Line-Up Lessons – Gameweek 37 – Part Two

Chelsea make nine changes and Southampton seven to keep us all off balance ahead of the season finale, while Swansea City do the complete opposite to secure their top-flight status.

Having published Part One yesterday, we now roll out the second instalment of our Gameweek 37 teamsheet summary, outlining the trends and tactics on show and offering early insights into the likely line-ups for Sunday’s final-day fixtures.

Chelsea

Starting XI: Begovic; Zouma, Terry, Ake; Azpilicueta, Kante, Chalobah (Fabregas 78), Kenedy (Aina 75); Willian, Hazard; Batshuayi (Pedro 84).

• Antonio Conte made nine changes from the side that beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 for the home clash against Watford, with Asmir Begovic, Kurt Zouma, John Terry, Nathan Ake, N’Golo Kante, Nathaniel Chalobah, Kenedy, Willian and Michy Batshuayi replacing Thibaut Courtois, Gary Cahill, David Luiz, Victor Moses, Marcos Alonso, Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Diego Costa.
• The Chelsea boss did stick with the 3-4-3 system though, with Willian and Eden Hazard playing either side of central striker Batshuayi. Kante and Chalobah combined in central midfield, with Cesar Azpilicueta and Kenedy stationed at right and left wing-back respectively. Zouma, Terry and Ake formed the three-man defence.
• Conte’s first change saw Ola Aina replace Kenedy in a straight swap. Shortly after, the Italian introduced Cesc Fabregas for Chalobah, offering a more attacking threat from the middle of the park, while Pedro joined Willian and Hazard in a fluent front three in place of Batshuayi for the final six minutes.
• Conte unsurprisingly made wholesale changes for Monday’s match, but he could name a stronger starting XI when the champions pick up the Premier League trophy when they host Sunderland on Sunday. Costa and Pedro could return in attack, but after Hazard surprisingly played all 90 minutes against the Hornets, he may be in line for a rest, perhaps allowing Willian or Fabregas to start in the front three. Fabregas is also a viable starter in central midfield, as are Matic, Chalobah and Kante. Moses and Alonso could return in the wing-back spots, but Terry is likely to get another start in defence, so one of Azpilicueta, Cahill or Luiz may miss out. Courtois is another who could return, replacing Begovic in goal.

Current Status: Very Unsettled
Risk Areas: All Positions

Middlesbrough

Starting XI: Guzan; Fabio, Chambers, Gibson, Friend; Clayton; Bamford, Forshaw (Leadbitter 60), De Roon, Downing (Fischer 60); Negredo.

• Interim head coach Steve Agnew only made one adjustment for the home encounter against Southampton, with Patrick Bamford starting in place of Adama Traore.
• Bamford started on the right of what was an attacking midfield trio used by Agnew in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Adam Forshaw (No 10) and Stewart Downing (left) also operated behind lone striker Alvaro Negredo.
• But after falling 2-0 behind, Agnew decided to bring on Grant Leadbitter and Viktor Fischer in place of Forshaw and Downing in a straight swap on the hour-mark.
• After supplying the assist for Bamford’s first ever Premier League goal, Fischer could push for a start in place of Downing for Sunday’s trip to Liverpool. Leadbitter may also be recalled in place of Forshaw, while squad players such as Traore and Cristhian Stuani will hope to see some pitch-time.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Attacking Midfield, Left Wing

Southampton

Starting XI: Forster; Pied, Caceres, Yoshida, Bertrand; Clasie, Romeu; Long (Austin 87), Hojbjerg (Davis 74), Boufal (Redmond 46); Rodriguez

• Saints boss Claude Puel made seven changes for the trip to Middlesbrough, with Jeremy Pied, Martin Caceres, Jordy Clasie, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Sofiane Boufal, Jay Rodriguez and Shane Long replacing Cedric Soares, Jack Stephens, Steven Davis, James Ward-Prowse, Dusan Tadic, Nathan Redmond and Manolo Gabbiadini.
• Pied and Caceres slotted in at right-back and centre-back respectively, while Clasie and Hojbjerg operated just in front of holding midfield Oriol Romeu in the 4-3-3 formation. Long (right) and Boufal (left) flanked central striker Rodriguez.
• Despite his side holding a 1-0 lead at the break, Puel decided to introduce Redmond in place of Boufal in a straight swap. With 16 minutes remaining, Davis was brought on for Hojbjerg in central midfield, while Charlie Austin returned from a long spell on the sidelines to replace Long for the final three minutes.
• Saints now entertain Manchester United tomorrow night, with Crystal Palace the visitors to St Mary’s on the final day. Given the rotation seen at the Riverside, it’s probable that Puel will do likewise over the next two fixtures, with his first choice line-up reserved to start against Jose Mourinho’s men. The likes of Soares, Stephens, Davis, Tadic and Gabbiadini may all earn recalls then, but the wide positions are look more difficult to predict. Ward-Prowse and Redmond could come back into the side, although Boufal, Long and Rodriguez are also viable options. The Saints boss might field a side similar to the one seen against Middlesbrough on Sunday, with Pied, Caceres, Clasie, Hojbjerg, Long, Rodriguez and perhaps Austin all more likely to start. But equally, Puel could just mix and match over the next two matches, causing further frustration for the many Fantasy managers who own Saints assets.

Current Status: Very Unsettled
Risk Areas: All Positions

Stoke City

Starting XI: Butland; Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters; Whelan, Cameron, Allen (Crouch 60); Arnautovic (Ramadan Sobhi 81), Diouf (Berahino 61), Shaqiri.

• Potters boss Mark Hughes made one change for the visit of Arsenal to the bet365 Stadium, with Erik Pieters recalled in place of Marc Muniesa.
• Pieters returned in his usual position at left-back in the 4-2-3-1 system. Joe Allen was again used in the No 10 role, while Mame Biram Diouf was handed another chance to impress as the lone striker.
• With his side trailing 2-0, Hughes decided to introduce Peter Crouch and Saido Berahino in place of Allen and Diouf on the hour mark in straight swaps. Marko Arnautovic had to be replaced late on after suffering an arm injury, Ramadan Sobhi taking over on the left wing for the final nine minutes.
• Arnautovic will be assessed ahead of the final day trip to Southampton, with Sobhi set to be on standby to replace the Austrian. Crouch is likely to push for a start as the lone striker in place of Diouf after scoring a contentious goal from the bench, while Berahino offers an alternative to Allen, who could drop back into central midfield at the expense of either Glenn Whelan or Geoff Cameron. Muniesa may return to contention at left-back in place of Pieters, while the likes of Charlie Adam and Jonathan Walters may also push for starts if Hughes looks to freshen up his side following a flat display against the Gunners.

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

Sunderland

Starting XI: Pickford; Jones, O’Shea, Kone, Manquillo; N’Dong, Denayer (Gibson 20), Larsson; Borini, Defoe, Anichebe (Khazri 37).

• David Moyes was forced into making one change from the side that beat Hull City 2-0 for the home clash against Swansea City, Sebastian Larsson replacing the injured George Honeyman.
• Larsson started on the left of a three-man midfield, with Fabio Borini (right) and Victor Anichebe (left) flanking central striker Jermain Defoe in attack in the 4-3-3 formation.
• Moyes was forced into making two changes during the first-half. Jason Denayer had to be replaced by Darron Gibson after picking up a knock before Anichebe suffered a hamstring injury, the Nigerian making way for Wahbi Khazri in a straight swap.
• Moyes revealed he expects Honeyman, Denayer and Anichebe to all miss tonight’s trip to Arsenal. There are also some other issues in the squad, so Gibson or Jack Rodwell could come into the midfield, while Khazri or Lynden Gooch may replace Anichebe. Bryan Oviedo was back on the bench last weekend following a spell on the sidelines, so he could be an option to replace Javier Manquillo at left-back, while Papy Djilobodji and Donald Love provide further alternatives in defence. Youngsters such as Joel Asoro, Elliot Embleton and Josh Maja may also feature against Arsenal and at Chelsea on the final day of the season.

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

Swansea City

Starting XI: Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson; Ki Sung-yeung (Fer 67), Britton (Cork 77), Carroll; Sigurdsson; Ayew, Llorente (Narsingh 88).

• Head coach Paul Clement kept faith in the side that beat Everton 1-0 for the trip to Sunderland.
• Clement rolled out the midfield diamond in the 4-1-2-1-2 formation once more, with Ki Sung-yeung keeping his place in the side ahead of both Leroy Fer and Jack Cork.
• The South Korean midfielder was the first player to be replaced, Fer taking his place in a straight swap for the final 23 minutes. Cork was then called upon to provide fresh legs in the defensive midfield role, replacing Leon Britton, while Luciano Narsingh came on for Fernando Llorente late on, operating wide on the right. That saw Jordan Ayew end the match as the lone striker in a 4-5-1 system.
• With another season in the Premier League now confirmed, Clement may decide to rest some players who have been playing with injuries for the final home clash against West Bromwich Albion. Ki suffered a slight knock at the Stadium of Light and could make way for Fer or Cork, while the likes of Stephen Kingsley, Angel Rangel, Narsingh, Wayne Routledge and Borja Baston provide further alternatives should the Swans boss look to rotate.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield

Tottenham Hotspur

Starting XI: Lloris; Trippier (Walker 82), Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Wanyama; Eriksen (Nkoudou 90), Alli, Son Heung-min (Dembele 71); Kane.

• Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino only made one adjustment for the final match at White Hart Lane, with Kieran Trippier replacing Kyle Walker.
• Trippier started in his usual position at right-back as Pochettino kept faith in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Mousa Dembele was only named among the substitutes once again though, with Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier favoured in central midfield.
• Dembele was the first player summoned from the bench, coming on for Son with 19 minutes remaining as Spurs switched to more of a 4-3-2-1. The Belgian joined Wanyama and Dier in central midfield. Trippier was then forced off with a knock, seeing Walker take over at right-back. Georges-Kevin Nkoudou was handed a brief run-out late on in place of Christian Eriksen.
• Trippier will be assessed ahead of Thursday night’s trip to Leicester City, but with Pochettino rotating his right-backs, it may in any case be Walker’s turn to start. Dembele could return at the base of midfield in place of either Wanyama or Dier, while squad players such as Vincent Janssen, Moussa Sissoko and Kevin Wimmer may be handed some minutes either against Leicester, or for the trip to Hull City on the final day of the season. Ben Davies looks certain of retaining his left-back role for the two remaining matches with Danny Rose ruled out of those encounters today following confirmation of surgery on his knee injury.

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

Watford

Starting XI: Gomes; Mariappa, Prodl, Holebas; Amrabat, Behrami, Doucoure, Cleverley, Janmaat; Capoue (Deeney 90); Niang (Okaka 71).

• Head coach Walter Mazzarri made three changes for the trip to Stamford Bridge, with Nordin Amrabat, Tom Cleverley and M’Baye Niang starting at the expense of Troy Deeney, Stefano Okaka and the injured Christian Kabasele.
• The Hornets lined up in more of a 3-4-2-1 formation in which Cleverley and Etienne Capoue operated in central advanced midfield positions behind lone striker Niang. Amrabat was stationed at right wing-back, with Janmaat on the opposite flank, leaving Jose Holebas in the back three alongside Sebastian Prodl and Adrian Mariappa.
• With 20 minutes remaining, Mazzarri sent on Okaka in place of Niang in a straight swap. After falling 4-3 behind, the Watford boss threw on Deeney in place of Capoue as the visitors finished the match in a 3-5-2 system.
• Kabasele is a major doubt for Sunday’s home clash against Manchester City so Mazzarri may have to stick with the same defence unless he hands a start to youngster Andrew Eleftheriou. Juan Zuniga provides an alternative in the wing-back positions, while Deeney and Okaka should come into contention for recalls in attack.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Wing-Backs, Forwards

West Bromwich Albion

Starting XI: Foster; Dawson, McAuley (Wilson 64), Evans, Nyom, Fletcher, Brunt, Livermore, Field (Yacob 51), McClean (Chadli 59), Rondon.

• Baggies head coach Tony Pulis made one alteration from the side that drew 2-2 against Burnley for the home meeting against Chelsea as Allan Nyom started at the expense of Marc Wilson.
• Nyom returned at left-back, while elsewhere Pulis opted for more of a 4-5-1 formation, with Darren Fletcher, Jake Livermore and Sam Field all keeping their places in central midfield.
• Six minutes into the second-half, Pulis decided to bring on Claudio Yacob for Field, seeing the home side switch to a 4-1-4-1, with Yacob stationed as the defensive midfielder. Shortly afterwards, Nacer Chadli entered the fray in place of James McClean. The Belgian played on the right side of midfield, with Chris Brunt shifting over to the left flank. Pulis’ final substitution was an enforced one, Wilson having to come on in place of Gareth McAuley, who had picked up a knock. That change saw Nyom move to right-back and Craig Dawson to centre-back, leaving Wilson at left-back.
• Pulis has revealed that Matt Phillips (hamstring) remains out for tonight’s trip to Manchester City, while McAuley is also likely to miss out. A late decision will be made on Hal Robson-Kanu (hamstring), but an appearance off the bench appears the best-case scenario, so Salomon Rondon should keep his place in attack. McAuley’s absence could see the Baggies boss start with the back four that finished the match against Chelsea, with Wilson coming in at left-back. Yacob and James Morrison provide different options in central midfield not just for the Etihad clash, but also the final day trip to Swansea City, while winger Jonathan Leko may see some minutes over the final two matches.

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

West Ham United

Starting XI: Adrian; Fonte (Fletcher 55), Reid, Collins; Byram, Fernandes, Nordtveit, Cresswell; Ayew (Snodgrass 77), Lanzini; Calleri (Feghouli 55).

• Slaven Bilic was forced into making two changes from the team that beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 for the home clash against Liverpool, Edimilson Fernandes and Havard Nordtveit starting in place of the injured Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate.
• Fernandes and Nordtveit formed the new-look central midfield partnership for the Hammers, while Andre Ayew and Manuel Lanzini continued in the attacking midfield positions behind lone striker Jonathan Calleri in the 3-4-2-1 formation.
• With his side losing 1-0, Bilic decided to make a double substitution 10 minutes into the second-half, with Sofiane Feghouli and Ashley Fletcher replacing Jose Fonte and Calleri. Those changes saw West Ham switch to a 4-2-3-1. Feghouli operated on the right of the attacking midfield trio, leaving Ayew as the No 10 and Lanzini on the left behind lone striker Fletcher. Robert Snodgrass then replaced Ayew for the final 13 minutes.
• Noble and Kouyate have undergone season-ending surgery, so Fernandes and Nordtveit may keep their starting berths for Sunday’s trip to Burnley. Bilic appears unlikely to risk Andy Carroll for the final match, so Calleri or Fletcher should start in attack. Feghouli and Snodgrass provide different options out wide if the Hammers boss wants to start with a 4-2-3-1 formation at Turf Moor. Angelo Ogbonna was back on the bench on Sunday, so he offers an alternative in central defence, but Arthur Masuaku (knock) is still a doubt, meaning Aaron Cresswell could well keep his place at left wing-back.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Flanks, Lone Striker