We've played 5 at the back twice, both away games against teams in the top 4. Every other game has been played with 4 at the back with the exception of forty minutes against Luton.
Liverpool: 4-5-1
Brentford: 4-3-3
Chelsea: 4-1-4-1
Villa: 5-4-1
Luton: 4-4-2 (to half time) / 5-3-2 (to 86 mins) / 4-1-2-3
City: 5-4-1
Coming back to this...
Liverpool: 4-5-1 - lost, arguably harshly
Brentford: 4-3-3 - won
Chelsea: 4-1-4-1 - lost deservedly
Villa: 5-4-1 - drew, conceding last minute goal
Luton: 4-4-2 (to half time) / 5-3-2 (to 86 mins) / 4-1-2-3 - lost, threw it away.
City: 5-4-1 - lost deservedly
Gillingham (FA): 4-3-2-1 - won comfortably (against limited opposition)
West Ham: 4-1-4-1 - drew, better side for long spells
Palace: 4-1-4-1 - lost but Palace needed wonder goals
Villa: 5-4-1 - lost embarrassingly
Brighton (FA): 4-4-2 - eventually hammered
Luton: 5-4-1 - won convincingly
Brighton: 5-4-1 / 5-4-0 / 4-4-1 - lost embarrassingly
In short, since Wilder defaulted to his safe space (5 at the back) we've managed to concede 10 goals in two home games but convincingly dispatch everyone else's bogey team Luton. This would suggest that there's a role for the three centre halves in games where the opposition are unfamiliar with the expectation that they control the game (eg Everton) but for every other game we play it's clearly a busted flush.
Given what he went with against City, Villa (twice) and Brighton, Wilder will almost certainly go with 5-4-1 against Arsenal on Monday and given what's happened recently we're in line for another heavy defeat. If there's any prospect of him staying beyond the summer it's time for him to show some nous and come up with something unexpected: 4-2-3-1 with Osborn shadowing Declan Rice and Souza close to Ødegaard maybe.
