Line-Up Lessons – Gameweek 36 – Part Two

Chelsea make just the one change as they close in on the Premier League title, while Spurs follow suit with a decidedly different outcome. Having published Part One yesterday, we now roll out the second instalment of our Gameweek 36 teamsheet summary, outlining the trends and tactics on show and offering early insights into the likely line-ups to come for Friday night and beyond.

Chelsea

Starting XI: Courtois; Cahill, Luiz (Terry 84), Azpilicueta; Moses, Fabregas, Matic, Alonso; Pedro (Chalobah 81), Hazard (Willian 72); Costa.

• Antonio Conte only made one adjustment from the side that won 3-0 at Everton for the home encounter against Middlesbrough, with Cesc Fabregas coming in for the injured N’Golo Kante.
• Fabregas joined Nemanja Matic in central midfield in the 3-4-2-1 formation, while Pedro and Eden Hazard provided support to lone striker Diego Costa from the attacking midfield positions.
• With the Blues leading 3-0, Conte firstly decided to bring on Willian in place of Hazard in a straight swap. Nathaniel Chalobah was then handed a run-out in place of Pedro before John Terry was given a few minutes at the death, taking over from David Luiz in central defence.
• Chelsea will secure the Premier League title if they win at West Bromwich Albion on Friday night, so Conte should name his strongest side for the trip to The Hawthorns. Kante missed out due to a thigh problem, but he may well be able to return against the Baggies, perhaps replacing Fabregas in central midfield. Fabregas and Willian also provide possible alternatives to Pedro, although the Spanish attacker is likely to keep his place in the side. Should Chelsea wrap up the title, we could see several changes for Monday night’s home meeting with Watford. The likes of Asmir Begovic, Terry, Nathan Ake, Kurt Zouma, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah, Willian and Michy Batshuayi may all see some pitch-time, either against the Hornets or on the final day against Sunderland.

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

Middlesbrough

Starting XI: Guzan; Fabio, Chambers, Gibson, Friend; Clayton; Traore (Bamford 57), Forshaw (Leadbitter 56), De Roon, Downing; Negredo (Gestede 82).

• Interim head coach Steve Agnew only made one change for the trip to Chelsea, Adama Traore returning to the side in place of Cristhian Stuani.
• Traore lined up on the right of the front three, with Stewart Downing on the left, leaving Alvaro Negredo as the central striker. Adam Clayton, Adam Forshaw and Marten de Roon formed the three-man midfield for Boro.
• Agnew decided to make a double substitution shortly before the hour mark, with Grant Leadbitter and Patrick Bamford coming on for Forshaw and Traore in straight swaps. Rudy Gestede took over from Negredo as the central striker for the final eight minutes.
• Agnew has stuck with a fairly settled side in recent matches, but with Boro’s relegation now confirmed, he may consider handing starts to a few fringe players. The likes of Bamford, Leadbitter, Gestede and perhaps Adlene Guedioura could all come into contention, although changes are possibly less likely at the back. Victor Valdes has missed the last five encounters with a rib injury, so he remains a major doubt for Saturday’s home meeting with Southampton. Daniel Ayala (ankle) and Gaston Ramirez (pelvic problem) will also need to be assessed.

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

Southampton

Starting XI: Forster; Cedric Soares, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand; Tadic, Davis, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Boufal (Redmond 60); Gabbiadini (Long 69).

• Saints boss Claude Puel only made one alteration for the trip to Liverpool, returning James Ward-Prowse to the starting XI at the expense of Nathan Redmond.
• Ward-Prowse operated in a deeper midfield role alongside Steven Davis and Oriol Romeu, with Puel favouring a slightly more defensive 4-3-3 system at Anfield. Dusan Tadic (right) and Sofiane Boufal (left) flanked central striker Manolo Gabbiadini.
• Puel’s first change saw Redmond enter the fray in place of Boufal in a straight swap just before the hour mark. Shortly after, Shane Long was called upon to provide fresh legs as the lone striker in place of Gabbiadini.
• Up next for Saints is a home clash against Arsenal on Wednesday night before they travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday. Puel is likely to rotate in a couple of positions, with Redmond expected to come back into the side, perhaps at the expense of either Ward-Prowse or Boufal. Gabbiadini should keep his place in attack, although Long and Jay Rodriguez do provide possible alternatives. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Jordy Clasie are available for consideration in midfield, while Martin Caceres and Jeremy Pied are the back-up options in defence, although Puel has been consistent in his back four selection policy of late.

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

Stoke City

Starting XI: Butland; Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Muniesa; Cameron, Allen, Whelan; Shaqiri, Diouf (Walters 76), Arnautovic (Pieters 89).

• Potters boss Mark Hughes only made one change for the trip to Bournemouth, with Mame Biram Diouf handed a recall in place of Saido Berahino, who dropped down to the bench perhaps due to the illness he’d suffered prior to Saturday’s match.
• Diouf operated as the lone striker for Stoke City behind the unchanged attacking midfield trio of Xherdan Shaqiri (right), Joe Allen (No 10) and Marko Arnautovic (left).
• Hughes’ first change saw the fit-again Jonathan Walters take over from Diouf as the lone striker for the final 14 minutes. The only other substitution involved Erik Pieters replacing Arnautovic on the left wing for the final few minutes, with Hughes seemingly happy to take a point.
• Diouf was handed a rare start at the Vitality Stadium, but with Walters and Berahino both set to be fully fit for Saturday’s home meeting with Arsenal, one of those two may push for a recall. Other than that, the Stoke side has had a fairly settled look to it. Marc Muniesa appears likely to keep his starting spot at left-back at the expense of Pieters, while Charlie Adam isn’t expected to return in central midfield.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Lone Striker

Sunderland

Starting XI: Pickford; Jones, O’Shea, Kone, Manquillo; Denayer, Ndong, Honeyman (Larsson 79) Borini, Defoe, Anichebe.

• David Moyes made three changes for the trip to Hull City. The fit-again Billy Jones and Jason Denayer replaced Donald Love and the injured Steven Pienaar, while George Honeyman came in for Wahbi Khazri.
• Jones returned at right-back, while Denayer was stationed in front of the back four in a 4-1-4-1 formation. Honeyman joined Didier Ndong in central midfield, with Fabio Borini (right) and Victor Anichebe (left) operating out wide for the Black Cats.
• The Sunderland boss made just one substitution, when Sebastian Larsson, who was available again following a three-match ban, replaced Honeyman in the middle of the park for the final 11 minutes.
• After returning to winning ways, Moyes could consider naming the same starting XI for Saturday’s home meeting with Swansea City. Jack Rodwell, Khazri and Lynden Gooch provide possible alternatives in midfield, but may struggle to earn recalls. The Black Cats travel to Arsenal on Tuesday, so those players, along with Pienaar, Darron Gibson and Lee Cattermole, should they recover from injuries, could feature against the Gunners. Similarly, Love and Papy Djilobodji may come into contention for starts against Arsenal if Moyes looks to freshen up his starting XI.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield

Swansea City

Starting XI: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson, Ki Sung-yueng (Fer 75), Britton (Cork 73), Carroll, Sigurdsson, Llorente (Borja Baston 87), Ayew.

• Head coach Paul Clement only made one adjustment from the side that drew 1-1 against Manchester United for the home clash against Everton, with Martin Olsson recalled in place of Stephen Kingsley.
• Olsson slotted into his usual position at left-back, while Clement kept faith in the midfield diamond that had served the Swans well over the previous two matches. Gylfi Sigurdsson continued in the No 10 role behind the front two of Fernando Llorente and Jordan Ayew.
• With less than 20 minutes to go, Clement decided to freshen up his midfield, introducing Jack Cork and Leroy Fer in place of Leon Britton and Ki Sung-yeung in straight swaps. Then with three minutes left, Borja Baston took over from Llorente in attack.
• The Swans recorded a significant 1-0 win over the Toffees, so Clement will probably keep faith in the same formation for Saturday’s trip to Sunderland. Changes are also unlikely, with Fer and Cork perhaps possible alternatives to Ki in midfield. The rest of the starting XI has a settled look to it, however.

Current Status: Very Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield

Tottenham Hotspur

Starting XI: Lloris; Walker (Trippier 80), Alderweireld, Vertonghen (Dembele 67), Davies; Dier, Wanyama (Janssen 73), Son Heung-min, Eriksen, Alli; Kane.

• Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino only made one adjustment from the side that beat Arsenal 2-0 for the trip to West Ham United, handing Kyle Walker a recall in place of Kieran Trippier.
• Walker returned in his usual position at right-back, while Pochettino kept faith in the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama combining at the base of midfield. Mousa Dembele was only named among the substitutes.
• The Belgian midfielder was the first to be summoned off the bench though, entering the fray after 67 minutes in place of compatriot Jan Vertonghen after Spurs fell a goal behind. Dembele joined Wanyama in the middle of the park as Dier dropped back into central defence. Pochettino’s second substitution was an attacking one, with Vincent Janssen sent on in place of Wanyama. That left Dembele as the only central midfield player, Janssen operating as the lone striker with Harry Kane and Dele Alli stationed just behind the Dutchman. The final change saw Trippier take over from Walker at right-back for the final 10 minutes.
• In either the 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-2-1 formations, Dembele is likely to push for a recall in central midfield. Dier could drop back into a three-man defence, meaning Son Heung-min could be ousted to the bench in the 3-4-2-1, or Dier may himself be dropped in the 4-2-3-1 to allow Dembele to join Wanyama at the base of midfield. The England international could perhaps be an alternative to Vertonghen in central defence, although that appears unlikely. Trippier may come into contention to replace Walker at right-back, but Danny Rose (knee) is only set to return to full training this week, meaning he’s probably unlikely to be fully fit for Sunday’s home fixture with Manchester United.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Defence, Central Midfield, Left Wing

Watford

Starting XI: Gomes; Mariappa, Prodl, Kabasele (Zuniga 71); Amrabat, Doucouré, Cleverley, Capoue (Deeney 66), Janmaat; Niang (Pereira 84), Okaka.

• Hornets head coach Walter Mazzarri made two changes for the trip to Leicester City, with Christian Kabasele replacing the injured Miguel Britos and Stefano Okaka handed a recall in place of Troy Deeney.
• Kabasele started on the right of the three-man backline alongside Sebastian Prodl and Adrian Mariappa. Mazzarri kept faith in the 3-5-2 formation, so Okaka partnered M’Baye Niang up front.
• With his side trailing 2-0, Mazzarri decided to bring on Deeney in place of Etienne Capoue, seeing the visitors switch to a 3-4-3 as the Watford skipper joined Okaka and Niang in attack. Juan Zuniga then came on for Kabasele, while youngster Dion Pereira was handed his Premier League debut late on, replacing Niang on the right of the front three.
• The Hornets face two fixtures in Gameweek 37, firstly travelling to Everton on Friday night before heading to Chelsea on Monday evening. Mazzarri will hope defenders Jose Holebas (foot) and Britos (muscle problem) will be fit for those outings, perhaps providing the option to revert to a four-man defence if they are both available. The starting spots of Kabasele and Mariappa appear the most at risk. Valon Behrami could be handed some minutes in midfield, while Deeney should get at least one start in attack. Isaac Success provides another rotation option in the final third.

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

West Bromwich Albion

Starting XI: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans (Nyom 51), Wilson (Yacob 88); Fletcher; Field (Morrison 54), Livermore; McClean, Brunt; Rondon.

• Tony Pulis made four changes for the trip to Burnley. Marc Wilson, Darren Fletcher, Sam Field and James McClean replaced Allan Nyom, Claudio Yacob, James Morrison and Nacer Chadli.
• Wilson started at left-back for the Baggies, with Fletcher stationed in the defensive midfield role in the 4-1-4-1 formation. Field combined with Jake Livermore in central midfield, while Chris Brunt (right) and McClean (left) operated out wide behind lone striker Salomon Rondon.
• Pulis was forced into making a change six minutes into the second-half, Nyom having to replace Jonny Evans, who was forced off with an ankle injury. Nyom took over at right-back, with Craig Dawson shifting across to centre-back. Shortly after, Morrison was called upon to replace Field in a straight swap, while the final substitution saw Yacob finish the match at left-back in place of Wilson.
• If Evans is ruled out for Friday night’s home clash against Chelsea, Dawson looks the favourite to start at centre-back and Nyom at right-back. Wilson may keep his starting berth at left-back, with Brunt the main alternative. In midfield, Yacob and Morrison provide viable alternatives, while Chadli and Jonathan Leko could push for starts out wide. Matt Phillips and Hal Robson-Kanu will also come into contention if they can recover from hamstring injuries. But after ending his goal drought, Rondon is likely to keep his place as the lone striker.

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

West Ham United

Starting XI: Adrian; Fonte, Reid, Collins; Byram, Kouyate, Noble, Cresswell; Lanzini (Fernandes 90), Ayew (Snodgrass 84); Calleri (Fletcher 89).

• Hammers boss Slaven Bilic made three changes for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur to the London Stadium, with Sam Byram and Mark Noble recalled at the expense of Edimilson Fernandes and Havard Nordtveit, while Aaron Cresswell came in for the injured Arthur Masuaku.
• Byram slotted in at right wing-back and Cresswell returning at left wing-back in the 3-4-2-1 formation. Noble partnered Cheikhou Kouyate in central midfield, leaving Manuel Lanzini and Andre Ayew in the attacking midfield positions behind lone striker Jonathan Calleri.
• Bilic made all three of his changes during the final 10 minutes, with Robert Snodgrass firstly replacing Ayew in a straight swap. Ashley Fletcher then provided fresh legs in place of Calleri as the lone striker, while Fernandes was brought on for Lanzini, helping shore up the midfield in more of a 3-5-1-1 system alongside Noble and Kouyate in central midfield.
• Following the impressive 1-0 win, Bilic isn’t expected to make many changes for Sunday’s home encounter against Liverpool. Andy Carroll would offer a viable alternative to Calleri as the lone striker if he can fully recover from a nagging groin problem, but a return from the bench is probably more likely if he is available. With the 3-4-2-1 formation working well, both Snodgrass and Sofiane Feghouli appear unlikely to earn recalls.

Current Status: Very Settled
Risk Areas: Lone Striker