Line-up Lessons – Gameweek 25 – Part One

Manchester United’s Anthony Martial bags a goal and assist in his first start in four Gameweeks. Burnley new boy Robbie Brady nets on his bow for Burnley, while Sam Allardyce continues to tinker with his tactics as Palace fall to yet another damaging defeat.

Here’s Part One of our teamsheet summary, as we check out the latest tactical tweaks and personnel changes from the weekend, with one eye already focussed on a somewhat shortened Gameweek 26.

Arsenal

Starting XI: Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Gibbs; Oxlade-Chamberlain (Perez 82), Coquelin; Walcott (Elneny 69), Iwobi (Welbeck 82), Ozil; Sanchez.

• Arsene Wenger made one adjustment from the side that lost 3-1 to Chelsea for the home clash against Hull City, with Kieran Gibbs replacing Nacho Monreal.
• Gibbs slotted in at left-back for the Gunners, then, while Alexis Sanchez kept his place as the lone striker in the usual 4-2-3-1 formation.
• Wenger’s first substitution saw Mohamed Elneny come on in place of Theo Walcott. Then with eight minutes remaining, the Arsenal boss introduced Lucas Perez and Danny Welbeck for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alex Iwobi. Elneny joined Francis Coquelin in central midfield, with Perez and Welbeck playing on the right and left of the attacking midfield trio respectively.
• The Gunners won’t play again in the Premier League until March 4, when they travel to Anfield, with the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against Bayern Munich coming three days later. We could see some rotation in a few positions, then, with Gibbs and Monreal set to time-share at left-back, while Wenger will have options in central midfield, with Granit Xhaka back from suspension by that point, while Elneny is also back in the frame following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. Sanchez will surely continue as the lone striker given his current form, but Olivier Giroud and Welbeck provide viable alternatives in attack.

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

Burnley

Starting XI: Heaton; Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward; Boyd, Barton, Westwood, Brady (Arfield 65); Gray (Vokes 82), Barnes.

• Sean Dyche made two changes for the home encounter against Chelsea, with Ashley Westwood and Robbie Brady handed their first starts for the club, replacing Scott Arfield and the suspended Jeff Hendrick.
• Westwood slotted in next to Joey Barton in central midfield for the Clarets, with Brady taking up the position on the left side of midfield. Ashley Barnes was used in a slightly deeper role behind lone striker Andre Gray, in what was more of a 4-4-1-1 formation.
• Dyche’s first substitution saw Arfield take over from Brady on the left wing shortly after the hour mark. The only other change saw Sam Vokes replace Gray as the lone striker for the final eight minutes.
• Following an impressive performance against the leaders, Dyche isn’t expected to make many changes for the Gameweek 26 trip to Hull City. Arfield and the likes of Johan Berg Gudmundsson provide alternatives in midfield but may struggle to displace either Westwood, Barton or Brady in the starting XI. Jeff Hendrick will still be absent for that encounter – he’s set to serve the third of a three-match ban against the Tigers.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield

Chelsea

Starting XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses (Willian 72), Kante, Matic (Fabregas 67), Alonso; Pedro (Batshuayi 87), Diego Costa, Hazard.

• Chelsea manager Antonio Conte named the same line-up that beat Arsenal 3-1 for the trip to Turf Moor.
• Pedro kept his place on the right of the front three, then, with Willian having to settle for a place on the bench once again.
• Conte’s first change saw Cesc Fabregas take over from Nemanja Matic in central midfield for the final 23 minutes. Willian then replaced Victor Moses at right wing-back in an attack-minded move, while Michy Batshuayi came on for Pedro late on as Chelsea looked for a winner by switching to 4-2-4.
• The Chelsea side remains very settled, with Willian and Fabregas the only players pushing for inclusion in the starting XI. With Swansea up next for the Blues at Stamford Bridge, Fabregas may push for a start in central midfield in place of Matic, though Pedro appears more likely to retain his starting spot after opening the scoring.

Current Status: Very Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Right Wing

Crystal Palace

Starting XI: Hennessey; Ward, Delaney, Tomkins, Van Aanholt; Milivojevic; Zaha (Schlupp 68), Puncheon (Cabaye 76), McArthur (Remy 87), Townsend; Benteke.

• Sam Allardyce made two changes for the trip to the bet365 Stadium, with new signing Luka Milivojevic and Andros Townsend brought in for Yohan Cabaye and the injured Scott Dann.
• Those changes saw Palace line up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, then, with Milivojevic sat in front of the back four, while Wilfried Zaha and Townsend operated out wide for the visitors.
• After falling a goal behind, Big Sam decided to introduce the fit-again Jeffrey Schlupp, although he surprisingly came on in place of Zaha. Schlupp played down the left flank, with Townsend switching over to the right. Cabaye then took over from Jason Puncheon in central midfield, while as a final roll of the dice in search of a late equaliser, Allardyce threw on Loic Remy for James McArthur, seeing Palace finish the game in a 4-4-2 formation.
• Given that Allardyce has yet to really settle on one formation, his team selection remains unsettled in many positions. With 12 days until their next match, Big Sam may have Dann (hamstring) back in contention for the crucial home clash against Middlesbrough, while that time should also allow Mamadou Sakho to improve his fitness levels. That could see Allardyce consider a switch to a back three, then. Steve Mandanda could also be close to a first-team return by then, so he could put pressure of Wayne Hennessey in goal. In midfield, Cabaye may push for a recall at the expense of Puncheon or McArthur. Schlupp and Remy are others who are likely to be considered for starting spots depending on formation.

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

Everton

Starting XI: Robles; Coleman, Williams, Funes Mori, Baines; Schneiderlin, Gueye (Valencia 62); Barkley (Barry 87), Davies, Lookman (Lennon 70); Lukaku.

• Ronald Koeman made two changes for the trip to the Riverside Stadium, with Idrissa Gueye and Tom Davies recalled in place of Gareth Barry and James McCarthy.
• Gueye operated alongside Morgan Schneiderlin at the base of midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation used by Koeman, with Davies joining Ross Barkley and Ademola Lookman in the advanced midfield positions.
• But with the match goalless, the Everton boss turned first to Enner Valencia, and shortly after Aaron Lennon, to try and break the deadlock. Valencia offered greater width down the right flank, with Davies dropping back into central midfield, while Lennon took over from Lookman on the left wing. Barry was handed a brief run-out late on in place of Barkley.
• Koeman now has a wealth of options to choose from in midfield, so Barry and McCarthy, providing the latter recovers from a thigh injury, could challenge for recalls when the Toffees host Sunderland in Gameweek 26. Likewise, Valencia, Lennon and Kevin Mirallas, should he recover from a groin problem, may come into contention for a start out wide.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Midfield, Flanks

Hull City

Starting XI: Jakupovic; Elabdellaoui (Elmohamady 66), Ranocchia, Maguire, Robertson; Huddlestone (Diomande 78); Markovic, N’Diaye, Clucas, Grosicki (Evandro 60); Niasse.

• Tigers head coach Marco Silva made two alterations from the side that beat Liverpool 2-0 for the trip to the Emirates, with Lazar Markovic and Oumar Niasse recalled in place of Evandro and the injured Abel Hernandez.
• Markovic was stationed on the right of what was more of a 4-3-3 system used by Silva, alongside Niasse and Kamil Grosicki. Alfred N’Diaye and Sam Clucas played slightly in advance of holding midfielder Tom Huddlestone.
• On the hour mark, Silva decided to bring on Evandro in place of Grosicki. Evandro operated in the No 10 role, with Clucas moving onto the left wing, seeing Hull switch to a more attacking 4-2-3-1 as they pushed for an equaliser. Ahmed Elmohamady then replaced Omar Elabdellaoui at right-back in a straight swap, with Silva’s final substitution seeing Adama Diomande introduced in place of Huddlestone. Diomande operated on the left wing, with Clucas dropping back into the middle of the park alongside N’Diaye.
• With Elmohamady back from AFCON, he could challenge Elabdellaoui for the starting spot at right-back when Hull host Burnley in Gameweek 26. Evandro may also push for a recall, with Silva likely to revert back to his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. He could come in for Clucas, who is set to serve a one-match suspension after being dismissed in the dying stages at the Emirates.

Current Status: Fairly Settled
Risk Areas: Right-Back, Attacking Midfield

Leicester City

Starting XI: Schmeichel; Simpson (Amartey 70), Morgan, Huth, Fuchs (Chilwell 46); Mahrez, Drinkwater, Ndidi, Albrighton (Slimani 46); Gray, Vardy.

• Claudio Ranieri made two alterations for the trip to the Liberty Stadium, with Marc Albrighton and Demarai Gray recalled in place of Ahmed Musa and Shinji Okazaki.
• Albrighton took up his usual position of the left wing, while Gray was stationed in a central attacking midfield role just behind lone striker Jamie Vardy in a 4-4-1-1 formation.
• But after conceding two goals before half-time, Ranieri decided to make a double substitution, with Ben Chilwell and Islam Slimani introduced in place of Christian Fuchs and Albrighton. Chilwell was stationed at left-back, while Slimani joined Vardy in attack, seeing Gray shift over to the left wing to form a 4-4-2. Ranieri’s final substitution saw Daniel Amartey take over from Danny Simpson at right-back for the final 20 minutes.
• With Ranieri intimating he’s ready to make drastic changes to help arrest their terrible run of form, we could see several alterations made for the home clash against Liverpool in Gameweek 26. In defence, Amartey and Chilwell are options to replace Simpson and Fuchs, while he may have to consider the likes of Marcin Wasilewski, Yohan Benalouane or Molla Wague in central defence. In the middle of the park, Andy King, Nampalys Mendy or Amartey are all possible options, while Slimani could well earn a recall in attack, either alongside, or in place of Vardy, depending on formation. Musa and Okazaki provide further attacking alternatives.

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

Liverpool

Starting XI: Mignolet: Clyne, Lucas Leiva (Klavan 82), Matip, Milner; Lallana, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Mane (Alexander-Arnold 90), Firmino, Coutinho (Emre Can 77).

• Jurgen Klopp made one change for the home encounter against Tottenham Hotspur, with Georginio Wijnaldum recalled in place of Emre Can.
• Wijnaldum joined Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana in central midfield, then, while Lucas Leiva kept his place at centre-back, with Dejan Lovren (knee) once again ruled out, while Ragnar Klavan was only included on the bench following his recent illness.
• Klopp’s first change saw Can introduced in place of Philippe Coutinho in a defensive-minded move as Liverpool looked to hold onto the 2-0 lead. Lucas had to be replaced with eight minutes remaining after picking up a knock, with Klavan taking over in central defence, while Trent Alexander-Arnold got a couple of minutes late on in place of Sadio Mane.
• With the Reds not playing for another 14 days, until they travel to take on Leicester City, it’s likely that Lovren may well be fit to return in central defence in place of Lucas. Given the impressive performance on Saturday, Emre Can appears unlikely to earn a recall in place of Wijnaldum in central midfield.

Current Status: Settled
Risk Areas: Central Defence, Central Midfield

Manchester United

Starting XI: De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Blind; Mata (Fellaini 72), Herrera, Pogba, Mkhitaryan (Lingard 89), Martial (Rashford 81); Ibrahimovic.

• Jose Mourinho made two changes for the visit of Watford to Old Trafford, with Daley Blind and Anthony Martial replacing Marcos Rojo and Marcus Rashford.
• Blind slotted in at left-back, while Martial was stationed on the left of the attacking midfield trio in the 4-2-3-1 formation used by Mourinho. That saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan line up in the No 10 role, with Juan Mata on the right.
• Mourinho’s first change saw Marouane Fellaini replace Mata, seeing United switch to more of a 4-3-3, with the Belgian joining Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba in midfield, while Mkhitaryan drifted out onto the right flank. Rashford then came on for Martial in a straight swap, while Jesse Lingard was handed a brief run-out late on in place of Mkhitaryan.
• Given that United don’t play again in the league until March 4, when they entertain Bournemouth, Mourinho could be able to call upon Rojo and Phil Jones, who missed Saturday’s match due to a knock and a foot injury respectively. We may see some changes in defence, then, while the likes of Rashford, Lingard and Wayne Rooney are viable alternatives to Martial on the left wing. Mkhitaryan and Mata currently look more likely to keep their places in the starting XI.

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

Middlesbrough

Starting XI: Valdes; Chambers, Bernardo, Gibson, Fabio; Clayton, Forshaw (Guedioura 58); Traore, De Roon, Stuani (Ramirez 66); Negredo (Gestede 81).

• Aitor Karanka only made one adjustment for the home encounter against Everton, with Cristhian Stuani recalled in place of Stewart Downing.
• Stuani was stationed on the left of the front three, alongside Alvaro Negredo and Adama Traore, while Adam Clayton, Adam Forshaw and Marten de Roon again formed the three-man midfield in the 4-3-3 formation.
• With the match goalless, Karanka decided to make a change just before the hour mark, with Adlene Guedioura replacing Forshaw in a straight swap. The returning Gaston Ramirez then replaced Stuani, with the former playing on the right flank, seeing Traore switch over to the left. The final substitution saw Rudy Gestede take over from Negredo for the final nine minutes.
• With ‘Boro not playing for another 12 days, before they travel to take on West Bromwich Albion, both George Friend and Antonio Barragan may have enough time to recover from knocks to push for recalls in the full-back positions. If either player does come back into the side, Calum Chambers should take over from Bernardo Espinosa in central defence. Guedioura may come into contention for a start in central midfield, while Ramirez certainly looks set to come back into the starting XI, perhaps in place of Stuani.

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

Part Two of Line-up Lessons, detailing the remaining ten teams from Gameweek 25, will be rolled out tomorrow.