Dugout Discussion
27 December 2025 529 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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One more match to go today, and it’s an intriguing one: Chelsea v Aston Villa.

Kick-off is at 17:30 GMT.

It’s fourth v third based on pre-Gameweek table places, although Chelsea have slipped down to fifth after Liverpool’s win earlier.

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca makes two changes from the 2-2 draw at Newcastle United.

One comes at centre-half as Benoit Badiashile replaces Wesley Fofana.

The other alteration sees Enzo Fernandez come in for Malo Gusto. That will mean a move back to right-back for Reece James, following his recent stint in midfield.

Estevao and Liam Delap return from injury and make the bench. 

There are two changes for the hosts, too, as Donyell Malen and Emiliano Buendia are preferred to Amadou Onana and Ollie Watkins.

LINE-UPS

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Neto, Palmer, Garnacho, Joao Pedro.

Subs: Jorgensen, Fofana, Tosin, Acheampong, Gusto, Santos, Estevao, Gittens, Delap.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Malen. 

Subs: Bizot, Digne, Garcia, Bogarde, Hemmings, Onana, Sancho, Watkins, Jimoh-Aloba.

price change predictions
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  1. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Fair play Villa

  2. Thanos
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Chelsea LOL

  3. fedolefan
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Ollie time!!!

  4. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Ollie, confirming England World Cup 2026

  5. Thanos
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Really want Villa to go ahead and win the PL!

    1. keefy59
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      Next week away at Arsenal
      A big test for both clubs

  6. Kaneyonero
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Rogers involved in the celebrations

  7. THE Wild Rover
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Does anyone still own him?

    1. Fifa las vegas
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      As the the people do be saying, “no one who plays the game seriously”.

    2. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      7.2%

      1. THE Wild Rover
        10 months, 17 hours ago

        I mean active players

  8. Brosstan
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Chalobah 0 pointer. I was told on here that he is an essential season keeper..

    1. Fifa las vegas
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      He still might be

    2. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      Who have you subbing in?

      1. Fifa las vegas
        10 months, 17 hours ago

        😆

        1. FPL Blow-In
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          10 months, 17 hours ago

          Dalot here

    3. fedolefan
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      I sold him GW17 to afford Ekitike, Semenyo and Alderete. Need to get him back though in 22/24

    4. osceola31909
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 16 hours ago

      I don’t even know how that’s possible. You’d think he’d have bungled into at least one.

  9. rokonto
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Will Timber start next game?

  10. brianutd-why always we? 20
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    9; 5; 5 last 3 GW for Ollie

  11. it lies in the proles
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Play Sanchez or Dubravka?

  12. fedolefan
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Sanchez getting free save points.

  13. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Should have played Fofana and not Badiashite

    1. Mr. O'Connell
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      Chelsea have never won a game that Badiashile has started

      1. x.jim.x
        10 months, 17 hours ago

        Even Ugarte managed to break his duck

  14. FPL_adict
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Hey all, bench boost active. 4 FTs. What would you do?

    Dubravka Verbruggen
    Senesi Hincapie Keane Virgil O’Rielly
    Semenyo Andersen Cunha Wilson Saka
    Thiago Mateta Haaland

  15. g40steve
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Sanchez howler

  16. x.jim.x
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Sanchez hahaha he is so bad

    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      lol and he actually had a good game but that’s funny

  17. DROP IT LIKE IT'S HART
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Every time I watch Chelsea I wonder how they've supposedly spent 2 billion pounds to assemble such an average squad. Baffling squad building.

    1. x.jim.x
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      There’s a reason nobody else has attempted their stupid “magic bullet” strategy

    2. Utopsis
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      We are way way too inconsistent. But Villa are no mugs either

    3. Royal5
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      Same with Liverpool

  18. Atimis
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    I would punt on some Chelsea mid vs Bou but sounds stupid if not on FH

    1. Pep's Money Laundry
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      I'm on FH and was planning on for with Neto but now I'm concerned as he has played the full 90 minutes.
      Palmer is alternative but the problem is will he start two games in a week

  19. Atimis
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    And I saw some CC saying that Sanchez is good GK with good season lol

    1. Yes Ndidi
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      He will be OK in 2 or 3 GWs

  20. Mr. O'Connell
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Not taking anything away from them, but how have Villa won 11 in a row? Look distinctly average when I watch them.

    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      They’ve looked poor on the road and still snatched wins. They’ve done well

      1. Mr. O'Connell
        10 months, 17 hours ago

        They just hang on in there in games. Fair play.

        1. Fifa las vegas
          10 months, 17 hours ago

          Can’t be sustainable long term surely?

          But they really do just keep grinding them out. I still can’t figure out where I blanked out in the interim period of Villa being shite at the start of the season to suddenly being 2nd in the league!

          1. Mr. O'Connell
            10 months, 17 hours ago

            It's a very poor league this season. Expect City will find the extra gear.

            1. Bushwhacker
              10 months, 17 hours ago

              It's not poor at all. . . other than Wolves. Quite the opposite.

              1. x.jim.x
                10 months, 17 hours ago

                The big teams are rotten

                1. Bushwhacker
                  10 months, 16 hours ago

                  You mean the one cantering away at the head of the Champions League? City are fine, Liverpool not so much. Three big teams, two are doing well.

                  1. x.jim.x
                    10 months, 16 hours ago

                    The Champions League is also a bag of raspberries these days, the sport has fell off massively

                    1. Mr. O'Connell
                      10 months, 16 hours ago

                      Testify

    2. it lies in the proles
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      In form players, excellent manager

    3. Utopsis
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      They are like SAF's United in the latter years

  21. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Enzo lucky there patting the referee sarcastically on the back

  22. FCSB
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    GW19 Bench Boost

    Best replacement for Gudmundsson >>

    1. Dorgu / Dalot
    2. Hall / Thiaw
    3. Tarkowski / Keane
    4. Chalobah

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      Hall

    2. it lies in the proles
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      Dalot

  23. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Bench one:
    A. Keane (nfo)
    B. Thiaw (bur)
    C. H Wilson (cry)
    B. Virgil (LEE)

    1. Fifa las vegas
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      Harry

    2. F4L
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      wilson

  24. Fifa las vegas
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Villa vs Arsenal should be cagey from FPL perspective?

    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      Yes, I can see that being very cagey.

    2. lilmessipran
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      3-0 Arsenal

      1. Fifa las vegas
        10 months, 17 hours ago

        Seriously?

        1. Fifa las vegas
          10 months, 17 hours ago

          Probably depends on if Arsenal can score early or not.

          Tbf going by the Villa 1st half performance you could see something like that happening. So hard to call

    3. F4L
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      likely

      either arteta takes from this match you go full throttle and take advantage when you're on top or you're cautious as villa might come alive at any moment

      given its arteta he probably takes the cautious approach

    4. mookie
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      *Arsenal vs Villa

      Probably. Emery vs Arteta: 4W - 2D - 2L

  25. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    People putting pressure on Emery after the first 5 games of the season. What a run

  26. fedolefan
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Love seeing the Villa players give Watkins the spotlight. You can tell he was having a hard time.

  27. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Wast there an injury update on Ekitike today?

  28. F4L
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    sanchez taking the ball outside the box to help lock in save points

    my gk

    1. Fifa las vegas
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      He knew

  29. Fifa las vegas
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Just realised Chelsea are level on points with United, who’ve been (probably rightly at times) ridiculed this season

    1. Mr. O'Connell
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      They should buy another 300m worth of reserve wingers imo. That'll help.

    2. x.jim.x
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      One was being called title challengers
      One was being called relegation fodder

    3. Bushwhacker
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      Moneyball just doesn't work in football, especially the Premier League. Arsenal built a young foundation and then spent and spent to build that up. Chelsea is like a revolving door of talent. They need to spend three more years together with an almost known first XI week in, week out.

    4. F4L
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      maresca might get the boot soon

  30. Vasshin
    10 months, 17 hours ago

    Will Rogers get an assist for the first goal later on?

    1. Bushwhacker
      10 months, 17 hours ago

      No.

    2. Fifa las vegas
      10 months, 16 hours ago

      Seems not unfortunately

    3. Utopsis
      10 months, 16 hours ago

      Definitely not