Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 31.
James Maddison (LEI)
Less sometimes leads to more and that has certainly been the case for Leicester City's Maddison in 2021/22.
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The Foxes midfielder has scored eight Premier League goals this season - equalling his highest tally for the club - netting them at an extremely impressive rate of one every 215.6 minutes.
Yet this has come about in a campaign where he has played a significantly reduced role in his side's build-up play.
Focusing harder on popping up in space, rather than demanding the ball in deeper areas, Maddison has been less involved in bouts of possession.
Compared with the 2019/20 campaign, the number of passes he attempts per 90 minutes has dropped by a third to only 33.29.
Maddison touches and passes by season
| 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 | |
| Touches/90 | 74.55 | 64.41 | 50.56 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passes/90 | 50.45 | 43.65 | 33.29 |
This season, the 25-year-old has become an attacking midfielder that gets on the end of chances, rather than being the chief supplier.
Registering more shots and shots on target than any other Leicester player this season, he has done his best to ease the burden of Jamie Vardy.
As we approach the business end of this campaign, Maddison's goal record stands up well against the division's most attack-minded midfielders.
Having already scored against Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in all competitions this term, he could be a pivotal figure at Manchester United this Saturday.
Midfielders best minutes per goal
| 2021/22 | Goals | Mins/goal |
| Emile Smith Rowe | 9 | 167.11 |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin De Bruyne | 9 | 170.78 |
| Maxwel Cornet | 6 | 184.33 |
| Mason Mount | 8 | 208.25 |
| James Maddison | 8 | 215.63 |
Maddison is widely viewed as a natural No 10 who is at his best operating behind a main striker.
This may be true but, in Leicester's last match, a 2-1 win at home to Brentford, he was outstanding on the right side of Brendan Rodgers' midfield.
For large parts of that match, he played as a conventional right-sider, but he also drifted into advanced central areas to great effect.
This hybrid role relied on his unpredictable movement and made him difficult to track.
Running with purpose
When analysing Maddison's eight top-flight strikes this term, it does not take long to find a standout pattern.
Six of those goals featured powerful forward runs. He played a wonderful give-and-go with Harvey Barnes and Patson Daka to score against Spurs and Newcastle United, driving into the box with speed and purpose.
Maddison scored from full-pitch counter-attacks at Brentford and Man City.
Maddison's goal v Brentford
His effort in the 4-2 win at home to Watford stemmed from a defensive mix-up but he was only in the right place to score thanks to a strong run that he had made beyond Vardy.
It feels as if Rodgers has tried to evolve Maddison's game this season, demanding a higher frequency of forceful, vertical runs.
Because of that change, he has been able to threaten opponents with greater regularity.
If his current form is maintained over the closing weeks, this will go down as Maddison's most impactful Premier League season to date.
Also in this series
Part 1: Guimaraes quality can make the difference in midfield
