in place of Lingard. Luke Shaw missed out due to illness, but Daley Blind has performed well over the last two matches and could keep the starting berth at left-back for the trip to Anfield in Gameweek 8. The pace of Sadio Mane may mean Mourinho considers handing a recall to Shaw, however.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Left-Back, Central Midfield, Flanks

Middlesbrough

Starting XI: Valdes; Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Friend; Stuani, Forshaw, De Roon, Downing; Rhodes (Negredo 68); Fischer (Ramirez 59).

• Aitor Karanka made three alterations for the trip to West Ham, with Adam Forshaw, Viktor Fischer and Jordan Rhodes starting in place of Adam Clayton, Gaston Ramirez and Alvaro Negredo.
• Forshaw played alongside Marten de Roon in the double-pivot in Karanka’s usual 4-2-3-1 system. Fischer took up the number ten role, while Rhodes operated as the lone striker for ‘Boro.
• Fischer’s afternoon only lasted 59 minutes, though, as he made way for Ramirez in a straight swap. Karanka’s only other substitution saw Negredo take over from Rhodes in attack for the final 22 minutes.
• The ‘Boro boss continues to rotate Clayton and Forshaw alongside De Roon in midfield, but Forshaw put in a strong performance at the London Stadium and may keep his spot in the side for the home clash against Watford. Fischer and Rhodes were handed rare starts on the weekend, with the former hoping for further pitch time after supplying the assist for Christhian Stuani’s opener. Adama Traore could also get a look in should Karanka continue to shuffle his pack in the attacking midfield positions.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Attacking Midfield, Lone Striker

Southampton

Starting XI: Forster, Soares (Martina 27), Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Davis, Tadic (Long 71), Redmond, Austin (Ward-Prowse 83).

• Southampton manager Claude Puel named an unchanged side from the one that beat West Ham 3-0 for the trip to Leicester City.
• He again stuck with the 4-3-3 formation, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Steven Davis playing in front of holding midfielder Oriol Romeu, while Dusan Tadic (right) and Charlie Austin (left) flanked central striker Nathan Redmond.
• Puel was forced into making an early substitution, though, with Cedric Soares forced off with a foot injury. Cuco Martina took over at right-back for Saints, with Puel’s next change seeing Shane Long replace Tadic in a straight swap for the final 19 minutes. The final substitution saw James Ward-Prowse replace Austin with seven minutes remaining in a slightly defensive move, with Ward-Prowse playing in a deeper role on the left as Saints looked to hold on for a point.
• With Southampton on a good run of form, Puel isn’t expected to make many changes for the home clash with Burnley after the international break. Martina will step in at right-back should Soares be ruled out, while Ward-Prose and Jordy Clasie offer alternatives to Hojbjerg in centre midfield, although neither player seems likely to earn a recall at this point.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Right-Back, Central Midfield

Stoke City

Starting XI: Grant; Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters; Cameron, Whelan; Shaqiri (Bardsley 90), Allen, Arnautovic (Walters 77); Bony (Crouch 77).

• Mark Hughes named an unchanged starting XI from the one that drew 1-1 against West Brom for the trip to Old Trafford.
• Erik Pieters kept his starting spot at left-back, while Geoff Cameron again partnered Glenn Whelan at the base of midfield in the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Joe Allen stationed in the central attacking midfield role.
• After falling a goal behind, Hughes turned to Jon Walters and Peter Crouch off the bench, with the pair replacing Marko Arnautovic and Wilfried Bony in straight swaps for the final 13 minutes.
• Given Stoke again put in an improved performance, Hughes could well name an unchanged starting XI for the home clash against Sunderland, providing there are no fresh injuries over the next 10 days. Giannelli Imbula appears unlikely to earn a recall in central midfield, while Hughes may remain patient with Bony in the lone striker role. Crouch, Walters, Mame Biram Diouf and Bojan are all viable alternatives, though.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Lone Striker

Sunderland

Starting XI: Pickford; Manquillo, Kone, O’Shea, Denayer; Kirchhoff (Van Aanholt 56), McNair (Rodwell 72); Ndong, Watmore, Khazri (Gooch 90); Defoe.

• David Moyes made five changes for the home clash against West Brom, with John O’Shea, Jason Denayer, Paddy McNair, Duncan Watmore and Wahbi Khazri coming in for Papy Djilobodji, Patrick van Aanholt, Lee Cattermole, Steven Pienaar and Adnan Januzaj.
• Moyes again decided to deploy a 4-3-3 system, with Watmore and Khazri flanking central striker Jermain Defoe in attack. McNair and Didier Ndong played in front of holding midfielder Jan Kirchhoff in the middle of the park, while O’Shea and Denayer slotted in at centre-back and left-back respectively.
• An injury to Kirchhoff saw Van Aanholt introduced off the bench, with the Dutchman replacing Kirchhoff 11 minutes into the second half. The substitute was fielded as a left wing-back in a 3-5-2 set-up, with Khazri stationed on the opposite flank, leaving Watmore alongside Defoe. Jack Rodwell then entered the fray in place of McNair in the engine room for the final 18 minutes. Lynden Gooch came on as a late substitute in place of Khazri.
• After Van Aanholt impressed off the bench in a more attacking role, Moyes may consider switching to wing-backs to utilise the Dutch international strengths going forward. Moyes has options in midfield should Kirchhoff, Cattermole and Pienaar be available, with Rodwell another who could come into the reckoning to start at Stoke after the break. Jordan Pickford withdrew from the England under-21 squad once again due to a thigh problem, but the injury isn’t thought to be a serious one.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Full-Backs/Wing-Backs, Central Midfield, Attacking Midfield

Swansea City

Starting XI: Fabianski; Rangel, Van Der Hoorn, Amat, Naughton; Fer (Fulton 73), Britton (Ki Sung-yeung 63) Cork; Routledge (Barrow 63), Borja, Sigurdsson.

• Francesco Guidolin was forced into making one adjustment for the home clash against Liverpool, with Borja Baston coming in for the injured Fernando Llorente.
• Borja started as the lone striker for the Swans, in what was once again a 4-3-2-1 formation used by the Italian. Liverpool’s dominance in the second half meant that Wayne Routledge and Gylfi Sigurdsson were forced into having to play very wide on the right and left flanks, making more of a 4-5-1.
• Shortly after the hour mark, Guidolin introduced Ki Sung-yeung and Modou Barrow off the bench, with Leon Britton and Routledge making way. Barrow came on in a straight swap, while Jack Cork moved into the defensive midfield role, with Ki and Leroy Fer in slightly more advanced positions. Fer was the final player to make way as he began to tire, and was replaced by Jay Fulton in a straight swap for the final 17 minutes.
• The departure of Guidolin and Bob Bradley’s appointment now puts the Swansea line-up in flux. Several positions in the starting XI could be up for grabs, with the likes of Neil Taylor, Ki and Jefferson Montero, in particular, hoping for a chance to shine under the new manager. However, Lukasz Fabianski, Jordi Amat, Fer and Sigurdsson all appear likely to hold onto their starting spots for the Gameweek 8 visit to Arsenal.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: All Positions

Tottenham Hotspur

Starting XI: Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Wanyama; Sissoko (Dier 72), Alli (Nkoudou 86), Eriksen, Lamela; Heung-Min Son (Janssen 90).

• Mauricio Pochettino made two changes for the visit of Manchester City to White Hart Lane, with the fit-again Danny Rose replacing Ben Davies at left-back, while Erik Lamela was recalled in place of Vincent Janssen.
• Pochettino continued with his new 4-1-4-1 formation against City. Heung-Min Son moved into the lone striker role in Janssen’s absence, with Lamela (left) and Moussa Sissoko (right) starting on the flanks. Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen played in central midfield, with Victor Wanyama stationed in the defensive midfield role.
• Pochettino’s first substitution saw Eric Dier replace Sissoko with 18 minutes remaining. Dier slotted in next to Alli in central midfield, with Eriksen moving out to the right. Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and Janssen were handed run-outs late on in place of Lamela and Son. Nkoudou played on the left wing, with Lamela moving infield, while Janssen took over as the central striker.
• After an impressive performance, Pochettino may choose to name an unchanged side for the trip to West Brom in Gameweek 8. Dier and Mousa Dembele, providing the latter recovers from a hamstring problem, can offer different options in centre midfield, though. Should either player earn recalls, Sissoko or Lamela’s starting berths would be in doubt, with Eriksen likely to keep his place either in a central role, or out wide. Son’s form appears to guarantee his start up front.

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

Watford

Starting XI: Gomes; Holebas, Prodl, Kaboul, Zuniga; Amrabat, Behrami, Capoue (Guedioura 79), Pereyra; Ighalo (Success 58), Deeney.

• Walter Mazzarri made two alterations from the side that lost 2-0 at Burnley for the home fixture against Bournemouth, with Juan Zuniga and Younes Kaboul coming in for the injured Craig Cathcart and Miguel Britos.
• Those changes meant a change in formation for the Hornets, with Mazzarri opting for more of a 4-3-3 system. Zuniga came in at right-back, with Kaboul partnering Sebastian Prodl in central defence. Roberto Pereyra and Etienne Capoue started on the right and left respectively of defensive midfielder Valon Behrami, while in attack, Nordin Amrabat (right) and Odion Ighalo (left) flanked central striker Troy Deeney.
• It was Ighalo who was the first player to be substituted by Mazzarri, with Isaac Success taking his place in a straight swap just before the hour mark. Watford’s only other change saw Adlene Guedioura take over from Capoue in central midfield for the final 11 minutes.
• Mazzarri’s selection for the trip to Middlesbrough will depend on whether he sticks with the 4-3-3, or reverts to his favoured 3-5-2 formation. Cathcart and Britos’ groin injuries aren’t thought to be serious, so the Italian could have a full compliment of centre-backs to choose from at the Riverside. Zuniga may lose his place in the side if Mazzarri moves back to the 3-5-2, with Amrabat shifting to right wing-back. In either formation, Success (if he recovers from a knock) is now putting pressure on Ighalo for a starting spot after finding the back of the net on Saturday.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Flanks, Strikers

West Bromwich Albion

Starting XI: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom; Yacob; Phillips, Fletcher, Chadli (Morrison 90), McClean (Gardner 72); Rondon.

• Tony Pulis named an unchanged side from the one that drew 1-1 at Stoke for the trip to the Stadium of Light.
• Allan Nyom kept his place at left-back for the Baggies, with Pulis’ side lining up in more of a defined 4-2-3-1, having started in a 4-1-4-1 formation the previous week.
• Pulis’ first substitution came after 72 minutes, with Craig Gardner taking over from James McClean on the left wing for the final 18 minutes. James Morrison was handed a brief run-out late on in place of goalscorer Nacer Chadli.
• Brendan Galloway wasn’t included in the squad on Saturday having missed the match at Stoke due to a virus. He did feature for the club’s under-23s last week, though, so he could have a chance to take over from Nyom at left-back for the home clash against Spurs in Gameweek 8. Otherwise, the Baggies starting XI looks to have a settled look to it.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Left-Back

West Ham United

Starting XI: Adrian; Byram (Arbeloa 7), Collins, Reid, Ogbonna; Noble (Lanzini 73), Obiang, Kouyate; Tore (Zaza 46), Antonio, Payet.

• Slaven Bilic made four changes from the side that lost 3-0 to Southampton for the home encounter against Middlesbrough, with Sam Byram, James Collins, Pedro Obiang and Gokhan Tore coming in for Havard Nordtveit, Alvaro Arbeloa, Manuel Lanzini and Simone Zaza.
• Bilic opted for a 4-3-3 system against ‘Boro, with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate operating either side of Obiang in midfield. Tore (right) and Dimitri Payet (left) flanked Michail Antonio, who was used in the central striker role. In defence, Collins partnered Winston Reid at centre-back, with Byram and Angelo Ogbonna at right-back and left-back respectively.
• Byram’s afternoon only lasted seven minutes, though, after he was forced off with a hamstring injury. Arbeloa was brought on in a straight swap to replace the former Leeds defender. Zaza was then introduced at the break, with Tore making way. That change saw Antonio return to his more familiar position on the right wing, with Zaza operating as the central striker. Bilic’s final substitution saw Lanzini come on for Noble with 17 minutes remaining. The Argentine played in the same midfield role as Noble, deeper than we’re usually accustomed to seeing him.
• The Hammers’ improved performance may mean that Bilic keeps changes to a minimum for the trip to Selhurst Park in Gameweek 8. The back four that finished the match could stay unchanged, with Byram perhaps missing out even if he is passed fit. Aaron Cresswell (knee) is nearing a first-team return, though, and could be rushed back to face the Eagles. The midfield three had a more solid look to it with the inclusion of Obiang: he could now keep his place in the starting XI. The experiment to use Antonio as a central striker failed to pay off, so Zaza looks set to earn a recall if Andy Carroll (knee) remains sidelined. Antonio would then appear likely to start on the right wing, with Tore and Sofiane Feghouli the other options out wide.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Flanks, Central Striker