Dugout Discussion
17 August 2025 795 comments
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Three Premier League matches take place on Sunday with a double-header up first at 14:00 BST.

Chelsea host Crystal Palace in west London, while Nottingham Forest meet Brentford at the City Ground.

Eberechi Eze starts for Palace despite transfer interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

Oliver Glasner makes just one change from the line-up he used against Liverpool last week. It’s an enforced alteration, too, with Daichi Kamada missing out. Will Hughes comes in.

Tosin Adarabioyo is absent for Chelsea after picking up a “small issue” in training, so Josh Acheampong partners Trevoh Chalobah at the back.

Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro make up the front four.

At the City Ground, Morgan Gibbs-White is available for Forest after missing the final pre-season friendly to attend the birth of his child. He starts in a No 10 role.

Dan Ndoye is the only new signing in their starting XI, but Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha are on the bench.

Caoimhin Kelleher missed Brentford’s final pre-season friendly but he starts in goal.

Mikkel Damsgaard and the wantaway Yoane Wissa are both absent, but Kevin Schade is fit enough for a place on the bench.

Rico Henry gets the nod over Aaron Hickey at left-back as expected.

LINE-UPS

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, Enzo, Neto, Palmer, Gittens, J Pedro

Subs: Jorgensen, Gusto, Fofana, Hato, Essugo, Santos, Estevao, George, Delap

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Munoz, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell, Sarr, Eze, Mateta

Subs: Benitez, Lerma, Clyne, Esse, Edouard, Sosa, Rak-Sakyi, Devenny, Cardines


Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood

Subs: Gunn, Morato, Awoniyi, Jesus, Jota, Yates, Jair, Boly, Abbott

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Henry, Yarmoliuk, Jensen, Carvalho, Milambo, Lewis-Potter, Thiago

Subs: Valdimarrson, Hickey, Henderson, Schade, Onyeka, Ajer, Peart-Harris, Roerslev, Arthur


795 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Bigbars
    • 15 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Thoughts on how long before the refs stop applying the rule updates, i'd say a month.

    FYI, the 1m / 10yds Rule has been in since 2019, im suprised nobody has tried to game it and setup 2x 3 man walls to force teams away.
    Giving a corner for holding the ball too long instead of an indirect fk like it used to be is daft to me.
    respect the ref and yellow card for holding is inconsistent.

    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      If the ref don’t apply the rules VAR will, is how i’m seeing it?

  2. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Today couldn’t have gone much worse. Sels, Williams, Palmer and Mateta

  3. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Watching Dorgu & Gyok

    Oh & Martinelli seems very overlooked

  4. Zalk
    • 14 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Not sure if Forest are still good or if Brentford is relegation fodder.

    1. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 12 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Bit of both

      1. tangtastic
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        8 months, 1 hour ago

        agreed. brentford are gonna be in trouble, a team to target methinks

  5. Ser Davos
    • 10 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Parallels:

    JP + Palmer
    Watkins + Rogers

    got all 4 😆

    both faced decent sides this GW and have Brentford in the coming weeks

    Also have both Brentford keepers as well :facepalm:

    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Ouch, Brentford looked shakey AF without Mbeumo & Wissa fire power, Thiago did nothing for 80 then soft pen.

  6. Mother Farke
    • 2 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    89pts all out. No BB. Need Gyökeres to stay quiet because he's a threat according to livefpl.net.

    1. tangtastic
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      thanks for the update

      1. OverTinker
        • 7 Years
        8 months, 1 hour ago

        Why so hurt?

    2. Jordan.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      terrific score w/p

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 6 Years
        8 months, 56 mins ago

        Its blind luck lol

    3. Zalk
      • 14 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      the start of dreams

    4. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Top score that!

    5. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Big haul, sitting on 54 with Bruno to play.

      Who were the big points for you that Sundeland defender & Semy ?

      1. g40steve
        • 8 Years
        8 months, 1 hour ago

        Ah, Semy & Hugo to my Sarr & Watkins mmm

      2. Mother Farke
        • 2 Years
        8 months, 1 hour ago

        Team is linked, mate. Haaland (C), Semenyo, Ekitike.

        Thanks for all the congratulations.

        1. g40steve
          • 8 Years
          8 months, 1 hour ago

          Cracking start, keep it up, very strange first week & lots are WC or burning other chips

    6. The Big Fella
      • 9 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Well done mate

    7. villa_til_i_die
      • 14 Years
      8 months, 48 mins ago

      Awesome score mate.

  7. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Where the f did Sanchez's bps go?

    1. tangtastic
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      3 other players got more bps

      1. BobbyDoesNotLook
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        8 months, 1 hour ago

        Cannot be.

  8. CABAYE4
    • 14 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    I’ve got a horrible feeling FPL will find an extra DC for Anderson.

    I’ve picked some DC-players myself but first GW I can’t say I’ve enjoyed it as an addition to the game. Think will try and avoid checking mid-game next weekend.

    1. PartyTime
      • 4 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      They always do

  9. Jordan.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    9 played ,total dc points ZERO

  10. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Win - Curuella and Sanchez double up 🙂

    Loss - Forest defense triple up 🙁

    1. pjomara
      • 15 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      The rough and the smooth

    2. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      The clean sheet could have been the other way around

      I lost out with Sels and Milenko and despite no Wood have jumped rank by 250k it seems to 750k ish on 65 points.

      Need Bruno to put on a show now.

      1. The Big Fella
        • 9 Years
        8 months, 1 hour ago

        Still a good rank I’d be happy for 750 million after my gameweek

    3. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Bugger that’s harsh

  11. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Murillo the defcon monster with only 5 defcon pts.

  12. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    16pts on BB, but so close to another 12 with Verbruggen, Milenkovic, and De Cuyper

    1. BobbyDoesNotLook
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      What is your XI if you bench Milenkovic?

      1. The Bandit
        • 15 Years
        8 months, 1 hour ago

        Sels, Porro, Cucu, Frimpong, Palmer, Kudus, Wirtz, Ndiaye, Watkins, Ekitike, Bowen

  13. Dynamic Duos
    • 12 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Mateta or Wood?

    1. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Wood.

    2. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Next week Mateta?

      1. Punned It
        • 1 Year
        8 months, 1 hour ago

        Don't you start!

        1. g40steve
          • 8 Years
          8 months, 53 mins ago

          🙂

    3. Hughes Your Daddy
      • 13 Years
      8 months, 59 mins ago

      You want Mateta gameweek 3 when we play Villa, always a goal fest for us

  14. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 9 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Cole Palmer doesn’t have a non-pen goal in the Prem since 14th January 2025 …

    1. Do I Not Like Orange
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Yep, never been in one of my drafts because the memory of owning him through that drought is still fresh.

  15. Make FPL Casual Again
    • 7 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    "1 hour, 44 mins ago
    Id love it if Anderson stopped at 11 defcons after all the counting, monitoring"

    Lol

  16. Mighty Duck
    • 1 Year
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Sunderland's Reinildo from my 3rd bench spot gets more points than all the bloody triple NFO defence. Neato.

    1. Count of Monte Hristo
      • 12 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Started him 😎

  17. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Smooth:
    Salah no-blank, Reijnders masterclass, Cucu + Porto CS

    Rough:
    Konsa red, Mateta instead of Wood, No Haaland, Watkins & Wirtz fail.

    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      *Porro

  18. lilmessipran
    • 13 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Come on Bruno

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 8 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      Let's f go

    2. Zalk
      • 14 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      I'm hoping for 2 DC's, that's about it.

  19. Zalk
    • 14 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Palmer & Guiu -> Wood & Semenyo is very tempting right now.

    1. RICICLE
      • 3 Years
      8 months, 1 hour ago

      That is a knee jerk if I ever saw one hehe

  20. maltasi
    • 16 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    So the teams who finished 1st and 5th for most clean sheets last season fail to keep one this weekend but the side who finished 16th for keeping them did!

    No def con points for Murillo or Williams, but 2 for the unfancied (to get them) Aina.

    Ditto Mitchell getting them today, but not Guehi or Richards.

    FPL is well and truly back eh!

  21. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    I do like Cunha as a player but he is a disciplinary nightmare waiting to happen

  22. Gandalf
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Sanchez
    Frimpong Murillo Porro
    Salah Palmer Reindeer Anderson
    Watkins Ekitike Pedro

    A. Frimpong > Cucu or Ait Nouri

    B. Palmer > Saka

    C. FH to get in Arsenal players and Haaland

    D. Roll FT

  23. GunnerStorm
    • 11 Years
    8 months, 1 hour ago

    Oh God, I can't with Gary Neville!

    1. Hughes Your Daddy
      • 13 Years
      8 months, 54 mins ago

      Viaplay FTW

  24. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    8 months, 52 mins ago

    Cali G

    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      8 months, 51 mins ago

      Keeper lost at sea

  25. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    8 months, 50 mins ago

    Awful

  26. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    8 months, 49 mins ago

    Been all United and the keeper just ruins it as quick as that

  27. have you seen cyan
    • 6 Years
    8 months, 49 mins ago

    In 15 years or so of FPL I have never had an opening gameweek anything like this before. My only return is salah cap. Got Bruno and Dorgu playing, so there is the chance I get a second player retuning, but I doubt it.

    I honestly can’t believe how bad it’s been, it’s like it’s a sign telling me not to play this season.