Manuel Pellegrini rolls out a 4-4-2 formation and rings the changes for City’s home hammering of Palace. Mesut Ozil’s absence forces Arsene Wenger into a change of tactics, whilst Cesc Fabregas is handed an advanced central role for Chelsea’s clash with Everton.
Arsenal
Starting XI: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Flamini; Walcott (Iwobi 72), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Chambers 90), Campbell; Giroud.
- Arsene Wenger made just one change from the side that drew 3-3 against Liverpool, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming in for the injured Mesut Ozil.
- With Ozil out, Wenger made a slight tactical change, switching from his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-3-3 system. Mathieu Flamini tucked in just behind Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey in central midfield. Joel Campbell and Theo Walcott started out wide, with Olivier Giroud the lone striker for the Gunners.
- Walcott was replaced by youngster Alex Iwobi in a straight swap with just under 20 minutes remaining. Calum Chambers was once again introduced in the latter stages to help secure a point at the Britannia.
- The foot injury that ruled Ozil out of yesterday’s match isn’t thought to be serious, so the German looks to stand a good chance of returning to the starting XI against Chelsea next weekend. Should that be the case, Wenger will likely revert to his standard 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ramsey alongside Flamini in the double-pivot. Alexis Sanchez may also be able to feature, with the Chilean perhaps starting in place of Campbell or Walcott. Oxlade-Chamberlain appears likely to return to the bench, then.
Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Attacking Midfield, Flanks
Aston Villa
Starting XI: Bunn; Bacuna, Okore, Lescott, Cissokho; Gueye, Veretout, Westwood; Carles Gil (Gestede 67), Kozak, Ayew (Sinclair 90).
- After earning his first win at the helm at home to Palace in midweek, Remi Garde unsurprisingly named an unchanged side for the visit of Leicester to Villa Park.
- Villa lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. This saw Idrissa Gueye fielded as the deepest of the central midfield players, with Jordan Veretout and Ashley Westwood on either side of the Senegal international. Carles Gil and Jordan Ayew played narrowly in attack either side of central striker Libor Kozak.
- Garde made an attacking first substitution, with Rudy Gestede replacing Gil. The former Lyon boss only made one other change though, with Scott Sinclair coming on for Ayew in stoppage time.
- Micah Richards has been an unused substitute for the last two matches and could struggle to earn a recall in central defence when Villa travel to face West Brom on Saturday. The likes of Sinclair and Jack Grealish – should he recover from the illness that ruled him out against the Foxes – could challenge Gil for a place in the front three, with Gestede also a possibility to return to the starting XI in place of Kozak.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Flanks, Central Striker
Bournemouth
Starting XI: Boruc, Francis, Cook, Gosling (Kermorgant 92), Surman, Pugh, Arter (O’Kane 80), Daniels, Smith, Stanislas, Afobe (Murray 84).
- Eddie Howe made one adjustment for the home clash against Norwich, with Marc Pugh coming in for the injured Matt Ritchie.
- The Cherries lined up in their standard 4-1-4-1 formation, although Ritchie’s absence meant Junior Stanislas switched to the right side of midfield, with Pugh stationed on the opposite flank. Benik Afobe once again started as the lone striker.
- With the match won, Howe brought on Eunan O’Kane, Glenn Murray and Yann Kermorgant to help see out the victory, with Harry Arter, Afobe and Gosling making way.
- After such an impressive performance, the only likely change to the starting XI for the trip to Sunderland would be the return of Ritchie, should he recover from the dead leg that ruled him out against the Canaries. Afobe did pick up a slight knee injury on Saturday, though, so Murray or Lewis Grabban, providing he shakes off illness, will be on standby.
Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Flanks, Central Striker
Chelsea
Starting XI: Courtois; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic (Oscar 55), Mikel; Willian, Fabregas, Pedro (Kenedy 66); Costa (Remy 80).
- Guus Hiddink only made one adjustment from the team that drew 2-2 against West Brom, with Nemanja Matic coming in for Oscar.
- Matic started alongside John Obi Mikel at the base of midfield in the standard 4-2-3-1 formation, with Cesc Fabregas pushed forward into the number ten role.
- With the champions a goal behind, Hiddink introduced Oscar for Matic, forming more of a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Obi Mikel as the defensive midfielder and Oscar and Fabregas in central midfield. Kenedy then entered the fray for Pedro in a straight swap, with Hiddink’s final substitution seeing Loic Remy replace the injured Diego Costa.
- Costa suffered a bruised shin against Everton, and is a slight doubt ahead of the trip to the Emirates on Sunday. Remy will be on standby for the Blues, then, while Oscar will hope for a recall, perhaps in place of Matic, with Fabregas dropping back into the double-pivot alongside Mikel. Gary Cahill could be an option to return in central defence, with Kurt Zouma perhaps slightly more likely to be dropped than John Terry. Eden Hazard remains a major doubt due to a groin injury.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Flanks, Central Striker
Crystal Palace
Starting XI: Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Ledley, Cabaye, McArthur (Mutch 80); Puncheon, Wickham (Chamakh 66), Zaha (Lee Chung-yong 85).
- Alan Pardew only made one alteration from the side that lost 1-0 to Aston Villa for the trip to the Etihad, with Connor Wickham replacing the injured Bakary Sako.
- The former Newcastle boss decided upon a 4-3-3 formation, with Wickham flanked by Wilfried Zaha and Jason Puncheon in the front three.
- Wickham has only recently returned from injury, and was replaced by Marouane Chamakh shortly after the hour-mark. Jordon Mutch and Lee Chung-yong were handed some pitch time in the final 10 minutes.
- Having failed to score in their last five matches, Pardew could return to the more attacking 4-2-3-1 formation for the home encounter against Tottenham on Saturday. Should Sako be ruled out once again, Yohan Cabaye could possibly be pushed forward into the number ten role. Wickham will likely be handed another chance as the lone striker, with Dwight Gayle still a serious doubt due to a hamstring injury. Chamakh and Frazier Campbell offer other attacking options. Pardew admitted he was disappointed with the two mistakes made by Wayne Hennessey in the last two matches, but has started he will stand by the Welshman for now, though Julian Speroni or Alex McCarthy are pushing for a chance in goal.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Central Midfield, Attacking Midfield, Central Striker
Everton
Starting XI: Howard; Oviedo (Funes Mori 71), Stones, Jagielka, Baines; Barry, Besic; Lennon (Deulofeu 80), Barkley (Pienaar 80), Mirallas; Lukaku.
- Roberto Martinez made three changes for the trip to Stamford Bridge, with Bryan Oviedo, Aaron Lennon and Kevin Mirallas coming in for Ramiro Funes Mori, Gerard Deulofeu and Leon Osman.
- Martinez kept faith in his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, with Oviedo slotting in at right-back for the Toffees. Lennon started on the right of the attacking midfield trio, with Mirallas on the opposite flank.
- Oviedo was forced off with a minor knock, and was replaced by Funes Mori, with John Stones moving out to right-back to allow the Argentine to partner Phil Jagielka in central defence. Martinez made a double substitution with 10 minutes remaining, with Deulofeu and Steven Pienaar replacing Lennon and Ross Barkley in the advanced midfield positions.
- Should Oviedo not be fit to face Swansea on Saturday, Martinez will likely field the back four that finished the match on Saturday. Tom Cleverley could challenge Muhamed Besic for a place alongside Gareth Barry in central midfield, while rotation appears certain to continue in the wide areas, with Deulofeu looking the most likely to earn a recall. Lennon, Mirallas, Arouna Kone, Pienaar and Osman are all viable options for Martinez, though.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Right-Back, Central Defence, Central Midfield, Flanks
Leicester
Starting XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez (Ulloa 69), Drinkwater, Kante, Albrighton (Gray 85); Okazaki (De Laet 59); Vardy.
- Claudio Ranieri named an unchanged starting XI from the one that beat Tottenham 1-0.
- That meant it was Shinji Okazaki who once again provided support to lone striker Jamie Vardy in the 4-4-1-1 formation.
- The Japanese attacker was the first player to be substituted though, making way for Ritchie de Laet on the hour-mark. The latter was stationed on the right flank, allowing Riyad Mahrez to move into the central support role. Mahrez was then replaced by Leonardo Ulloa ten minutes later, with the Foxes lining up in more of a 4-4-2 formation. Demarai Gray made his Premier League debut off the bench, coming on for Marc Albrighton with five minutes left.
- Okazaki does look the preferred partner for Vardy in attack at the moment, but Ulloa still offers a threat to his position in the starting XI. Mahrez has been stationed on the right of midfield for a sustained period now, but, as shown briefly at the weekend, the Algerian always offers another option in the number ten role, with Gray and Nathan Dyer alternatives to take over on the right of midfield.
Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Support Striker
Liverpool
Starting XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Toure (Benteke 81), Sakho, Moreno, Henderson, Lucas, Emre Can, Lallana (Ibe 76), Firmino, Milner (Caulker 90).
- Jurgen Klopp only made one alteration from the starting XI that lined up against Arsenal, with Lucas Leiva coming in for Jordon Ibe.
- The former Borussia Dortmund boss opted for a 4-3-3 formation yesterday, with Lucas sat in front of the back four. Jordan Henderson and Emre Can operated slightly further forward in central midfield, with James Milner and Adam Lallana stationed out wide, although the pair did generally play pretty narrowly, allowing Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno to push forward.
- Ibe was the first substitute to appear off the bench, replacing Lallana on the left side of midfield. After going behind to Wayne Rooney’s goal, Klopp immediately brought on Christian Benteke, with Kolo Toure making way in an attacking move, which saw Lucas drop back into central defence. Steven Caulker was thrown on as a final roll of the dice in place of Milner, with the centre-back utilised as a target man up front.
- If Dejan Lovren proves his fitness in time for the weekend clash against Norwich, Kolo Toure’s place in the starting XI could be under threat. After failing to create many chances yesterday, Ibe could earn a recall, with Milner, Can or Lucas likely to make way. Roberto Firmino has impressed in the “false nine” role, but with goals needed, a return to the starting line-up for Benteke can’t be ruled out.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Flanks, Central Striker
Man City
Starting XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Demichelis, Kolarov (Clichy 52); De Bruyne, Fernando, Delph; Silva, Aguero (Navas 85), Iheanacho (Toure 57).
- Manuel Pellegrini made five changes from the side that played out a goalless draw against Everton, with Pablo Zabaleta, Aleksandar Kolarov, Fabian Delph, David Silva and Kelechi Iheanacho coming in for Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Yaya Toure, Jesus Navas and Raheem Sterling.
- The Chilean shifted to a 4-4-2 formation, with Silva and De Bruyne on the flanks and Iheanacho partnering Sergio Aguero up front. Delph started alongside Fernando in the central midfield, with Zabaleta and Kolarov slotting in at right-back and left-back respectively.
- Kolarov was forced off with a calf injury during the early stages of the second-half, with Clichy taking his place in a straight swap. Iheanacho was then replaced by Toure before the hour-mark, with the Ivorian taking over in the central attacking midfield role as Pellegrini switched back to 4-2-3-1. With the match won, Pellegrini substituted Aguero with five minutes left – Jesus Navas replaced the Argentine.
- Rotation appears set to continue given City’s schedule over the next month or so, although if Kolarov is ruled out for the next few weeks. Clichy should be a regular starter at left-back. Sagna and Zabaleta could continue to rotate at right-back, while Fernandinho could be in with a shout of returning at West Ham on Saturday, leaving Fernando’s starting spot in doubt. Pellegrini also has a plethora of options for the attacking midfield positions, with Raheem Sterling in particular looking far from guaranteed a place in the starting XI.
Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Midfield, Flanks, Attacking Midfield
Man United
Starting XI: De Gea, Young (Borthwick-Jackson 43), Smalling, Blind, Darmian, Schneiderlin, Fellaini, Lingard (Mata 66), Ander Herrera (Depay 72), Martial, Rooney.
- Louis van Gaal named an unchanged starting XI from the one that took the field against Newcastle last Tuesday.
- The Dutch boss kept faith in his usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Marouane Fellaini once again stationed alongside Morgan Schneiderlin at the base of midfield. Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial provided the width, with Wayne Rooney leading the line.
- Ashley Young picked up a knee injury towards the end of the first-half, and had to be replaced by Cameron Borthwick-Jackson. The youngster played at left-back, with Matteo Darmian switching to right-back. Lingard was substituted for Juan Mata, while shortly after, Memphis Depay took to the field in place of Ander Herrera. Depay was stationed on the left of the attacking midfield trio, with Martial on the right and Mata in the number ten role.
- Young is an early doubt for Saturday’s home fixture against Southampton then, with Borthwick-Jackson on standby. Phil Jones will also come into contention should he recover from a foot injury, although that appears unlikely at this point. Fellaini’s place in the starting XI could come under pressure if either Michael Carrick or Bastian Schweinsteiger are fit to return. Mata will hope for a recall in the attacking midfield positions, although Van Gaal may keep faith in Lingard, Herrera and Martial after picking up the three points at Anfield.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Midfield, Flanks
Part two of Lineup Lessons, covering the remaining ten teams, will be published later tomorrow.
