Line-up Lessons – Gameweek 33 – Part Two

Arsenal switch to three at the back to halt the slide away from home, Spurs march on with both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min accommodated, and Southampton welcome back a striker eyed by many ahead of two double Gameweeks to come. But Middlesbrough change five and still lose, while similar tweaks garner only a point for near-neighbours Sunderland.

Having published Part One yesterday, we now roll out the second instalment of our Gameweek 33 teamsheet summary, outlining the trends and tactics on show and offering early insights into the likely line-ups to come for the weekend.

Arsenal

Starting XI: Cech; Gabriel, Koscielny, Holding; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xhaka, Ramsey, Monreal; Sanchez (Coquelin 90), Ozil (Bellerin 90); Giroud.

• Arsene Wenger made six changes from the side that lost 3-0 to Crystal Palace for the trip to Middlesbrough, with Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Rob Holding, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud replacing Emiliano Martinez, Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi, Mohamed Elneny, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck.
• Wenger switched to an unfamiliar 3-4-2-1 system. The fit-again Koscielny joined Holding and Gabriel in the three-man defence, with Oxlade-Chamberlain and Monreal operating as wing-backs. Ramsey partnered Granit Xhaka in central midfield, while Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez occupied central attacking midfield positions behind lone striker Giroud.
• Wenger only made two substitutions late on, with Bellerin and Francis Coquelin sent on in place of Ozil and Sanchez to help hold onto a 2-1 lead. The Spaniard played at right wing-back, allowing Oxlade-Chamberlain to push forward slightly, while Coquelin sat in central midfield.
• After returning to winning ways, the Arsenal boss may consider sticking with the same system for the next league match, at home to Leicester City next Wednesday. Mustafi did miss out with a thigh problem. Should he return, he could start at the expense of Holding or Gabriel. Meanwhile, Welbeck failed to feature due to a toe injury. If fit, he offers a viable alternative to Giroud in attack. Bellerin and Walcott could only come into the reckoning for recalls if the Arsenal boss switches back to his usual 4-2-3-1 formation.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Lone Striker

Middlesbrough

Starting XI: Guzan; Barragan, Gibson, Ayala, Fabio (Friend 17); Clayton, De Roon (Gestede 79), Leadbitter; Ramirez (Traore 68), Downing, Negredo.

• Steve Agnew made five changes for the home fixture against Arsenal, with Brad Guzan, Fabio, Marten de Roon, Gaston Ramirez and Alvaro Negredo replacing Victor Valdes, Bernardo Espinosa, Adam Forshaw, Cristhian Stuani and Rudy Gestede.
• Those tweaks saw the Boro boss opt for a 4-3-3 formation, with Fabio returning at left-back. De Roon operated alongside Adam Clayton and Grant Leadbitter in central midfield, while Ramirez (left) and Stewart Downing (right) flanked central striker Alvaro Negredo.
• Agnew was forced into making an early change though, with Fabio having to be replaced by the returning George Friend after just 17 minutes due to a knee problem. Adama Traore then replaced Ramirez, with the former stationed on the right wing as Downing moved over to the opposite flank. In a final roll of the dice after going 2-1 behind, Agnew brought on Gestede for de Roon as the home side finished the match in a 4-4-2, with the substitute joining Negredo in attack.
• Valdes missed last night’s match with a rib injury, so he will need to be assessed ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth, with Guzan set to deputise once again if he is ruled out. Similarly, if Fabio is unavailable for the trip to the Vitality Stadium, Friend looks set to fill in at left-back. Calum Chambers may be available to return in defence, offering an alternative option to Daniel Ayala, and possibly Antonio Barragan, at right-back. Leadbitter suffered a hamstring problem during last night’s encounter, so he will also need to be checked, with Forshaw perhaps the main alternative in midfield if Agnew sticks with a 4-3-3. But with Boro running out of matches to save their Premier League status, he could consider switching back to a 4-4-2, utilising Negredo and Gestede up front. In terms of the wide positions, it’s Traore who’s most likely to push for a recall.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Right-Back, Centre-Back, Left-Back, Central Midfield, Forwards

Southampton

Starting XI: Forster; Cedric, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand; Davis, Hojbjerg; Ward-Prowse (Long 60 (Rodriguez 82)), Tadic, Redmond; Gabbiadini (Boufal 60).

• Saints boss Claude Puel made two changes from the side that beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 for the home encounter against Manchester City, with the fit-again Steven Davis and Manolo Gabbiadini replacing Jordy Clasie and Shane Long.
• Davis partnered Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at the base of midfield in the 4-2-3-1 formation, while Gabbiadini returned as the lone striker.
• After falling a goal behind, Puel decided to bring on Long and Sofiane Boufal in place of Ward-Prowse and Gabbiadini. Long took over as the lone striker, while Boufal operated on the left wing as Nathan Redmond switched over to the right flank. But the Southampton manger then strangely decided to replace Long just 22 minutes after coming on, with Jay Rodriguez taking over as the lone striker. There was no sign of an injury for the Republic of Ireland international, who was visibly unhappy at being replaced.
• Oriol Romeu will be available for the Gameweek 34 trip to his former club Chelsea following his two-match ban, so he could earn a recall in central midfield at the expense of Hojbjerg. Unless Puel opts to go for a slightly more defensive 4-3-3, with perhaps Clasie starting in place of Ward-Prowse, there aren’t expected to be further changes for the Stamford Bridge visit.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield

Stoke City

Starting XI: Grant; Shawcross, Martins Indi, Muniesa; Johnson, Cameron, Adam (Walters 58), Pieters; Shaqiri (Diouf 88), Berahino (Crouch 58), Arnautovic

• Mark Hughes made two changes for the visit of Hull City to the bet365 Stadium, with Marc Muniesa and Charlie Adam replacing Jonathan Walters and the injured Joe Allen.
• Muniesa joined Ryan Shawcross and Bruno Martins Indi in a back three, while Adam played alongside Geoff Cameron in central midfield in the 3-4-3 formation. Xherdan Shaqiri (right) and Marko Arnautovic (left) flanked central striker Saido Berahino.
• With the score level at 1-1, the Stoke boss introduced Walters and Peter Crouch for Adam and Berahino shortly before the hour mark. Walters played in more of a No 10 role, with Crouch as the lone striker in what was more of a 3-3-3-1 system. His final substitution had Mame Biram Diouf taking over from Shaqiri on the right wing for the final two minutes.
• If Hughes sticks with the 3-4-3 formation for Saturday’s trip to Swansea City, there are unlikely to be many changes in personnel. After scoring last weekend, Crouch may push for a recall as the central striker in place of Berahino, while if Allen can recover from a hamstring injury, he could start in the middle of the park at the expense of Adam. Jack Butland was an unused substitute against the Tigers and is closing in on a first start of the campaign in goal in place of Lee Grant. Walters, Diouf and Ramadan Sobhi may only be options if Hughes changes back to a 4-2-3-1 system.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Central Midfield, Central Striker

Sunderland

Starting XI: Pickford; Jones (Borini 87), O’Shea, Denayer, Manquillo (Kone 89); Cattermole (Januzaj 76), Ndong, Gibson; Khazri, Anichebe, Defoe.

• David Moyes made four changes to the side that lost 3-0 to Manchester United for the home clash against West Ham United, with John O’Shea, Javier Manquillo, Darron Gibson and Wahbi Khazri starting in place of Lamine Kone, Jack Rodwell, the injured Bryan Oviedo and the suspended Sebastian Larsson.
• O’Shea returned following the death of his father to partner Jason Denayer in central defence, while Manquillo slotted in at left-back. Gibson joined Lee Cattermole and Didier Ndong in the three-man midfield, with Khazri (right) and Victor Anichebe (left) flanking central striker Jermain Defoe in the 4-3-3 formation.
• With his side trailing 2-1, Moyes decided to bring on Adnan Januzaj in place of Cattermole. The Belgian played on the left wing, with Khazri drifting wider on the right, allowing Anichebe to partner Defoe in attack in a 4-4-2. Fabio Borini and Kone were summoned from the bench late on in place of Manquillo and Billy Jones, with the latter forced off due to concussion. Kone partnered O’Shea and Denayer in a three-man defence, while Borini joined the attack, with the Black Cats going all-out for a late equaliser.
• If Jones is ruled out for the trip to Middlesbrough next Wednesday, Kone, Papy Djilobodji or Donald Love may have to come into the defence. Denayer may also be an option to fill-in at right-back. Rodwell provides an alternative in central midfield, with Borini and Januzaj pushing for recalls out wide.

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

Swansea City

Starting XI: Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson; Fer, Ki Sung-yeung, Fulton (Carroll 67); Narsingh (Borja Baston 58), Llorente (Ayew 81), Sigurdsson.

• Swans head coach Paul Clement made four changes for the trip to Watford, with Jay Fulton, Ki Sung-yeung, Luciano Narsingh and Fernando Llorente starting in place of Jack Cork, Tom Carroll, Wayne Routledge and Jordan Ayew.
• Fulton and Ki joined Leroy Fer in the three-man midfield, while Narsingh was stationed on the right of the front three. Llorente operated as the central striker for the Welsh side on his return to the starting XI following an ankle injury.
• Clement decided to make his first change shortly before the hour mark, with Borja Baston introduced in place of Narsingh. The substitute joined Llorente in attack, with Sigurdsson moving to the tip of a midfield diamond. Carroll was then brought on for Fulton to operate on the left, leaving Ki at the base of midfield. The final substitution saw Ayew replace the tiring Llorente in attack in a straight swap, although the Ghanaian did drift out to the right-hand side.
• Following another defeat, Clement may look to change formation for Saturday’s crunch home clash against Stoke City. He could consider moving to a 4-2-3-1 formation, allowing Sigurdsson to start in the No 10 role. Ayew or Jefferson Montero could perhaps play on the left, with Narsingh possibly keeping his place on the right wing. Cork may be ‘touch and go’ to face the Potters due to an ankle injury, but if he is available, he could return in central midfield, alongside one of Fer, Ki or Carroll. Alternatively, the Swans boss may stick with the 4-3-3, but perhaps start with Ayew on the right in place of Narsingh.

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

Tottenham Hotspur

Starting XI: Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele; Eriksen (Janssen 86), Alli (Sissoko 84), Son Heung-min; Kane (Wanyama 78).

• Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino made two changes for the visit of Bournemouth to White Hart Lane, with Kyle Walker and Harry Kane restored to the starting XI in place of Kieran Trippier and Vincent Janssen.
• Pochettino kept faith in the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Walker returning at right-back and Kane as the lone striker. The in-form Son Heung-min kept his starting spot on the left of the three attacking midfield positions.
• With the match won, Pochettino decided to bring off his key attacking players in Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen during the final 15 minutes. Victor Wanyama returned from a back injury, while Moussa Sissoko and Janssen saw some playing time late on.
• Spurs travel to Crystal Palace in Gameweek 34 and, given Wanyama is back to full fitness, Pochettino has the option of reverting to the 3-4-2-1 formation. That would probably mean Dier slotting back into central defence to allow Wanyama to partner Mousa Dembele in central midfield. That scenario would mean there is no place for Son in the starting XI though, so the Spurs seems likely to retain the 4-2-3-1 once more – at least for one more league fixture. Trippier could be considered for a recall with Walker earning a rest, while talk of Danny Rose’s imminent return could also put Ben Davies’ start in question from this point on – although it’s doubtful that he would figure at Palace.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Central Midfield

Watford

Starting XI: Gomes; Janmaat, Prodl, Mariappa, Holebas; Capoue, Doucoure, Cleverley (Behrami 88); Amrabat (Kabasele 63), Deeney, Niang (Okaka 78).

• Hornets head coach Walter Mazzarri made three changes for the home clash against Swansea City, with the fit-again Sebastian Prodl, along with Etienne Capoue and Troy Deeney, replacing Craig Cathcart, Isaac Success and Stefano Okaka.
• Prodl returned to partner Adrian Mariappa in central defence, while Capoue played alongside Abdoulaye Doucoure and Tom Cleverley in the three-man midfield. Deeney operated as the central striker in the 4-3-3 formation, flanked by Nordin Amrabat (right) and M’Baye Niang (left).
• With his side leading 1-0, Mazzarri made a defensive first change, with Christian Kabasele brought on for Amrabat. Kabasele joined Prodl and Mariappa in central defence, and Capoue drifted slightly to the right of midfield to form more of a 5-4-1. Okaka was then called from the bench to replace Niang, with the substitute playing more centrally next to Deeney in a 5-3-2 system. Valon Behrami provided fresh legs in place of Cleverley late on in central midfield.
• Cathcart missed out due to a knee problem, so if he remains out for Saturday’s trip to Hull City, Miguel Britos may push for a recall in place of Mariappa after completing his suspension. Back to fitness, Behrami offers an alternative to Doucoure in central midfield, although having beaten the Swans, Mazzarri may opt to keep faith in the Frenchman.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Central Midfield

West Bromwich Albion

Starting XI: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Brunt; Yacob (McClean 64); Phillips, Livermore, Fletcher, Chadli (Morrison 61); Robson-Kanu (Rondon 64).

• Tony Pulis made three changes for the home encounter against Arsenal, with Chris Brunt, Claudio Yacob and Hal Robson-Kanu replacing Allan Nyom, James Morrison and Salomon Rondon.
• Brunt played at left-back for the Baggies, with Yacob stationed in the defensive midfield role in the 4-1-4-1 formation. Robson-Kanu operated as the lone striker, with Matt Phillips (right) and Nacer Chadli (left) out wide.
• Pulis’ first change saw Morrison enter the fray in place of Chadli in a straight swap. Shortly after that, James McClean and Rondon came on for Yacob and Robson-Kanu, with the Republic of Ireland international operating down the right flank and Phillips playing more centrally in a No 10 role to form a 4-2-3-1. Rondon took over as the lone striker.
• Brunt got the nod to play at left-back against Liverpool, but Nyom may come into contention for a recall when the Baggies play next, at home to Leicester City in Gameweek 35. Brunt could then be an option out wide, although it’s unlikely either of Phillips or Chadli will be dropped. Morrison might push for a recall in central midfield, while Rondon is another who could vie for a place in the starting XI as the lone striker.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Left-Back, Central Midfield, Flanks, Lone Striker

West Ham United

Starting XI: Randolph; Byram, Collins, Fonte, Masuaku; Fernandes, Kouyate; Snodgrass (Nordtveit 81), Ayew (Calleri 90), Lanzini; Carroll.

• Hammers boss Slaven Bilic made two changes to the side that beat Swansea City 1-0 for the trip to Sunderland, with Edimilson Fernandes starting in place of the suspended Mark Noble, while Andy Carroll was handed a recall, replacing the injured Michail Antonio.
• Fernandes started alongside Cheikhou Kouyate at the base of midfield in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Carroll returned as the lone striker. Robert Snodgrass (right), Andre Ayew (No 10) and Manuel Lanzini (left) formed the attacking midfield trio.
• With his side holding a slender 2-1 lead, Bilic made a defensive first change, with Havard Nordtveit coming on in place of Snodgrass. The substitute played next to Kouyate and Fernandes in central midfield as the Hammers switched to a 4-3-3, with Ayew drifting slightly to the right of the front three. The Ghanaian was replaced by Jonathan Calleri late on just after the Black Cats had made the score 2-2.
• Byram will miss Saturday’s home clash against Everton due to suspension, so Nordtveit could deputise at right-back. Cresswell was fit enough to be named among the substitutes last weekend and could replace Arthur Masuaku at left-back. Noble will also sit out the Toffees clash due to suspension, so Fernandes may keep his place in central midfield. Snodgrass is still struggling to make an impression with his new club, so Sofiane Feghouli will push for a recall on the right wing.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Right Wing