Dugout Discussion

Higuain recovers from illness to start up front for Chelsea at Everton

The last of five Gameweek 31 fixtures takes place on Merseyside this afternoon.

Chelsea are the visitors to Goodison Park, where Everton have only won one of their last eight league fixtures.

Gonzalo Higuain is fit to lead the line for Chelsea, having missed the win over Dynamo Kyiv on Thursday due to illness.

Higuain lines up in a front three alongside Pedro and Eden Hazard, who is the third-most-popular Gameweek 31 captaincy choice among “active” Fantasy assets.

Marcos Alonso returns at left-back at the expense of Emerson Palmieri, while Ross Barkley starts in place of Mateo Kovacic in midfield.

Seamus Coleman returns to the Everton side as Jonjoe Kenny drops out of the match-day squad.

Yerry Mina makes his first Premier League start of 2019 in place of the ineligible Kurt Zouma, while Jordan Pickford keeps his place between the sticks.

The Toffees are otherwise unchanged, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin leading the line ahead of an attacking midfield three of Richarlison, Bernard and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Everton XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne, Gueye, Gomes, Richarlison, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Calvert-Lewin.

Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rüdiger, David Luiz, Alonso, Kanté, Jorginho, Barkley, Pedro, Higuaín, Hazard.

1,539 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    I absolutely do not expect Digne to keep me a clean sheet, absolutely not

    1. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I like your thinking 🙂

      1. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        And it worked 🙂

  2. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    At least we know Digne could be on pens going forward after miss

    1. TheSteel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Keane wants a word

    2. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Siggy scored. No drama

  3. Bouncebackability
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Like Rooney towards the end, no way Siggy should be taking pens anymore.

  4. Fred the Red
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    No Richarlison assist for the penalty?

    1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Siggy missed the pen

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      No

    3. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      No he missed it...

    4. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      no

    5. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Not when its missed.

  5. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Siggy/Rich owners mustn't know how to feel after that pen

    1. FC Hakkebøf
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Still decent I suppose

    2. TheDragon
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Ad just a rich owner I know exactly how I feel!!

  6. Zenith UK
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    So about to use my wildcard before realising there's only four players I wanna change... ugh...

    1. MyBall MyRules
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Which 4? Ive just free hit and scrapped my entire team except Pogba.

  7. PepSala
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Sry for the rookie question but if I don't make a transfer this week and use FH will I have 2 free transfers for GW33?

    1. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      No

    2. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      No, 1

    3. G-Whizz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Nope...

      1. PepSala
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        So knowing that I should be making transfers to set up for 33 then use the FH?

        1. Bubz
          • 10 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          No that doesnt work either

          1. PepSala
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 1 month ago

            Haha ok thanks

  8. mgilbert86
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Kante looks lost
    So out of position

  9. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    pls get sent off rich

    1. George Sillett
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Just stop posting constant drivel.

      1. Top Lad Dakes.
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        my sincerest apologies

  10. Granville
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    See how Kepa now has maximum bonus even though he's conceded 2. Stupid stupid BPS.

    1. Bouncebackability
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Its a joke.

    2. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Really need to look at penalty saves.

    3. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      The BPS systems one major flaw.

      1. Granville
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        BPS has many flaws.

        Another flaw with penalties are ones that hit the post and go in off the keeper (see Aguero v Swansea). They're counted as assists.

    4. fusen
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      penalty save is 15 BPS, what should it be?

      1. Granville
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        It should only a really a penalty save if a goal isn't the result. He's gone and parried back into the danger area.

        1. The 12th Man
          • 10 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          Pickfordesque

    5. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      It's as good as scoring a goal? Or does BPS give more than a striker would get?

      1. THFC4LIFE
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Strikers get 24bps for scoring a goal

        1. Differentiator
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          I don't have an issue with giving keepers that many bps then tbh

    6. THFC4LIFE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Digne assist will change that

    7. tm245
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      If conversion rate is 80% it should be worth roughly that much of a goal's BPS value - 15 seems reasonable.

  11. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Here comes Wally.

  12. George Sillett
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Alonso has been crap for ages tbh . With Kante now playing further up the pitch he's got found out .

    1. The Ejiptian King
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      That and playing fullback rather than wingback.

    2. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Chelsea's best team IMO:

      Kepa
      Azpi Rudiger Luiz Emerson
      Willian Kovacic Kante Alonso
      Hazard
      Higuain

  13. Bouncebackability
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    With loads of rivals having Kepa, knew he was going to save that. And max baps as well maybe, for saving that rubbish attempt. Pfft.

  14. fusen
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Three-O walcott with the goal to seal the match?

    1. TAT
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Late birthday present!

    2. G-Whizz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      1 on 1 saved...

  15. fedolefan
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Sarri may get sacked today now that no one is talking about it. Chelsea make random sackings.

  16. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Best PL youth prospect on, Bernard off

  17. Don Kloppeone
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    FML. A carefully planned team of 11 starting after a -4 and I’m currently looking at 29 (-4).

    Really depressed!

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      30(-4) here

      1. Don Kloppeone
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        I was looking at 30. Then Luiz dropped from 2 to 1 lol

        Ah mate. What an awful GW. Thought this would get me a nice big green. Instead it’s red city

    2. Richd
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      31 (-8) and I don’t think it’s that bad

      Am I delusional ? 😉

      1. diesel001
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Below average.

      2. Amey
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Nope
        I'm annoyed because i changed © from Mane to Salah.
        11 points swing.
        Pathetic gw 😀

      3. Don Kloppeone
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Livefpl not working but I think it’s below average

    3. The 5% Team
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      20 (-4)

      1. Don Kloppeone
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Ah mate. It burns doesn’t it. How many did you have playing?

  18. Royal5
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Has Bernard ever played a good game for Everton? Was decent on fifa when he played for Shaktar

    1. The 12th Man
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Against Burnley

  19. The 5% Team
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    I will end this GW on 16 points...my own fault partly for only having 8 players, but still...very bad

    1. WVA
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I haven't made 30 with 11 mate so avoiding the hits may have been wise, my of my casual ML rivals outscoring me with 8 or 9 players and no hits FFS.

  20. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Incredible Kante seems to be the most forward player at times

    1. George Sillett
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      And this is why Alonso has been found out.

      1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Indeed he's been found out and it also has an impact on the attacking side of things. He's not as ruthless as you would expect

        1. George Sillett
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          Very true. Sarri should have known that defensively he was so bad that he wouldn't be good enough in a back 4.
          Chelsea have massive problems which I think will get worse before they better if they don't win the Europa.

    2. Rostah
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      That seems to be the hallmark of Chelsea this season. Every time I watch them he's the one making runs into the box when it's on the left wing. I love that he does what his manager asks of him no matter what, but its baffling what his manager asks of him.

      1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        If anything it's deterimental to the whole attacking side of things. Not blaming Kante because that's not his position but he can't see the killer passes and he is not great at finishing

  21. Ribus
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Thanks Siggy! 6 points miss for Richa.

  22. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Kepa 5th save

    1. WVA
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      In my FH team I think

  23. Londongeezaa
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Walcott > Hazard?

  24. WVA
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    I'm not making 30 here, just realised it's my worst score of the season and I have a full 11 out.

  25. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Alonso really is an awful player

  26. Marvin Moon
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    To be fair if you disregard the hype early in his career, Walcott's 100 PL league goals and a few medals to boot isn't too shabby as far as careers go.

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      FPL Gold at one stage.

    2. TAT
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Do miss him at Arsenal. Had some great games through the years.

  27. TheSteel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Anyone else here with Kepa?

    1. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Season-kepa

    2. FFSbet.com
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Yes,the only good thing this GW

  28. Cojones of Destiny
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    think i’ll just pass on che assets too many better options out there

  29. HD7
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Digne to Pereira 4-5 GWs...
    what a lovely mainstream decision

  30. micsway
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    And yet again game week 31 manages to disappoint again. Chelsea so so poor.