Lineup Lessons – Gameweek 12 – Part One

Remi Garde makes seven changes for his first match in charge of Villa. Alan Pardew starts with a two-man frontline as Palace record a third straight win over Liverpool. Riyad Mahrez is handed the role in “the hole” before shifting to the right in Leicester’s win over Watford, whilst Kevin De Bruyne is moved up front as a result of Wilfried Bony’s hamstring withdrawal.

Arsenal

Starting XI: Cech; Debuchy (Arteta 77), Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla (Flamini 46); Campbell (Gibbs 74), Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud.

• Arsene Wenger only made one change from the side that won 3-0 at Swansea, with Mathieu Debuchy coming in for the injured Hector Bellerin.
• Once again, Wenger rolled out the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Debuchy slotting in at right-back. Joel Campbell kept his place on the right of the three advanced midfield positions.
• After a poor first-half display, Santi Cazorla was hauled off at half-time due to dizziness, with Mathieu Flamini taking his place at the base of midfield. Kieran Gibbs came on for the tiring Campbell, and played in front of Nacho Monreal on the left wing, with Alexis Sanchez moving to the right flank. Mikel Arteta was the final substitute introduced, replacing Debuchy, with Flamini dropping to right-back.
• If Bellerin is available following his groin injury as expected, there is little doubt he will replace Debuchy at right-back against West Brom in Gameweek 13. Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may also return but, if they remain out, Wenger may even elect to hand Gibbs a start on the left flank, shifting Sanchez over to replace Campbell.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Flanks

Aston Villa

Starting XI: Guzan; Hutton, Richards, Clark, Amavi; Sanchez; Carles Gil (N’Zogbia 65), Veretout, Gueye, Sinclair (Bacuna 71); Ayew (Gestede 82).

• In his first match in charge at Villa Park, Remi Garde made seven changes from the side which lost 3-1 at Tottenham, with Micah Richards, Jordan Amavi, Idrissa Gueye, Jordan Veretout, Carles Gil, Scott Sinclair and Jordan Ayew coming in at the expense of Joleon Lescott, Kieran Richardson, Ashley Westwood, Leandro Bacuna, Jack Grealish, Rudy Gestede and Gabriel Agbonlahor.
• Garde opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation against Man City, with Carlos Sanchez and Gueye forming the deep-lying midfield partnership, with Veretout playing just in front of the two. Scott Sinclair started on the left, with Gil on the opposite flank, with Ayew the lone forward. Amavi slotted in at left-back, while Clark partnered Micah Richards at the heart of the defence.
• Charles N’Zogbia made his first league of the season, replacing Gil just after the hour mark. Bacuna took the place of Sinclair in a slightly defensive switch as Villa looked to hold on for a goalless draw. Rudy Gestede took the place of Ayew in a straight swap in the latter stages.
• Given the strong performance, particularly defensively against the league leaders, Garde isn’t expected to make too many changes for the trip to Everton in Gameweek 13. The back four and two holding midfield players could remain unchanged, although Westwood, providing he’s recovered from the head injury sustained against Spurs, could come into contention for a start in place of Veretout should Garde look to play slightly more defensively at Goodison Park. N’Zogbia was out of favour under Tim Sherwood, but could now put pressure on Gil for a starting position out wide, but with Garde maybe favouring pacey attackers, Gestede could remain limited to a role off the bench. Agbonlahor could also come back into the equation for the Merseyside visit should he recover from his calf problem.

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

Bournemouth

Starting XI: Federici; Smith, Francis, Distin, Daniels; Ritchie, Surman, Gosling, Arter (Rantie 79), Stanislas (Tomlin 73); King (Kermorgant 73).

• Eddie Howe made two alterations for the home clash against Newcastle, with Junior Stanislas and Josh King coming in for Marc Pugh and Glenn Murray.
• The Cherries boss went for a slightly different system, opting for a 4-5-1 formation. Stanislas played wide on the left, while King started as the lone striker. Matt Ritchie operated on the right, with Andrew Surman, Harry Arter and Dan Gosling forming the central midfield trio.
• Lee Tomlin and Yann Kermorgant were introduced in straight swaps for Stanislas and King, while striker Tokelo Rantie made his first Premier League appearance as Bournemouth chased a late equaliser.
• While Adam Federici has started the last two matches, he perhaps could have done better for Ayoze Perez’ goal, so Artur Boruc may come back into the picture for a start between the sticks. Steve Cook was an unused substitute against the Magpies, but could return to the starting XI against Swansea, meaning Simon Francis may shift across to his usual position at right-back; Adam Smith would likely be the one to drop out. With the Cherries failing to score in their last two matches, Howe is still experimenting in the attacking areas, so Tomlin may come into contention for a start, while Murray is another who could earn a recall, having been surprisingly left out of the squad on Saturday.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Right-Back, Central Defence, Attacking Midfield, Central Striker

Chelsea

Starting XI: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Terry, Rahman (Oscar 70); Ramires (Remy 77), Matic; Pedro (Fabregas 70), Willian, Hazard; Diego Costa.

• Jose Mourinho made three changes for the trip to the Britannia Stadium, with Baba Rahman, Nemanja Matic and Pedro replacing Gary Cahill, John Obi Mikel and Oscar.
• The Blues lined up in their usual 4-2-3-1 system, although there was a reshuffle in defence. Rahman started at left-back, meaning Cesar Azpilicueta shifted over to right-back. That meant Kurt Zouma started in his favoured position of centre-back alongside John Terry. Matic slotted in alongside Ramires in the double-pivot, while Pedro started on the right of the three attacking midfield positions. Willian played in the number ten role, with Eden Hazard on the left.
• Oscar came on for Rahman in an attacking move as the champions searched for an equaliser, with Cesc Fabregas coming on for Pedro at the same time. Loic Remy was thrown on as a final roll of the dice, replacing Ramires.
• With Branislav Ivanovic expected to be available for the home encounter against Norwich, we could see further changes to the backline. Rahman could perhaps be the one to miss out, with Azpilicueta moving back to left-back. Cahill could also possibly earn a recall at centre-back with Zouma nursing an unspecified knock which has seen him withdraw from U21 duty with France. Ramires has started the last four matches, but Fabregas may find his way back into the starting XI having been benched for the last two outings. Oscar is another who could come back into contention for a start for the Stamford Bridge encounter.

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

Crystal Palace

Starting XI: Hennessey: Kelly, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Zaha, McArthur, Cabaye (Mutch 86), Puncheon (Ledley 79); Bolasie, Sako (Wickham 65).

• Alan Pardew made two adjustments from the side which drew 0-0 against Man United, with the fit-again Pape Souare and Bakary Sako coming in for Joel Ward and Dwight Gayle.
• Pardew rolled out a 4-4-2 system at Anfield, with Souare slotting in at left-back, while Sako partnered Bolasie up front, with Jason Puncheon and Wilfried Zaha fielded on the flanks.
• Connor Wickham replaced Sako just after the hour mark, with the former Sunderland striker taking over the lone striker role, allowing Bolasie to move out wide as the Eagles switched back to 4-2-3-1. Joe Ledley was introduced for Jason Puncheon in a slightly defensive move, while Jordon Mutch provided fresh legs for the final few minutes as the Eagles hung on for a 2-1 victory.
• Given the impressive nature of the win, Pardew could stick with a similar side for the visit of Sunderland to Selhurst Park in Gameweek 13. That could mean Ward misses out once again with Martin Kelly and Souare retaining the full-back roles. Wickham would seem likely to come into the equation for a start against his former club, so Bolasie could shift back to a wide position, with Sako perhaps being the man most likely to miss out.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Flanks, Central Striker

Everton

Starting XI: Howard; Coleman, Stones, Funes Mori, Galloway; McCarthy, Barry; Deulofeu (Lennon 83), Barkley, Kone (Mirallas 64); Lukaku.

• Roberto Martinez made one alteration to the side which thrashed Sunderland 6-2, with Brendan Galloway returning to the starting XI at left-back in place of the injured Bryan Oviedo.
• The Spaniard went with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation at Upton Park, with Arouna Kone keeping his place on the left of the three advanced midfield positions.
• Kone was the first player to be replaced at Upton Park, with Kevin Mirallas coming on in a straight swap just after the hour mark. Aaron Lennon took the place of Gerard Deulofeu on the opposite flank.
• Leighton Baines is expected to be available later this month, so Galloway’s time as the first-choice left-back is seemingly about to come to an end – the latter is a doubt for England U21 duties after picking up a knock. Martinez has several options for the wide berths, with Mirallas possibly set to earn a starting berth in the coming weeks, with Kone’s pitch time looking the most vulnerable, despite his recent form.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Left-Back, Flanks

Leicester

Starting XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Albrighton, Drinkwater (King 90), Kante, Schlupp (Okazaki 46); Mahrez (Dyer 84); Vardy.

• Claudio Ranieri made just one change from the team that won 3-2 at West Brom, with the fit-again Christian Fuchs starting in place of Leonardo Ulloa.
• Having gone with a 4-4-2 formation against the Baggies, Ranieri reverted back to a 4-4-1-1 system against Watford. Fuchs started at left-back, allowing Jeffrey Schlupp to push forward to the left side of a four-man midfield. Riyad Mahrez played “in the hole” behind lone front man Jamie Vardy.
• With the match scoreless at half-time, Ranieri opted to replace Schlupp with Shinji Okazaki, moving to a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mahrez shifted onto the right wing. Nathan Dyer and Andy King provided fresh legs late on to help see out the 2-1 victory over Watford.
• Fuchs is beginning to look like the first choice left-back, so Schlupp’s position in the side now appears less assured, with Okazaki and Ulloa different options depending on which formation Ranieri chooses to go with. Mahrez and Marc Albrighton appear to be the first choice wingers in the 4-4-2 system.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Left-Back, Flanks

Liverpool

Starting XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Skrtel, Sakho (Lovren 40), Moreno; Lucas, Can (Firmino 65); Ibe (Origi 87), Lallana, Coutinho; Benteke.

• Jurgen Klopp made two changes for the home clash against Crystal Palace, with Jordon Ibe and Christian Benteke taking the places of James Milner and Roberto Firmino.
• The German opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ibe stationed on the right of the three attacking midfield positions, Philippe Coutinho on the left and Adam Lallana in the number ten role. Benteke started as the central striker.
• Mamadou Sakho was forced off in the closing stages of the first-half with a knee injury, with Dejan Lovren taking his place. Firmino was introduced for Emre Can just after the hour mark in an attacking move, while Divock Origi came on in the dying stages as the Reds moved to a 4-1-4-1 as they searched for a late equaliser.
• With Sakho’s knee injury set to keep him sidelined for a number of weeks, Lovren could well line up against Man City in Gameweek 13. Ibe earned a start on the back of an impressive performance in the Europa League, but could miss out at the Etihad, with Milner possibly set to earn a recall should he recover from a minor hamstring problem as expected. Lallana’s position could also be vulnerable, with Firmino an alternative option in that position.

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

Man City

Starting XI: Hart; Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Kolarov; Fernando, Fernandinho; De Bruyne, Toure (Delph 78), Sterling (Iheanacho 83); Bony (Navas 24).

• Manuel Pellegrini opted to make two tweaks for the trip to Villa Park, with Fernando and Raheem Sterling coming in for Jesus Navas and Kelechi Iheanacho.
• The Chilean moved back to the 4-2-3-1 formation having gone with a 4-4-2 against Norwich a week earlier, with Fernando operating alongside Fernandinho at the base of midfield. Sterling played on the left of the three attacking midfield positions, with Yaya Toure in the central attacking midfield role and Kevin de Bruyne stationed on the right.
• Wilfried Bony pulled up with a hamstring injury in the early stages, with Navas thrown into the action. That change saw de Bruyne move to the central striker role, with the Spaniard slotting in to his usual position on the right wing. Fabian Delph and Iheanacho were introduced late on, with Toure and Sterling having looked jaded for much of the afternoon.
• Aleksandar Kolarov was one of City’s more impressive performers, but will be a rotation risk now that Gael Clichy is fully fit. Vincent Kompany missed training for Belgium today with a minor problem and is likely to prove his fitness over the upcoming internationals. Fernando also impressed, but with David Silva likely to return to full fitness after the international break, he could return in the number ten role, meaning Toure could drop back in alongside Fernandinho in the double-pivot. Silva’s return could also see changes out wide though, with Navas a favourite of Pellegrini’s, and can never be ruled out from gaining a starting berth. Sergio Aguero is another who could even return after the break having stepped up his recovery from a hamstring injury. With Bony now also nursing a hamstring problem, Pellegrini may gamble on fast-tracking Aguero or go with either de Bruyne, Sterling or Iheanacho as the lone striker against Liverpool in Gameweek 13.

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

Man United

Starting XI: De Gea; Young (Jones 62), Smalling, Blind, Rojo (Borthwick-Jackson 75); Mata, Carrick, Schweinsteiger, Lingard; Martial, Rooney (Herrera 82).

• Louis van Gaal made three alterations for the visit of West Brom to Old Trafford, with Ashley Young coming in for the suspended Matteo Darmian, while Michael Carrick and Jesse Lingard also came into the starting XI at the expense of Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera.
• Having gone with a 4-4-2 formation against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, the Dutchman switched back to a 4-2-3-1 formation against the Baggies, with Lingard (left) and Juan Mata (right) out wide, while Wayne Rooney played just off Anthony Martial, although the two dovetailed throughout the match. Young started at right-back, with Carrick slotting in alongside Schweinsteiger at the base of midfield.
• Van Gaal replaced both his full-backs, with Phil Jones coming on for Young, while Cameron Borthwick-Jackson made his first Premier League appearance for United, taking the place of Marcos Rojo. Herrera was only handed eight minutes off the bench, entering the fray for Rooney.
• With Darmian back from suspension and Antonio Valencia hoping to recover from a foot injury, van Gaal looks to have options at right-back for the trip to Watford following the international break. Daley Blind is currently being preferred to Jones at centre-back, but the Dutchman’s selection can vary depending on the strengths of the opposition, with the same being said for who he plays in central midfield out of Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin and Carrick. Lingard’s impressive performance should see him retain a starting berth out wide, so Herrera appears unlikely to earn a recall for the time being.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Defence, Central Midfield, Flanks, Central Striker

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