Dugout Discussion
4 February 2017 1681 comments
Mark Mark
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As mid-season encounters go, this is as crunchy as they get.

Arsenal make the trip to Stamford Bridge knowing that, should they falter, their own title bid would likely be irreversibly de-railed. Meanwhile, a victory for Chelsea would surely come as the latest evidence that they are truly champions elect.

For Fantasy managers, there is also plenty at stake.

Alexis Sanchez starts in the central striker role and in 36.5% of squads, having returned a goal or an assist in ten of his last eleven Gameweeks. In opposition, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard also remain hugely popular assets, despite the alarming recent regression from the latter. The Belgian has supplied just three assists in his last five, with a single goal in eight Gameweeks – a penalty against Bournemouth back in December.

With Marcos Alonso also a key asset, there will be mixed emotions heading into this clash for the neutral, with a high-scoring contest perhaps the optimum outcome for many.

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

  1. Rolls-Royce
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Another Chelsea rout incoming

    1. diesel001
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Think Arsenal need to swap Ox and Coquelin. Put Ox deeper to give him more of the ball. Then put Coquelin up against Matic.

    2. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Didn't mark say Arsenal would beat Chelsea in the scoutcast?

      I think it was mind games he has played alonso and hazard!

  2. justmatt
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    I'm already doing better than last week!!!

  3. Lallana_
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    As a Alonso owner that looked like a foul as you can use your arms to jump in but not lean in with them

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      I've seen a foul called for less.

  4. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 15 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    That was dirty from Alonso, dangerous play

    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Didn't look deliberate

      1. Royal5
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Alonso no-owner hitting the + button hard 🙂

        1. Royal5
          • 14 Years
          9 years, 1 day ago

          *non-owners

  5. JayBomb
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Bellerin has been my worst transfer in to date looking forward to selling him now

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      I feel for you.

      Looking at Arsenal's schedule you would have fancied one of their defenders and either Koscielny or Bellerin would have been the preferred choices.

      Thems the breaks, though.

      1. JayBomb
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Ye cheers got him in 4 weeks ago for the fixtures just unlucky i suppose

  6. walkman666
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    The greater impact for bellerin was when he landed, back of head first slamming on the ground. Ouch! Due to that forearm from Alonso, but very questionable about flagrant (hoops term).

  7. aCunha Mateta
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Costa vs Gabriel 2 on the cards...

  8. Fowler23
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Bellerin is so lightweight

    1. makaveli123
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Worst comment of the day

  9. TheTinman
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Thank God I played Alonso!! What was I thinking

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Why would you consider not playing him?

      1. Lawrø
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Many were considering him for the bench last night... he has over 6.5pts per 90min ffs... excluding this

      2. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        only two clean sheets in the last five

        1. La Roja
          • 13 Years
          9 years, 1 day ago

          And 2 goals

          1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
            • 16 Years
            9 years, 1 day ago

            He is not going to score goals every week a defenders primary source of points is clean sheets

    2. jayzico
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      me too. Was so close to sticking yoshida in over him

  10. denial
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Selling Alonso on WC before Leicester was one of my FPL decisions.

  11. OptimusBlack
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Sorry to tell you that and bookmark it but Costa and Sanchez Gonna fighting and both Get Red Card 🙂 🙂
    Non owner here o/

  12. odotfenz
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    I still don't have Alonso - is there something wrong with me?

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      At least you've got an excuse for not starting him unlike some.

      1. odotfenz
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Benching him is criminal. So is not owning him to be honest

        1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
          • 16 Years
          9 years, 1 day ago

          Rubbish talk 2 clean sheets in the last five and up against a free scoring arsenal team.
          Would hardly call it criminal

          1. odotfenz
            • 11 Years
            9 years, 1 day ago

            You get Alonso for his attacking potential though. Clean sheets for him are an afterthought

    2. For Fuchs Sake
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      he is expensive, I tend not to go with high cost defs

      1. odotfenz
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Yeah my defence is full of 4.5s

  13. For Fuchs Sake
    • 16 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    My rival benched Coleman midweek and Alonso today ........

  14. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Retrospective for Alonso?

    1. JayBomb
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      no chance

      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Please 😀

  15. Danstoke82
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Alonso u beautiful man.

  16. The Overthinker
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Salute to people who bench Alonso vs any opposition.
    Smart brains

    1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      You are over thinking it as usual

  17. itwaswritten
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Yes Alonso!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Must have taken you ages to type all of those exclamation marks

      1. itwaswritten
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        I'm not on mobile. Lol.

  18. Guba
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    How can people even consider benching Alonso? For me he's a season keeper and a guaranteed starter every week. You don't just play him for the clean sheet potential (which is always going to be high anyway) you play him because he's OOP in a top team of Chelsea's caliber that means he'll always have opportunities for attacking returns.

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Because people outthink themselves instead of just playing their best players every week and accepting that sometimes they'll get 1 point and sometimes you get an unexpected bonus.

    2. GreenArrows
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      But so is the three I decided to play, Coleman, Baines and McAuley so all have attacking returns

      Benched Alonso but still could do well with above played

      1. Guba
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Yeah but realistically McAuley's attacking returns are significantly less than Alonso's, particularly because Alonso plays further up the pitch. That plus West Brom haven't actually kep many clean sheets this season.

        Good luck though of course, never know!

        1. Guba
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 1 day ago

          significantly less likely*

          1. GreenArrows
            • 9 Years
            9 years, 1 day ago

            True true. Did ask on here and got 4-1 to McAuley but oh well, what's done is done. Just don't like the people on here saying it was a no brainier

    3. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Agree, a very cheap goalscoring mid, and can even get cs bonus.

  19. Dirty Harry
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Surely everyone has Alonso anyway lol

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      On lots of benches.

      1. Dirty Harry
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Ludicrous.

        Any figures of the amount of Alonso benchers?

    2. Forza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      I got Luiz for the free kicks and price.

    3. denial
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      12%

    4. jayzico
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Many have him on the bench.

    5. some witty pun
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      not that high, 30% in top 10k despite points week in week out

    6. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Many is already playing the players with no blank as we were already there. And forgetting that they already have better players

  20. Godot - Fashanu Zealand
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Alonso = essential

    1. Richd
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Yep.
      Shame Moses counts as a midfielder.

  21. Richd
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Alonso wanted it, Bellerin didn't.

    Difference between Spanish and French innit.

    1. The Wise Owl
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      They're both Spanish?

      1. For Fuchs Sake
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        No they're not Bell is french

        1. For Fuchs Sake
          • 16 Years
          9 years, 1 day ago

          ha ha or not 🙂

      2. denial
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        HaHA! Casual racism blown away

    2. Lallana_
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      I'm I missing something? Both are Spanish

      1. Richd
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Nah. Hectors a fraud. Look at his name !

        1. BananaNose Maldonado
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 1 day ago

          You're right. Hector is a very common French name.

  22. JÆKS ⭐
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Was it a foul from Alonso or not? Having an argument with a friend about it

    1. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Yes but as an owner I couldn't care less

      1. Epic Fail
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Also this.

      2. OptimusBlack
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Yes Me too

    2. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Just about a foul. Definitely debatable.

    3. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      The slow motion reply made out look like a Street Fighter II KO 🙂

      Sho-Ryu-Ken!

    4. thegame983
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Never a foul

  23. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Wenger needs to bring Sanchez on.....

  24. Dr Dream
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Chelsea are so damned good.

  25. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    This guy dropped Alonso before his brace. What a numbnuts

  26. Lallana_
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Conte's a tactical genius. What a way to maximize the potential of his squad by changing the formation.

  27. Speédy
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Just need one of my 11 boys to not play so that Alonso comes off the bench

  28. JayBomb
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    You have to use your elbows to jump you can see in the reply he only has eyes on the ball and jumps naturally. Alonso is not a dirty player so many people over react on this site it's unreal

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      9 years, 1 day ago

      Still a foul. No consideration for his fellow human.

      1. JayBomb
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 1 day ago

        Ha ha your right and a great humanitarian

  29. Fowler23
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    Hazard dead

  30. Jazz!
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 1 day ago

    I love you Alonso and Costa.