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. Niho992
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Need Robertson CS to progress in the cup. Impossible...

  2. Cookie Kid
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Angus Gunn essential?

  3. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    C'Mon The Toon!

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

    No action in the Bournemouth-Watford game after 6 goals in the first half.....

  5. Chucky
    • 12 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Worst GW ever?

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

      Average is still 48 points!

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

      Yes… Triple LIV tomorrow, so that will no doubt and in a massive City win.

    3. TRE2
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Shaping up to be

    4. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      66 with Salah left. Palace goal hurt with 2 CS looming

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

    Can't shake the feeling that my team is absolute trash all of a sudden. Feeling a very strong urge to wildcard.

    1. Snooze ya lose
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Likewise!

  7. SPorting
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    All those who did Sané/Sterling -> Pogba will be feeling slightly anxious now.

    Me included.

    1. Pat Bonner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Looking for sane no show to get Rashford off bench. No chance is there

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

    Wolves win Spurs away but lose at home to Palace.

    1. SPorting
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Welcome to FPL!

    2. Drip Doctor
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Their game is suited to playing better teams.

    3. Jam0sh
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      That's football

    4. FDMS All Starz
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Leicester beat City and Chelsea and lose to Cardiff that’s premier league for you

    5. suddenorgan
      • 15 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      standard Wolves at this point

  9. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 15 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Pogba and shelvey going at it

    1. ᶠᶦˡᵗʰʸLucre $$$
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Twat Wars

    2. Piggs Boson
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      That's not an image I wanted in my head.

    3. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      C'mon Shelvey!

  10. QUEN
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    My last decent captain choice was on GW15.

    Gone with the obvious every week who have failed every week.

  11. Drip Doctor
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    What's with all the Mark love? He's on 28 points.

    Git Gud.

    1. Chenku╰☆╮
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      +3 bonus for Arnie.

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

      Lol

    3. Piggs Boson
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      The legend never dies.

  12. ☈☾
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    I'm never benching AWB ever again

  13. Woy_is_back
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    61 points with Salah left, below average?

    Haz (C) let me down 🙁

    1. SPorting
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Pretty poor, tbh

    2. QUEN
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Above average surely

    3. Butcher
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Shock d1ck

    4. Celt Abroad
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      That’s so far below average, you can’t even see the average.

    5. JELLYFISH
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Decent considering you had Haz as captain. I scored 63 with Aubas captain

  14. Rotation's Alter Ego
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Fair play to Palace.

    Managed to get 3 assists from 2 goals according to FPL

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

      PVA will lose one, don't panic 🙂

      1. Rotation's Alter Ego
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 4 months ago

        Safe to say I'm not fretting it 😉

  15. EgyptianKing
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    I was set on taking Sterling out to bring Salah.

    Should I keep Sterling and sell Hazard instead?

  16. tucaoneo
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    I can really use Ederson red card and Mane red card tomorrow...

  17. Feanor
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Must have been a very long time since I had three strikers with 9+ points each

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

    63 so far for the gw with Salah to play.

    Decent or poor?

    1. SPorting
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Bang average

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

      Definitely decent!

    3. Fantastisk
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Terrible.

    4. Chucky
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Lol

    5. Annie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Have a guess braniac.

  19. Football Heaven
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    The thing is I can’t see Pogba as a cm scoring or assisting that many. Like it’s hard to expect really

  20. Garlana
    • 11 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    6 mins for pogba and jlings to score

  21. Smurf
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    I picked the wrong week to take a -8 for Hazard (c) and Pogba 🙁

    Good old Schindler.

  22. Annie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    At least MOTD challenge would be like quickly ripping a plaster. Watching tonights rank slowly drop away has been excruciating.

  23. Richd
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Gotta take the positives here.

    Kane, Jiminez and Rashford is a value frontline.

    Defence is kind of template for us all.

    So just gotta nail these midfield captains.

    1. SPorting
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Wish I’d played Rash over Rich or Fanny.

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

        Same mate. Benched him. I’ve benched 20+ last three weeks on the spin.

        Owning them is still a positive. I guess. Feels awful now tho

  24. Jon Snow
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    I'm tired

  25. Brehmeren
    • 15 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    3 points from my defense + gk. impressive.

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

      same

    2. Pieterke30
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      2 here.

      Fabianski, Doherty, Digne. And Schindler.

  26. eduk
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Best budget def?
    Tomkins, Cedric or Bennett?

  27. Captain Kakaroto (I blame R…
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Brought Hazard that GW, and the morate effect continue to rise. This is why i sold Hazard last time. Then he got really nice hauls.

    1. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      2 hauls in last 10

  28. Pieterke30
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Horrible GW.

    Hazard C, Schindler.
    AWB and Kamara on bench. Anderson, Pogba, Jimenez, Doherty, Digne all blanking despite plum fixture.

    39 points. Need a Salah brace tomorrow to save it.

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

    6 mintues added?

  30. chrisdale98
    • 11 Years
    7 years, 4 months ago

    Lingard just stole 5 points from AWB aaaggghhh

    1. Red Devil Swede
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      Pog to Lingz goal incoming

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

        doubt it, been watching ten mins not ehard Pogbas name once (had to check he wasnt subbed)

    2. Chenku╰☆╮
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 4 months ago

      A full 6 as he has yc

      1. Fantastisk
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 4 months ago

        Hahaha