Dugout Discussion
17 January 2026 634 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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Five more Premier League matches to come now, following on from the Manchester derby:

James Palmer

TEAM NEWS

Having missed out in Gameweeks 20 and 21, and then made an appearance off the bench in the FA Cup, Hugo Ekitike is back in the Liverpool starting XI today.

Arne Slot’s side shows two changes from the goalless draw at the Emirates, with Ekitike and Curtis Jones in for the injured Conor Bradley and the benched Alexis Mac Allister.

As for Burnley, Scott Parker prefers Axel Tuanzebe and Jaidon Anthony to Josh Laurent and Hannibal Mejbri.

And after sitting on the sidelines for both of Chelsea’s cup matches over the last week, Reece James and Cole Palmer are passed fit to start.

Liam Delap is only fit enough for bench duty after illness, while Wesley Fofana is also among the substitutes as his minute management continues.

Brentford boss Keith Andrews almost goes with the same XI that beat Sunderland, instead preferring Mikkel Damsgaard to Keane Lewis-Potter.

On Wearside, Regis Le Bris reacts to that aforementioned 3-0 pummelling by handing starts to Reinildo, Romaine Mundle and Noah Sadiki. Simon Adingra, Lutsharel Geertruida and Chris Rigg are the fall guys.

Crystal Palace are without the City-bound Marc Guehi, of course, while Jaydee Canvot drops to the bench. Chris Richards and Jefferson Lerma are the new additions compared to Gameweek 21.

Leeds United are without the absent Jaka Bijol and Anton Stach this afternoon, so in come Jayden Bogle and Noah Okafor. There’s a change between the posts, too, with Karl Darlow recalled for the under-fire Lucas Perri.

Fulham’s Marco Silva brings in Sasa Lukic and Ryan Sessegnon for Tom Cairney and Issa Diop.

Finally, in north London, there’s a debut for Conor Gallagher.

Ben Davies, Wilson Odobert and Archie Gray are the other new additions from the last Premier League game. Djed Spence and Lucas Bergvall are subs, while Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur are both out.

West Ham are again without Lucas Paqueta but they hand a full debut to Pablo Felipe, one of their January signings.

LINE-UPS

Chelsea XI: Sánchez, James, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernández, Neto, Palmer, Garnacho, Pedro.

Subs: Jörgensen, Badiashile, Hato, Fofana, Acheampong, Santos, Delap, George, Guiu.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Henry, Janelt, Jensen, Yarmoliuk, Damsgaard, Schade, Igor Thiago.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Van Den Berg, Pinnock, Nelson, Ouattara, Lewis-Potter, Donovan, Furo,


Fulham XI: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson, Lukić, Berge, Wilson, Smith Rowe, Sessegnon, Jiménez.

Subs: Lecomte, Diop, Amissah, Reed, Cairney, King, Traoré, Kusi Asare, Kevin.

Leeds United XI: Darlow, Bogle, Justin, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson, Gruev, Ampadu, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin, Okafor.

Subs: Perri, Bornauw, Byram, Longstaff, Tanaka, Buonanotte, Piroe, Nmecha, Gnonto.


Liverpool XI: Alisson, Frimpong, Konaté, van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike.

Subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Robertson, Ramsay, Endo, Mac Allister, Nyoni, Chiesa, Ngumoha.

Burnley XI: Dúbravka, Walker, Tuanzebe, Esteve, Humphreys, Pires, Edwards, Ugochukwu, Luis, Anthony, Broja.

Subs: Weiss, Hartman, Ekdal, Mejbri, Laurent, Bruun Larsen, Foster, Tchaouna, Barnes.


Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo, Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Fée, Mundle, Brobbey.

Subs: Patterson, Cirkin, Geertruida, Neil, Rigg, O’Nien, Mayenda, Isidor, Adingra.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Lerma, Devenny, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell, Johnson, Yéremy Pino, Mateta.

Subs: Matthews, Benítez, Clyne, Canvot, Sosa, Imray, Riad, Uche, Drakes-Thomas.


Tottenham Hotspur XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Davies, Gallagher, Gray, Odobert, Simons, Tel, Kolo Muani.

Subs: Kinsky, Drăgușin, Danso, Udogie, Spence, Bissouma, Bergvall, Solanke, Scarlett.

West Ham United XI: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Mavropanos, Scarles, Souček, Fernandes, Bowen, Pablo, Summerville, Castellanos.

Subs: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Igor, Mayers, Rodríguez, Potts, Kante, Wilson.

LIVE GAMEWEEK PAGE!

New to Fantasy Football Scout this season is the Live Gameweek page, which you can see on the side menu.

Here you can follow the scores, watch the defensive contribution (DefCon) points roll in, see who the leading players are for xG and more as the games play out, as seen below:


price change predictions
634 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. sminkypinky
    • 14 Years
    4 hours, 55 mins ago

    Oh ffs

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 hours, 55 mins ago

      Handball too

  2. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 hours, 55 mins ago

    Ekitike

    Flagged

  3. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    4 hours, 55 mins ago

    Chelsea Pen

  4. Tonyawesome69
    • 7 Years
    4 hours, 55 mins ago

    Palmer pen goal, delay assist

    1. Tonyawesome69
      • 7 Years
      4 hours, 54 mins ago

      delap*

  5. Sgt. Schultz
    • 9 Years
    4 hours, 54 mins ago

    Delap A

  6. dansmusen
    • 8 Years
    4 hours, 54 mins ago

    Dorgu on the bench more point then my 7 on field
    Hate this game

  7. Scapegoat Salah
    • 9 Years
    4 hours, 54 mins ago

    Palmer you gorgeous man

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 hours, 53 mins ago

      He wasn't in your team

      You just make it up as you go

      1. Scapegoat Salah
        • 9 Years
        4 hours, 42 mins ago

        I never said I did, but could be coming in for Saka!

        1. Scapegoat Salah
          • 9 Years
          4 hours, 42 mins ago

          Actually sold him for Saka before

  8. F4L
    • 11 Years
    4 hours, 54 mins ago

    palmer goal

  9. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    4 hours, 54 mins ago

    Palmer you f’in beauty

    1. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      4 hours, 54 mins ago

      Rank buster

  10. Tonyawesome69
    • 7 Years
    4 hours, 54 mins ago

    Gakpo subbed

  11. F4L
    • 11 Years
    4 hours, 54 mins ago

    err could really do with brentford scoring

  12. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 hours, 53 mins ago

    Chelsea Goal

  13. -GK22-
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 hours, 53 mins ago

    Should have trusted my guts and wildcarded this week

  14. pundit of punts
    • 12 Years
    4 hours, 53 mins ago

    Palmerrrrrrr

    Get innnnnnnnnnn

    1. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 hours, 52 mins ago

      Pslmer bandwagon after getting the ball and score a pen. Back to the good old form

      1. pundit of punts
        • 12 Years
        4 hours, 51 mins ago

        3 G 1 A

        In 7 games since I got him in

  15. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    4 hours, 52 mins ago

    Zzz benched Chalobah for Mukiele why is it fn impossible to get it right with these 50/50s one single time

    1. Punned It
        4 hours, 45 mins ago

        Play both next time. 'swat I do.

    2. Snoop Udogie Dogg
      • 5 Years
      4 hours, 52 mins ago

      Ekitike goal disallowed

      1. sminkypinky
        • 14 Years
        4 hours, 51 mins ago

        And now an short off the ball for an empty net.

        1. sminkypinky
          • 14 Years
          4 hours, 51 mins ago

          *inch

    3. Atimis
      • 9 Years
      4 hours, 51 mins ago

      Palmer 100% jam, 0% skill

      1. RICICLE
        • 3 Years
        4 hours, 50 mins ago

        100% skill

      2. Gudjohnsen
        • 8 Years
        4 hours, 50 mins ago

        I agree (I have him in my team)

      3. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        4 hours, 50 mins ago

        Go with gut & stop over thinking it

        1. Atimis
          • 9 Years
          4 hours, 49 mins ago

          My gut says Palmer 100% jam, 0% skill

        2. Fifa las vegas
          • 13 Years
          4 hours, 48 mins ago

          My gut hasn’t been right about a thing bar getting rogers early this season!

    4. TheSteel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 hours, 50 mins ago

      Front line of Jimenez DCL Haaland absolutely trash.

      1. NABIL - FPL otai
        • 13 Years
        4 hours, 49 mins ago

        Imagine Haaland Ekitike Thiago

        Looks gorgeous on paper

      2. TheBiffas
        • 5 Years
        4 hours, 49 mins ago

        Ekitike DCL Haaland here

    5. Old Wulfrunian
      • 9 Years
      4 hours, 49 mins ago

      Saka(c) and someone broke my car window...

      1. Gudjohnsen
        • 8 Years
        4 hours, 48 mins ago

        sorry to hear that

        Rice seems the one

        1. Old Wulfrunian
          • 9 Years
          4 hours, 46 mins ago

          thank you mate.I think i am going to sell him for Palmer.

    6. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      4 hours, 49 mins ago

      Saka > Palmer, Foden > Bruno, Gordon > Someone for a revamped midfield next GW

      1. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        4 hours, 48 mins ago

        Foden to Bruno or Semenyo very easy move

        1. Fifa las vegas
          • 13 Years
          4 hours, 47 mins ago

          Is Semenyo guaranteed minutes though? Won’t it be all over the place with the completion for places now?

          1. g40steve
            • 7 Years
            4 hours, 44 mins ago

            Foden looks limp & possible hand injury?

      2. TheSteel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 hours, 48 mins ago

        Foden has Wolves at home

        1. Fifa las vegas
          • 13 Years
          4 hours, 46 mins ago

          He has had West Ham, Forrest and Brighton of late too!

        2. Atimis
          • 9 Years
          4 hours, 46 mins ago

          As he had many games before, like United 2 hours ago

    7. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      4 hours, 48 mins ago

      Ekitike captain fail of course! Knew I should have capped Rogers

    8. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      4 hours, 48 mins ago

      Get those damned defcons VdV!

      1. pundit of punts
        • 12 Years
        4 hours, 46 mins ago

        This

    9. TheBiffas
      • 5 Years
      4 hours, 48 mins ago

      Anyone else's team look really good for this week but got no points?

      1. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        4 hours, 47 mins ago

        10k rise so far

      2. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        4 hours, 46 mins ago

        *Most weeks

    10. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      4 hours, 47 mins ago

      Fofana YC

    11. Jebiga
      • 13 Years
      4 hours, 47 mins ago

      Is Palmer must now?

      1. Atimis
        • 9 Years
        4 hours, 46 mins ago

        Nowhere near

      2. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        4 hours, 46 mins ago

        Those on the bus agree

      3. Drop Dead Tsimikas
        • 14 Years
        4 hours, 46 mins ago

        After a penalty goal?

      4. mixology
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 hours, 45 mins ago

        No but bandwagon has begun with Foden early sub

      5. TheSteel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 hours, 45 mins ago

        Def not

    12. F4L
      • 11 Years
      4 hours, 47 mins ago

      sorry wheres estevao in chelsea's squad btw? injured?

    13. Jebiga
      • 13 Years
      4 hours, 46 mins ago

      Can not wait for Gabriel and Timber hatties with Rice for sure 🙂

      1. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        4 hours, 45 mins ago

        Annoying not having Rice and Saka disappointing week after week

    14. Drop Dead Tsimikas
      • 14 Years
      4 hours, 46 mins ago

      That goal line clearance should have been Micky's 10th defcon, at least...

      1. TheSteel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 hours, 45 mins ago

        Its showing 10 for him

        1. Drop Dead Tsimikas
          • 14 Years
          4 hours, 44 mins ago

          Yep, changed just now.

    15. Mother Farke
      • 1 Year
      4 hours, 45 mins ago

      Reece James CS locked in.

    16. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      4 hours, 45 mins ago

      Enzo & James off