Line-up Lessons – Gameweek 24 – Part One

Sergio Aguero continues his tenancy on the Manchester City bench. Alexis Sanchez returns as Arsenal’s central attacker and Everton shift shape once again with Mason Holgate and Tom Davies making way.

Here’s Part One of our teamsheet summary, as we assess the tactical tweaks and personnel changes from the weekend, with one eye already looking ahead to Gameweek 25.

Arsenal

Starting XI: Cech; Bellerin (Gabriel 14), Mustafi , Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin (Giroud 65); Oxlade-Chamberlain, Iwobi; Walcott (Welbeck 70), Sanchez, Ozil.

• Arsene Wenger made three changes for the trip to Stamford Bridge, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replacing the injured Aaron Ramsey, while Hector Bellerin and Theo Walcott came in for Gabriel and Olivier Giroud.
• Oxlade-Chamberlain partnered Francis Coquelin in the double-pivot in the usual 4-2-3-1 formation, while Bellerin slotted into his usual position at right-back. Walcott was stationed on the right of the attacking midfield trio, alongside Mesut Ozil (No 10) and Alex Iwobi (left), with Alexis Sanchez returning to the central striker role.
• Bellerin’s afternoon only lasted 17 minutes after he suffered a head injury in the challenge that lead to Chelsea’s opening goal. He was replaced by Gabriel in a straight swap. With the Gunners trailing 2-1, Wenger made an attacking second substitution, with Giroud coming on in place of Coquelin, leaving Oxlade-Chamberlain as the only defensive-minded midfielder. Wenger’s final substitution saw Danny Welbeck replace Walcott in a straight swap.
• It’s believed Bellerin only suffered concussion on Saturday, so the defender will need to be assessed ahead of Saturday’s home clash against Hull City. If he’s not able to play, Gabriel looks his likely replacement at right-back. Welbeck and perhaps Giroud could push for recalls, with the starting spots of Iwobi, Walcott and perhaps even Ozil under threat. Alexis Sanchez may be asked to move back to the left wing, then, although that’s far from certain given Welbeck can play anywhere across the forward line.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Right-Back, Flanks, Attacking Midfield, Lone Striker

Bournemouth

Starting XI: Boruc; Francis (B Smith 46), Cook, Mings; Fraser, Surman, Gosling (Ibe 46), Pugh (Afobe 83); Arter, Wilshere, King.

• Eddie Howe made four changes from the side that lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace for the trip to Goodison Park, with Tyrone Mings, Dan Gosling, Harry Arter and Marc Pugh replacing Adam Smith, Brad Smith, Junior Stanislas and Benik Afobe.
• Those changes saw Howe switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation. Mings started alongside Steve Cook and Simon Francis in the three-man backline, with Ryan Fraser and Pugh operating as wing-backs. Gosling and Andrew Surman started in central midfield, with Arter and Jack Wilshere utilised in central attacking midfield roles behind lone striker Josh King.
• But heading into half-time 3-0 down, Howe decided to make a double substitution, with Brad Smith and Jordon Ibe brought on in place of Francis and Gosling. The former sustaining a slight hamstring problem. Smith played at left-back, with Pugh moving into a left wing position. Bournemouth relied on Fraser and Ibe to cover the right-hand side of the pitch. As a final roll of the dice, Howe introduced Afobe in place of Pugh, seeing Bournemouth end the match with Afobe alongside King in attack.
• After the 3-4-2-1 experiment failed badly during the first-half, Howe appears likely to revert back to a four-man defence against Man City a week today. Francis could miss out should Howe elect to take him out of the firing line following his first half error and hamstring niggle. That could rely on Adam Smith being passed fit after missing out on Saturday due to a knock. Mings could start alongside Steve Cook in central defence, then, while Brad Smith may return at left-back if Charlie Daniels (knee) remains sidelined. Gosling looks likely to drop back to the bench, while Pugh is another who could lose out in the reshuffle. The likes of Ibe, Stanislas and Afobe will hope to earn recalls, but after King’s impressive performance as the lone striker, Afobe may have to settle for a bench role once again.

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

Burnley

Starting XI: Heaton; Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward; Boyd (Vokes 86), Barton, Hendrick, Arfield (Westwood 76); Gray (Brady 55), Barnes.

• Sean Dyche was forced into making one alteration from the side that beat Leicester City 1-0, with Scott Arfield recalled in place of the injured Steven Defour.
• Arfield lined up on the left wing in the 4-4-2 formation favoured by Dyche of late. Andre Gray and Ashley Barnes formed the front two once again.
• Following Jeff Hendrick’s early dismissal, Dyche didn’t change his system too much, with Ashley Barnes just dropping into a slightly deeper role to help out his midfield. But 11 minutes into the second-half, Dyche handed a debut to Robbie Brady, with Gray making way. Brady was stationed on the left wing, with Arfield moving into a central role, seeing Burnley switch to a 4-4-1 formation. Ashley Westwood then replaced Arfield in a straight swap to make his Clarets bow, while as Burnley searched for a late equaliser, Dyche threw on Sam Vokes in place of George Boyd, seeing Dyche revert back to the 4-3-2 system.
• Hendrick will now serve a three-match suspension, seeing him miss league matches against Chelsea and Hull City. One of Brady or Westwood look set to earn a first start against the league leaders, then, depending on where Dyche utilises Arfield.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Left Wing

Chelsea

Starting XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses (Zouma 87), Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro (Willian 84), Diego Costa, Hazard (Fabregas 84).

• Antonio Conte made one change from the side that drew 1-1 to Liverpool for the home clash against Arsenal, with Pedro recalled in place of Willian.
• Pedro returned to his usual position on the right of the front three, while Cesc Fabregas had to make do with a place on the bench once again, with N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic continuing in central midfield in the 3-4-3 formation.
• With Chelsea leading 2-1, Conte took off Eden Hazard and Pedro during the final 10 minutes, with Willian and Fabregas coming on in straight swaps. Kurt Zouma replaced Victor Moses at right wing-back for the last couple of minutes.
• The Chelsea side continues to look very settled, with only Fabregas and Willian pushing for places in the starting XI. With the Blues travelling to Burnley this weekend, Fabregas may struggle to earn a recall, while Pedro still appears to be the first-choice option on the right flank. Meanwhile, a report in the Standard earlier today states that Eden Hazard suffered a minor calf problem in Saturday’s win in scoring his stunning solo goal. There are, as yet, no further reports, with Hazard’s withdrawal on 83 minutes widely considered to be tactical.

Current Status: Very Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Right Wing

Crystal Palace

Starting XI: Hennessey, Ward, Dann, Delaney (Townsend 46), Tomkins, Van Aanholt; Zaha, McArthur (Remy 62), Cabaye (Ledley 27), Puncheon, Benteke.

• Sam Allardyce unsurprisingly named the same side that beat Bournemouth 2-0 for the visit of Sunderland to Selhurst Park.
• The Eagles boss rolled out the 3-4-2-1 formation once again, then, with Wilfried Zaha (right) and James McArthur (left) providing the support for lone striker Christian Benteke.
• Allardyce was forced into making an early substitution, though, with Yohan Cabaye having to be replaced by Joe Ledley after the Frenchman picked up an ankle injury. Then after heading into half-time 4-0 down, Allardyce decided to bring on Andros Townsend in place of Damien Delaney, seeing Palace switch to a 4-2-3-1 system. Townsend played on the left wing, with McArthur in the central attacking midfield role. McArthur soon made way for Loic Remy in the final change, seeing Palace end the match in a 4-4-2, with Remy joining Benteke in attack.
• After such a poor performance by Palace, Allardyce is likely to consider making several changes for Saturday’s trip to Stoke City. Julian Speroni, or if he’s fit, Steve Mandanda, could come into contention to replace Wayne Hennessey in goal, while Delaney looks set to be dropped if Allardyce switches to a four-man defence. With Scott Dann nursing a knock sustained late on, Mamadou Sakho may be pressed into action in central defence even if he is lacking match fitness. Should he receive Visa clearance, new signing Luka Milivojevic could start in central midfield, particularly if Cabaye is ruled out, while Jeffrey Schlupp (hamstring) should also be in with a good chance to return, and could play anywhere down the left-hand side. Allardyce could also consider starting with two forwards, so Remy may push for a start.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Central Defence, Central Midfield, Left Wing, Forwards

Everton

Starting XI: Robles; Coleman, Williams, Funes Mori, Baines; Barry (Holgate 80), McCarthy (Davies 61), Schneiderlin; Lookman (Mirallas 71), Barkley, Lukaku.

• Ronald Koeman made three changes from the side that drew 1-1 against Stoke City for the home fixture against Bournemouth, with Gareth Barry, James McCarthy and Ademola Lookman replacing Mason Holgate, Tom Davies and Kevin Mirallas.
• Those changes saw Koeman switch to more of a 4-3-3 formation, with Barry and McCarthy joining Morgan Schneiderlin in central midfield, with Ross Barkley and Lookman providing support for central striker Romelu Lukaku.
• Koeman’s first substitution saw Davies brought on in place of McCarthy in a straight swap on the hour mark. Mirallas then took over from Lookman on the left of the front three, while the final change saw Holgate replace Barry, seeing the Toffees switch back to the 3-4-2-1 formation, with the substitute joining Ashley Williams and Ramiro Funes Mori in the three-man backline.
• Team selection for Everton’s trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday will depend on what formation Koeman decides to use. In the 4-2-3-1, the likes of Davies, Idrissa Gueye and Mirallas could push for recalls in place of Barry, McCarthy and Lookman in particular, while if he reverts back to the 3-4-2-1, Holgate appears a definite starter in defence, with one of Barry or McCarthy likely to make way.

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

Hull City

Starting XI: Jakupovic: Elabdellaoui (Tymon 62), Ranocchia, Maguire, Robertson: Grosicki (Meyler 79), Huddlestone, N’Diaye, Clucas: Evandro: Hernandez (Niasse 65).

• Marco Silva made five changes from the side that drew 0-0 against Manchester United for the home clash against Liverpool, with Omar Elabdellaoui, Andrea Ranocchia, Alfred N’Diaye, Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez coming in for David Meyler, Michael Dawson, Josh Tymon, Oumar Niasse and the ineligible Lazar Markovic.
• Elabdellaoui and Ranocchia slotted in at right-back and centre-back respectively, while N’Diaye started next to Tom Huddlestone in central midfield. Grosicki operated on the right wing, with Evandro used in a central attacking midfield role behind lone striker Hernandez in what was more of a 4-4-1-1 formation.
• Silva’s first substitution saw Tymon replace Elabdellaoui at right-back shortly after the hour mark. Silva then decided to bring on Niasse in place of Hernandez in a straight swap. His final change saw Meyler introduced in place of debutant Grosicki, with the Republic of Ireland international playing a more defensive role down the right side of midfield as Hull looked to hold onto their 1-0 lead.
• With so many new players brought in during the transfer window, and with Hull having also had a raft of cup fixtures, Silva’s first-choice starting XI hasn’t quite emerged yet. Dawson picked up a knock during the warm-up after being named in the starting XI, so he’ll need to be assessed ahead of the trip to the Emirates. He may even struggle to get back into the side following the clean sheet against Liverpool. Ahmed Elmohamady will also need to be checked after he returns from the AFCON, while Sam Clucas has been used both on the left wing and in central midfield by Silva, so the Hull boss does have some options in that area, such as Markovic, who will be available to return against Arsenal. Likewise, Hernandez and Niasse are both competing for the lone striker role.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Right-Back, Central Defence, Central Midfield, Left Wing, Lone Striker

Leicester City

Starting XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, Drinkwater, Ndidi, Musa (King 46); Okazaki (Gray 46), Vardy.

• Claudio Ranieri made two alterations for the visit of Manchester United to the King Power Stadium, with Ahmed Musa and Shinji Okazaki recalled in place of Marc Albrighton and Demarai Gray.
• Musa started on the left wing for the Foxes in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Okazaki stationed in the support striker role behind lone striker Jamie Vardy.
• But after conceding two goals just before half-time, Ranieri opted to make a double substitution at half-time, with Andy King and Gray coming on in place of Musa and Okazaki. Those changes saw Leicester switch to more of a 4-3-3, with Gray playing on the left of the front three, alongside Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, while King joined Danny Drinkwater and Wilfred Ndidi in the middle of the park.
• While Ranieri appears to have limited options in defence, he could consider recalling Ben Chilwell in place of Christian Fuchs for Sunday’s trip to Swansea, while if he’s fit, new signing Molla Wague may be considered as an alternative to Robert Huth. King and Nampalys Mendy provide different options in central midfield, as do Gray and Marc Albrighton on the left wing. Daniel Amartey will need to be assessed upon his return from the AFCON, while Ranieri will be desperately hoping to have Islam Slimani (groin) available for the crucial match in South Wales.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Left-Back, Central Midfield, Left Wing, Forwards

Liverpool

Starting XI: Mignolet: Clyne, Lucas Leiva, Matip, Milner (Moreno 83): Lallana (Origi 83), Henderson, Emre Can (Sturridge 67): Mane, Firmino, Coutinho.

• Jurgen Klopp made two changes for the trip to the KCOM Stadium, with Lucas Leiva and Sadio Mane earning starts in place of Dejan Lovren and Georginio Wijnaldum.
• Lucas started alongside Joel Matip in central defence, while Mane returned on the right of the front three, alongside Roberto Firmino (false nine) and Philippe Coutinho (left). That allowed Adam Lallana to drop back into central midfield next to Emre Can and Jordan Henderson.
• With his side trailing 1-0, Klopp introduced Daniel Sturridge in place of Can. That saw Liverpool switch to more of a 4-1-4-1 system, leaving Henderson in the defensive midfield role, with Lallana and Firmino played centrally behind lone striker Sturridge. As a final roll of the dice, Alberto Moreno and Divock Origi were brought on in place of James Milner and Lallana. Moreno provided a more attacking option at left-back, while Origi played just behind Sturridge in attack.
• Lovren missed Saturday’s 2-0 defeat due to what is believed to be a minor niggle, while Ragnar Klavan was also absent through illness. Lucas may drop back to the bench should either return against Spurs, then, while Wijnaldum could push for a recall in midfield in place of Can. Klopp may also consider a formation change given the Reds’ recent struggles, so the likes of Sturridge and Origi will hope to earn recalls if he perhaps looks to switch to a 4-1-2-1-2 midfield diamond, or possibly a 4-2-3-1.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Central Midfield, Forwards

Man City

Starting XI: Caballero; Fernandinho, Stones, Kolarov, Clichy; Toure; Sterling (Aguero 83), De Bruyne (Zabaleta 78), Silva (Fernando 90), Sane; Gabriel Jesus.

• Pep Guardiola made two changes from the side that routed West Ham United 4-0 for the visit of Swansea City to the Etihad Stadium, with Fernandinho and Gael Clichy recalled in place of Bacary Sagna and Nicolas Otamendi.
• Fernandinho and Clichy lined up at right-back and left-back respectively, in what was again a 4-1-4-1 formation deployed by Guardiola. Yaya Toure continued in the defensive midfield position, while Gabriel Jesus kept his place as the lone striker, with Sergio Aguero again only named as a substitute.
• Gaurdiola’s first change saw Pablo Zabaleta introduced in place of Kevin De Bruyne in a defensive-minded move. The Argentine played at right-back, with Fernandinho then joining Toure in front of the back four. Then after Swansea equalised, Guardiola turned to Aguero, with the striker replacing Raheem Sterling, seeing City switch to more of a 4-2-4, with Aguero and Jesus playing centrally. After City regained the lead, Guardiola threw on Fernando in place of Silva to help shore up the midfield, and hang on for all three points.
• Guardiola continues to rotate, particularly in defence, and with Vincent Kompany now back to fitness, he has a wealth of options to choose from. The likes of Sagna, Zabaleta, Kompany, Otamendi could all push for recalls for the trip to Bournemouth. Things are looking slightly more settled further forward, although with the Champions League resuming over the next few weeks, rotation also seems likely to be an issue in midfield and attack. Guardiola has stated he is likely to at times find starting spots for both Jesus and Aguero in attack, with the Brazilian appearing to be in the box seat to start at the Vitality Stadium due to his stunning form. He could move out to the left wing, though, allowing the Argentine to take up his favoured position as the lone striker.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Defence, Left Wing, Forwards

Part Two of Line-up Lessons, detailing the remaining ten teams from Gameweek 22, will be rolled out tomorrow.