Eden Hazard returns to the Chelsea starting XI with a two-goal haul at Bournemouth. Per Mertesacker is again preferred to Gabriel in the heart of Arsenal’s defence, whilst Leonardo Ulloa and Jeffrey Schlupp are afforded rare starts as Claudio Ranieri shuffles Leicester’s XI in the absence of Jamie Vardy.
Arsenal
Starting XI: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Elneny; Sanchez, Ozil (Wilshere 84) Iwobi (Walcott 71); Giroud (Welbeck 71).
- Arsene Wenger named an unchanged starting XI from the one that beat West Brom 2-0 for the trip to the Stadium of Light.
- That meant Per Mertesacker was again favoured over Gabriel in central defence, while Olivier Giroud got the nod over Danny Welbeck as the lone striker in the usual 4-2-3-1 formation.
- With the match still goalless, Wenger made a double substitution after 71 minutes, with Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck coming on for Alex Iwobi and Giroud in straight swaps. Jack Wilshere then came on for the final six minutes in place of Mesut Ozil to make his first appearance of the season.
- After registering back-to-back clean sheets, Mertesacker looks likely to keep his place in the side ahead of Gabriel for the home clash against Norwich on Saturday. Likewise, Mohamed Elneny and Aaron Ramsey may continue at the base of midfield, meaning there could again be no place for Francis Coquelin in the starting XI. Wilshere also offers another option but may continue to be handed minutes off the bench as he builds up match sharpness. With Giroud still out of form in front of goal, Welbeck could push for a recall as the lone striker against the Canaries.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Central Midfield, Lone Striker
Aston Villa
Starting XI: Guzan; Hutton, Richards (Toner 46), Lescott, Cissokho; Sanchez (Grealish 68), Westwood, Gueye; Bacuna, Ayew (Gestede 59), Sinclair.
- Caretaker manager Eric Black made two alterations for the visit of Southampton to Villa Park, with Micah Richards and Carlos Sanchez replacing the injured Ciaran Clark and Kieran Richardson.
- Richards started alongside Joleon Lescott at the heart of the defence, while Sanchez was stationed in a defensive midfield role in a 4-1-4-1 formation. Leandro Bacuna, Idrissa Gueye, Ashley Westwood and Scott Sinclair formed a narrow four-man midfield behind lone striker Jordan Ayew.
- After a poor first-half display, Richards was withdrawn at half-time, with youngster Kevin Toner coming on in his place to make his Premier League debut. Rudy Gestede then took over from Ayew as the lone striker on the hour mark, with Black’s final substitution seeing Jack Grealish come on for Sanchez in an attacking move with 22 minutes left on the clock.
- Black may hand a first start to Toner against Watford on Saturday should Clark remain out, with Richards likely to drop to the bench. Grealish and Carles Gil could push for starts in the wide areas, while Gestede may push for a recall, with Ayew then a contender to occupy one of the wide positions.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Flanks, Strikers
Bournemouth
Starting XI: Boruc; Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels; Stanislas (Ritchie 78), Surman, Gosling, Pugh; Grabban (Afobe 63), King (Wilson 63).
- Eddie Howe made two adjustments for the home clash against Chelsea, with Marc Pugh replacing Matt Ritchie, while Lewis Grabban earned a recall in place of the injured Max Gradel.
- Pugh started on the left of the attacking midfield trio in the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Grabban in the number ten role and Junior Stanislas on the right behind lone striker Josh King.
- Howe decided to make a double substitution just after the hour mark, with Benik Afobe and Callum Wilson coming on in place of Grabban and King in straight swaps. Howe’s final change saw Ritchie introduced for Stanislas with 12 minutes remaining.
- Should Gradel recover from a leg injury, he looks likely to earn a recall for the trip to Goodison Park on Saturday, in place of either Pugh or Stanislas. Howe has options in the wide areas though, with Ritchie another who may come back into the side. Afobe could push for a start in attack, perhaps more likely in place of Grabban, with Wilson perhaps still not quite ready to start for the Cherries following his serious knee injury.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Flanks, Strikers
Chelsea
Starting XI: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Mikel, Ivanovic, Baba Rahman; Matic, Fabregas; Pedro, Willian (Loftus-Cheek 83), Hazard; Diego Costa.
- Guus Hiddink made three changes from the side that lost 3-0 to Man City for the trip to Bournemouth, with Asmir Begovic replacing the suspended Thibaut Courtois in goal, while Nemanja Matic and the fit-again Eden Hazard came in for Gary Cahill and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
- John Obi Mikel was used in central defence against the Cherries, with Matic slotting in alongside Cesc Fabregas in the double-pivot in the standard 4-2-3-1 formation. Hazard was stationed on the left of the attacking midfield trio, with Pedro on the right and Willian in the number ten role. Pedro and Hazard then swapped flanks at the break.
- Such was the impressive nature of the performance at the Vitality Stadium, Hiddink only made one substitution, with Loftus-Cheek coming on in place of Willian for the final seven minutes.
- Cahill missed out due to illness on Saturday, but should be available for the home encounter against Tottenham a week tonight. With John Terry also not ruling out a return from injury, Branislav Ivanovic could return to the right-back berth. Hiddink will the have to choose between Mikel and Matic as Fabregas’ partner in central midfield, while he could consider handing a recall to Loftus-Cheek. Considering that Pedro, Willian and Hazard all got on the scoresheet against Bournemouth, though, the youngster may have to settle for a place on the bench once again. Courtois will serve the final match of his suspension, so Begovic will continue in goal for the Blues.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Central Midfield, Attacking Midfield
Crystal Palace
Starting XI: Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Zaha, Jedinak, Cabaye, Puncheon (Sako 81); Bolasie (McArthur 74), Wickham (Adebayor 86).
- Alan Pardew made six changes from the side that lost 2-0 to Man United for the FA Cup semi-final against Watford, with Wayne Hennessey, Joel Ward, Scott Dann, Jason Puncheon, Yannick Bolasie and Connor Wickham replacing Julian Speroni, Martin Kelly, Adrian Mariappa, Lee Chung-yong, Bakary Sako and Emmanuel Adebayor.
- Pardew stuck with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, with Wilfried Zaha, Puncheon and Bolasie forming the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Wickham. The former Newcastle boss fielded his first-choice back four of Ward, Dann, Damien Delaney and Pape Souare in front of Wayne Hennessey.
- James McArthur continued his comeback from an ankle injury, coming on to replace Bolasie for the final 16 minutes. Puncheon moved to the left wing for seven minutes before being replaced by Sako, while Pardew’s final substitution saw Adebayor take the place of Wickham as the lone striker.
- Having come off the bench in the last two matches, McArthur may be close to earning a recall to the starting XI in central midfield, with Jedinak’s starting position now in doubt. Although Pardew now has a near fully-fit squad at his disposal, last Wednesday’s team sheet at Old Trafford suggests that the Palace boss could continue to chop and change in order to keep his team fresh ahead of the FA Cup final against Man United. The likes of Sako, Dwight Gayle, Joe Ledley, Martin Adebayor could also earn more pitch time, then, should Pardew look to keep as many options open as possible.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Flanks, Lone Striker
Everton
Starting XI: Robles, Besic, Stones, Jagielka, Baines, McCarthy, Gibson (Mirallas 90), Lennon (Deulofeu 70), Barkley, Cleverley, Lukaku.
- Roberto Martinez made four alterations from the side that lost 4-0 to Liverpool for the FA Cup semi-final against Man United, with the fit-again Phil Jagielka coming in for the suspended Ramiro Funes Mori, while Muhamed Besic, Darron Gibson and Tom Cleverley replaced Bryan Oviedo, Kevin Mirallas and the injured Gareth Barry.
- Cleverley started on the left of the attacking midfield trio in Martinez’ standard 4-2-3-1 formation, with Gibson stationed alongside James McCarthy at the base of midfield. Besic filled in at right-back for the Toffees, with Jagielka partnering John Stones in central defence.
- Gerard Deulofeu was introduced in place of Aaron Lennon in a straight swap with 20 minutes remaining, while following Anthony Martial’s stoppage time goal, Mirallas was thrown on for Gibson as Everton searched for a late equaliser.
- After enduring a tough match, Besic may not feature at right-back against Bournemouth on Saturday, with Oviedo perhaps earning a recall. Seamus Coleman remains a major doubt due to a hamstring injury. Jagielka was rushed back for the semi-final, but should he not be fully fit, he may perhaps not be risked against the Cherries, although Martinez has few alternative options with Funes Mori still suspended. Barry may shake off a knock to displace Gibson in central midfield, while Deulofeu and Mirallas offer alternatives to Lennon and Cleverley in the wide areas.
Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Right-Back, Central Defence, Central Midfield, Flanks
Leicester
Starting XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, Kante, Drinkwater, Schlupp (Albrighton 82); Ulloa (King 79), Okazaki (Gray 73).
- Claudio Ranieri made two alterations from the side that drew 2-2 against West Ham for the visit of Swansea to the King Power Stadium, with Leonardo Ulloa replacing the suspended Jamie Vardy, while Jeffrey Schlupp came in for Marc Albrighton.
- Schlupp started on the left in what was more of a 4-2-3-1 formation for Ranieri against the Welsh side, with Ulloa operating as the lone striker.
- With the match already won, Ranieri introduced Demarai Gray, Andy King and Albrighton off the bench, with Shinji Okazaki, Ulloa and Schlupp making way during the final 20 minutes.
- Should the FA choose to not take any further action on Vardy’s improper conduct charge, the striker would come straight back into the side for the crucial trip to Old Trafford next Sunday, particularly with Ulloa suffering a slight back injury yesterday. Vardy’s availability would also perhaps mean a recall for Albrighton on the left wing in place of Schlupp. If Vardy is handed a further suspension, Ulloa, fitness permitting, and Schlupp may keep their places in an unchanged starting XI.
Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Left Wing, Lone Striker
Liverpool
Starting XI: Mignolet; Randall (Lucas 70), Toure, Lovren, Moreno; Milner, Allen (Coutinho 70); Stewart, Firmino, Lallana (Ojo 83); Sturridge.
- Jurgen Klopp made five changes from the side that beat Everton 4-0 for the visit of Newcastle to Anfield, with Daniel Sturridge coming in for the injured Divock Origi, while Connor Randall, Kolo Toure, Joe Allen and Kevin Stewart replaced Nathaniel Clyne, Mamadou Sakho, Lucas Leiva and Philippe Coutinho.
- Allen and Stewart started in the double-pivot for the Reds in the usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with James Milner, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana forming the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Sturridge. Randall and Toure slotted in at right-back and centre-back respectively.
- With the scoreline at 2-2, Klopp made a double substitution after 70 minutes, with Lucas and Coutinho coming on in place of Randall and Allen. Those changes meant Milner was used in a wing-back type role, with Lucas and Stewart offering protection in front of the back four. Coutinho joined the attacking midfield trio of Firmino and Lallana, although the latter was replaced by Sheyi Ojo for the final seven minutes, with the youngster offering width on the right wing.
- With the Reds’ next league match, away to Swansea on Sunday, sandwiched between the two Europa League matches against Villarreal, we’re likely to see a largely second-string side at the Liberty Stadium. Danny Ward could come in for Simon Mignolet in goal, while Randall, Toure and Brad Smith may be handed starts at the back, with the same said for Stewart and perhaps Allen in central midfield. Jordon Ibe and Ojo could start out wide, with Firmino perhaps operating as a “false nine” should he not start against Villarreal on Thursday night. With Origi sidelined, Klopp faces a big decision whether to start Sturridge or continue to manage his fitness with an appearance or two off the bench, allowing Firmino to lead the line. Sakho is currently unavailable while UEFA investigate a possible anti-doping rule violation.
Current Status: Very Unsettled
Risk Areas: All Positions
Man City
Starting XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Mangala, Otamendi, Kolarov; Navas, Toure, Fernando (Demichelis 72), Silva (Delph 57); Iheanacho, Aguero (Bony 65).
- Manuel Pellegrini made three alterations from the side that drew 1-1 at Newcastle for the home clash against Stoke, with Nicolas Otamendi, Kelechi Iheanacho and the fit-again David Silva replacing Vincent Kompany, Fabian Delph and Kevin de Bruyne.
- Pellegrini kept faith in his usual 4-2-3-1 formation against the Potters, with Iheanacho starting in the number ten role, with David Silva stationed on the left of the attacking midfield trio. Otamendi partnered Eliaquim Mangala at the heart of the City defence.
- Silva was the first player to be subbed off with one eye on Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid, with the Spaniard replaced by Delph after 57 minutes in a straight swap. Wilfried Bony then took over from Sergio Aguero as the lone striker shortly after, with Pellegrini’s final substitution seeing Martin Demichelis replace Fernando in the defensive midfield role for the final 18 minutes.
- Although Sunday’s trip to Southampton is sandwiched by the two Champions League semi-final ties against Real Madrid, the importance of a top four finish means Pellegrini may not rotate his side too much for the trip to St Mary’s. If Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy start in the full-back positions on Tuesday night, Pablo Zabaleta and Aleksandar Kolarov may keep their places in the starting XI against Saints. Delph could come into the side in midfield, with one or both of Fernandinho and Fernando perhaps being handed a rest. The latter has recovered from a knock that forced him off on Saturday, though Yaya Toure is s big doubt and may not be risked. Raheem Sterling may be handed a start next Sunday as he perhaps seems unlikely to start in midweek, with Iheanacho possibly keeping his place in the starting XI following an impressive performance on the weekend. The final attacking midfield spot may go to Jesus Navas, Kevin de Bruyne or David Silva. Aguero looks set to continue leading the line for the Citizens in both the Champions League and Premier League.
Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Defence, Flanks
