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. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Sanchez mmmmm

  2. JBG
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Hahah Chelsea, oh well. No need to follow the match anymore. Whatever Palmer and JP potentially do is of minimal consequence for my rank.

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

      VAR tho.

      Nothing wrong it

  3. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Should have stuck with Eze

    In better news Sanchez busted early on

  4. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Might get scubbed

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

      Pushed him

      Part of the game

      Wiped

  5. Thanos
    • 4 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    VAR?

  6. Bobby Digital
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    LOL at Sanchez

  7. Wolfman180
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Double Chelsea CS wiped *eye roll*

    1. ChelseaGuy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Rejoice now

      1. Wolfman180
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        10 months, 10 days ago

        For now lol

  8. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Ridiculous decision

  9. Thanos
    • 4 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Goal chalked off… VAR 😆

  10. x.jim.x
    • 11 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    That is an absolutely scandalous decision

    1. BIGREDDOG
      • 8 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      To allow the goal? Yeah. Thankfully they called the foul though.

      1. x.jim.x
        • 11 Years
        10 months, 10 days ago

        Imagine being a VAR bootlicker, could never be me

        1. BIGREDDOG
          • 8 Years
          10 months, 10 days ago

          Same same. Glad we agree on everything x

  11. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Scrubbed

    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Guehi at fault

      1. BIGREDDOG
        • 8 Years
        10 months, 10 days ago

        Guehi was the reason the goal was scored though to be fair. Easy save if he didn't completely push Caicedo out the way and obstruct the keeper's view.

  12. ☈☾
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Eze goal disallowed

  13. The_FF_King
    • 13 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    So is this site going to spam us “limited time” membership offers all season long?

    Super annoying

  14. La Roja
    • 14 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Fair decision tbh

  15. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Oh VAR...how we missed your annoying decisions

    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Refs decision

  16. Zilla
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    What just happened?

  17. Count of Monte Hristo
    • 13 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Just delete football at this stage

    1. Zalk
      • 14 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Chelsea clean sheet still on. Lovely jubbly

    2. Hughes Your Daddy
      • 14 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      This

  18. JBG
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    I wonder if non Chelsea def owners will like that?

  19. F4L
    • 11 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    HAHAHHAHHAHAHAHA

    what tf is this

    Premier league, you lost the sport....twats

  20. Shark Team
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Oh no refs destroy my FPL once again

    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Cheats don’t prosper

  21. Nightcrawler
    • 7 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Excellent from var

    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      This, no way that goes in without shoving defender out of position

    2. Sly Fly
      • 16 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      I have to agree. You can't just go pushing people / barging people away from the position when you're not even on the ball. Can't do that. Obvious decision to scrub the goal.

  22. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Good decision. Cant allow that kind of interference with the wall, it will become a farce over time if they allow slack there.

    1. F4L
      • 11 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      is every arsenal corner going to result in a fk for the defending side because of blocking off?

      1. Nightcrawler
        • 7 Years
        10 months, 10 days ago

        It's not for blocking off

        1. F4L
          • 11 Years
          10 months, 10 days ago

          fair enough my bad if its some new rule, still seems ridiculous

      2. Brosstan
        • 11 Years
        10 months, 10 days ago

        It should if they are actively screening players with no intention of playing the ball. Its not like Guehi was just standing in place, he actively shoved Caicedo with his entire body weight.

      3. Dannyb
        • 9 Years
        10 months, 10 days ago

        They'd be screwed, at least we wouldn't see that f%#king set piece coach jumping up all the time.

    2. Zalk
      • 14 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Kinda agree, but I'm partial

    3. Hughes Your Daddy
      • 14 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      As long as that applies to the top 6 as well

  23. F4L
    • 11 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    somehow even worse than Eze's disallowed goal GW1 last season vs Brentford!

    1. Zalk
      • 14 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Nah, that was worse

  24. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Why is this site been so slow all weekend? It’s like dial up. 🙁

    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Feels like using internet in 96

    2. chocolove
      • 15 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      They focus on humongous and frequently pop up ads

  25. chocolove
    • 15 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Wtf

  26. Bobby Digital
    • 8 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Guehi was less than a metre from the wall

  27. Bihom
    • 1 Year
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Second year in a running Eze has had a freekick disallowed on opening day

    1. The Point About It Is
      • 13 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Was just thinking this.

  28. Nightcrawler
    • 7 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    People thinking it was for the push...

    It's for being too close to the wall cuz of the barge

    Var following the rules

    1. Zalk
      • 14 Years
      10 months, 10 days ago

      But people's feelings?

  29. Vinyl78LP
    • 16 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    When has that ever been given, new rule ? Still a relieved Cucu owner.

  30. JT11fc
    • 7 Years
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Rules are rules