Dugout Discussion
26 August 2018 4533 comments
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Eden Hazard (£10.5m) and Mateo Kovacic (£6.0m) make their first starts of the season as Chelsea attempt to win on Tyneside for the first time in the league since 2011/12.

Willian (£7.5m) and Ross Barkley (£6.0m), as would perhaps be expected, are the two men to make way as Maurizio Sarri otherwise rolls out the same team that beat Arsenal last weekend.

Marcos Alonso (£6.6m), who comes into this match on the back of successive double-digit hauls, is now the second-most popular defender in Fantasy Premier League after being bought by 470,266 new managers ahead of Gameweek 3.

Chelsea assets are popular in the Fantasy community after their 100% start to the season: five of their front six (the exception being Kovacic) have been bought by more than 100,000 FPL bosses since the Gameweek 2 deadline passed.

It’s all change in the Newcastle United starting XI, with six alterations to the team that drew 0-0 with Cardiff City. The injured Jamaal Lascelles (£5.0m) and Jonjo Shelvey (£5.5m) are among the players to drop out, while there are starts for new signings Fabian Schar (£4.9m), Federico Fernandez (£4.5m), Ki Sung-yeung (£4.9m) and Salomon Rondon (£5.9m).

Rafael Benitez seems to be rolling out a five-man defence, too, switching from his regular 4-4-1-1 system.

Slavisa Jokanovic has also rung the changes at Craven Cottage, with Ryan Sessegnon (£6.4m) and Fabri (£4.5m) among five players to drop to the bench. Denis Odoi (£4.5m) returns from suspension, while Marcus Bettinelli (£4.5m) is a surprise inclusion between the sticks. Andre Schurrle (£5.9m) also returns.

The Burnley team news is much more straightforward: Sean Dyche has named an unchanged starting XI for the third league match in a row.

Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso; Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic; Pedro, Morata, Hazard

Newcastle United XI (5-4-1): Dubravka; Yedlin, Schar, Fernandez, Clark, Dummett; Ritchie, Ki, Diame, Murphy; Rondon

Fulham XI (4-3-3): Bettinelli; Fosu-Mensah, Le Marchand, Odoi, Bryan; Seri, McDonald, Cairney; Vietto, Schurrle, Mitrovic

Burnley XI (4-5-1): Hart; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Ward; Westwood, Cork, Gudmundsson, Lennon, Hendrick; Wood

  1. FPL Scoop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    I beg for Kante and Mee goals

  2. BOATIES FC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Humble brag but a ty to fantasy football Scout...
    Went through the set piece targets article and had a 25p lucky 15 on anytime goalscorers.. Laporte Keane and Tarkwowki plus a loser. Picked up nearly £500 quid for £3.25 so that's covered my membership cost many times over..
    Not got any of them three in my team though...

    1. Ady87
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Nice win mate!

    2. FPL Scoop
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Nice one

  3. Cofinho
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Any live stream Fulham-Burnley please?

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Not here.

  4. Marcos Alonso is god
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    What’s the price for a Newcastle season ticket ? Poor souls

    1. Fred54
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      50 shares in House of Fraser, I think.

  5. zizoo10
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    why dont i have my alonso goal yet? i paid 6.5

  6. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Alonso to Pedro goal PLEASE

  7. FPL Scoop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Kepa pen save would be fab too lol

  8. Bubz
    • 12 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Get a wee hatty Mitro

  9. UshFPL
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Vietto looks like a nice differential

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      It’s only Burnley

  10. diesel001
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Rondon off
    Joselu on

  11. HellasLEAF
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Ings (owner) vs Zaha / Mitrovic

    You get what you pay for..

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Ings hatty incoming next week

    2. Regin
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Don't people know shampton can't score?

      1. Fred54
        • 11 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        Portsmouth, fan are you? 😉

  12. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Rondon sighting.

  13. FPL Scoop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Schurrle yellow if anyone cares

  14. Chucky
    • 12 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Cmon Morata and Hazzo grab a goal ffs

  15. TAT
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Refs in this game…

  16. OPTA FPL
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Sub off one of Jorginho/Kante! Opponents put 2 buses and you play 2 DM! Need more creative and brave

    1. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      jorginho is not a dm lol

      1. Regin
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        Really? Of course jorginho is a DM. That s why Kante has freedom to go forward more.

      2. OPTA FPL
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        but he plays in DM position

      3. Paul Psychic Octopus
        • 15 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        He's certainly a deep holding midfielder though and the guy is right - you don't need both Jorginho and Kante in a game like this. Unless you want to finish 20 points behind Man City of course.

      4. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        He is a deeplying playmaker

    2. diesel001
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Need to put some crosses in. You have two strikers (Morata and Giroud) who score a lot of headed goals and noone is crossing the ball into the box

    3. Critical Observer
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      That would be 3 DMs as Kovacic is there as well.

      1. Four Hit Wonder
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        He's not a DM.

        1. Paul Psychic Octopus
          • 15 Years
          7 years, 7 months ago

          How many types of 'M' do you want?? DM - Kante. CM - Pogba. HM - Matic. AM - Eriksen. BUM (Bl**** useless M) - take your pick from West Ham, Arsenal etc.

      2. Regin
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        Kovacic quite a useless player. Don't understand why rlc is not playing at all for Chelsea.

        1. Paul Psychic Octopus
          • 15 Years
          7 years, 7 months ago

          Because he's English. Not the Chelsea way to play English players

        2. Critical Observer
          • 9 Years
          7 years, 7 months ago

          They should have sent RLC out on loan, plenty of PL teams out there that could've used him week in week out. He is a very watchable combination of power and skill, all going to waste as it is.

    4. Hotdogs for Tea
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      I would not call him a defensive mid - he sits behind the front 3 rather than in front of the back 4 ... not an attacking mid but he does play a lot of attacking passes so certainly not a sitting defensive mid either

  17. diesel001
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Chelsea made 230 pases in the second half
    Newcastle 23 (10% of the number Chelsea have made...)

    1. FPL Scoop
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Quick maffs

    2. Fantastisk
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      How many SOT?

      1. diesel001
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        2 I think - for Chelsea. One in either half

    3. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      And Chelsea have scored 10x as many goals as Newcastle in this game as a result...freaky coincidence 😉

  18. TorresMagic™
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Giroud incoming soon.

  19. UshFPL
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Co-commentator of the Fulham game is atrocious

  20. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Morata & Hazzo involved in the passing.

    1. Chucky
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Stop it you......

      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        😛

      2. Chucky
        • 12 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        😉

  21. Chucky
    • 12 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Any chance of Morata,Hazzo,Luiz goal?

    1. Marcos Alonso is god
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      3 goals seem highly unlikely now

    2. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      No chance Morata.

  22. Monkey Hanger
    • 12 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Newcastle really deserve to concede in the final minute of extra time. 🙂

    1. HNI
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      No extra time in league matches

      1. Regin
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        He probably meant added time.

  23. Podge
    • 15 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Nobody bar Hazard willing to take someone on

  24. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Luiz -BPS

  25. HNI
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Morata is so bad. He has become mini Lukaku when it comes to Finishing but atleast Lukaku tries with his strength and pace

    1. Critical Observer
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      He is languid like Berbatov with about 50% of Berba's ability.

      1. Paul Psychic Octopus
        • 15 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        Berbatov.... now there was a FPL player when he was on his game

        1. Critical Observer
          • 9 Years
          7 years, 7 months ago

          Oh yeah. Silent but violent, that mofo had no ceiling, could explode when you least expected him to,

    2. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      he was so good till the injury vs man city and lost it somehow

    3. Brap.
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Must've got the haunted locker Torres and Shevchenko used to use

      1. HNI
        • 13 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        He wears their boxers

  26. CloudSky
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Flashscore showing 96% possession for Chelsea in 2nd half. Surely wrong?

    1. diesel001
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Nope - see stats above.

      1. CloudSky
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 7 months ago

        96% though? You take a throw in and one free kick and you should be well above 4%.

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

      Not far off.

    3. Brap.
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Yep -- too low

    4. Tommy Tynans Left Shin Pad
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Not the last few mins, but before that yes

    5. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      Probably accurate

  27. Four Hit Wonder
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    19% possession.

    Would like to hear what Shearer thinks.

    1. Fred54
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 7 months ago

      I'm pretty sure he would be more concerned about goal mouth action than pointless possession. He was an attacking player and prefers measuring performance on attacking parameters.

  28. TorresMagic™
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Currently

    3 - Mitrovic (51)
    2 - Seri (36)
    1 - Vietto (31)

    3 - David Luiz (27)
    2 - Alonso, Rüdiger (26)

  29. Lemongrab
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    If Newcastle play like this next week could Aguero be nullified or will they just get carved apart by a better team?

  30. Regin
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 7 months ago

    Why is hazard wearing the Croatia jersey on the photo?