Dugout Discussion

Chilwell benched again and Zouma missing entirely as James makes line-up return

The final fixture of Gameweek 22 sees Jose Mourinho face another rematch against his former employers, as Tottenham Hotspur entertain Chelsea.

Kick-off in north London is at 20:00 GMT.

This is the third game of the Thomas Tuchel era for the Blues and the early volatility of his team selections has given way to something more settled, with the German making only one alteration from Gameweek 21.

Reece James makes his first start under his new manager, replacing Olivier Giroud.

That will prompt a tactical reshuffle to accommodate the returning wing-back, with Callum Hudson-Odoi presumably moving into a front three alongside Timo Werner and Mason Mount.

Ben Chilwell is again only among the substitutes, with Marcos Alonso starting down the left flank.

Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham are also on the bench but there is no place in the squad for Kai Havertz or Kurt Zouma, both of whom had been injury doubts.

Mourinho, who is once again without injured striker Harry Kane, makes three changes from the Spurs team that began the 1-0 loss to Brighton on Sunday.

Serge Aurier, Eric Dier and Carlos Vinicius are recalled to the starting XI, with Joe Rodon, Davinson Sanchez and Gareth Bale making way.

Only Kane was sold by more Fantasy Premier League managers than Son Heung-min in the run-up to Gameweek 22, with the Korean blanking for the fifth time in seven matches in that dismal defeat at the Amex.

The reverse fixture of this game finished goalless, with Hugo Lloris collecting maximum bonus en route to a double-digit haul.


Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies, Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Sissoko, Son, Bergwijn, Vinicius.

Chelsea XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger, James, Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso, Mount, Werner.

1,112 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Ninjaa
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Current squad, 2 fts and 5.2m itb

    McCarthy Forster
    Stones Justin Coufal Targett Taylor
    Salah Son Bruno Gundogan Saka
    DCL Antonio Bamford

    Any ideas how to strengthen, possibly looking at bringing in Jesus, Digne, Cavani, but not sold on any of them. Thanks in advance for opinions. ..

    1. MikeS
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Salah out for soucek

      1. MikeS
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Or son both need removing and are the weakest links there

    2. Coufal, So Good
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Forster to Pope this week in prep for DGW?

      1. Kiwivillan
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        100%

      2. MikeS
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        When is the dgw fixtures announced?

        1. Kiwivillan
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Read last article

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

    Spurs look really really bad...

  3. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Mourinho is going to go crazy at son

    Not helping Davies at all

    1. gonzalocampos
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Davies should retire, bad player period.

  4. Vlekz
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Is the Mourinho the kind of guy who could bench dier for that sort of crap?

    • OverTinker
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      so glad chelsea scored - Hopefully now Spurs will play

      1. MikeS
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        That's what I was thinking as a son owner

    • One Man
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Which one to play ?

      Salah
      DLC
      Dias
      Stones. ?

      1. MikeS
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Dias

      2. Gudjohnsen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Salah

      3. Baps hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Stones over Dias

    • Viper
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      People reversing DCL -> Bamford in Gw 25 is going to be a VERY popular transfer!

    • Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Son > Maddison. Easy.

      1. MikeS
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Yep, or Barnes or soucek

        1. Make United Great Again
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Rashford too

      2. Elly88 > KTR (Kevin The …
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Lots of $$$ in bench

    • Over Midwicket
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Son is just a really expensive Dale Stephens.

      1. Kiwivillan
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        😆

      2. Heisenberg W. W.
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        That's harsh 😀

    • Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Oxford English Dictionary have announced they are changing spelling of Dire to Dier

    • SEXY SON
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      So Werner doesn’t have penalties then....

      1. The Knights Template
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Neither does Chilwell.

      2. seanie3
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        justs show how low his confidence is.. he should be taking them if he wants to get back scoring goals again..

    • Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Tuchel rates Hudson Odoi. Could emerge as a decent pick

      1. Gudjohnsen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        If he was classified as a defender then yes but he takes a valuable spot in midfield.

    • Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Werner’s GW4 sellers in for serious punishment here.

      1. Elly88 > KTR (Kevin The …
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Nope, he is shite (Chelsea fan here). just watch him closely in this match.

    • Bobby
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      This is sad to watch as a spurs fan

    • Atimis
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Probably will just skip the Spurs party vs WBA

    • ivantys
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Spurs can't replace Kane's defensive work.

      1. DickFranDyke
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Best CDM out there.

    • Teomi
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Is Stones to cancelo a sideways move?
      Got 2 ft and 2.0 itb.

      Mendy
      Dallas Coufal dier
      Sterling salah raphina Fernandes gundo

      1. Teomi
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Bamford Antonio

        Martinez Dcl stones holding

      2. Silecro
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        For me personally yes. Both have one big haul and a lot of cs, not a lot between them as of now, only if you expect Cancelo to haul attacking returns every other week, which has not been the case for now

        1. Teomi
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Thanks - any other advice on what to do with 1 ft this gw?

          1. Silecro
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 2 months ago

            Dier to burnley defender?

            1. Teomi
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 2 months ago

              Yes, might look into it or dier to digne

    • ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      What are spurs tactics here? This is embarrassing

    • BeWater
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      We got rid of Pochettino for this.

      1. Make United Great Again
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Mourinho stopped being a good coach in 2015

        1. BeWater
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          We could have had Grealish but Levy tried his low ball BS. We finally sign Ndombele and Lo Celso and sacked Pochettino before he really got a chance to work with them. We then finish outside of the top 4 and give Mourinho a load of money to turn out cowardly football like this.

          1. gonzalocampos
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 2 months ago

            Ndombele should play in 3rd category.

    • Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Son will put in a stinker tonight.

      Everyone will ignore it and captain him vs West Brom.

      Then be surprised when he blanks

    • Party time
        3 years, 2 months ago

        2nd season Mourinho comments by posters buried

        1. Rainer
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Only Spurs could skip his successful year to end in failure a year early 😉

      • Rainer
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Spurs’ early season luck was never going to last but this decline is ridiculous, Kane or no Kane.

        1. Steve The Spud
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          We were well into decline even with him

      • MoSalad
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Seriously debating avoiding the Son bandwagon!

      • Elly88 > KTR (Kevin The …
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        CHO just nutmegs himself

      • Gunners in Haaland
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Alonso anyone?

        1. Atimis
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Tempting tbh, good fixtures

      • jdp219
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        rp - Didn't realize there was a new article...

        Chilwell > ...
        1) Digne to prepare for the dgw?
        2) Azpi/Rudiger to cover decent CHE fixtures?
        3) Shaw, but is he nailed?

        Martinez, Forster
        ------, Stones, Cancelo, Coufal, Kilman
        Salah, Bruno, Grealish, Gundo, Soucek
        Antonio, Bamford, DCL

      • Bobby
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Even Bruce knew he had to change tactics. Not sure mou has the self awareness for this

      • Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Spurs are lucky there are no fans in there

        1. Nimby
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Spurs fans are even luckier.

      • how now brown cow
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        This performance is a new low for spurs.

      • ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Thiago Silva down