Dugout Discussion
2 January 2019 5260 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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Six Premier League matches take place this evening before the Gameweek 21 showpiece of Manchester City v Liverpool brings the frenetic festive fixture schedule to a close ahead of FA Cup third round weekend.

Four of tonight’s games kick off at 19:45 GMT, with Bournemouth v Watford (due to a delay) and Newcastle United v Manchester United getting underway at 20:00 GMT.

There aren’t too many surprises in the team selections this evening, with many of the more widely-owned Fantasy Premier League assets getting a start.

Marcus Rashford has recovered from a groin problem to keep his place in Manchester United’s starting XI, with Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial also unsurprisingly named in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Jesse Lingard, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez make the bench.

Fabian Schar replaces the injured Federico Fernandez in Rafael Benitez’s only alteration, while Florian Lejeune makes the matchday squad for the first time in 2018/19.

Eden Hazard is again deployed on the left flank as Alvaro Morata replaces the injured Olivier Giroud, but Chelsea are otherwise unchanged from the side that beat Crystal Palace 1-0 in Gameweek 20.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has really shuffled his pack for this encounter at Stamford Bridge, making eight changes – including the recall of Danny Ings – following the 3-1 defeat against Manchester City.

In the delayed kick-off on the south coast, Ryan Fraser returns to the Bournemouth starting XI after his benching at Old Trafford.

Javi Gracia has made five changes to his team, with Jose Holebas, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Troy Deeney among the players handed a recall.

Andy Carroll makes his first Premier League start in over a year for West Ham, who have new signing Samir Nasri among their substitutes.

Glenn Murray replaces Florin Andone up front in Chris Hughton’s only change.

Joao Moutinho and Helder Costa return to the Wolves starting XI, while Jordan Ayew gets his first start since Gameweek 17 as Roy Hodgson switches to a 4-3-3.

David Wagner has made two changes to his team and seemingly reverted to a 4-2-3-1, while Sean Dyche trusts the same 11 players who beat West Ham three days ago.

Bournemouth XI (3-5-2): Begovic, Cook, Ake, Daniels, Brooks, Lerma, Gosling, Fraser, Stanislas, Wilson, King.

Watford XI (4-4-2): Foster, Femenia, Cathcart, Mariappa, Holebas, Sema, Capoue, Doucoure, Pereyra, Deulofeu, Deeney.

Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Hazard, Willian, Morata.

Southampton XI (3-4-3): Gunn, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Valery, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Cedric, Armstrong, Ings, Redmond.

Huddersfield Town XI (4-2-3-1): Lossl, Kongolo, Schindler, Zanka, Hadergjonaj, Hogg, Billing, Mbenza, Pritchard, Kachunga, Mounie.

Burnley XI (4-4-2): Heaton, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Cork, Westwood, Gudmundsson, McNeil, Barnes, Wood.

West Ham United XI (4-4-2): Fabianski, Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Diop, Cresswell, Rice, Obiang, Snodgrass, Anderson, Arnautovic, Carroll.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI (4-3-3): Button, Montoya, Dunk, Duffy, Bernardo, Stephens, Propper, Gross, March, Murray, Locadia.

Wolverhampton Wanderers XI (3-4-3): Patricio, Bennett, Boly, Coady, Doherty, Saiss, Moutinho, Jonny, Costa, Cavaleiro, Jimenez.

Crystal Palace XI (4-3-3): Guaita, Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt, McArthur, Milivojević, Kouyaté, Townsend, Ayew, Zaha.

Newcastle United XI (3-4-2-1): Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Hayden, Diame, Atsu, Pérez, Rondón.

Manchester United XI (4-3-3): De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Lindelöf, Shaw, Matic, Herrera, Pogba, Mata, Martial, Rashford.

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  1. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Bournemouth back in the form they had at the end of last season. Relegation stuff.

    1. Mikeharbrw
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Losing all their RBs won't help

  2. el polako
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Any chance Morata gets injured in the dressing room ?
    Kind of need it as a Hazard capper.

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Morata hasn't been that bad tonight.

  3. Tommyg
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    How much would you pay for hazard to score? In actual £?

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      5p

    2. Ha.
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      50p

    3. Burger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Probably a monkey.

      1. Ginkapo FPL
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 4 months ago

        ...

    4. Londongeezaa
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      A shilling

  4. FPL Scoop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Flappy save pt amidst the madness! Up the Pole!

    1. Deulofail
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Ring the bell. Last one down is a bad lumberjack

  5. Alli 3',17',64�…
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    anyone who has Deeney, fair fking play to you

  6. Patch
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Come on guys fwap that WC out pronto!!!

  7. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Surely no one relevant owns Schindler? Or any other Hudds defender for that matter.

    1. HamezMace
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Thought Mark brought him in a few weeks back

    2. FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      1st on Andy's bench.

    3. Yank Revolution
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Guilty

  8. diesel001
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    @FPL Virgin. You talk about Mark's transfers in defence. See below. It is hard to get CS from non-elite teams. Which is why it is better to get defenders with some attacking threat:

    - Balbuena: Scored 9pts in the 4 times he was in the starting XI for Mark. Transferred in as part of a -8 in GW12. Transferred out for Shaw in GW19
    - PVA: Scored 9pts in the 3 times he was in the starting XI for Mark. Transferred in GW14. Transferred out for Schindler in GW17
    - Schindler: Scored 3pts in the 2 times he was in the starting XI for Mark. Plays tonight and got a red card. Transferred in GW17 for a -4.
    - Shaw: Scored 4pts in the 2 times he was in the starting XI for Mark. Transferred in GW19. Transferred out for Bamba in GW21

    1. FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      I still think mark is foolish to take so many hits to jiggle these around, however. Low ceilings on all of them.

    2. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      all those defenders are horrible

      AWB and Bennett way forward for cheap defenders

      1. FPL Virgin
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 4 months ago

        They rotate beautifully.

  9. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Is it even an FPL GW if Bubz isn't moaning?

  10. FPL Virgin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Why are people consoling bubz?

    1. Fred54
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Big tits I presume.

    2. SkeletONv01
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Has Shindler.

      1. FPL Virgin
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 4 months ago

        Is he coming off his bench?

  11. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Alonso wins his second corner in 30 mins, one from DFK, one from shot on edge of box.

    This man is going to go 13-14 in 2 games soon....

  12. Hughes Your Daddy
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Our 7th corner

  13. FPL Daniel
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Mitro --> Deeney anyone?

    1. TheSteel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Too late

  14. Zladan
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Wouldn't be surprised to see Sanchez replace Martial at half time if things stay the same. He has been poor.

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 16 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Apparently he was so eager on the training ground

    2. InSaneMan-e
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      I don't think he's been that poor tbh
      There's no width down the right.

    3. _Make
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      If he does he would have got me 6 points in three games since I chose him over Pogba :S

    4. Fpl Old Guard
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Hope not

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

      Best player on the pitch!

  15. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Glad I played shindler.

    1. The Big Fella
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Me too! Who are you replacing him with?

    2. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Lucky you didn't play Schindler.

    3. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Same

  16. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    United goal is coming

  17. rowdog24
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Martial and Rashford look really sharp

    1. Deulofail
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      I'm getting conflicting messages from this comment section

  18. Rinseboy
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    only a matter of time before double Wolves cleaner goes

  19. FPL Scoop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Meaningful goals, please?

  20. FPL Forward Thinker
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Troy took 27mins to score two goals

    Taken the other 130 players to score two goals in 4 hours

    1. FPL Forward Thinker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      131

  21. Fpl Old Guard
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    HAZARDous out on the roads tonight, take care

  22. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Fab already on 2bps and 1 save point

    1. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Before the pen save.

    2. FPL Scoop
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      trooper

  23. FPL Daniel
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Morata also frustrating to watch. How he was scoring for Juve and Real is beyond me?

    1. Dannyb
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Every time I've seen him play I've wondered how he's a professional footballer.

  24. TheSteel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Lascells wont make 60 min

    1. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
      • 15 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      He will probably do a dozen things that deserve a yellow but won't get one because it's a second yellow .

  25. Whats the Huth
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Hazard has trolled me so much this season.
    Wish I did sterling to Son all them weeks ago

    1. J T
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Another half to go yet.

      1. Whats the Huth
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 4 months ago

        Doesn’t matter.
        Me and hazard just don’t get along.

    2. UpAndAway
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Same!

  26. the snazzy viking
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Deulofeu robbed of an assist

  27. Ha.
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Best Schindler replacement?

  28. Make United Great Again
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Our goal is coming.

  29. Do I Not Like Orange
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    GTFO of my team Schindler. Awful transfer.