Dugout Discussion
3 January 2018 4961 comments
Paul Paul
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The penultimate fixture of the packed festive schedule gets underway at 7.45pm as Arsenal and Chelsea go head-to-head at the Emirates.

For the hosts, Alexis Sanchez has upped his output in recent weeks – after a slow start to the season, last term’s top scoring player in Fantasy Premier League has delivered points in seven of his last 10 league appearances.

That form suggest that the Chilean is likely to pose the main danger to a defence that’s conceded just four times in their previous 11.

Nonetheless, it’s Alexandre Lacazette who is the Gunners’ most captained player for Gameweek 22, handed the armband by 2.02%.

The Frenchman has been a consistent source of points at home, producing a goal or assist in seven of his 10 appearances, but he’s struggled for a cutting edge of late and failed to find the net since Gameweek 15.

A return to form could reignite interest in Lacazette ahead of four kind fixtures (bou CRY swa EVE) in as many Gameweeks.

Despite a run of two goals in the last nine Gameweeks, Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata (3.7%) is the top armband pick for this fixture.

That lack of form means that the Spaniard and team-mate Eden Hazard were among the top five most transferred out players for Gameweek 22, sent packing by 243,000+ and 207,000+ respectively.

Hazard has mustered just a single assist in five yet both he and Morata also have some decent fixtures ahead to arrest their recent declines – over the next five Gameweeks, Antonio Conte’s side host Leicester, Bournemouth and West Brom and also make their way to Brighton and Watford.

Encouragingly for Hazard’s owners, he looks set to return to a central role with the visitors rolling out a 3-5-1-1 formation.

The Gunners, meanwhile, welcome back Mesut Ozil from a minor knee problem, though injuries in defence means that Arsene Wenger is forced to field the likes of Calum Chambers, Rob Holding and Ainsley Maitland-Niles in his starting line-up.

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  1. Swinner
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Anybody having anything other than a 20/30 point gameweek?

    1. The Orienteer - find me in …
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      That good!

      1. Swinner
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Just squeaked into 30 tonight with Kane, Son Ogba to play 2nd game.

        But looks like the mods are in a similar situ

        Brave of Az to TC Kane! - Must be worried!

        1. MTPockets
            8 years, 2 months ago

            29 here. Exciting times.

            1. Swinner
              • 12 Years
              8 years, 2 months ago

              Wish I could muster your outlook --- Most frustrating season I've had since I started playing!

              1. MTPockets
                  8 years, 2 months ago

                  I'm hating this season tbh.

                  1. Swinner
                    • 12 Years
                    8 years, 2 months ago

                    I share that emotion - Let's hope things change as we progress from now. #Hovering in and out of the 2 million! How about you?

        2. L S P
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          yes

        3. Hulk Smash
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Does 37 count...

          1. Swinner
            • 12 Years
            8 years, 2 months ago

            top Draw! 🙂 Any DGW to play?

            1. Hulk Smash
              • 10 Years
              8 years, 2 months ago

              Ogbonna, Arnie, Son and Kane (c).

              Double Man Utd defence and Sterling saving my bacon.

              Sold Hazard and Pogba this week though!

        4. Mika-eel
          • 8 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          On 36(-4). Should hit 50 tomorrow

      2. makaveli123
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        "Omg. ML rival owns Hazard and has Wilshere (c)"

        1. EmreCan Hustle
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          WTF!

        2. Yozzer
          • 8 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          I wish I had " rivals" like that

        3. Sánchez
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          ML rival surely not a real threat long term then if he's captaining wheel chair

          1. makaveli123
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 2 months ago

            This is a made up quote.

        4. Futile Tinkering
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          😆

      3. Patch
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Sensing a Morata assist coming up

        Go on azzzaaaaard, break into form over the next few blue fixtures...not your fault you had to go against a good Cech goalie

      4. Differentiator
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        No chance of Haz keeping any baps at this rate. Been awful

        1. janowsc
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Hope not...trolling us sellers

      5. FPL Blow-In
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        People saying there was contact.

        Contact is allowed to a certain extent right? It is a contact sport or should they just make it non-contact sport at this stage. At the end of the day the amount of contact does not warrant that reaction. Hazard went down as if he’d been shot? I loved watching Keane v Viera for example where the tackles were brutal in comparison. Ruining the sport.

        1. IRBOX ⚽
          • 8 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          No contact on the ball, contact on the player. That’s the key difference. Probably was a pen technically speaking but he milked it no doubt

          1. FPL Blow-In
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            8 years, 2 months ago

            Yes but it wasn’t enough contact on the player to knock him. So he has still dived to the ground.

          2. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
            • 15 Years
            8 years, 2 months ago

            It wouldn't have been a pen if he hadn't milked it and he was holding his calf rather than his foot in an attempt to con the ref . I agree it won't be a ban but Hazard was dishonest .

        2. Granville
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 16 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Of course contact is allowed. It's a very very soft penalty.

        3. Hulk Smash
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Depends on your interpretation.

          You could argue it's 'successful deception of a match official' if there is some contact but the player makes it look like there is a lot of contact.

        4. HamezMace
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Contact was made with the player. Didn’t get the ball. Soft, but it’s a penalty, and not a dive.

          If you want to see a dive, Maitland-Niles in the first ten minutes clearly dives.

      6. Rainer
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Wait, people actually sold Hazard?

        1. Weasel51
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          He's expensive and had poor returns.

          Of course

        2. Fred54
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          No, no one ever.

        3. janowsc
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Did for Alli so not that mad...

        4. Ravager
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Having a crap week and still not hurt.

        5. Kiwivillan
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          15pts last 6 weeks

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

          Yes, knew he had a decent chance of getting something especially after being rested but more than happy to replace him with Eriksen (especially as it raised funds for Kane).

      7. JustPark
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Grab a goal Christy!

      8. FPL ZB
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Wouldn’t mind Azpi seeking out Morata at the back stick

        1. JustPark
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Wouldn't be surprised. He's actually very good with his head.

        2. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
          • 15 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          I would I don't own Morata or Azpi . Selfish git

      9. Bubz
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Ball bounces off Morata to Lacazette and bounces off him

      10. CostaCoffee
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Since there was clear contact it can’t be a ban whether he made the most of it or not

        1. Granville
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 16 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Contact has nothing to do with it.

          1. IRBOX ⚽
            • 8 Years
            8 years, 2 months ago

            Actually it does.

        2. Weasel51
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          He went down like he'd been shot holding his shin.

      11. arndff_
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Is it worth it?

        @GW24 for -4pts:

        DDG, Eriksen, DCL > 4.8M, RLC, Aguero

        1. TorresMagic™
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 16 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          😯

          1. arndff_
            • 14 Years
            8 years, 2 months ago

            Thanks

        2. Kiwivillan
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Good grief

          1. arndff_
            • 14 Years
            8 years, 2 months ago

            Hahah wat grief

      12. Evil Genius
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Well, heck.
        Here comes Welbeck.

        1. Point-one short
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Dat guy.

      13. Differentiator
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Looks like only FPL players did this BBC Best player XI survey. Alonso is in there, LOL!

        http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42554191

        1. Sánchez
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          There's not been many other left backs nailed on atabig club

          1. Les Bleus
            • 14 Years
            8 years, 2 months ago

            Alonso is a terrible defender.

      14. Cookie Kid
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        How’s my Chelsea double clean sheet going? Hope it’s not same as my West Ham double clean sheet last night

      15. Kermit Special
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Morata is giving me a heart attack. I can't take it anymore..

      16. The Bandit
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Anyone else thinking a red card is coming?

        1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
          • 8 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Yer Holding

        2. janowsc
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Oh yeah...getting chippy

        3. Patch
          • 8 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Maybe a stretcher...

      17. Greenbackbøøg…
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Morata is so awful

      18. FFSbet.com
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Morata painful to watch/own.

        1. The Bandit
          • 15 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          He was last week when I brought him in for Kane and Capt him. Hilarious this week 🙂

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

            Yeah did the same move and C 🙂

      19. Jar Jar Winks
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        spanish shane long

        1. Rainer
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Harsh on Slonger

        2. gonzalocampos
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          hahahahha the best comment so far

      20. #FPLBhuna
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Why the F do i own morata

        You shit shit C

        1. Hotdogs for Tea
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          if you don't know who does? sell him maybe ?

      21. Dr. DOOM
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Thats it. Bye bye Morata

        1. Costa in Wengerland
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Same here

        2. SuperMane Returns
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Unfortunately for me hes back after my FH this GW 🙁

      22. Costa in Wengerland
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Lacca off
        Welbz on

      23. Sandy Ravage
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        My midfield free hits - KDB + Hazard + Richarlison + Salah > Mahrez + Alli + Son + Arnautovic, should just pay off...

        1. Sandy Ravage
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          FH pays off but it was closer than I imagined considering the news on Salah & KDB when I made my transfers.

      24. Rainer
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Laca as consistent as ever!

      25. Royal5
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        How is Morata still playing?

        1. Team Cruel
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Chelsea don't have a Welbeck.

          1. Fred54
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 2 months ago

            Bats?

          2. Royal5
            • 14 Years
            8 years, 2 months ago

            In other news, Diego Costa scored on his debut tonight.

        2. The Bandit
          • 15 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Badly

        3. JustPark
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Justifying his paycheck.

      26. SuperMane Returns
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        ALEXIS OAP!

      27. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Sanch on Pens.

        C'Mon!

      28. CostaCoffee
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Will score against Arsenal I am almost sure but I took him out for Son to upgrade my defence » My comment about Hazard last week

      29. Dr. DOOM
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Shut up Motata

      30. TorresMagic™
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Willian for Hazard soon.

        1. Patch
          • 8 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Rest him for the blue fixtures

          Willian cameo is great (as long as no goal)