Part one of our Line-up Lessons assesses the teamsheets and formations of ten Premier League clubs’ Gameweek 2 matches, with the second instalment to follow tomorrow.
There was no place in the Arsenal line-up yet again for Alexandre Lacazette, while Eden Hazard and Mateo Kovacic may have to wait a little while longer for their first Chelsea starts of the season.
Huddersfield Town and Fulham mixed things up in a bid to combat their Gameweek 2 opposition, though Burnley’s midweek exertions in Europe had little effect on their starting XI.
Arsenal
Starting XI: Cech; Bellerin, Papastathopoulos, Mustafi, Monreal; Guendouzi, Xhaka (Torreira 46′); Mkhitaryan, Ozil (Ramsey 67′), Iwobi (Lacazette 74′); Aubameyang
- What we saw: Unai Emery sprung a surprise by fielding Alex Iwobi on the left flank of a 4-2-3-1, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan stationed on the opposite wing and Mesut Ozil fielded behind central striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Granit Xhaka lined up alongside youngster Matteo Guendouzi in the double pivot but was replaced by Lucas Torreira at half-time. Nacho Monreal won his race to be fit to take his place at left-back in an otherwise unchanged defence, with Petr Cech continuing in goal. Ozil was substituted for Aaron Ramsey midway through the second half to shore up the central midfield, while Alexandre Lacazette’s introduction for Iwobi saw Aubameyang once again shift over to the left wing to accommodate the French striker up top.
- What we learned: Now that Arsenal’s matches against Manchester City and Chelsea are out of the way and their fixtures are about to take a turn for the better, Emery has a decision to make on his team’s attacking shape. Lacazette is an option to start as the central striker having sat out the first two Gameweeks, a move that would possibly see Aubameyang move out to the left flank in order for the Frenchman to play as his side’s spearhead. Iwobi has given his manager a selection headache, however, after an impressive performance at left-wing and the Nigerian may have done enough to earn another start for the visit of West Ham. Ozil could perhaps be at risk, with Aaron Ramsey a potential replacement, but Emery told the media after the match that he was “happy” with the German midfielder’s work-rate. A change in central midfield looks likely, with Lucas Torreira in line to oust Granit Xhaka after replacing the Swiss international at half-time on Saturday. Arsenal looked far from watertight against Chelsea, with Hector Bellerin in particular as weak defensively as strong as he was going forward. Stephan Lichtsteiner, then, is an alternative to Bellerin or even Monreal at full-back if Emery wishes to solidify his defence.
Current Status: Fairly unsettled
Risk Areas: Central midfield, left wing
Bournemouth
Starting XI: Begovic; Daniels, Ake, S Cook, A Smith; Fraser, Surman, Gosling, Brooks (Francis 78’); King (L Cook 90’), Wilson
- What we saw: Eddie Howe rolled out the same line-up and 4-4-2 formation for the trip to West Ham United as he did in Gameweek 1, with Dan Gosling and Andrew Surman once again getting the nod in central midfield over Lewis Cook. Ryan Fraser and David Brooks lined up on the flanks, with the latter again replaced by Simon Francis – as he had been last weekend – late in the game as Howe sought to protect his side’s winning lead.
- What we learned: With two wins from two matches, we can expect minimal changes from Howe for the visit of Everton this weekend. Diego Rico is still suspended, so Charlie Daniels will almost certainly continue at left-back. Even if new signing Jefferson Lerma is deemed match-fit enough to be involved for that encounter with the Toffees, he and Lewis Cook will face a tough task to depose Surman and Gosling from central midfield. Changes look even more unlikely elsewhere, with the likes of Jordon Ibe, Lys Mousset and Jermain Defoe set to warm the bench again.
Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central midfield
Brighton and Hove Albion
Starting XI: Ryan; Montoya, Duffy, Dunk (Balogun 20′), Bong; Knockaert, Stephens, Propper, March; Gross (Kayal 90′); Murray (Locadia 90′)
- What we saw: Chris Hughton made two changes from the side that lost to Watford, both of which came at full-back. Martin Montoya made his debut at right-back in place of the injured Bruno, while Gaetan Bong was preferred to Bernardo on the opposite flank. The rest of Hughton’s side had a familiar feel, with the nine other starters having been on the Seagulls’ books last season. Solly March and Anthony Knockaert were once again handed a chance on the flanks, with Pascal Gross playing just off veteran Glenn Murray in a 4-4-1-1. News is awaited on the severity of the injury to Lewis Dunk, who limped off to be replaced by Leon Balogun after just 20 minutes of the win over Manchester United.
- What we learned: After a win over the Red Devils, Hughton must be reluctant to change a winning team for the trip to Anfield next weekend. He may have his hand forced by Dunk’s ankle injury, however, with the Brighton defender set for a scan on Monday to determine the seriousness of the problem. Hughton will also be aware that his troops tend to be poor travellers, having turned in a weak performance on the opening weekend at Watford after winning only two away league matches in 2017/18. Yves Bissouma could come into contention, then, with the Seagulls facing the challenge of trying to frustrate Jurgen Klopp’s free-scoring Liverpool side. Who he would replace is another question, with Gross – the likeliest candidate – having starred in the 3-2 win over Manchester United on Sunday. March and Knockaert both registered assists at the Amex Stadium and would seem set to retain their places for Gameweek 3. Hughton’s press conference later in the week will tell us if the injured Bruno, Florin Andone or Izquierdo are ready to feature at Anfield, meanwhile.
Current Status: Fairly settled
Risk Areas: Centre-back, wingers
Burnley
Starting XI: Hart; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Ward (Taylor 74′); Lennon, Hendrick (Vokes 70′), Cork, Westwood, Gudmundsson; Wood (Barnes 65′)
- What we saw: After having made six changes to his team for the extra-time victory over Istanbul Basaksehir on Thursday, Sean Dyche reverted back to the same starting XI that lined up against Southampton in Gameweek 1. Jeff Hendrick was the furthermost forward of the three central midfielders and supported Chris Wood in attack, as Dyche persisted with a 4-5-1. The Burnley manager switched to a 4-4-2 set-up late in the game, with Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes replacing Wood and Hendrick in the final 25 minutes of the match. Having played 120 minutes on Thursday, Stephen Ward was replaced by Charlie Taylor late on.
- What we learned: The Clarets will rotate for their Europa League play-off first leg against Olympiakos this Thursday, though there is every chance that the starting XI for the trip to Fulham on Sunday will be the same one that was defeated by Watford at Turf Moor. Dyche may be tempted by the reintroduction of a second striker alongside Chris Wood, with Vokes or Barnes possibly coming into the side at the expense of Hendrick. With Robbie Brady and Stephen Defour still out injured, Dyche is limited to what he can change in the middle – the Burnley manager didn’t have a single midfield alternative available on the bench yesterday. Joe Hart looks to have cemented his place as Burnley’s number one, having started the last four matches.
Current Status: Fairly settled
Risk Areas: Attacking midfield, forwards
Cardiff City
Starting XI: Etheridge; Bennett, Morrison, Bamba, Manga; Arter, Ralls, Camarasa (Reid 75’); Murphy (Mendez-Laing 77’), Hoilett (Paterson 82’); Zohore.
- What we saw: Neil Warnock kept the same 4-3-3 formation that was rolled out for the Bluebirds’ Premier League opener against Bournemouth, though there were multiple changes within that set-up. Bruno Ecuele Manga switched to right-back to allow Sol Bamba’s return at the heart of the defence, with Lee Peltier missing out altogether. Harry Arter and Victor Camarasa made their first Cardiff starts in the centre of the park, with Callum Paterson dropping to the bench, while Josh Murphy and Kenneth Zohore were preferred to Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Bobby Reid in attack. Junior Hoilett limped off late in the second half, though news is awaited on the severity of the winger’s injury. With Cardiff playing against ten men and pushing to win the game, Camarasa was sacrificed for Reid to provide an extra body in attack.
- What we learned: Warnock’s side posed more of a threat against Newcastle than they had at Bournemouth the previous week, so there may be fewer changes for the trip to Huddersfield. Zohore added more of a physical presence – if not a convincing goal threat – in attack and could keep his place for Gameweek 3. Murphy was a man-of-the-match contender against the Magpies but is far from assured of his place on the wing, with Warnock on Friday having made a point of mentioning that Murphy needed to “learn” about his defensive responsibilities – particularly away from home. Hoilett is an early injury doubt too, so Mendez-Laing and Reid are contenders to challenge for a place in the three-man attack. The performances of Arter and Camarasa on their debuts would suggest that their places are cemented for next week, particularly with the dearth of options available to Warnock in central midfield (Bamba having started there in Gameweek 1). Ecuele Manga impressed at right-back so may continue ahead of Peltier and Jazz Richards.
Current Status: Fairly unsettled
Risk Areas: Right-back, wingers, forwards
Chelsea
Starting XI: Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso; Kante, Jorginho, Barkley (Kovacic 60′); Willian (Hazard 61′), Morata (Giroud 74′), Pedro
- What we saw: Chelsea were unchanged for the visit of Arsenal, with Willian and Pedro flanking Alvaro Morata in attack and Ross Barkley continuing alongside Jorginho and N’Golo Kante in central midfield. Eden Hazard and Mateo Kovacic were thrown on for Willian and Barkley on the hour mark, with Olivier Giroud also a like-for-like late change for Morata.
- What we learned: Sarri’s reputation as a manager who is averse to rotation was in evidence again, as the Chelsea boss resisted the urge to tinker with the side that beat Huddersfield on the opening weekend. The Blues’ starting XI may even remain unchanged for the forthcoming trip to Newcastle, with Sarri saying after the 3-2 win over the Gunners that “in this moment, Kovacic and Hazard are not able to play for 90 minutes”. Cesc Fabregas missed the weekend’s game through injury but is another alternative in the middle of the park if passed fit for Sunday’s encounter with Rafael Benitez’s side.
Current Status: Fairly settled
Risk Areas: Central midfield, wingers
Everton
Starting XI: Pickford; Baines, Holgate, Keane, Coleman; Schneiderlin (Davies 24’), Gueye; Richarlison (Niasse 86’), Sigurdsson, Walcott; Tosun (Calvert-Lewin 75’)
- What we saw: The inclusion of Mason Holgate in place of the suspended Phil Jagielka was Marco Silva’s only change to his 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 set-up, though Morgan Schneiderlin limped off after just 24 minutes to be replaced by Tom Davies: news is awaited on the severity of his hamstring problem. Deadline-day signings Yerry Mina, Bernard and Andre Gomes didn’t feature, although Kurt Zouma was an unused substitute.
- What we learned: Silva should bring us up to speed in his press conference later this week as to whether Mina, Bernard and Gomes are ready to taste action for the first time, with the trio missing from the 18-man squad on Saturday due to either injury or lack of match fitness. A start at Bournemouth might be too big of an ask for Gomes after his thigh injury, so Davies will likely fill in again if Schneiderlin is ruled out. Theo Walcott’s goal was a timely one with Bernard soon to be knocking on the door, though Gylfi Sigurdsson’s spot behind Cenk Tosun is potentially also in jeopardy. All four of Everton’s most advanced players excelled in the win over Southampton, however, so changes could be at a minimum for the trip to the south coast.
Current Status: Fairly settled
Risk Areas: Central defence, central midfield, right wing
Fulham
Starting XI: Fabri; Fosu-Mensah, Chambers, Le Marchand, Bryan (Christie 85’); Seri, Anguissa, Cairney (Johansen 73’), Kamara (Schürrle 88’), Sessegnon, Mitrovic.
- What we saw: Slavisa Jokanovic persevered with a 4-3-3 for the trip to Spurs, though made three changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace in Gameweek 1. Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Andre-Frank Zamba Anguissa both made their first starts in a Fulham shirt, while Aboubakar Kamara was given a run-out on the left flank as Ryan Sessegnon switched to the opposite wing. Cyrus Christie, Kevin McDonald and Andre Schurrle made way. With Tim Ream, Alfie Mawson and Denis Odoi still missing through injury or suspension, Maxime Le Marchand and Calum Chambers were once again Fulham’s centre-back pairing.
- What we learned: Jokanovic might decide to go for the jugular when Burnley visit Craven Cottage, having tinkered with his system somewhat in an attempt to nullify Spurs. Sessegnon started the game at Wembley on the right flank, with he and Kamara effectively playing as “inverted wingers” and tracking back to help out their defence. Kamara’s work-rate perhaps got him the nod over Schurrle, who may come back into contention for the visit of the Clarets this weekend. Anguissa is now surely the preferred option to McDonald in the middle, though Jokanovic indirectly suggested that Christie could come back into the reckoning by talking up Fosu-Mensah’s abilities at centre-back. Chambers was unconvincing at the heart of the Fulham defence and his place could be at risk, either from Fosu-Mensah or from Mawson/Ream when they recover. Odoi will also return for the visit of Burnley, although his lack of height may count against his first-team chances against a Burnley side with plenty of aerial prowess.
Current Status: Fairly unsettled
Risk Areas: Right-back, central defence, wingers
Huddersfield Town
Starting XI: Hamer; Smith, Schindler, Kongolo, Lowe; Pritchard (Diakhaby 61′), Stankovic, Billing, Hadergjonaj; Sabiri (Depoitre 46′); Mounie (Sobhi’ 84)
- What we saw: David Wagner surprised with an unfamiliar 4-4-1-1 shape, with Premier League debutant Jon Stankovic and Florent Hadergjonaj deployed further forward in midfield. Tommy Smith came in at right-back to line up alongside Terence Kongolo, Christopher Schindler and Chris Lowe in defence, while Abdelhamid Sabiri made his first league start in almost a year just ahead of Stankovic and Philip Billing in the centre of the park. Alex Pritchard played on the opposite flank to Hadergjonaj, with Steve Mounie toiling up front alone. Sabiri was hooked at half-time for Laurent Depoitre, in a bid to give Mounie some support in attack.
- What we learned: Little can be learned from this Huddersfield line-up and it seems unlikely that it is a system that will be seen again in the near future. Wagner acknowledged after the match that his side had prepared as if to play the same 3-5-1-1 set-up as last week – with Stankovic alongside Kongolo and Schindler at the heart of the defence – but with Manchester City lining up in a 3-5-2 he had made the late decision to revert to a back four. The absence of Zanka, Jonathan Hogg and Aaron Mooy – all of whom could return this weekend – in their respective positions was keenly felt, with several Town players being deployed in unusual positions. Given that Cardiff are the visitors to West Yorkshire in Gameweek 3, one would perhaps expect Wagner to revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation that the Terriers used for much of last season (the 3-5-2 generally reserved for games against the “big six”). In such an eventuality, Adama Diakhaby, Ramadan Sobhi and Rajiv van La Parra are options on the flank.
Current Status: Fairly settled
Risk Areas: Centre-back, central midfield, forwards
Leicester City
Starting XI: Schmeichel; Chilwell, Maguire, Evans, Pereira; Mendy, Ndidi; Gray (A Silva 82’), Maddison (Iheanacho 82’), Albrighton (Amartey 60’); Vardy
- What we saw: Claude Puel made four changes to his Leicester side from the team that lost to Manchester United, with Jonny Evans and Jamie Vardy deemed fit enough to start after warming the bench on the opening day of the season. Ricardo Pereira dropped back to right-back to allow Mark Albrighton to come into the side, while Nampalys Mendy joined Wilfred Ndidi in the centre of the park. Wes Morgan, Kelechi Iheanacho, Daniel Amartey and Adrien Silva were the men to make way. Despite the changes, the system remained the same, with the Foxes lining up in a 4-2-3-1 once again. Albrighton’s substitution on the hour mark allowed Pereira to move to right-midfield, with Amartey coming off the bench to fill in at right-back.
- What we learned: Jamie Vardy’s dismissal means that Iheanacho will surely come back into the reckoning for the trip to Southampton, though changes may be at a premium elsewhere. Mendy impressed alongside Ndidi, so Vicente Iborra and Adrien Silva may have to watch on from the sidelines again. With the Foxes’ next game being away from home, Puel may decide to field Amartey over Albrighton to shore up the right flank, with Pereira once again deployed “out of position” in wide-midfield.
Current Status: Fairly settled
Risk Areas: Central midfield, forwards
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