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
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Oh ffs

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      Handball too

  2. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Ekitike

    Flagged

  3. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Chelsea Pen

  4. Tonyawesome69
    • 7 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Palmer pen goal, delay assist

    1. Tonyawesome69
      • 7 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      delap*

  5. Sgt. Schultz
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Delap A

  6. dansmusen
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

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

  7. Scapegoat Salah
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Palmer you gorgeous man

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      He wasn't in your team

      You just make it up as you go

      1. Scapegoat Salah
        • 9 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

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

        1. Scapegoat Salah
          • 9 Years
          1 month, 25 days ago

          Actually sold him for Saka before

  8. F4L
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    palmer goal

  9. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Palmer you f’in beauty

    1. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      Rank buster

  10. Tonyawesome69
    • 7 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Gakpo subbed

  11. F4L
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    err could really do with brentford scoring

  12. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Chelsea Goal

  13. -GK22-
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Should have trusted my guts and wildcarded this week

  14. pundit of punts
    • 13 Years
    1 month, 25 days ago

    Palmerrrrrrr

    Get innnnnnnnnnn

    1. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

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

      1. pundit of punts
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        3 G 1 A

        In 7 games since I got him in

  15. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 25 days 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
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Play both next time. 'swat I do.

    2. Snoop Udogie Dogg
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      Ekitike goal disallowed

      1. sminkypinky
        • 14 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

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

        1. sminkypinky
          • 14 Years
          1 month, 25 days ago

          *inch

    3. Atimis
      • 9 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      Palmer 100% jam, 0% skill

      1. RICICLE
        • 3 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        100% skill

      2. Gudjohnsen
        • 9 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        I agree (I have him in my team)

      3. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Go with gut & stop over thinking it

        1. Atimis
          • 9 Years
          1 month, 25 days ago

          My gut says Palmer 100% jam, 0% skill

        2. Fifa las vegas
          • 13 Years
          1 month, 25 days ago

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

    4. TheSteel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      Front line of Jimenez DCL Haaland absolutely trash.

      1. NABIL - FPL otai
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Imagine Haaland Ekitike Thiago

        Looks gorgeous on paper

      2. TheBiffas
        • 5 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Ekitike DCL Haaland here

    5. Old Wulfrunian
      • 9 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

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

      1. Gudjohnsen
        • 9 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        sorry to hear that

        Rice seems the one

        1. Old Wulfrunian
          • 9 Years
          1 month, 25 days ago

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

    6. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

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

      1. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Foden to Bruno or Semenyo very easy move

        1. Fifa las vegas
          • 13 Years
          1 month, 25 days ago

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

          1. g40steve
            • 7 Years
            1 month, 25 days ago

            Foden looks limp & possible hand injury?

      2. TheSteel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Foden has Wolves at home

        1. Fifa las vegas
          • 13 Years
          1 month, 25 days ago

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

        2. Atimis
          • 9 Years
          1 month, 25 days ago

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

    7. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

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

    8. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      Get those damned defcons VdV!

      1. pundit of punts
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        This

    9. TheBiffas
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

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

      1. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        10k rise so far

      2. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        *Most weeks

    10. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      Fofana YC

    11. Jebiga
      • 13 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      Is Palmer must now?

      1. Atimis
        • 9 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Nowhere near

      2. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Those on the bus agree

      3. Drop Dead Tsimikas
        • 14 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        After a penalty goal?

      4. mixology
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        No but bandwagon has begun with Foden early sub

      5. TheSteel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Def not

    12. F4L
      • 11 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

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

    13. Jebiga
      • 13 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

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

      1. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Annoying not having Rice and Saka disappointing week after week

    14. Drop Dead Tsimikas
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

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

      1. TheSteel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 25 days ago

        Its showing 10 for him

        1. Drop Dead Tsimikas
          • 14 Years
          1 month, 25 days ago

          Yep, changed just now.

    15. Mother Farke
      • 2 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      Reece James CS locked in.

    16. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      1 month, 25 days ago

      Enzo & James off