Lineup Lessons – Gameweek 33 – Part One

Jurgen Klopp and Manuel Pellegrini ring the changes with one eye on Liverpool and Man City’s midweek European matches. Everton have worries in defence and midfield, meanwhile, after Ross Barkley and Phil Jagielka were both forced off against Watford.

Arsenal

Starting XI: Ospina; Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal; Elneny (Giroud 68), Coquelin (Ramsey 61); Alexis Sanchez, Ozil, Iwobi; Welbeck (Walcott 85).

• Arsene Wenger named an unchanged starting XI from the one that beat Watford 4-0 last time out for the trip to West Ham.
• Wenger kept faith in his standard 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alex Iwobi (left) and Alexis Sanchez (right) continuing out wide for the Gunners.
• With his side trailing 3-2, Wenger made his first substitution on the hour mark, with the more attacking Aaron Ramsey coming on for Francis Coquelin in central midfield. His second change, made seven minutes later, was also an attacking one, with Olivier Giroud coming on for Mohamed Elneny. That substitution saw Iwobi drop back into the middle of the park alongside Ramsey, with Danny Welbeck moving to the right wing and Giroud operating as the lone striker. Theo Walcott was thrown on as Arsenal searched for a late winner with five minutes remaining, replacing Welbeck in a straight swap.
• After a shaky defensive display at Upton Park, Petr Cech could well return in goal for the home clash against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Per Mertesacker could also be in line for a start in at least one of the Gunners two matches in double Gameweek 34 following a sub-par performance from Gabriel. Ramsey’s return to fitness means rotation is likely over the two matches next week in central midfield, though Iwobi’s pair of assists may well keep him ahead of Walcott and Joel Campbell out wide. Rotation could also bring about a start for Giroud in one of the next two matches, although as is the case with Iwobi, Welbeck should remain the first-choice option.

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

Aston Villa

Starting XI: Guzan; Bacuna, Lescott, Clark, Cissokho; Lyden (Gestede 45), Westwood; Sinclair (Traore 71), Gueye, Richardson (Grealish 84); Ayew.

• Caretaker manager Eric Black made five changes for the visit of Bournemouth to Villa Park, with Leandro Bacuna coming in for the suspended Alan Hutton, while Ciaran Clark, Jordan Lyden, Scott Sinclair and Kieran Richardson replaced Micah Richards, Carlos Sanchez, Carles Gil and Rudy Gestede.
• Black kept faith in the 4-3-3 formation he used against Chelsea in his first match in charge, but with Sinclair and Richardson stationed either side of central striker Jordan Ayew this time around. Ashley Westwood, Idrissa Gueye and Lyden formed the three-man midfield.
• With his side a goal behind at half-time, Black made his first change, with Gestede coming on for Lyden, meaning a switch to the 4-4-2 system. Adama Traore then came on with 20 minutes remaining to make his first appearance since Gameweek 20 following injury, replacing Sinclair in a straight swap. Black’s final substitution saw Jack Grealish come on the Richardson on the left of midfield.
• Hutton will be available for the trip to Old Trafford having served his one-match ban, so he could return at right-back in place of Bacuna. Richards remains an option to return in central defence, while Sanchez could come back into the engine room, perhaps in place of Lyden. With another week to work of their fitness, Traore and Grealish could push for starting berths next weekend, with Sinclair and Richardson perhaps under pressure for their starting spots. Gestede may only be handed a recall if Black opts for a more attacking 4-4-2 from the off against United.

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

Bournemouth

Starting XI: Boruc; Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels; Surman, Gosling; Ritchie, Grabban, Gradel (Pugh 58); King (Wilson 90).

• Eddie Howe made two alterations from the side that lost 4-0 to Man City for the trip to bottom of the table Aston Villa, with Tommy Elphick coming in for the injured Adam Smith, while Dan Gosling replaced Eunan O’Kane.
• Howe opted to start with a 4-2-3-1 formation at Villa Park, with Gosling stationed alongside Andrew Surman at the base of midfield. Matt Ritchie (right), Lewis Grabban (number ten) and Max Gradel (left) formed the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Josh King. Elphick partnered Steve Cook in central defence, with Simon Francis moving over to right-back.
• Gradel was the first player to be replaced, with Pugh taking his place in a straight swap just before the hour mark. Howe’s only other substitution came in stoppage time, with Callum Wilson making his return from a long-term knee injury, replacing King as the lone striker for the Cherries.
• Should Smith recover from a hernia problem in time to face Liverpool on Sunday, Howe will have to decide whether to keep faith in Elphick in central defence and Francis at right-back. Harry Arter continues to struggle with an Achilles problem, but he would likely replace Gosling in the starting XI should he be passed fit. Wilson looks likely to continue his rehabilitation from injury with another appearance off the bench in attack.

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

Chelsea

Starting XI: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Miazga (Kenedy 46), Ivanovic, Baba Rahman; Mikel, Fabregas; Oscar, Loftus-Cheek (Falcao 76), Pedro; Alexandre Pato (Traore 64).

• Guus Hiddink made three changes from the team that beat Aston Villa 4-0 for the trip to Swansea, with Asmir Begovic, Oscar and Alexandre Pato coming in for Thibaut Courtois, Kenedy and Loic Remy.
• The Dutch boss kept faith in his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, with Oscar (right), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (number ten) and Pedro (left) forming the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Pato.
• Having turned in a sub-par performance and picked up a yellow card during the first-half, youngster Matt Miazga was replaced at half-time, with Kenedy taking his place. That change saw John Obi Mikel shift back into central defence alongside Branislav Ivanovic, with Oscar dropping in next to Cesc Fabregas in the middle of the park. Kenedy was stationed on the right wing to help Cesar Azpilicueta cope with the threat of Jefferson Montero down Swansea’s left. With Pato still lacking match fitness, he was substituted just after the hour-mark, with Bertrand Traore coming on in a straight swap, while Hiddink’s final change saw Radamel Falcao thrown on as a final roll of the dice, replacing Loftus-Cheek, seeing the Blues end the match in a 4-4-2 formation.
• Gary Cahill and John Terry once again missed out due to injury, but the pair may have a chance to be fit for Saturday’s home fixture against Man City. Willian is another who should have a good chance of featuring, but with Hiddink keen to hand the youngsters plenty of opportunities during the remaining matches of the season, it’s hard to be sure whether some of his senior players will be rushed back into the fold. Diego Costa will be available again, though, having completed his three-match suspension, and could replace Pato as the lone striker. The goalkeeping situation is also unclear after Begovic was handed a surprise start at Swansea, with the Bosnian perhaps being given a few matches to prove his worth over the next few weeks.

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

Crystal Palace

Starting XI: Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Sako (Zaha 65), Jedinak, Cabaye, Puncheon (Ledley 76); Bolasie; Gayle (Wickham 79).

• Alan Pardew made two changes for the visit of Norwich to Selhurst Park, with the fit-again Yohan Cabaye and Dwight Gayle recalled in place of Joe Ledley and Wilfried Zaha.
• Cabaye came in alongside Mile Jedinak in the double-pivot in the 4-2-3-1 formation, while Gayle operated as the lone striker for the Eagles, with Yannick Bolasie moving to the right of the three advanced midfield positions.
• Pardew’s first substitution came with the match still goalless, with Zaha replacing Sako. Zaha moved to the right wing, with Bolasie switching to the left flank. Ledley then replaced goalscorer Jason Puncheon in a slightly defensive move, with Pardew’s final substitution seeing Connor Wickham come on for Gayle as the lone striker for the final 10 minutes.
• Having won their first match since December 19, Pardew may look to keep changes to a minimum for Wednesday’s match against Everton. Ledley could provide fresh legs in place of Jedinak in central midfield, while Zaha may also push for a recall out wide, perhaps in place of Sako. Wickham may not be quite ready to start following a thigh injury, and should Emmanuel Adebayor remain out with a slight knock, Gayle could continue as the lone striker.

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

Everton

Starting XI: Robles, Baines, Jagielka (Funes Mori 90), Stones, Coleman, Barry, McCarthy, Lennon, Barkley (Cleverley 65), Deulofeu (Mirallas 78) Lukaku.

• Roberto Martinez only made one adjustment for the trip to Vicarage Road, with Gareth Barry returning from suspension to replace Tom Cleverly in the starting XI.
• Barry partnered James McCarthy at the base of midfield in Martinez’ usual 4-2-3-1 formation, allowing Ross Barkley to push forward into his preferred number ten role.
• Barkley was the first Everton player to be replaced, though, with the England international picking up a slight knee injury. Cleverley came on in a straight swap, with Kevin Mirallas the next player to be introduced off the bench, replacing Gerard Deulofeu on the right wing with 12 minutes remaining. Phil Jagielka picked up a hamstring injury in the final minutes, and had to be replaced by Ramiro Funes Mori.
• Jagielka is expected to miss Wednesday night’s trip to Selhurst Park with that hamstring injury, and looks doubtful to feature in both matches during Gameweek 34. Funes Mori should come in alongside John Stones in central defence, then, while rotation could be possible at left-back, with Bryan Oviedo an alternative to Leighton Baines. Barkley is a slight doubt due to the knee problem he picked up on Saturday, with Cleverley or Mirallas the likely replacements should he be ruled out. Those two are also options to earn recalls out wide in place of either Deulofeu or Aaron Lennon.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Left-Back, Flanks, Attacking Midfield

Leicester

Starting XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez (Gray 81), Drinkwater, Kante, Albrighton (Amartey 84); Okazaki (Ulloa 62), Vardy.

• Claudio Ranieri once again named an unchanged side for the trip to Sunderland.
• 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 as they continue their title charge.
• Shinji Okazaki was again the first player to be replaced, with Leonardo Ulloa entering the fray just after the hour mark in a straight swap. Demarai Gray and Daniel Amartey then provided fresh legs and extra defensive cover down the flanks during the final 10 minutes, replacing Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton respectively.
• The Foxes once again seemed to avoid picking up any injuries at the Stadium of Light, and look set to remain unchanged for the visit of West Ham to the King Power Stadium next Sunday.

Current Status: Very Settled
Risk Areas:

Liverpool

Starting XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Toure, Moreno, Milner, Stewart, Allen (Lucas 78), Ojo (Origi 45), Firmino (Lallana 63), Sturridge.

• Jurgen Klopp made numerous changes for the home fixture against Stoke, with Kolo Toure, Martin Skrtel, Kevin Stewart, Joe Allen, Sheyi Ojo and Roberto Firmino coming in for Dejan Lovren, Mamadou Sakho, Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana, the injured Jordan Henderson and the suspended Emre Can.
• So it was a new centre-half pairing for Klopp, with Skrtel and Toure both earning recalls, while Stewart and Allen started at the base of midfield in the 4-2-3-1 formation. James Milner, Firmino and Ojo formed the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Daniel Sturridge.
• Having picked up a slight knock during the first-half, Ojo was replaced at the break, with Divock Origi taking his place. That change saw Liverpool switch to more of a 4-1-2-1-2 formation, with Allen and Milner on the sides of a midfield diamond, leaving Firmino at the tip and Sturridge and Origi as a front two. Firmino was then taken off shortly after the hour mark as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, with Lallana taking over the number ten role. Klopp’s final substitution saw Lucas Leiva return from injury to replace Allen, seeing the Reds finish the match in more of a traditional 4-4-2, with Milner and Lallana stationed out wide.
• With Klopp showing he isn’t afraid to rotate his squad between the two crucial Europa League matches against Borussia Dortmund, further alterations has to be expected over the two matches in DGW34. Should the Reds progress past the German outfit, the likes of Toure, Skrtel, Stewart, Lucas and Ojo could all feature from the start against Bournemouth next weekend, given they’re unlikely to se much playing time on Thursday. Klopp would appear more likely to return to his strongest starting XI for the Merseyside derby in their second match during Gameweek 34. Sturridge could be one who starts against the Cherries, though, should Origi be handed the lone striker role on Thursday night. Only Simon Mignolet looks fairly certain to play both league matches next week, then, although with Jon Flanagan not involved yesterday, Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno perhaps look to have a reasonable chance of playing in both the Bournemouth and Everton matches. Emre Can returns from suspension for the Everton fixture, and appears a probable starter against the Toffees.

Current Status: Very Unsettled
Risk Areas: All positions

Man City

Starting XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Navas, Fernando, Delph (Toure 60), Nasri; Bony (De Bruyne 60), Aguero (Clichy 89).

• Manuel Pellegrini made five changes for the visit of West Brom to the Etihad, with Samir Nasri coming in for the injured David Silva, while Joe Hart, Aleksandar Kolarov, Fabian Delph and Wilfried Bony started in place of Willy Caballero, Gael Clichy, Fernandinho and Kevin de Bruyne.
• Pellegrini switched from the 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-2 to accommodate Bony alongside Aguero in attack, with Nasri and Jesus Navas operating out wide in midfield. Delph partnered Fernando in the engine room, with Kolarov slotting into his usual position at left-back.
• Bony once again failed to impress for the Citizens and was replaced by De Bruyne on the hour-mark with the scores still level at 1-1. That saw City switch back to the 4-2-3-1, with the Belgian taking up the number ten role. At the same time, the fit-again Yaya Toure replaced Delph in central midfield. Aguero picked up a slight knock during the final stages, and was replaced by Clichy as City looked to hold on for a 2-1 victory.
• With the injury list generally easing at the Etihad, we could see rotation continue over DGW34, particularly if City progress past Paris St-Germain in the Champions League tomorrow night. Fernando, Fernandinho, Toure and Delph are all competing for two spots in the middle of the park, while with Bony an unlikely starter in Europe, he remains a strong contender to start league matches. Pellegrini also has a fully-fit Nasri to offer further strength in depth in the attacking midfield positions, and with David Silva also passed fit to face PSG, it perhaps leaves Aguero as the attacker to feature most over the two matches next week. The Argentine striker is fit to start tomorrow night. At the back, although Vincent Kompany is still unavailable to face PSG, his return to training earlier today places question marks over Eliaquim Mangala’s minutes.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: All Positions

Man United

Starting XI: De Gea, Fosu-Mensah (Darmian 68), Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Mata (Depay 76), Lingard, Schneiderlin, Martial, Rashford (Young 45).

• Louis van Gaal made just one adjustment from the side that beat Everton 1-0 for the trip to White Hart Lane, with Timothy Fosu-Mensah coming in for Matteo Darmian.
• Fosu-Mensah slotted in at right-back for United, with Van Gaal otherwise sticking with his favoured 4-2-3-1 system.
• Marcus Rashford was hooked off at half-time, with Ashley Young surprisingly coming on in a straight swap. Fosu-Mensah was then substituted after 68 minutes after picking up a slight knock, with Darmian taking his place. Memphis Depay was then introduced as the final substitute with 14 minutes remaining, replacing Juan Mata.
• Given how well Fosu-Mensah performed before his injury, and how poorly Darmian played as a substitute, the former looks likely to keep his starting berth at right-back against Aston Villa should he shake off a minor niggle. Antonio Valencia could also be an option in that position should Van Gaal look to leave out the Italian defender. Marcos Rojo looks slightly more secure at left-back, but he could also be rotated for one of the two matches during DGW34. Ander Herrera offers another option in central midfield should Van Gaal look to rest Michael Carrick against either Villa or Crystal Palace, while Depay or Ashley Young could earn a start in one of the two matches next week out wide. Wayne Rooney is close to a return from a knee injury, and with Rashford being replaced at half-time yesterday, the youngster’s starting berth also appears in some doubt, certainly in terms of starting both matches during Gameweek 34.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Midfield, Flanks, Strikers

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