Line-Up Lessons – Gameweek 34 – Part Two

Jose Mourinho rests Rashford among a raft of alterations. Raheem Sterling is benched once more only to replace a stricken David Silva, while Jack Butland returns between the sticks for the Potters. Change was in the Gameweek 34 air – and not all of it welcome.

Having published Part One yesterday, we now roll out the second instalment of our Gameweek 34 teamsheet summary, outlining the trends and tactics on show and offering early insights into the likely line-ups to come for the weekend.

Manchester City

Starting XI: Bravo; Jesus Navas, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy; Toure, Fernandinho (Fernando 99), De Bruyne, Silva (Sterling 23) (Iheanacho 116), Sane; Aguero (Delph 99).

• Pep Guardiola named the same side that beat Southampton 3-0 for the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal.
• The City boss once again favoured a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Fernandinho and Yaya Toure stationed at the base of midfield. Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Leroy Sane formed the attacking midfield trio, with Raheem Sterling having to settle for a place on the bench once again.
• Sterling didn’t have to wait long to enter the fray, though, after David Silva was forced off with a knock. The England international played on the right wing, with De Bruyne taking over the No 10 role. Then during extra-time, Fernandinho and Sergio Aguero picked up muscular problems, meaning they had to be replaced by Fernando and Fabian Delph. Fernando slotted into central midfield, while Delph took over the No 10 role, with De Bruyne asked to lead the line as the “false nine.” Allowed to make a fourth substitution in the FA Cup, Guardiola introduced Kelechi Iheanacho in place of Sterling as City pushed to find a late equaliser.
• The City boss revealed after the match that Fernandinho, Silva and Aguero will all need to be assessed ahead of Thursday night’s Manchester derby. If Fernandinho is ruled out, Delph or Fernando could start in midfield. Sterling looks set to earn a recall, particularly if Silva is unavailable. Iheanacho provides the main alternative to Aguero in attack, with Gabriel Jesus not expected to be fit enough to start against Manchester United, although he may have a chance of being involved. Guardiola could also rotate in defence, and particularly at centre-back, with Aleksandar Kolarov a possible starter, with John Stones another option if he can recover from a knock. Pablo Zabaleta provides an alternative at right-back, although Jesus Navas has been favoured in that position during the past month. Guardiola will then be expected to rotate again for Sunday’s trip to Middlesbrough with Jesus perhaps more of a factor in his thinking.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Central Midfield, Attacking Midfield, Right Wing, Lone Striker

Manchester United

Starting XI: De Gea; Young, Bailly, Blind, Darmian; Herrera, Fellaini, Pogba (Carrick 90); Lingard (Rashford 69), Martial (Mkhitaryan 79), Rooney.

• Jose Mourinho made eight changes from the side that edged out Anderlecht 2-1 in the Europa League for the trip to Burnley. David de Gea, Ashley Young, Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera, Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney came in with Sergio Romero, Antonio Valencia, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw, Michael Carrick, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marcus Rashford and Zlatan Ibrahimovic making way.
• Those changes saw Mourinho opt for more of a 4-3-2-1 formation, with Young, Eric Bailly, Blind and Darmian forming the back four. Herrera and Paul Pogba played just in front of holding midfielder Fellaini, with Jesse Lingard and Rooney in fairly central attacking midfield positions behind lone striker Martial.
• Mourinho’s first change saw Rashford replace Lingard for the final 21 minutes, with Mkhitaryan coming on for Martial 10 minutes later. The Armenian took over Lingard’s attacking midfield role, while Rashford operated as the lone striker. Pogba was forced off with a knock during the final stages, with Carrick taking his place.
• Mourinho looks set to rotate again for Thursday night’s Manchester derby and the home fixture with Swansea City on Sunday. Valencia and Shaw are the fresh options in defence, so they could return in the full-back positions against City, with Young and Darmian perhaps more likely to start against Swansea. Pogba will need to be assessed over the next few days, but if he is ruled out for Thursday night, Carrick could start in his place, allowing Fellaini to push slightly further forward. Mkhitaryan and Rashford are the fresh options in attack, although the performances of Martial and Rooney will have provided the United manager with food for thought.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs, Central Midfield, Attacking Midfield, Lone Striker

Middlesbrough

Starting XI: Guzan; Barragan (Forshaw 23), Ayala, Chambers, Gibson, Friend; Downing, De Roon (Fabio 38), Clayton, Ramirez; Negredo (Gestede 80).

• Steve Agnew made two alterations for the trip to Bournemouth, with Calum Chambers and George Friend replacing the injured Grant Leadbitter, while Fabio, who also picked up a knock against Arsenal last time out, only making the bench.
• Those changes saw the Boro boss switch from a 4-3-3 formation to a 5-4-1, with Chambers joining Ben Gibson and Daniel Ayala in central defence, and Friend returning at left-back. Stewart Downing (left) and Gaston Ramirez (right) started out wide in midfield.
• Agnew’s plans were thrown into disarray after falling 2-0 behind and then going down to ten men following the sending off of Ramirez for two bookable offences. He immediately decided to make a change, with Adam Forshaw brought on for Antonio Barragan as the visitors switched to a 4-4-1 formation. Agnew was then forced into making a second substitution when Marten de Roon limped off with a knock. Fabio was brought on in his place, with the Brazilian playing in front of Chambers on the right side of midfield. The final change saw Rudy Gestede take over from Alvaro Negredo as the lone striker for the final 10 minutes.
• Ramirez will miss Wednesday night’s home clash with Sunderland due to suspension, although he will be available to return for the visit of Manchester City to The Riverside on Sunday. Agnew may take the opportunity to switch to a 4-4-2 in the Uruguayan’s absence, with Gestede or perhaps Cristhian Stuani partnering Negredo in attack and Adama Traore starting on the right wing. Fabio or Chambers could start at right-back, and the latter is also an option to replace Ayala in central defence if Agnew reverts to a four-man defence. Either way, Barragan’s starting spot looks under threat. If De Roon is ruled out, Adam Clayton and Forshaw look the most likely central midfield partnership. Victor Valdes (rib) and Grant Leadbitter (hamstring) are both expected to miss out against the Black Cats.

Current Status: Unsettled
Risk Areas: Goalkeeper, Defence, Central Midfield, Right Wing, Forwards

Stoke City

Starting XI: Butland; Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters; Shaqiri, Cameron, Allen, Arnautovic (Diouf 84); Berahino (Sobhi 77), Crouch.

• Stoke boss Mark Hughes made three changes to the side that beat Hull City 3-1 for the trip to Swansea City. Jack Butland made his first start of the season in place of Lee Grant, while Joe Allen and Peter Crouch started at the expense of Marc Muniesa and Charlie Adam.
• Those tweaks saw Hughes switch from a 3-4-3 system to a 4-2-3-1, with Saido Berahino stationed just behind lone striker Crouch. Allen joined Geoff Cameron in the double-pivot, and Ryan Shawcross and Bruno Martins Indi formed the centre-back partnership in the four-man backline.
• Hughes made his first change with his side trailing 2-0, deciding to bring on Ramadan Sobhi for Berahino in a straight swap. The only other change saw Mame Biram Diouf replace Marko Arnautovic. Diouf joined Crouch in attack and Sobhi moved to the left wing as the Potters finished the match in more of a 4-4-2.
• With the change in system failing to get a result, Hughes could consider moving back to 3-4-3 for Saturday’s home meeting with West Ham United. Muniesa is an option to join Shawcross and Martins Indi in central defence, with Glen Johnson or perhaps Diouf the choices to start at right wing-back. The central striker role would then be between either Berahino or Crouch. If he keeps faith with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2, there aren’t likely to be many changes, with Adam the main alternative in central midfield. Neither Diouf or Sobhi are likely to usurp either Xherdan Shaqiri or Arnautovic out wide. Hughes is expected to hand Butland another start in goal as the England international looks to improve his match sharpness, having been sidelined for over a year due to an ankle injury.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Right Wing-Back

Swansea City

Starting XI: Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Kingsley; Fer (Ki Sung-yeung 20), Britton (Borja Baston 85), Carroll, Sigurdsson; Ayew, Llorente (van der Hoorn 59).

• Head coach Paul Clement made four changes for the home encounter against Stoke City, with Stephen Kingsley, Leon Britton, Tom Carroll and Jordan Ayew starting at the expense of Martin Olsson, Jay Fulton, Ki Sung-yeung and Luciano Narsingh.
• Kingsley started at left-back, with Olsson missing out due to a minor hamstring problem. Britton was stationed at the base of a midfield diamond, with Leroy Fer (right) and Tom Carroll (left) on the sides, leaving Gylfi Sigurdsson at the tip of the diamond. Ayew joined Fernando Llorente up front.
• Clement was forced into making an early change after Fer suffered a dead leg. Ki took over from the Dutchman in a straight swap. Then with his side holding a slender 1-0 lead, the Swansea boss decided to bolster his rearguard, bring on Mike van der Hoorn for Llorente. Van der Hoorn joined Federico Fernandez and Alfie Mawson in central defence, leaving Ayew as the lone striker in front of the midfield diamond. The tiring Britton made way with five minutes remaining. Borja Baston was brought on in his place as the Swans finished the match in a 5-3-2 system, with the Spaniard joining Ayew up front.
• As the change in formation paid off for Clement, he could decide to stick with the midfield diamond for Sunday’s trip to Manchester United. Fer will have to be assessed this week after picking up that dead leg, but Ki is an able deputy in central midfield. Jack Cork could be available to return at Old Trafford if he can recover from an ankle injury in time, although the impact made by Britton last weekend doesn’t necessarily mean that Cork will earn a recall. Similarly, Olsson will need to be checked this week, with the Swede expected to return at left-back in place of Kingsley if passed fit. Ayew’s impressive performance should increase the chances of Clement opting to continue with two forwards, although the Ghanaian is equally capable of operating down the right flank.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Left-Back, Central Midfield

Tottenham Hotspur

Starting XI: Lloris; Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Trippier, Wanyama (Nkoudou 80), Dembele, Son Heung-min (Walker 68); Eriksen, Alli; Kane.

• Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino made two changes from the side that beat Bournemouth 4-0 for the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, with Kieran Trippier and Victor Wanyama starting in place of Kyle Walker and Ben Davies.
• The coach switched from a 4-2-3-1 formation back to 3-4-2-1, with Trippier operating at right wing-back, and Son Heung-min in an unfamiliar role at left wing-back. Wanyama joined Mousa Dembele in central midfield, while Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli were stationed in central attacking midfield roles behind lone striker Harry Kane.
• With the score at 2-2, Pochettino decided to bring on Walker in place of Son, with Walker operating at right wing-back and Trippier on the left. Then after falling behind, the Spurs boss rolled the dice, bringing on Georges-Kevin Nkoudou for Wanyama. Nkoudou played out wide on the left, leaving only Dembele as a defensive-minded midfield player for the final 10 minutes as Tottenham looked to get back into the match.
• Up next for Spurs is tomorrow night’s trip to Crystal Palace before a North London derby against Arsenal on Sunday. Pochettino’s selections will ultimately depend on formation. Given that Arsenal have also played with a three-man defence in their last two matches, he may well roll out the 3-4-2-1 against the Gunners. The Son experiment at left wing-back was not convincing, so Davies could start in that fixture, with Danny Rose (knee) still expected to be unavailable. The South Korean could start against Palace, perhaps on the left wing if Pochettino opts for a 4-2-3-1. In that formation, Dier may be an option to replace Wanyama, given that the Kenyan has only just returned from injury. Walker and Trippier could continue to share minutes at either right-back or right wing-back.

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

Watford

Starting XI: Gomes; Janmaat, Prodl, Britos, Holebas (Zuniga 87); Amrabat (Success 67), Cleverley, Doucoure (Okaka 73), Capoue, Niang; Deeney.

• Hornets head coach Walter Mazzarri made one adjustment for the trip to Hull City, with Miguel Britos returning following his two-match ban to replace Adrian Mariappa.
• Britos partnered Sebastian Prodl in central defence in what was an otherwise unchanged side, with Mazzarri keeping faith in the 4-3-3- system.
• With his side trailing 1-0 to 10-man Hull, the Watford boss decided to bring on Isaac Success in place of Nordin Amrabat in a straight swap on the right of the front three. Shortly afterwards, he introduced Stefano Okaka for Abdoulaye Doucoure in an attacking move. The visitors switched to a 4-2-4, with Okaka joining Troy Deeney as a central striker. Juan Zuniga took over from Jose Holebas at left-back for the final three minutes.
• Mazzarri has had a fairly settled starting XI of late, and despite the defeat at Hull, that isn’t expected to change drastically for the home clash with Liverpool next Monday. Valon Behrami provides a possible alternative to Doucoure in central midfield, while Success and Okaka may challenge for starting spots in the front three. Craig Cathcart (knee) and Younes Kaboul (hamstring) remain doubtful, so changes in defence appear unlikely.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Flanks

West Ham United

Starting XI: Adrian; Collins, Fonte, Reid; Masuaku, Fernandes, Nordtveit, Kouyate (Cresswell 79); Lanzini, Ayew, Calleri (Sakho 62).

• Hammers boss Slaven Bilic made four changes for the visit of Everton to the London Stadium, with Adrian, Winston Reid, Havard Nordtveit and Jonathan Calleri replacing Darren Randolph, Sam Byram, Robert Snodgrass and the injured Andy Carroll.
• Those changes saw Bilic switch from a 4-2-3-1 system to a 3-4-1-2, with Reid joining James Collins and Jose Fonte in the three-man defence. Edimilson Fernandes (right) and Arthur Masuaku (left) took up the wing-back roles, with Cheikhou Kouyate and Nordtveit in centre midfield. Manuel Lanzini was stationed in a central attacking midfield role behind the front pairing of Andre Ayew and Calleri.
• Bilic decided to take off Calleri just after the hour mark, with Diafra Sakho taking his place up front in a straight swap. The only other change saw Aaron Cresswell come on for Kouyate for the final 11 minutes. Cresswell played at right wing-back, with Fernandes moving into the middle of the park.
• Bilic will have Byram and Mark Noble available for Saturday’s trip to Stoke City as both players will have served their suspensions. The duo’s return means that the West Ham manager could consider switching back to a four-man defence, but perhaps only if at least one of Snodgrass (knee), Sofiane Feghouli (knock) or Carroll (groin) are passed fit to boost his attacking options. If he decides to keep faith in the 3-4-1-2, or change slightly to a 3-4-3, Byram could play at right wing-back, with Noble joining Kouyate in central midfield. Cresswell offers an alternative to Masuaku at left wing-back although the Frenchman has been outstanding of late. One of Ayew, or perhaps Sakho, could lead the attack if Carroll remains out as Calleri failed to take his chance to impress. After keeping a clean sheet, Adrian looks set to keep his place in goal at the expense of Randolph.

Current Status: Slightly Unsettled
Risk Areas: Full-Backs/Wing-Backs, Centre Midfield, Flanks, Forwards