Lineup Lessons – Gameweek 36 – Part One

Both Man City and Liverpool suffer damaging defeats on their travels as Manuel Pellegrini and Jurgen Klopp continue to rotate their line-ups due to ongoing European commitments. Per Mertesacker limps off during Arsenal’s win over Norwich, whilst Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson is handed a first start since Gameweek 7 after stepping up his recovery from a knee injury with a handful of sub appearances.

Arsenal

Starting XI: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker (Gabriel 50), Koscielny, Monreal; Elneny, Ramsey; Sanchez (Coquelin 84), Ozil, Iwobi (Welbeck 55); Giroud.

• Arsene Wenger once again named an unchanged side from the one that drew 0-0 at Sunderland for the visit of Norwich to the Emirates.
• That meant the likes of Gabriel, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck remained among the substitutes, with Wenger keeping faith in Per Mertesacker, Alex Iwobi and Olivier Giroud in his standard 4-2-3-1 formation.
• Wenger’s first substitution was an enforced one, after Mertesacker had to be replaced by Gabriel five minutes into the second half after picking up a hamstring problem. With the match goalless after 55 minutes, Wenger decided to introduce Welbeck in place of Iwobi on the left of the attacking midfield trio. Holding a 1-0 lead heading into the final six minutes, Wenger brought on Francis Coquelin in place of Alexis Sanchez in a defensive substitution, with Aaron Ramsey moving to the right flank for the last few minutes.
• Mertesacker is now a doubt for the trip to Man City on Sunday, so Gabriel may be in line for a recall in central defence. Iwobi may keep his place on the left wing, but Welbeck is an option in that position and also for the lone striker role. Walcott provides another option, although he appears unlikely to force his way into the starting XI, while given the Gunners are still battling for Champions League qualification, the likes of Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla are unlikely to be rushed back for this match.

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

Aston Villa

Starting XI: Bunn; Hutton, Clark, Lescott, Toner, Cissokho; Westwood, Bacuna, Gueye (Sinclair 88); Ayew (Sanchez 78); Gestede.

• Caretaker manager Eric Black made three changes for the trip to Vicarage Road, with Mark Bunn, Kevin Toner and Rudy Gestede starting in place of Brad Guzan, Micah Richards and Scott Sinclair.
• Black changed from the 4-1-4-1 formation used against Southampton to a 3-5-2 system against Watford. Ciaran Clark, Joleon Lescott and Toner started in a three-man backline, with Alan Hutton and Aly Cissokho operating as wing-backs. Ashley Westwood, Leandro Bacuna and Idrissa Gueye formed the three-man midfield behind the front two pairing of Jordan Ayew and Gestede.
• Shortly after Cissokho’s dismissal, Black made a defensive substitution in an attempt to hold onto their 2-1 lead, with Sanchez coming on for Ayew. Toner moved to left-back in a flat back four, with Sanchez helping form a four-man midfield, leaving Gestede as the lone striker. Sinclair then came on in place of Gueye for the final few minutes in an attempt to provide an outlet on the left-wing.
• Black once again changed formation on Saturday, which means we could see further personnel changes for the home match against Newcastle depending on which system he selects. Cissokho will be suspended for that match, so Hutton, Lescott or Toner could fill in at left-back or left wing-back. Richards or Bacuna could start elsewhere in defence, then, with Sanchez a possibility to return in central midfield. If Black sticks with the 3-5-2 formation, the likes of Sinclair, Jack Grealish and Carles Gil appear unlikely to force their way back into the starting XI, with Ayew and Gestede set to keep their places in attack.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Left-Back/Left Wing-Back, Central Midfield, Flanks

Bournemouth

Starting XI: Boruc; Francis, Cook, Elphick, Daniels; Ritchie, Surman, Arter, Pugh (Stanislas 68); Wilson (Grabban 79), King (Afobe 68).

• Eddie Howe made three changes for the trip to Goodison Park, with the fit-again Harry Arter, Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson starting in place of Dan Gosling, Junior Stanislas and Lewis Grabban.
• Those changes meant Howe opted for more of a traditional 4-2-3-1 formation, with Arter stationed alongside Andrew Surman at the base of midfield, while Ritchie operated on the right of the attacking midfield trio. Josh King played in the number ten role behind lone striker Wilson.
• Shortly after going behind to a Leighton Baines goal, Howe decided to make a double substitution, with Stanislas and Benik Afobe replacing Marc Pugh and King in straight swaps. Howe’s final change saw Grabban replace Wilson for the final 11 minutes, playing alongside Afobe in more of an attacking 4-4-2 system as the Cherries looked to find a late equaliser.
• Providing Arter suffered no ill affects on his return from an Achilles injury, the centre midfield partnership should remain the same for the home clash against West Brom on Saturday, with changes more likely out wide. Stanislas is the obvious alternative, while Max Gradel will come into contention should he shake off a leg injury. King and Wilson may well keep their places in attack, but Afobe and Grabban are viable options up front for Howe.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Flanks, Strikers

Crystal Palace

Starting XI: Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Jedinak, Cabaye; Puncheon (Adebayor 73), McArthur (Sako 61), Bolasie; Wickham (Gayle 73).

• Alan Pardew made seven changes from the side that lost 2-0 at Old Trafford in their last league match for the trip to St James’ Park, with Wayne Hennessey, Joel Ward, Scott Dann, Jason Puncheon, James McArthur, Yannick Bolasie and Connor Wickham replacing Julian Speroni, Martin Kelly, Adrian Mariappa, Lee Chung-yong, Bakary Sako, Emmanuel Adebayor and the injured Wilfried Zaha.
• Pardew kept faith in his standard 4-2-3-1 formation, with Puncheon, McArthur and Bolasie forming the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Wickham. Ward and Dann slotted into their normal positions at right-back and centre-back respectively, while Yohan Cabaye partnered Mile Jedinak in the double-pivot.
• McArthur was the first player to be replaced by Pardew, with Sako introduced on the hour mark in a straight swap. Then, in a final roll of the dice, Adebayor and Dwight Gayle were thrown on in place of Puncheon and Wickham for the final 17 minutes. That saw the Eagles end the match in an attacking 4-4-2, with Sako and Bolasie on the flanks and Adebayor and Gayle up front.
• Should he shake off a hamstring injury, Zaha could return to the starting XI for the home clash against Stoke on Saturday. Sako would be the other obvious alternative, with McArthur possibly replacing Jedinak in central midfield to free up an attacking midfield spot.

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

Everton

Starting XI: Howard; Besic (Hibbert 46), Stones, Pennington, Baines; McCarthy, Gibson; Lennon, Cleverley, Barkley (Dowell 87); Niasse (Lukaku 60).

• Roberto Martinez made six alterations from the side that lost 4-0 to Liverpool in the Toffees’ last league match for the home encounter against Bournemouth, with Tim Howard, Muhamed Besic, Darron Gibson, Tom Cleverley and Oumar Niasse replacing Joel Robles, Bryan Oviedo, Gareth Barry, Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku, while Matthew Pennington made his Premier League debut in place of the suspended Ramiro Funes Mori.
• Martinez stuck with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, with Besic, John Stones, Pennington and Leighton Baines forming the back four in front of Howard. James McCarthy started alongside Gibson at the base of midfield, with Aaron Lennon, Ross Barkley and Cleverley forming the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Niasse.
• After once again struggling at right-back, Besic was replaced at half-time by Tony Hibbert. Lukaku was then summoned from the bench in place of Niasse for the final half hour, while Martinez’ final substitution saw youngster Kieran Dowell handed his Premier League debut in place of Barkley for the final few minutes.
• Martinez has stated that Howard will earn more minutes before leaving the club in the summer and it may well be that Robles will start both the away matches in Gameweek 37, with the US international earning the start for the final home match against Norwich in Gameweek 38. Funes Mori is still suspended for the match against Leicester, so Pennington could retain his starting berth for that match, with the Argentine returning against Sunderland. Oviedo appears slightly out of favour as a possible option at right-back, so that spot looks a battle between Besic and Hibbert until Seamus Coleman recovers from a hamstring problem. Tyias Browning stepped up his injury recovery with a run out for the reserves earlier today and offers another option if he proves his fitness in time. Until Barry recovers from a knock, Gibson should continue alongside McCarthy in central midfield, with rotation possible in the wide areas given Mirallas and Leon Osman offer alternatives to Lennon and Cleverley. Gerard Deulofeu may be out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, though. Niasse was handed a starting berth on Saturday, but Lukaku may well be set to earn a recall for the trip to Leicester. We may see Niasse earn another start in one of the final three matches, though.

Current Status: Very Unsettled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Right-Back, Central Defence, Central Midfield, Flanks, Lone Striker

Leicester

Starting XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez (King 88), Kante, Drinkwater, Schlupp (Albrighton 77); Okazaki (Gray 66), Ulloa.

• Claudio Ranieri named an unchanged starting XI from the one that demolished Swansea 4-0 for the trip to Old Trafford.
• That meant Jeffrey Schlupp kept his place on the left of the three attacking midfield positions in what was once again more of a 4-2-3-1 system for the Foxes, rather than the 4-4-1-1 formation used for so much of the season. Leonardo Ulloa once again operated as the lone striker in the absence of the suspended Jamie Vardy.
• Shinji Okazaki was the first player to be substituted, with the Japan international replaced by Demarai Gray after 66 minutes. Marc Albrighton was then introduced for Schlupp down the left wing for the final 13 minutes, with Andy King coming on for Mahrez following Danny Drinkwater’s sending off as the league leaders looked to hold on for a point.
• Drinkwater will now miss the match against Everton due to suspension, with King appearing likely to step in alongside N’Golo Kante in the middle of the park. With Vardy back from suspension, he should replace Ulloa as the lone striker, while his return could also mean Albrighton is recalled to the starting XI, with Schlupp’s pace not such an important factor.

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

Liverpool

Starting XI: Ward; Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Smith; Stewart, Chirivella (Lucas 46); Ibe (Brannagan 80), Ojo, Coutinho (Benteke 46); Sturridge.

• Jurgen Klopp made eight alterations from the side that drew 2-2 against Newcastle for the trip to Swansea, with Danny Ward, Nathaniel Clyne, Martin Skrtel, Brad Smith, Pedro Chirivella, Jordon Ibe, Sheyi Ojo and Philippe Coutinho coming in for Simon Mignolet, Connor Randall, Kolo Toure, Alberto Moreno, Joe Allen, James Milner, Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino.
• Klopp kept faith in his usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ojo, Coutinho and Ibe forming the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Daniel Sturridge. Kevin Stewart partnered Chirivella in central midfield for the Reds.
• Trailing 2-0 at half-time, Klopp made a double substitution at the break, with Lucas Leiva and Christian Benteke coming on in place of Chirivella and Coutinho. Lucas took over in central midfield, while Benteke partnered Sturridge in attack, seeing the Reds line up in more of a 4-4-2 formation. Klopp’s final change saw Cameron Brannagan replace Ibe for the final 10 minutes.
• With the Watford match coming just three days after the Europa League semi-final second leg against Villarreal, we could again see plenty of Liverpool’s second string line up against the Hornets, particularly with Chelsea visiting Anfield next Wednesday. Ward could get another start in goal in one of the final three league matches, while rotation in defence looks likely to continue, with Randall, Moreno and Toure alternatives to the players that started yesterday. Smith will miss the Watford clash due to suspension, though. Stewart looks set to start against the Hornets, but Lucas, Allen and Milner could well all feature against Chelsea. Depending on who gets the least playing time on Thursday from that trio, one of those players may start next Sunday to offer some experience next to Stewart. The picture is little clearer in the attacking midfield and forward positions, with few players likely to start both matches in Gameweek 37, though this may depend on Liverpool’s progress in Europe, as a loss to Villarreal should see Klopp prioritise the domestic matches. Ibe and Ojo could well keep their places on Sunday, with Benteke perhaps leading the line should he not start on Thursday night. Lallana and Coutinho may sit out the Watford match should they play 90 minutes on Thursday, returning to the starting XI against Chelsea. Firmino and Sturridge could also share playing time over the next few matches, with it unclear who Klopp will start as the central striker against Villarreal, which will likely have a knock-on effect on who will play in the last three league matches of the campaign.

Current Status: Very Unsettled
Risk Areas: All Positions

Man City

Starting XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Fernandinho (Demichelis 60), Delph (Navas 64); Sterling, Iheanacho, Nasri; Bony.

• Manuel Pellegrini made four changes from the side that beat Stoke 4-0 for the trip to Southampton, with Fernandinho, Fabian Delph, Samir Nasri, Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Bony starting in place of Fernando, Jesus Navas, Sergio Aguero and the injured pair Yaya Toure and David Silva.
• The Chilean boss kept faith in his usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Nasri, Kelechi Iheanacho and Sterling forming the attacking midfield trio behind lone striker Wilfried Bony. Fernandinho and Delph formed the central midfield partnership for the Citizens.
• Pellegrini opted to take off Fernandinho on the hour mark, replacing him with Martin Demichelis in a straight swap. His second and final change saw Navas introduced in place of Delph four minutes later, with Nasri switching to a central midfield role to allow the Spaniard to operate in his normal position on the right flank.
• With City still fighting to secure a top four finish, Pellegrini will likely field his strongest starting XI for the crucial home clash against Arsenal on Sunday. Vincent Kompany could return in central defence in place of Mangala, then, while Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna may challenge Aleksandar Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta for the full-back positions. Toure (muscle injury) may be risked against Real Madrid in midweek, but he could perhaps not also be up to facing the Gunners four day later. Fernando could partner Fernandinho in central midfield then, with Kevin de Bruyne and either Nasri, Sterling or Navas perhaps starting either side of Iheanacho in the attacking midfield positions behind lone striker Aguero. De Bruyne could also be utilised in “the hole” if Pellegrini opts to drop Iheanacho to the bench.

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

Man United

Starting XI: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Rojo; Carrick; Lingard (Mata 61), Rooney, Fellaini (Herrera 74), Martial; Rashford (Depay 82).

• Louis van Gaal made three changes from the side that beat Crystal Palace 2-0 for the home clash against Leicester, with Marcos Rojo, Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini coming in for Matteo Darmian, Morgan Schneiderlin and Juan Mata.
• Rojo slotted in at left-back for United, while Carrick operated as the defensive midfielder in the 4-1-4-1 formation. Fellaini partnered Wayne Rooney in central midfield.
• Jesse Lingard was the first player to be replaced, with Mata taking over down the right flank on the hour mark. Ander Herrera then took over from Fellaini in the engine room with 16 minutes remaining, with Memphis Depay replacing Marcus Rashford in Van Gaal’s final substitution. Depay played down the left wing, with Anthony Martial taking over as the lone striker for the last eight minutes of the match.
• With matches away to Norwich and West Ham in Gameweek 37 before the home clash to Bournemouth on the final day of the season, we’re likely to see some rotation over the next two weeks. Darmian and Timothy Fosu-Mensah offer alternatives to Antonio Valencia and Rojo in the full-back positions, while Schneiderlin and Herrera could come in at the expense of Carrick, Fellaini or Rooney, although the skipper looks the most likely to retain his starting berth. Fellaini could also be handed an improper conduct charge after appearing to elbow Robert Huth, though. Mata is also an option in central midfield in the 4-1-4-1 formation, but he may also challenge Lingard for the starting spot on the right-wing, with Depay an alternative on the opposite flank. That could allow Martial to perhaps start one of the matches as the lone striker, handing Rashford a rest.

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

Newcastle

Starting XI: Darlow; Anita (Shelvey 88), Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett; Tiote, Colback; Townsend, Sissoko, Wijnaldum (Perez 80); Cisse (Mitrovic 72).

• Rafael Benitez only made one adjustment for the visit of Crystal Palace to St James’ Park, with Georginio Wijnaldum earning a recall in place of Ayoze Perez.
• Wijnaldum started on the left of the attacking midfield trio in the normal 4-2-3-1 formation, with Moussa Sissoko continuing in the number ten role.
• Benitez’ first substitution saw Aleksandar Mitrovic replace Papiss Cisse in a straight swap after 72 minutes. Perez then took over from Wijnaldum on the left-wing for the final 10 minutes, with Jonjo Shelvey coming on for the final few minutes in place of Vurnon Anita. That change saw Cheick Tiote switch to right-back, with Shelvey partnering Jack Colback in central midfield.
• Following another clean sheet, Anita – who was replaced due to tiredness at the weekend – may keep his place at right-back even if Daryl Janmaat recovers from a groin injury for the trip to Villa Park on Saturday. Elsewhere, Wijnaldum could retain his starting spot on the left wing ahead of Perez.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Right-Back, Left Wing

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