Every week this new series will take a look at the predicted starting line-ups for clubs in the English Premier League. Knowing which players are expected to play each weekend is a crucial element for every active Fantasy Football manager. The starting XIs for the EPL clubs is increasingly hard to predict, due to congested fixture calendars and the quality of squad depths as a result of the vast amounts of money the EPL clubs generate.
For the moment, we will consider the lineups of the top-10 teams in the Premier League as it stands by the start of the upcoming gameweek, divided over three articles. This part 2 covers the teams in positions 4 to 6, part 1 covers the lineups for positions 1 to 3, and part 3 looks at the formations for positions 7 to 10. We might analyse the lineups of all teams at a later stage, based on the interest shown in this series. As far as gameweek 18 goes, we will take a look at confirmed starting lineups for the top-10 teams in gameweek 17, compare those to our predictions for that gameweek, and then predict their lineups for gameweek 18.
For much of the injury news mentioned in these pieces, we consult, among other club-specific sources, the excellent Twitter account and website of Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery). Lineups are written down from left to right, as seen from the goalkeeper’s perspective (so in defence, for example, from left-back to right-back).
Factors potentially affecting lineups per team in the build-up to GW18
| Chelsea | None |
| Spurs | None |
| Manchester United | League Cup QF vs. Colchester United (H) on 18/12: 3-0 |
The Premier League at the start of gameweek 18 (positions 3 to 7)
| 3 | Manchester City | 35 pts |
| 4 | Chelsea | 29 pts |
| 5 | Spurs | 26 pts |
| 6 | Manchester United | 25 pts |
| 7 | Sheffield United | 25 pts |
Lineups for gameweek 17: Predicted vs. confirmed
CHELSEA (home vs. Bournemouth, 0-1)
| PREDICTED GAMEWEEK 17 | CONFIRMED GAMEWEEK 17 | ||
| Form. | 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 | 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 | |
| FOR | Abraham | Abraham | |
| MID | Pulisic, Mount, Willian | Pulisic, Mount, Willian | |
| DEF MID | Kovacic, Kanté | Jorginho, Kanté | |
| DEF | Emerson, Zouma, Christensen, R. James | Emerson, Zouma, Rüdiger, Azpilicueta | |
| GK | Kepa | Kepa | |
| Subs | /// | (2nd half) Kovacic > Pulisic, Hudson-Odoi > Willian, Batshuayi > Jorginho | |
| Goals | /// | /// |
Spurs (away vs. Wolves, 1-2)
| PREDICTED GAMEWEEK 17 | CONFIRMED GAMEWEEK 17 | ||
| Form. | 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 | 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 | |
| FOR | Kane | Kane | |
| MID | Son, Alli, Moura | Son, Alli, Moura | |
| DEF MID | Dier, Sissoko | Dier, Sissoko | |
| DEF | Vertonghen, Alderweireld, D. Sanchez, Aurier | Vertonghen, Alderweireld, D. Sanchez, Aurier | |
| GK | Gazzaniga | Gazzaniga | |
| Subs | /// | (late 2nd half) Eriksen > Moura, Winks > Alli, Foyth > Son | |
| Goals | /// | Moura (Dier), Vertonghen (Eriksen) |
MANCHESTER UNITED (home vs. Everton, 1-1)
| PREDICTED GAMEWEEK 17 | CONFIRMED GAMEWEEK 17 | ||
| Form. | 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 | 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 | |
| FOR | Martial | Martial | |
| MID | Rashford, A. Pereira, D. James | Rashford, Lingard, D. James | |
| DEF MID | Fred, McTominay | Fred, McTominay | |
| DEF | Shaw, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka | Shaw, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka | |
| GK | De Gea | De Gea | |
| Subs | /// | (2nd half) Greenwood > Lingard, Mata > D. James | |
| Goals | /// | Greenwood (D. James) |
Predicted lineups for gameweek 18
CHELSEA (away vs. Spurs)
| Form. | 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 |
| FOR | Abraham |
| MID | Pulisic, Mount, Willian |
| DEF MID | Kovacic, Kanté |
| DEF | Azpilicueta, Zouma, Rüdiger, R. James |
| GK | Kepa |
| Ruled out | Loftus-Cheek |
| Doubtful | Tomori, Giroud |
| Notes | Manager Frank Lampard will surely want to neutralise Spurs’ front four plus the attacking Aurier on the right, so we expect Azpilicueta’s solidity and experience at left-back. The central duo consists of Zouma and Rüdiger, and R. James’ ability to boom forward and provide crosses could be a weapon on the right, while his speed will come in more than handy against Son. We expect a dynamic double pivot with Kovacic and Kanté to cover the Blues defence and help limit the danger on either wing. Pulisic on the left side and Willian on the right side of the attacking midfield will be required to respect their defensive duties as well. The former by tracking Aurier when possible and the latter by preventing one-on-situations between R. James and Son. Mount’s energy when pressing high up will be welcome, and Abraham should start up top. |
SPURS (home vs. Chelsea)
| Form. | 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 |
| FOR | Kane |
| MID | Son, Alli, Moura |
| DEF MID | Dier, Sissoko |
| DEF | Vertonghen, Alderweireld, D. Sanchez, Aurier |
| GK | Gazzaniga |
| Ruled out | Lloris, Davies, Ndombele, Vorm, Lamela |
| Doubtful | None |
| Notes | Manager José Mourinho seems to have largely settled on a starting eleven, at least for the weeks to come. The fact that he has no new serious injuries to deal with makes that approach easier. Gazzaniga starts in goal and Vertonghen is likely to keep replacing Davies on the left. Rose should be in contention, but Mou doesn’t seem to count much on him. The rest of the defence will be built up of Alderweireld, Sanchez and Aurier, with Dier and Sissoko just in front of them. We expect the attack to consist of the usual four suspects, including Moura on the right wing. |
MANCHESTER UNITED (away vs. Watford)
| Form. | 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 |
| FOR | Martial |
| MID | Rashford, Lingard, D. James |
| DEF MID | Fred, McTominay |
| DEF | Shaw, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka |
| GK | De Gea |
| Ruled out | Bailly, Fosu-Mensah |
| Doubtful | Pogba, Dalot, Rojo |
| Notes | No excuses for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer here, so we expect the strongest possible Man United eleven against Watford. Like Mou earlier, OGS seems to have found his preferred set-up, while confidence is boosted by the end of an injury crisis being in sight now. We expect Maguire and Lindelof to form the central duo, flanked by the ever-present Wan-Bissaka on the right and Shaw on the left, though B. Williams is in contention as well. McTominay and Fred form the midfield block, with Rashford, Lingard and D. James providing the attacking impulses from midfield. Lingard (who came on in the 62nd minute mid-week) could be replaced by either Mata (who played 90 minutes mid-week) or A. Pereira (who was rested mid-week). Greenwood has been excellent of late for the Red Devils, but we think Ole will go for Martial as striker against the Hornets. |
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