Dugout Discussion

Pulisic benched as Lampard switches to a 3-4-3 against unchanged Spurs

The final match of Gameweek 18 takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Chelsea the visitors to north London.

Kick-off is at 16:30 GMT.

The team news is straightforward from a Spurs perspective: Jose Mourinho has named an unchanged side for the third game running.

The Chelsea starting XI requires a bit more explanation, however.

Frank Lampard has benched Christian Pulisic (£7.3m) for the first time in the Premier League since Gameweek 9, with Jorginho (£5.0m) and the injured Emerson Palmieri (£5.5m) also making way from the side that lost to Bournemouth.

Marcus Alonso (£6.0m) gets his first start since Gameweek 10, with Mateo Kovacic (£5.3m) and Fikayo Tomori (£4.8m) also recalled.

All of that would seem to suggest that Lampard has switched to a 3-4-3, with Tomori joining Kurt Zouma (£4.7m) and Antonio Rudiger (£6.0m) at centre-half.

Mason Mount (£6.5m) and Willian (£7.0m) appear to be flanking Tammy Abraham (£7.9m) in attack.

Mount, Pulisic and Abraham were three of the four most-sold FPL assets of Gameweek 18.

Lampard’s side have lost four of their last five Premier League games and haven’t kept a clean sheet on the road in 2019/20.

Spurs, by contrast, have won four of their five league games under Jose Mourinho since the ‘Special One’ first took charge a month ago.

Dele Alli (£8.8m), Son Heung-min (£10.1m) and Harry Kane (£10.9m) are averaging 8.0, 7.8 and 5.4 points per game respectively under their new manager.

Kane is the fourth-most-popular captaincy pick of Gameweek 18, while only three FPL assets were bought by more managers than Son in the run-up to this weekend.


Spurs XI: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Dier, Sissoko, Dele, Son, Lucas, Kane.

Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Tomori, Rudiger, Alonso, Kante, Kovacic, Willian, Mount, Abraham.



1,997 Comments Post a Comment
  1. BobB
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    This ref is like the cricket umpire Joel Wilson - wrong every time

    1. OverTinker
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      haha exactly

    2. OverTinker
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      But do someone from Norway knows about him??

  2. sully29
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Even as a Son captainer, that was the right call.

    Guess a Liverpool mid is coming straight back into my team.

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

      Yeah straight back to Salah, didn't captain at least.

  3. LǝgleSs e|even
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Rip.
    So this makes it easy,
    Mane or Salah in for Son?

  4. Pino
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    hahaha never thought I would be glad to captain Rashford this GW after ManU game.

    1. Jolly Good
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Lol this

  5. Jordan.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    well done VAR for the umpteenth time i fecking hate it and will stop playing this game and watching football ,absolutely killed it for me...

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Beckham got a red for a petulant flick out in the World Cup. Nothing to do with VAR.

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

    3 game ban as it is considered violent conduct.

    1. manu4life99
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Is that 100%?

      Son owner but would be quite good as makes WC easier

    2. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Probably gets rescinded again.

    3. NATSTER
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      I think this one is violent conduct and 3 game ban.

  7. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    LETS GO ALLLIIII

  8. nerd_is_the_werd
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Son survived 60 mins at least right?

    1. GREEN IS GOOD
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Yah

  9. GREEN IS GOOD
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    On the plus side, he played 61 minutes

    1. beric
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      True that

    2. tutankamun
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      VAR gave him the extra time

  10. dark91
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Easy decision now Son to a Liverpool mid

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

      Yeah but how to dig up the extra 2m for salah...

      1. dark91
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        I am sure people can downgrade someone else. In my case I have 1.4 itb

  11. thepuntmaster
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Right decision, and I have him so not one I wanted.

    The one against Everton wasn't a red, but he went in cynically and had to accept the risks that come with that. Didn't like how easily everyone forgave him then. That was violent and calculated and deserved a red this time. Don't rate his attitude at all.

  12. Digital-Real
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Son has torn my whole FPL team up!

  13. Podge
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Took a hit to get Son in 😎

  14. Tsparkes10
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Mousset or Lundstram captain next week?

  15. Londongeezaa
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Captain Son gives me -2.

    I’m in relegation form.

  16. shirtless
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Mane>Son(c) fail!

    1. HurriKane
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Same.

  17. Babit1967
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Hahahaha if I don’t laugh I’ll cry , Son (C)

  18. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Son, Aurier, Mousset > Salah, Digne, Ings

    Minus 8

    Now

    It’s on

    1. Kun Tozser
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      What rank are you?

      1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        Between Mark Sutherns & Magnus Carlsson

        1. Kun Tozser
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 4 months ago

          Fair

    2. MagicMessi
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Leave Aurier

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

    Has Magnus updated his profile yet?

  20. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Spurs fans turning nasty

  21. tafrère
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    This season is trash.

  22. Lukakuna
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Funny how Francis was kicked in the face yesterday and that Burnley player didn't get a yellow

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Was it deliberate petulance?

      1. Lukakuna
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        Nah, but it was certainly more violent and dangerous

  23. Shultan
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Alli & Son (C)! I hate this game

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

      The game is pointless

  24. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Hmmmmm

    Mo or Sterling

    1. beric
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Mo imo

      1. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        Thinking Sterling then Mo

  25. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Son > Salah (FT) this week. Simples!

  26. Waldaz
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Is it 3 games or 4 because it's his second red?

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

      First one was rescinded

  27. Jimmers
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    At least he got sent off after 60 minutes - for cappers its only -2; it could have been -4

  28. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Rudiger pointing out the fans are doing monkey sounds?

    1. The Train Driver
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      How did those Bulgarians get into the game?

  29. Sailboats
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Son > Salah/Mane easy decision

  30. Jordan.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    FINISHED FECK FPL........