Alexis Sanchez and Philippe Coutinho both drop to the bench after long-haul flights back from international duties. Jose Mourinho freshens up United’s flanks for the Manchester derby, whilst Kelechi Iheanacho proves an able deputy for the suspended Sergio Aguero.
Arsenal
Starting XI: Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla; Oxlade-Chamberlain (Sanchez 62), Ozil, Walcott (Iwobi 75); Lucas Perez (Giroud 62).
- Arsene Wenger made three changes for the visit of Southampton to the Emirates, with Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez handed their Arsenal debuts in place of Rob Holding and Alexis Sanchez, while Francis Coquelin started at the expense of Granit Xhaka.
- Perez started as the lone striker in Wenger’s usual 4-2-3-1 formation, while Coquelin partnered Santi Cazorla in the double-pivot. Mustafi started alongside Laurent Koscielny in central defence.
- With the score level at 1-1, Wenger turned to Sanchez and Olivier Giroud off the bench just after the hour mark, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Perez making way in straight swaps. Wenger’s final change saw Alex Iwobi introduced on the right wing in place of Theo Walcott for the final 15 minutes.
- Coquelin was a surprise starter in preference to Xhaka on Saturday, but Wenger may well have had one eye on tomorrow night’s Champions League clash away to Paris Saint-Germain when selecting his side to face Southampton. Xhaka and Sanchez could well both return to the starting XI at Hull on Saturday, then, while Giroud could push Perez for the lone striker role. Iwobi also offers an alternative out wide, so Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott’s places in the team now look under threat. Aaron Ramsey will be hoping to return from a hamstring injury to play some part at the KCOM Stadium, while Koscielny’s status will need to be monitored after he picked up an eye injury during the closing stages of Saturday’s match.
Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Centre-Half, Central Midfield, Flanks, Lone Striker
Bournemouth
Starting XI: Boruc; Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels; Stanislas (Gosling 73), Surman, Arter, Ibe (Wilshere 62); Wilson, King (Gradel 73).
- Eddie Howe made one adjustment from the side that drew 1-1 at Crystal Palace for the home encounter against West Brom, with Junior Stanislas coming in for Ryan Fraser.
- Stanislas started on the left wing for the Cherries, in what was more of a standard 4-2-3-1 formation used by Howe, with Josh King in the number ten role, and Jordon Ibe on the right behind lone striker Callum Wilson.
- With the match goalless, Howe turned to Jack Wilshere just after the hour mark, with the Arsenal loanee replacing Ibe. Wilshere played in a central attacking midfield role, with King moving out to the right wing. Max Gradel and Dan Gosling were then introduced with 17 minutes remaining, coming on in place of Stanislas and King. Gradel moved out to the left, while Gosling played narrowly on the right side of midfield, allowing right-back Adam Smith to push forward.
- Wilshere may not have been deemed fit enough to start the match, but he may come into the equation at Man City on Saturday. He could be an option to replace King in the side, if Howe switches to a slightly more defensive 4-3-3 formation. Stanislas may keep his place in the starting XI after the Cherries picked up their first win of the campaign, but Gradel is also a viable option on the left.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Attacking Midfield, Left Wing
Burnley
Starting XI: Heaton, Lowton, Mee, Keane, Ward, Gudmundsson (Arfield 76), Defour (Hendrick 76), Marney, Boyd, Gray (Bamford 80), Vokes.
- Sean Dyche only made one alteration for the home clash against Hull, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson starting in place of Scott Arfield.
- Gudmundsson was handed his first Premier League start on the left of midfield in Dyche’s standard 4-4-2 formation.
- Shortly after taking a 1-0 lead, Dyche introduced Arfield and debutant Jeff Hendrick off the bench, with the pair replacing Gudmundsson and goalscorer Steven Defour in straight swaps. Patrick Bamford was then brought on with 10 minutes remaining to make his Clarets debut, taking over from Andre Gray in attack.
- Gudmundsson got the nod on Saturday, yet Arfield may push for a recall when Dyche’s side travel to Leicester this weekend. Hendrick could also come into contention to make his first start, possibly replacing Dean Marney in central midfield.
Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Flanks
Chelsea
Starting XI: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Kante; Willian (Moses 77), Oscar (Batshuayi 88), Matic (Fabregas 76), Hazard; Diego Costa.
- Antonio Conte named an unchanged side from the one that beat Burney 3-0 for the trip to Swansea.
- It was the 4-1-4-1 formation used again by Conte in south Wales then, with Nemanja Matic and Oscar once again preferred to Cesc Fabregas in central midfield.
- After falling 2-1 behind, Conte turned to Fabregas and Victor Moses off the bench, with the pair replacing Matic and Willian in straight swaps for the final 15 minutes. Having equalised, Conte threw on Michy Batshuayi in search of a late winner, with the Belgian replacing Oscar as the Blues ended the match in a 4-4-2 system.
- John Terry picked up an ankle injury during the final minutes at the Liberty Stadium, and is a doubt for Friday night’s home fixture against Liverpool. Should the Chelsea captain be ruled out, it could see Conte consider major changes to his backline. He could bring in David Luiz in a straight swap, or consider handing a debut to Marcos Alonso at left-back, with Cesar Azpilicueta shifting over to right-back, with Branislav Ivanovic then an option to partner Gary Cahill in the middle.
Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Full-Backs
Crystal Palace
Starting XI: Mandanda; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Kelly; Ledley (Flamini 83), McArthur; Townsend (Lee Chung-yong 76), Puncheon, Zaha; C Benteke (J Benteke 89).
- Alan Pardew made three changes for the trip to the Riverside, with Martin Kelly, Joe Ledley and Wilfried Zaha coming in for the injured Pape Souare, Yohan Cabaye and Connor Wickham.
- Having opted for a 4-4-2 formation against Bournemouth, Pardew switched back to the 4-2-3-1 system on Saturday, with Zaha returning on the right wing, leaving Jason Puncheon in the number ten role and Andros Townsend on the left flank behind lone striker Christian Benteke. Ledley partnered James McArthur at the base of midfield, while Kelly slotted in at left-back for the Eagles.
- With his side leading 2-1, Pardew made three changes in the final 15 minutes. Lee Chung-yong was firstly introduced in place of Townsend in a straight swap, with Mathieu Flamini then handed his Palace debut shortly after, taking over from Ledley at the base of midfield. Pardew’s final substitution saw Jonathan Benteke handed a Premier League debut in place of his brother Christian for the final few minutes.
- After picking up their first win of the season, Pardew will likely stick to a similar starting XI for the home clash against Stoke on Sunday. Souare missed out with a knock against ‘Boro, but was then involved in a car accident on Sunday and is now set to be sidelined with a thigh injury. Kelly looks likely to keep his starting spot next weekend, then. Cabaye may come into contention if he can recover from a groin injury, with the Frenchman likely to come in for Ledley should he be passed fit. Flamini also offers another option in that position, although he may lack the match fitness to start.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Left-Back, Central Midfield
Hull City
Starting XI: Jakupovic, Elmohamady, Davies, Livermore, Robertson, Clucas (Maloney 83), Snodgrass, Huddlestone, Meyler (Mason 72), Diomande (Keane 70), Hernandez.
- Mike Phelan once again named an unchanged starting XI for the trip to Burnley following Hull’s strong start to the season.
- The caretaker manager stuck with the 4-1-4-1 formation, then, although Adama Diomande did struggle to support lone striker Abel Hernandez from his starting position on the left wing.
- Diomande was the first player to make way, with Will Keane coming off the bench to make his Tigers debut. Two minutes later, Ryan Mason replaced David Meyler, with Phelan opting for more of a 4-4-2 system, as Keane joined Hernandez in attack. With his side trailing 1-0, Phelan threw on Shaun Maloney in place of Sam Clucas, with the Scotland international offering width on the left wing, leaving Mason and Tom Huddlestone in central midfield.
- After making his Hull debut off the bench, Mason could challenge Meyler for a place in the starting XI in central midfield for the home clash against Arsenal. Maloney provides an alternative to Diomande on the left wing, while Phelan could consider a change in system, with Keane an option to partner Hernandez up front. After picking up seven points from their first four matches, he’ll probably keep faith in the 4-1-4-1 formation for now. Eldin Jakupovic was favoured in goal ahead of new signing David Marshall, so the position looks like his to lose for the time being.
Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Left Wing
Leicester
Starting XI: Schmeichel, Simpson (Hernandez 33), Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Drinkwater, Amartey, Albrighton (Ulloa 65), Mahrez, Okazaki (Musa 46), Vardy.
- Claudio Ranieri named the same side that beat Swansea 2-1 for the trip to Anfield.
- It was the 4-4-1-1 formation once again for the Italian, then, with Shinji Okazaki stationed in the support striker role behind Jamie Vardy in attack for the Foxes.
- Ranieri was forced into making an early substitution after Danny Simpson suffered a hamstring injury. He was replaced by Luis Hernandez at right-back, while with his side trailing 2-1 at half-time, Ranieri made a second change at the break, with Ahmed Musa entering the fray in place of Okazaki. Musa initially partnered Vardy in attack in what was more of a 4-4-2, although once Leonardo Ulloa was introduced for Marc Albrighton after 65 minutes, Musa moved over to the left wing, with Ulloa operating down the middle alongside Vardy.
- With Leicester playing in the Champions League this week, we could see Ranieri shuffle his pack for Saturday’s home match against Burnley. Andy King could be an option in central midfield in place of Daniel Amartey, while the likes of Musa, Demarai Gray and Islam Slimani could all come into contention in attack, with a switch to a 4-4-2 formation a possibility. Simpson may well be ruled out for the clash against the Clarets, so Hernandez may deputise at right-back, or Amartey could also play in that position.
Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Right-Back, Central Midfield, Left Wing, Strikers
Liverpool
Starting XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Matip, Lucas, Milner, Lallana, Henderson, Wijnaldum (Stewart 76), Mane (Moreno 90), Firmino, Sturridge (Coutinho 76).
- Jurgen Klopp made two changes for the home encounter against champions Leicester, with Lucas coming in for the injured Dejan Lovren, while Daniel Sturridge was recalled in place of Philippe Coutinho.
- Sturridge was stationed as the central striker in the 4-3-3 formation, with Roberto Firmino (left) and Sadio Mane (right) flanking the England international in attack. Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum were again used in front of holding midfielder Jordan Henderson in the middle of the park.
- With his side leading 3-1, Klopp made a double substitution with 14 minutes remaining, as Kevin Stewart and Coutinho came on for Wijnaldum and Sturridge. Stewart played as the holding midfield player, allowing Henderson to move into a slightly more advanced central position, while Coutinho operated on the left wing, with Firmino moving into the “false nine” role. Alberto Moreno was handed a brief run-out in place of Mane.
- Coutinho was named as a sub by Klopp following his international exertions with Brazil, but should return to the side for Friday night’s trip to Chelsea. That means Firmino is likely to move back into the “false nine” role from the start, with Sturridge perhaps being dropped to the bench. Lovren missed out with an eye injury on Saturday, but could be fit to return alongside Joel Matip in central defence.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Central Striker
Man City
Starting XI: Bravo, Sagna, Stones, Otamendi, Kolarov, De Bruyne (Zabaleta 90), Fernandinho, Silva, Sterling (Sane 60), Iheanacho (Fernando 53), Nolito.
- Pep Guardiola made four changes for the Manchester derby, with Claudio Bravo, Bacary Sagna, Aleksandar Kolarov and Kelechi Iheanacho coming in for Willy Caballero, Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy and the suspended Sergio Aguero.
- Iheanacho was stationed as the lone striker in the 4-1-4-1 formation, with Sagna and Kolarov coming in at right-back and left-back respectively. Bravo made his Premier League debut in goal.
- With his side leading 2-1, Guardiola made a tactical substitution early in the second-half, with Fernando brought on in place of Iheanacho. That change saw Guardiola move Kevin de Bruyne into a “false nine” role in attack, with Fernando slotting in alongside Fernandinho at the base of midfield. Just before the hour mark, Raheem Sterling was withdrawn, with Leroy Sane coming on in a straight swap to make his City debut. With his side holding onto the 2-1 lead heading into the final few minutes, Guardiola brought on Zabaleta in place of De Bruyne to help see out the match.
- Guardiola’s team selection for Saturday’s home match against Bournemouth may be determined by the side he picks to face Borussia Monchengladbach tomorrow night. We could see rotation in the full-back positions, with Zabaleta and Clichy viable alternatives to Sagna and Kolarov. Sane and Jesus Navas are options in the wide positions should Guardiola start with Nolito and Sterling again in midweek, with the pair then perhaps in need of a rest on the weekend. With Sergio Aguero expected to start on Tuesday night, Iheanacho looks set to lead the line once again against the Cherries on Saturday, with the Argentine still suspended for domestic duty. De Bruyne picked up a minor hamstring injury on Saturday, but should be fit to face Bournemouth. Rotation could be a concern should he start tomorrow night, though, with Fernando and Fabian Delph different options in central midfield. Vincent Kompany is another who is closing in on a first-team return, although he could be held back for the EFL Cup trip to Swansea.
Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Flanks
Man United
Starting XI: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Blind, Shaw (Martial 81), Pogba, Fellaini, Mkhitaryan (Herrera 46), Rooney, Lingard (Rashford 46), Ibrahimovic.
- Jose Mourinho made two changes from the side that beat Hull City 1-0 for the visit of Man City to Old Trafford, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard starting in place of Juan Mata and Anthony Martial.
- Mkhitaryan and Lingard were stationed on the right and left flanks respectively in Mourinho’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
- Having seen his side be outplayed during the first-half, Mourinho made a double substitution at half-time, with Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford brought on for Mkhitaryan and Lingard. The changes saw United line up in more of a 4-3-3 formation, with Marouane Fellaini and Paul Pogba playing just in front of Herrera in central midfield, while Wayne Rooney (right) and Rashford (left) flanked central striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. As a final roll of the dice, Mourinho turned to Martial, with the France international joining Ibrahimovic in attack, leaving Pogba and Rashford to cover the left hand-side of the pitch.
- After a disappointing defensive display, Mourinho may consider handing Chris Smalling a starting berth against Watford, with Daley Blind’s starting spot appearing the most in doubt. The Portuguese boss could consider moving to a 4-3-3 formation in an attempt to get the best out of Pogba, although that would cast doubt as to Rooney’s role in the side. If he sticks with the 4-2-3-1, he could play one of Herrera, Morgan Schneiderlin or Michael Carrick alongside Pogba, meaning Fellaini could miss out, while Rashford, Martial and Mata may come into contention in the wide positions. Luke Shaw is a slight doubt after picking up a hamstring problem, with Blind or Matteo Darmian likely to cover in his potential absence.
Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Left-Back, Central Defence, Central Midfield, Flanks
Part Two of Line Up Lessons, covering the remaining 10 teams, will be published tomorrow.
