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. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Zouma Mounts Kane.

  2. Gobigorgohome
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Zouma YC

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

    Mane>Son was a mistake, reversing it coming week

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

      Did same move...think i'll leave Son for Brighton as liv have leicester away but getting rid after

  4. Gobigorgohome
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Son Alli to who?

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

      Martial & Yank Wally.

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

      Sarr and Willian

    3. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Willian and Kovacic if you’re that short sighted 😀

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

      Salah & Grealish

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        This is interesting

      2. Gobigorgohome
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        this looks not bad

  5. StayoutheSpiceZone
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Horrible Sunday so far

  6. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    When does the next WC become active? 😆

  7. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    4 players including captain playing today. Looking at 8 points with some luck.

    1. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      So far my story too

    2. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      I had 5. 5 blanks for now 🙁

  8. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    The ref has Mount on FPL, refuses to card him after several yellow card incidents.

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      He just plays hard.

  9. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Spurs are lost. Chelsea dominating the game!!!

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

      Hopefully they sort it out at half time. I’ve got 5 players in this game - I’ll be lucky to get 10 points at this rate

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        I have 6 today if captain is counted twice. All blanks 🙁 unreal

  10. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    At the end of the day, even if Son blanks, at least I did the same captain as Magnus.

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Magnus knows

    2. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      It’s the only thing that counts really

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

    So chelsea can defend?

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      With this lineup yes.

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

      No. Spurs can't attack.

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

    Tight Vert

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

    Mourinho needs to push Kane and Son or Moura higher up the pitch and leave them there. That way the CBs have to stay back and it creates space in midfield.

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

      You want Kane to leave his favourite position? That's sacred!

  14. Babit1967
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Why is everyone talking about selling spurs assets? Its only the first half ffs

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

      Not sure if you are watching but they’ve been absolutely abysmal

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

      Comment section is awful sometimes

  15. toerag
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    i fancy a punt on grealish. but who to give him a week for??

    richalison, mane, sterling, maddison, kdb

    the only one i wont lose money on is sterling - worth a nibble??

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

      Id keep that midfield for next week

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

      Dump Richalison.

      1. Hy liverpool
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        I would captain richarlison not get rid this week !
        Maddison probably

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

          Weren’t watching yesterday then ...

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

    Who else is heading out the cup?!
    Need Alli to make up an 8 point diff but dont see that happening

    1. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Staying only due to dead team
      Uffff

    2. Zilla
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Hoi hoi

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

      Rather fortunately I’m playing a dead team ; barring Kane going crazy I might get away with this disaster.

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

    needs Eriksen and Winks? -_-

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

      Eriksen should be starting end off

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

        Clearly won’t agree to a new contract. He’ll be gone in January.

  18. TheDragon
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Spurs are literally just hoofing it long. They’ve got absolutely no idea what to do here

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

    Think I'll give Son and Alli this Brighton game before maybe losing one?

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

      That’s what im doing, would be criminal to lose one before that game

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

      Yeah thinking the same

    3. Gazza2000
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      And sell them for Norwich ?

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

      Lose one. There’s no upside to both.

  20. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    No way on earth I get 6 blanks today !!! Come oooonnn laaaadsss!!!!

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

      Captain is still one blank!

  21. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Where is my ‘second striker’ Dele Alli? Is he on the pitch?

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

      Spurs literally have no midfield 🙁

  22. el polako
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Still upset that my captain yesterday managed only 4 points...
    Soo unlucky KDB.

  23. Gobigorgohome
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Spurs looks worse than Man United FFS

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

    Oles win percentage as a permanent manager without penalties is 7%... Oh dear oh dear

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

      That’s an amazing stat

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

      He’s clueless.

  25. EDUARDO DA SILVA
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Why is dier a footballer

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

      He's the worst player in the premier league

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

      He was on free kicks for England not long ago absolute joke of a player!

      Get Kane back on corners that's what I say

    3. el polako
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Not a man enough to play rugby.

  26. hogree
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    How does this WC look people? 0.1 ITB

    Ramsdale
    TAA - Soy - Lund - Guilbert - Rico
    KDB - Mahrez - Salah - Grealish - 4.4
    Maupay - Kane - Vardy

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

      Pretty awful tbh.

      Double Bournemouth defence
      Guilbert
      Mahrez
      Kane

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

        Agree. Why on Earth would you want Mahrez?!?

  27. Pras (FPL)
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Spurs need McTominay and Fred in the middle

    1. Party time
        4 years, 4 months ago

        😆 True

        1. Pras (FPL)
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          4 years, 4 months ago

          We can do a straight swap DM-DM for Kane

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

      Kante needs to stop being so good, messing up my Son Alli double up

    3. Monkey Hanger
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Time for Tammy to come off yet?

    4. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      No other trade available at the time