Dugout Discussion

Dugout Discussion – Watford vs Chelsea

Gameweek 26 draws to a conclusion this evening as Watford welcome Chelsea to Vicarage Road.

Although the Hornets boast the league’s worst home defensive record, conceding 25 times in front of their own fans, the arrival of new manager Javi Gracia has hinted at an improvement at the back.

Watford have conceded just one goal in their subsequent two matches across all competitions, though on the downside, they have yet to find the net since the Spaniard was appointed.

But their previous lack of resilience bodes well for the visitors’ Eden Hazard tonight.

The Belgian has served up double-digits in each of his last two road trips, producing a total of three goals and 26 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points over visits to Arsenal and Brighton.

Indeed, with four of his five double-figure tallies delivered on the road, Hazard is the ninth top captaincy pick for Gameweek 26, handed the armband by 2.1% of FPL managers and nine of the top 100.

Hazard is joined in a front three by the fit-again Willian, who has collected three lots of 10+ points returns in his last five league starts.

Elsewhere for Antonio Conte’s side, new arrival Olivier Giroud could get the opportunity to play his way into contention among the mid-price frontman.

Costing 8.2 in FPL, the Frenchman is named on the bench in the continued absence of Alvaro Morata.

But the big team news involves Marcos Alonso, who misses his first game of the season for the Blues as a “precautionary” measure. His absence is a major blow, with the top scoring defender owned by over 1.5 million managers.

Victor Moses looks set to play on the left tonight, with Davide Zappacosta on the right and new signing Emerson named on the bench.

Mark Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.

3,583 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Gobigorgohome
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Willan... thats sad

  2. Royal5
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Chelsea looks like a disease atm

    1. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      Wouldn't sell them a virus. (??)

  3. Big_Andy_GAWA
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Decent shot.

  4. SuperMane Returns
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Richarliclose.

  5. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Richarlison hit the target!

  6. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    This mean we won't get see Giroud later?

    1. Rash
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      Pedro off for giroud I'm expecting

      1. RÏɠBY
        • 12 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        HT hopefully

    2. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      He's always available in hotel rooms after...

      1. Lucky Z
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        Hahaha. Super joke.

  7. Toffeeman (A retired FPL ma…
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Expecting Hazard cappers to scream in rage! 😉

    1. Schliegs
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      yep

    2. Mark
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 17 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      Lol..I'll take the 3 points now! Probably won't get it.

      1. Sims
        • 7 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        welcome to the lol club

      2. FPL Virgin
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        Why didn't you even vice captain Salah, Mark? Do you just not trust him?

        Fellow Hazard captainer here by the way. 😥

        1. Mark
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 17 Years
          6 years, 2 months ago

          Just wanted to go with Hazard having brought him in in the previous. Fancied his to outscore Salah obviously. Could perhaps see a goal and no bonus for Salah, didn't see a brace coming.

          Bit unlucky here with the red tbh, not that Chelsea have played well at all. Second time I've had a captain at Watford and suffered a red this season.

          1. FFSbet.com
            • 8 Years
            6 years, 2 months ago

            Keeping Hazard after next GW ?
            Three though games and blank coming.

          2. FPL Virgin
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            6 years, 2 months ago

            You did say that Salah could be dangerous if Liverpool scored early.

            And you did say on the scoutcast that we would all reconsider the 3-4-3 if Mickey fired.

            Your predictions have been spookily accurate - just need to channel some of that into your team selections now! 😉

  8. Monkey Hanger
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Best chance for Chelsea. Get ref to send of Holebas, equal up the game.

    1. FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      Good point.

  9. Sims
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    lol @ willian

  10. Darklord_bg
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Captaining Bakayoko was a terrible idea...

    1. RÏɠBY
      • 12 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      🙂

  11. RÏɠBY
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    wow! conte really wants to lose this game.. willian off is bonkers
    is alonso even on the bench? giroud has to come on at HT

    1. Toffeeman (A retired FPL ma…
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      alonso not even on the bench tonight. conte should be punished for trolling me once more! Hazard is a trap!

      1. RÏɠBY
        • 12 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        maybe conte thinks his proving a point if they lose this

    2. V-2 Schneiderlin
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      Alonso not on bench

  12. F4L
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Did Richarlison learn how to dive from Willian as well?

    1. Toffeeman (A retired FPL ma…
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      no, from niasse.

  13. The Royal Robin
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Alonso v WBA

    A) Sell
    B) Bench
    C) Start

    1. Maddi Son
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      (C)

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      A)SAP!

      1. The Royal Robin
        • 8 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        If I sold it would be for a hit 😐

    3. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      C) aptain

  14. Alexis Nonsense
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Chelsea and red cards man...

    Referees don't like the russians or something? 😛

  15. Greenbackbøøg…
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Rough on Bakayoko captainers

    1. Sterling is £11Mill..…
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      Why would anyone captain Baka? They deserve it

      1. ☻ Jon Snow ☻
        • 8 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        I don’t think he.. never mind

        1. Alexis Nonsense
          • 8 Years
          6 years, 2 months ago

          Maybe asperger

  16. Maddi Son
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Feels amazing not owning Hazard.

    1. Alexis Nonsense
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      Yes, just mind blown why Hazard wasn't subbed

      He'd be the first one I would take off if down one man

  17. Kiwivillan
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    FML a chance to make ground on ML leader with Alonso and Willian worked out well

    1. Alexis Nonsense
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      Just had three weeks with Christensen

      Now Alonso

    2. scootadee
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      haha same here 🙁

  18. Colonel Shoe 肝池
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    come on watford score

  19. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Statistically someone will have TC Bakayoko this week

    1. Son is Rising
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      A handful of Egyptians no doubt

    2. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      Does that make sense?

    3. RÏɠBY
      • 12 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      only hacked accounts shirley 😉

  20. Toblerone52 - Zlatan Ibra-H…
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Seems like it's time to shift value out of defence now with fixtures turning for big sides and champions league coming up...

    Plotting Alonso otamendi and Quaner out for mee, fernandez and aubameyang. Probably gonna pull the trigger next week for a -4.
    Could this be a good strategy?

    1. Harper (No more Penandes)
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      Where is the money going to go? Sanchez?

      1. Toblerone52 - Zlatan Ibra-H…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        Aubameyang for me. Could be Sanchez. Want to see how he does against Newcastle.

    2. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      No doubt, Chelsea and Man City's GW28 + GW29 fixtures strengthens the case for this

      1. Toblerone52 - Zlatan Ibra-H…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        Would really shake up my team and make things interesting with a big 3 upfront.... let's see if I feel yhe same next week!

  21. barracuda
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Has anybody TCed Baka? 😀

    1. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      The guy you are beating in your ml? 😉

      1. barracuda
        • 7 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        Naah, he only Ced him 😉

  22. SuperMane Returns
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    You just know Conte is going to be following Bakayoko into the early bath.

  23. Schliegs
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    budget of 9.6m, Pick 2 defenders to bring in to see out most of the season:

    a) Fernandez 4.4m
    b) Robertson 4.7m
    c) Hegazi 4.7m
    d) Mee 4.7m
    e) Daniels 4.7m
    f) Mawson 5m
    g) Other options i've missed

    1. EmreCan Hustle
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      bd

    2. TallestJohn
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      D best option there

      Then A or C

  24. Harper (No more Penandes)
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Bring Alonso on Conte. Oh wait...

  25. mookie
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Best part of this game will be the half time.

    1. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      You expecting decent adverts?

  26. Chirsbom
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Soo.. Not getting any dark blues on the WC then

  27. JurgenRodgers
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Mini league rival Azpi owner & Mariappa 1st sub
    Goals of any sort please

  28. ☻ Jon Snow ☻
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Have a feeling that Conte might get sacked this time..

  29. It doesn't mata
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Anyone know if there is a table in the members area which shows the captains poll top pick history this season vs actual performance?

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 2 months ago

      I highly doubt it. People who use the members' area don't tend to rely on the captain's poll because it's not particularly meaningful.

      1. It doesn't mata
        • 11 Years
        6 years, 2 months ago

        Thanks. Yeah, I couldn't see anything there. Was thinking earlier how the poll has done vs actual performance. Would be interesting to see.

  30. OldBenKenobi
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 2 months ago

    Keep Willian obviously right? Even though I’m likely to lose value on him this week?