Lineup Lessons – Gameweek 6 – Part One

Jose Mourinho drops Wayne Rooney to the bench as United hammer Leicester City at Old Trafford. Hull’s cut-price keeper Eldin Jakupovic makes way for David Marshall in goal, while Antonio Conte shifts to a three-man defence midway through Chelsea’s loss at the Emirates.

Arsenal

Starting XI: Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin (Xhaka 32), Cazorla, Iwobi (Gibbs 69), Ozil, Walcott; Sanchez (Giroud 79).

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield

Bournemouth

Starting XI: Boruc; A Smith, Cook, Francis, Daniels; Stanislas, Arter, Surman, Ibe (Gradel 70); Wilshere (Gosling 76); Wilson (Afobe 90).

• Eddie Howe only made one alteration for the home encounter against Everton, with Callum Wilson earning a recall in place of Josh King.
• Wilson returned as the lone striker for the Cherries, in what was more of a 4-2-3-1 used by Howe, with Junior Stanislas (right) and Jordan Ibe (left) operating in advanced wide positions either side of Jack Wilshere in the number ten role.
• Ibe again failed to complete the full 90 minutes, making way for Max Gradel with 20 minutes remaining in a straight swap. Dan Gosling then came on for Wilshere in a slightly defensive move to help preserve the 1-0 lead, with Gosling playing deeper alongside Andrew Surman and Harry Arter in central midfield. Benik Afobe got a run-out late on in place of Wilson in attack.
• Following Bournemouth’s best performance of the season, Howe may consider naming an unchanged starting XI for the trip to Watford. He will need to monitor the fitness of Adam Smith, who received a knock to the face last weekend – Simon Francis could move over to right-back to cover in his potential absence, with Nathan Ake or Marc Wilson coming in at centre-half. The likes of Gradel and King offer different options in the wide positions, but neither player appears likely to force their way into the starting XI for now.

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

Chelsea

Starting XI: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Azpilicueta; Kante, Matic; Willian (Pedro 71), Fabregas (Alonso 55), Hazard (Batshuayi 71); Costa.

• Antonio Conte only made one adjustment for the London derby against Arsenal, with Cesc Fabregas handed his first league start of the season in place of Oscar.
• Fabregas started alongside Nemanja Matic in central midfield in the 4-1-4-1 formation, with the back four somewhat surprisingly unchanged from the one that started in the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.
• With his side 3-0 down, Conte made his first substitution 10 minutes into the second half, with Marcos Alonso replacing Fabregas. That change saw Conte switch to a 3-5-2 formation, with Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta operating as wing-backs, and Branislav Ivanovic joining Gary Cahill and David Luiz in central defence. Willian moved into central midfield next to N’Golo Kante and Matic, with Eden Hazard shifting into a central position alongside Diego Costa in attack. Conte then made a double substitution after 71 minutes, with Pedro and Michy Batshuayi replacing Willian and Hazard, seeing his side switch to more of a 3-4-3 system.
• After another poor performance, particularly defensively, Conte looks set to make changes for the trip to Hull City. Having switched to a back three midway through the match on Saturday, he could start with a 3-4-3 at the KCOM Stadium. Either Ivanovic or Cahill could drop out of the side if John Terry is available following an ankle injury, with Alonso and Azpilicueta or Ivanovic starting as wing-backs. Fabregas may return to the bench, with Kante and Matic manning central midfield. If he considered a 3-5-2 formation, Willian could miss out, with Hazard perhaps playing centrally next to Costa, and one of Fabregas or Oscar earning a spot in the middle of the park. Batshuayi is another who could be considered for a start.

Current Status: Very Unsettled
Risk Areas: Defence, Central Midfield, Flanks

Crystal Palace

Starting XI: Mandanda; Ward, Tomkins, Delaney, Kelly (Fryers 75); Ledley; Puncheon (Lee Chung-yong 90), McArthur, Cabaye (Wickham 73), Townsend; Benteke.

• Alan Pardew was forced into making two changes for the trip to the Stadium of Light, with Damien Delaney and Yohan Cabaye coming in for the injured Scott Dann and Wilfried Zaha (both hamstring).
• Delaney started alongside James Tomkins in central defence, with Cabaye stationed in the number ten role in the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jason Puncheon pushed out to the right wing.
• Cabaye lasted 73 minutes, before being replaced in an attacking change by Connor Wickham as Palace looked to find an equaliser by switching to a 4-4-2 formation. Zeki Fryers then took over from Martin Kelly at left-back for the final 15 minutes, with Pardew’s final change seeing Lee Chung-yong come on for Puncheon for the final few minutes.
• Fryers impressed against the Black Cats, grabbing an assist, and he could now put pressure on Kelly for the starting position at left-back. Should Zaha be passed fit for the trip to Goodison Park, Ledley could drop down to the bench, allowing Cabaye to move into the double-pivot. Puncheon could then shift into the number ten role, with Zaha coming in on the right.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Left-Back, Central Midfield, Flanks

Everton

Starting XI: Stekelenburg; Coleman, Jagielka, Williams, Oviedo; Gueye (Valencia 81), Barry (Cleverley 55); Bolasie, Barkley, Mirallas (Deulofeu 60); Lukaku.

• Ronald Koeman was forced into making one change from the side that beat Middlesbrough 3-1 for the trip to Bournemouth, with Bryan Oviedo coming in for Leighton Baines, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
• Oviedo slotted in at left-back for the Toffees, then, with Koeman otherwise sticking with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
• But with his side trailing 1-0, Koeman turned to Tom Cleverley and Gerard Deulofeu during the first 15 minutes of the second half, with Gareth Barry and Kevin Mirallas making way in straight swaps. As a final roll of the dice, Enner Valencia was introduced in place of Idrissa Gueye, ending the match in a 4-1-3-2 formation, with Valencia and Romelu Lukaku in attack.
• Baines faces a race against time to be fit for Friday night’s home fixture against Crystal Palace; Oviedo will likely deputise once more should the England international be ruled out. Barry had a slight niggle heading into Saturday’s match but he appears likely to be fine to start against the Eagles. Deulofeu offers an alternative to Mirallas on the left wing, with Ross Barkley’s starting spot also slightly uncertain, although he’s expected to retain a starting role.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Left-Back, Central Midfield

Hull City

Starting XI: Marshall, Elmohamady, Livermore, Davies, Robertson, Huddlestone (Maguire 46), Mason (Henriksen 73), Snodgrass, Clucas, Diomande (Meyler 32), Hernandez.

• Caretaker manager Mike Phelan made two alterations for the trip to Anfield, with David Marshall starting in goal in place of Eldin Jakupovic, while Ryan Mason came in for David Meyler.
• Mason started alongside Tom Huddlestone in midfield in the 4-1-4-1 formation, with Sam Clucas again stationed in the defensive midfield role in front of the back four.
• Phelan had to change his plans during the first half, though, following Ahmed Elmohamady’s sending off after 29 minutes. Phelan brought on Meyler in place of Adama Diomande, with the Republic of Ireland international filling in at right-back. Then at half-time, Harry Maguire replaced Huddlestone, helping form a five-man backline, leaving Mason, Robert Snodgrass and Clucas in midfield. Phelan’s final substitution saw Markus Henriksen handed his Premier League debut in place of Mason in a straight swap.
• With Elmohamady suspended for the visit of Chelsea to the KCOM Stadium, Phelan could turn to Maguire or Meyler to fill-in at right-back, with youngsters Josh Clackstone or Josh Tymon other alternatives. The likes of Henriksen and Shaun Maloney offer different options to Diomande on the left wing, although he may keep his starting berth for another week. Marshall now looks set for a run in the side in goal in place of Jakupovic.

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

Leicester

Starting XI: Zieler; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez (King 46), Amartey, Drinkwater, Albrighton (Schlupp 62); Vardy (Gray 46), Slimani.

• Claudio Ranieri named an unchanged side from the one that beat Burnley 3-0 for the trip to Old Trafford.
• Islam Slimani once again partnered Jamie Vardy in attack in the 4-4-2 formation then, while Daniel Amartey kept his starting spot alongside Danny Drinkwater in the engine room.
• But with the Foxes 4-0 down at half-time, Ranieri made two substitutions, with Andy King and Demarai Gray coming on in place of Riyad Mahrez and Vardy. Marc Albrighton then made way for Jeffrey Schlupp just after the hour mark, with those changes seeing Leicester line up in a more of a 4-3-3 system, with Schlupp (right) and Gray (left) flanking central striker Slimani.
• With Leicester facing Porto in the Champions League in midweek before Sunday’s home clash against Southampton, Ranieri could look to rotate against Saints, particularly in attack. Shinji Okazaki and Ahmed Musa offer alternative options, although Slimani and Vardy do appear his first choice pairing. Gray may also push for a start after scoring a spectacular goal against United, while Nampalys Mendy (ankle) could also be close to a return, putting pressure on Amartey in central midfield. In goal, Kasper Schmeichel returned to training today following a groin injury.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Central Midfield, Flanks, Strikers

Liverpool

Starting XI: Karius, Clyne, Matip, Klavan, Milner, Lallana (Sturridge 69), Henderson (Can 74), Wijnaldum, Mane, Firmino, Coutinho (Grujic 74).

• Jurgen Klopp made three changes from the side that beat Chelsea 2-1 for the home clash against Hull City, with Loris Karius, Ragnar Klavan and Roberto Firmino starting in place of Simon Mignolet, Dejan Lovren and Daniel Sturridge.
• Klavan started next to Joel Matip in central defence, with Lovren missing out due to illness. Firmino returned in the “false nine” role, with Sadio Mane (right) and Philippe Coutinho (left) forming the rest of the front three in Klopp’s favoured 4-3-3 formation.
• Klopp’s first substitution saw Sturridge replace Adam Lallana after 69 minutes, seeing Liverpool switch to more of a 4-2-3-1, with Firmino moving into the number ten role behind the England international. Emre Can and Marko Grujic then replaced Jordan Henderson and Coutinho with 16 minutes remaining.
• Providing Lovren recovers from his illness, he should replace Klavan in central defence for Saturday’s trip to Swansea. Klopp may consider bringing Sturridge back into the side, but it’s expected he’ll continue with Firmino, Mane and Coutinho given how well the team performed against Hull. Karius now looks set to remain the first choice keeper after he got the nod in goal against the Tigers.

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

Man City

Starting XI: Bravo; Sagna (Zabaleta 78), Stones, Otamendi, Kolarov; Fernandinho; De Bruyne (Navas 81), Gundogan (Fernando 69), Silva, Sterling; Aguero.

• Pep Guardiola made three changes for the trip to Swansea City, with John Stones starting in place of Gael Clichy, while Sergio Aguero returned from suspension to replace Kelechi Iheanacho. The final change saw the fit-again David Silva come in for the suspended Nolito.
• Stones started alongside Nicolas Otamendi in central defence, with Aleksandar Kolarov moving across to left-back. Silva was stationed in central midfield alongside Ilkay Gundogan, with Kevin de Bruyne moved to the right wing in the 4-1-4-1 formation. He and Raheem Sterling switched flanks regularly, though, particularly in the second half. Aguero led the line for City in south Wales.
• Guardiola’s first substitution saw Fernando come on in place of Gundogan, with Fernandinho then moving forward next to Silva, leaving Fernando in the defensive midfield role. Pablo Zabaleta then took over at right-back in place of Bacary Sagna for the final 12 minutes. Guardiola’s final substitution saw Jesus Navas replace the injured De Bruyne, who picked up a hamstring injury.
• Reports indicate that De Bruyne may well be set for a spell on the sidelines hamstring injury, so Navas or Leroy Sane look set to come into the starting XI at Tottenham on Sunday. Guardiola has options in the full-back positions, and he could rotate depending on who starts against Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Flanks, Central Midfield

Man United

Starting XI: De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Blind; Herrera, Pogba; Lingard (Carrick 78), Mata (Young 87), Rashford (Rooney 83); Ibrahimovic.

• Jose Mourinho made four changes for the home encounter against champions Leicester, with Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata coming in for Luke Shaw, Marouane Fellaini, Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney.
• Blind slotted in at left-back for United, while Ander Herrera started in the defensive midfield role alongside the more advanced Paul Pogba in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Lingard started on the right wing, with Mata in the number ten role and Marcus Rashford on the left.
• With the match won, Mourinho brought on Michael Carrick, Rooney and Ashley Young during the final 12 minutes, with Lingard, Rashford and Mata making way.
• Following the emphatic 4-1 win, Mourinho could stick with the same starting XI for the home clash against Stoke City on Sunday. Shaw wasn’t 100% fit to play on Saturday due to a groin problem, but with Mourinho having criticised the England international, and with Blind performing well against the Foxes, the Dutchman looks likely to retain his starting role. Likewise, Lingard may remain in the side even if Anthony Martial (calf) or Henrikh Mkhitaryan (thigh) are passed fit.

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

Part Two of Lineup Lessons, assessing the remaining 10 teams, will be published later today.