GW9 Predicted Lineups: Chelsea Without a Striker and Arsenal’s Doubts at Anfield

The deadline is back to Saturday morning, 11:00 GMT, so this week’s predictions have one more day of press conferences behind them than last week’s. They start from each side’s actual Gameweek 8 starting XI, adjust for this week’s injuries, suspensions and midweek cup rotation, and check the result against one predicted-lineup tracker. Where the sources disagree, the section says so. The shape of the week is this: Chelsea have Palmer back and no Joao Pedro, Arsenal have three doubts going to Anfield, and Manchester City rested five regulars on Wednesday to play them on Saturday.

The midweek team sheet is the best clue to Saturday’s. Whoever did not play on Wednesday usually does on the weekend.

Chelsea (home vs Manchester United)

Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Penders; Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Caicedo, Henderson, Palestra; Palmer, Quenda; Rogers.

Palmer returns after serving his ban in the cup. The question is who plays furthest forward without Joao Pedro. At Stamford Bridge against Tottenham, Chelsea started Palmer, Quenda and Rogers with no recognised striker, and one preview keeps that shape. The tracker has Danny Welbeck up front instead of Quenda. Rogers, owned by 50.2 percent, has scored three points in his last two matches, so where he plays matters. Lacroix is 75 percent with a hamstring problem and Caicedo picked up a knock at Anfield, so Chelsea’s spine is less certain than it looks. Palestra is the tracker’s choice at left wing-back ahead of Jorrel Hato, who started against Spurs.

Manchester United (tracker XI): Lammens; Yoro, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Baleba, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo. Fernandes returns after clear-the-air talks with Carrick. The sources disagree on Mainoo: the tracker starts him, while the official game lists him as due back on 8 November. Lisandro Martinez is back after missing the Como match, and Rashford is a game-time decision.

Manchester City (home vs Brighton)

Predicted XI: Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Anderson, Bouaddi; Ndiaye, Fernandez, Doku; Haaland.

Haaland, Dias, Gvardiol, Anderson and Donnarumma were all rested for Wednesday’s cup tie, so all five should start. The change from Villa Park is in midfield. Rayan Cherki played 45 minutes at Villa and then started the cup tie, and the tracker leaves him out for Ayyoub Bouaddi. Cherki is owned by 38.2 percent and has been sold by 224,000 this week. Phil Foden also started on Wednesday. Matheus Nunes is 75 percent and was expected to miss out, and Semenyo is out until around mid-December.

Brighton (tracker XI): Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Vuskovic, Dunk, Boscagli; Chema Andres, Gross; Gomez, Ayari, De Cuyper; Kostoulas. Kadioglu and Chema Andres have hip problems and were due to be assessed, though neither is thought to be serious. Wieffer and Minteh are back in contention, and Mitoma will not return until after the international break.

Liverpool and Arsenal

Liverpool predicted XI: Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Barcola, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak. Arsenal predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Guimaraes; Madueke, Odegaard, Eze; Havertz.

Liverpool’s XI depends on Wirtz’s ankle, and Iraola was quite optimistic about it. Szoboszlai and Munoz are both less likely, which leaves Gravenberch and Mac Allister in the middle. Arsenal’s XI is mostly a list of doubts. Calafiori, Rice and Madueke are all 75 percent, and the tracker starts all three. If Calafiori misses out, Hincapie is back from his ankle injury, and Timber and Lewis-Skelly are the other options. Arsenal started Gyokeres up front against Everton. The tracker prefers Havertz, and Arteta has not said which.

Tottenham, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Leeds

Tottenham (tracker XI): Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Tonali, Mateus Fernandes; Kudus, Gallagher, Tel; Solanke. That is three changes from the side that won at Chelsea, with Porro, Gallagher and Solanke in for Archie Gray, Maddison and Marmoush. Maddison is 75 percent and Bentancur is suspended until 7 November. Aston Villa (tracker XI): Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Gomes; McGinn, Manzambi, Buendia; Jackson. That is the side that beat City with Buendia in for Alysson.

Bournemouth (tracker XI): Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Adams, Cook; Rayan, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson. It is unchanged from Old Trafford, and Kroupi is not yet ready to start. Leeds (tracker XI): Trafford; Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Stach; Calvert-Lewin, Okafor. Elvedi, who has been ill, returns in place of Bijol, and Stach and Okafor come in for Wilson and Aaronson, who started at Sunderland.

All of the above is subject to change before the 11:00 GMT deadline on Saturday, 31 October, ninety minutes before Chelsea host Manchester United. Most clubs hold their press conferences on Thursday and Friday, so check back before locking in anything built around a start.