Alex Keble's Premier Tactics: The Final Day's Big Questions


Alex Keble considers the key tactical questions ahead of the final day's action in the Premier League season.

1) Can Crystal Palace's wingers get the better of Man Utd's reserve full-backs?


With the Europa League final just three days after Sunday’s game, Jose Mourinho will field a significantly weaker side than usual, handing a crucial advantage to Sam Allardyce’s Crystal Palace. His counter-attacking strategy, coupled with Palace’s strength on the flanks, is precisely the system that should hurt the Manchester United youngsters.

Alex Tuanzebe and an out-of-position Matteo Darmian are likely to start in the full-back positions, which is a worrying prospect given Big Sam funnels everything through Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha. They attempt 10.2 dribbles and 9.5 crosses between them per match, statistics which are only likely to grow this weekend. Neither Juan Mata nor Henrikh Mkhitaryan like to track back, which could mean those awkward full-backs are forced to stand off and allow crosses into the box.

Furthermore, a Wayne Rooney-inspired central midfield will be disjointed and slow, making United’s predictable attacking lines fairly easy to stifle; as Palace sit deep and absorb pressure, frustrations will increase and Allardyce’s team should get more and more opportunities. An away win is definitely on the cards.

2) Will Coutinho's new role flummox Middlesbrough?


Jurgen Klopp used his Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho as a false-eight in a narrow 4-4-2 diamond formation last weekend, offering Liverpool a long-term solution to their goalscoring issues against the Premier League’s more defensive outfits. Coutinho will presumably continue in this new role on Sunday and cause chaos in the Boro backline.

From a deeper starting position Coutinho is able to thread the ball through the opposition defence before they are able to retreat fully into position; he assisted the opening goal last weekend in this fashion, putting Daniel Sturridge through on goal from just inside the West Ham United half. Instead of sitting in the midst of a defensive shell on the left flank, Coutinho saw much more of the ball in a role not dissimilar to Kevin de Bruyne’s at Manchester City this season.

Coutinho is also now able to attack spaces in the final third from a deeper starting position, allowing him to build up speed and enter dangerous areas late - and thus unmarked. His brilliant solo goal would not have been possible had the Brazilian tried his familiar trick of cutting in from the left. Middlesbrough will find it just as hard to track his movements on Sunday.

3) Can Bilic grasp the final opportunity to prove his worth?


West Ham United’s corporate rebrand, complete with swanky new stadium and a marketing-friendly revamp of the club’s crest, no longer seems in sync with the feisty underdog mentality that Slaven Bilic has instilled. After a disappointing debut season at the London Stadium, the Croatian’s time in East London might just be coming to an end.

Last weekend’s thumping defeat against Liverpool highlighted the overall tactical disorganisation of a team that has been gradually disintegrating over the past 12-18 months. A dreary performance at Burnley on Sunday could be the last nail in the coffin for Bilic.

Tactically, a low-scoring game is the most likely outcome. Burnley’s rigid 4-4-2 shape is difficult to penetrate at Turf Moor (they have conceded just 18 goals at home, the fewest of any team outside the top seven) and the Hammers have only scored once in their last four matches. Their 3-4-1-2 formation has plugged gaps at the back, but it piles far too much pressure on the front three to create chances. A sluggish match, followed by Bilic’s exit, is a real possibility.

4) Can Chelsea give Costa and Terry the perfect send off?


Sunderland will almost certainly lose heavily to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, giving Diego Costa and John Terry plenty of opportunities to score a farewell goal. Antonio Conte’s ferocious managerial style ensures this match will not be played like a friendly, while the hosts’ set-piece record suggests both departing players could get on the scoresheet.

Chelsea have scored the most set-piece goals in the Premier League (21) and Sunderland have conceded the joint-most headed goals (15). Terry is always a threat from dead-ball situations and, with Eden Hazard and Pedro dancing through the Sunderland defence, Chelsea could earn a penalty. Costa - or Terry, if late in the game - will surely be handed spot-kick duties.

5) How will Arsenal fare against Everton's congested midfield?


Arsenal are finally beginning to look cohesive in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in particular settling into their new roles as dual number tens; their one-two for the opener against Sunderland last weekend perfectly highlighted the advantages of this Conte-inspired system. With opposition defensive midfielders distracted by the overload of bodies in the middle, Sanchez and Ozil can float freely in unmarked spaced in the central attacking third.

However, Everton have become remarkably stubborn since Morgan Schneiderlin joined the club. Along with Tom Davies and Idrissa Gueye, Everton have a very well-organised central midfield that should be able to squeeze Ozil out of the game. As the German drifts around aimlessly and Sanchez comes deeper out of frustration, the Gunners might struggle to find the breakthrough.

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