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. luke
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Thinking Jimi to Kane for a couple weeks, how aweful was he?

    1. fr3d
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Jimi against Otamendi

    2. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      They were awful as a team, cant really blame him. Pretty much same performance vs Man U and then they scored 5

    3. Balls of Steel
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Ya Wolves at home against that City defence will surely get at least 1 goal

  2. StoichkovFPL
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Best move:

    a) Maddison, Son > Willian, Sterling/Alli
    b) Maddison, Son > Mount, Salah
    c) just Son > Alli and keep Maddison

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

      Keep Maddy

    2. The Head-Ake
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      C

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

    Kane loves a haul at home on Boxing Day.

    No brainer captain?

    1. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Keep an eye on his Instagram. Might have a bit of a cold if his nose looks worryingly red and will miss out.

      1. Balls of Steel
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        That will just be the brandy from Christmas day festivities, he might be a bit groggy but he'll still score against Brighton

  4. Tonyawesome69
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    To do son > salah., who to downgrade?

    1. TAA > 5.3 def
    2. maddi > 5.8 mid
    3. rash > 7.2 fwd

    2ft 0.6itb
    pope
    lundy willem TAA
    maddi KDB son grealish mane
    rash vardy

    ryan connolly dunk rico

  5. FDMS All Starz
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Would you WC this lot now or GW20? 1FT & 0itb

    Gazza
    Taa - Lunds - Kelly
    Sterling - Alli - Kdb - Son*
    Vardy - Jimenez - Tammy

    subs: Button - Rico* - Nakamba - Soy

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

      GW 20

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

      Have similar and after that Son red card and Rico also to sort out I think now is the time to WC. By the way I also still have Pulisic

    3. Garfield1001
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Now

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

    Pope / Button
    Kelly / Aurier / Lund / Soy / Rico
    Mane / KDB / Son / Alli / Cantwell
    Vardy / Tammy / Jimenez

    1 FT (0.2£ ITB)

    A) Son —> William
    B) Other?

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Willian seems kneejerk mate

      1. Balls of Steel
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        This

  7. The Head-Ake
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Grealish and 5.4 defender or TAA/Robbo + Dendoncker

  8. The Yorkshire Pirlo
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Two gwks ago I did KDB + Ings to Dele + Rashford.

    Would’ve been 31 points better off if I just stuck. Mental.

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

    Son to?

    Alli
    Richarlison

    1. The Head-Ake
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Alli

  10. FPL Pillars
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    626,596 GW16
    68,448 GW18

    Lift off!

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

      Wow. Fair play.

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

      Bruh, smashed it mate

  11. Tshelby
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Actually had an amazing gameweek this weekend

    1. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      what did you get? Beating my 68? 😀

      1. Tshelby
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        66!

        1. have you seen cyan
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 4 months ago

          nice, thats v high. Who was the cap, Ings here

          1. Tshelby
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 4 months ago

            Vardy! Nice score

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

      Same here

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

    Never thought I would be getting 7pts off the bench from Tamori. Huge slice of jam.

  13. bitm2007
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    From a glass half full preceptive, Abraham (with Son as captain) to Rashford (c) has gain me 4 points.

  14. OptimusBlack
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Which is better ?
    A- Son > Salah and Cost -4
    B- play Cantwell

    1. The Head-Ake
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      A

  15. drughi
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Son>Salah done, welcome back Mo lets have a party

  16. Ask Yourself
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    I advised people to captain son. I am a genius. This is how you climb up the ranks guys, earn trust and destroy from the inside. No1 here I come

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

      Hahaha, who did you capt mate

      1. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        KDB. Was pooing it for today but couldn’t have gone much better

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

          Jota for me. We're the real winners

          1. Ask Yourself
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 4 months ago

            That’s a massive haul this week nicely done

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

      your rank history is terrible

      1. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        History is irrelevant Rainer said

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

      I didn't. Still fell. Refund please.

      1. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        I will save my good advice for you x

    4. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      The amount I advertised Son and Alli cap pior to this week, oops :/
      I probably shoulda had a disclamier saying it was a paid ad

      1. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        Hahaha. So jealous if your ings man that was a the biggest W I have ever seen

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

      Haha glad you went KdB like me. I can't believe that he ended up being the best captain of the top 3 with 4 points!

      1. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        We knew what we were doing x

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

    Would you get rid of Son and Jota for a - 4 or just play Jota as was going to bench Jim?

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

      Him*

    2. Eleven Hag
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Get rid

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

      He's out for 3 games and going to drop in value. No good reason to hold

  18. Eleven Hag
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Son + Jimenez ➡ MF + Kane ?

    A) Yes B) No

    MF - (upto 8.0)

    1) richarlson
    2) Grealish
    3) Madison
    4) Any others

  19. GUSFRING
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Salah or Aguero?

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

    70 points. Won both of my weekly ML.

    Happy Christmas everyone! 🙂

  21. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    How mad is this? For -8

    Son, Alli, Mousset out

    Salah, Pulisic, Greenwood in

    Pulisic could be anyone up to 7.4

  22. Netters2018
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Best defender under 5.2m?

    Already have soy, taa, lund and rico....

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

      Kelly

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

        Or Aurier

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

          Not Aurier- Sonny today Aurier Boxing Day

  23. Nightf0x
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Ryan
    Lund kely aurier
    Mane son kdb grealish
    Vardy tamy rash
    (Buton - taa soy dendo)

    2 ft - 0.1 itb - WC in gw20
    Which?

    A) son rash out, start ryan
    B) son dendo, start ryan bench rash
    C) son taa, start ryan bench rash
    D) son button, bench ryan start rash

  24. Jullepuu
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    So Son to Mo seems to be more popular than Son to Mane right?

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      yeah

  25. Mithrandir, the Grey Pilgri…
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    35 points. Total shambles.
    Aurier Ali Son spurs triple up with Cantwell first sub as I fancied playing Soy.

    Just great!

    1. Balls of Steel
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Bout the same score here... Totally deflated with those same 3 Spurs assets... Move onto next gw fast

  26. tissae
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    41-41 in a cup. How is it determined who goes through?

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Goals scored by players

    2. Bob B
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Goal scored by players in your team

    3. Am sorry to say again it�…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      1) Most goals scored next
      2) Fewest goals conceded
      3) Virtual coin toss

  27. A Pain in Niasse
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    I owned Willian from game week 9 to game week 17. For 9 game weeks, I saw that little dude played football like he was allergic to the 18 yard box. Needless to tell you that I was frustrated; and I removed him ahead of the game week 18 for Son (c). You know the rest...

    1. Balls of Steel
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Ouch man that's painful

  28. Miguel Sanchez
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Captain:

    A) Alli (BHA)
    B) Salah (lei)
    C) Richarlison (BUR)
    D) KDB (wol)