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21 February 2026 756 comments
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With no lunchtime kick-off, Gameweek 27 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) begins with three matches at 3pm GMT:

James Palmer

TEAM NEWS

Most of the major players from an FPL perspective start at Stamford Bridge this afternoon, with Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Reece James, Enzo Fernandez and Trevoh Chalobah included in Liam Rosenior’s starting XI.

We knew Chelsea would be without Marc Cucurella this weekend but we didn’t know that Estevao would also be absent. Those two players make way from Rosenior’s last Premier League line-up, along with the benched Josh Acheampong.

Pedro Neto, Reece James and Wesley Fofana come into the side.

Burnley are unsurprisingly unchanged from their 3-2 win at Crystal Palace.

There’s a shock absentee at Brentford, as well, with Michael Kayode missing out altogether. The Bees report that he picked up a knock in training.

Aaron Hickey and Jordan Henderson come into the side as Yehor Yarmoliuk drops to the bench.

That’s where you’ll find Kevin Schade, too. He’s back from a three-match ban but has to settle for a place among the substitutes as Keane Lewis-Potter keeps his place.

As for Brighton and Hove Albion, James Milner makes a record-breaking 654th Premier League appearance.

Milner and Carlos Baleba are the two changes from the Albion team that started the 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa.

Carlos Baleba and Joel Veltman are demoted to bench duty. Yankuba Minteh is, yet again, also a substitute.

Finally, at Villa Park, there are two alterations for the hosts compared to Gameweek 26.

It’s all change on the right flank as Leon Bailey and the fit-again Matty Cash oust Jadon Sancho and Lamare Bogarde.

Ollie Watkins sees off the threat of Tammy Abraham for now.

There are three changes from Leeds United’s last Premier League XI.

All the incomings are returning from injury or illness: Pascal Struijk, Anton Stach and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol and Lukas Nmecha are the fall guys.

LINE-UPS

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen, Luiz, Onana, Rogers, Buendia, Bailey, Watkins.

Subs: Wright, Lindelof, Digne, Torres, Garcia, Bogarde, Barkley, Sancho, Abraham.

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

Subs: Perri, Bornauw, Bijol, Tanaka, Longstaff, Nmecha, Gnonto, James, Piroe.


Brentford XI: Kelleher, Hickey, Ajer, Van den Berg, Henry, Henderson, Yanelt, Ouattara, Jensen, Lewis-Potter, Thiago.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Pinnock, Schade, Nelson, Yarmoliuk, Collins, Damsgaard, Donovan, Furo.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Verbruggen, Wieffer, Van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu, Gross, Milner, Hinshelwood, Gomez, Welbeck, Mitoma.

Subs: Steele, Rutter, Minteh, Baleba, Kostoulas, Boscagli, De Cuyper, Veltman, Howell.


Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Fofana, Chalobah, Gusto, Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Palmer, Fernandez, Neto, Joao Pedro.

Subs: Slonina, Acheampong, Tosin, Sarr, Hato, Lavia, Garnacho, Delap, Guiu.

Burnley XI: Dubravka, Laurent, Esteve, Worrall, Walker, Ugochukwu, Hannibal, Humphreys, Edwards, Anthony, Flemming.

Subs: Weiss, Pires, Ekdal, Hartman, Florentino, Ward-Prowse, Tchaouna, Bruun Larsen, Barnes.

price change predictions
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  1. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Brought in Kelleher to bench Verbruggen!

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      I brought him in because I was fed up with Raya.

    2. snow pea in repose
      • 5 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      Same, I believe we will come out ahead over the next 7 GWs

  2. Utopsis
    • 6 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Rodon masterclass from bench incoming

  3. Kaneyonero
    • 9 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Thanks Kelleher for being absolutely useless

  4. F4L
    • 11 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    damn milwall found some serious form, championship play off race looks so good this year, can go all the way down to swansea in 14th really still in it

    1. JBG
      • 7 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      2 of the teams going up are guaranteed to go down again

      1. F4L
        • 11 Years
        9 days, 4 hours ago

        sadly true 🙂

        be interesting to see if wrexham get up through the play offs if they spend big to try and stay in the league

  5. #1 Salah Hater
    • 1 Year
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Thiago speed-running the Mateta career trajectory in less than a season... impressive

    1. Utopsis
      • 6 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      17 PL goals. In 26 appearances. For Brentford.

      1. Bunk Moreland
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        9 days, 4 hours ago

        Yeah. But what’s he done for us lately??? 😉

      2. #1 Salah Hater
        • 1 Year
        9 days, 4 hours ago

        Read the post mate. He's gone from those stats to missing multiple sitters in every single game now

        Same as Mateta but in a shorter space of time was my point

      3. Brosstan
        • 11 Years
        9 days, 4 hours ago

        7 pens. Stop counting pens into how good a player is

  6. SpaceCadet
    • 12 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Che looking too passive. Need another Pedro g.

  7. NABIL - FPL otai
    • 13 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Roefs to Kelleher?

    Collins might start on the bench again

    1. #1 Salah Hater
      • 1 Year
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      are you stuck in an alternate universe where 3pm kick-offs haven't started yet?

  8. F4L
    • 11 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    mata's still got it

  9. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Pen check

    1. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      Got ball, no pen

  10. Gizzachance
    • 11 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Palmer trying to win his own pen now !

  11. Amartey Partey
    • 6 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Note to self: stop making keeper transfers

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      Getting to the stage is hardly worth making any transfers now tbh

      1. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        9 days, 4 hours ago

        Same shite regardless

      2. Amartey Partey
        • 6 Years
        9 days, 4 hours ago

        True

  12. Ze_Austin
    • 7 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Kane brace, by the way

    1. MVDP
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 1 Year
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      He could be a good player one day.

    2. F4L
      • 11 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      chasing lewa's record

      1. PartyTime
        • 4 Years
        9 days, 4 hours ago

        Olise chasing Müller’s record. We’re chasing most pts & goals scores record. Going to be a record breaking season! 🙂

        1. JohnnyB10
          • 1 Year
          9 days, 4 hours ago

          Olise, Eze, Mateta, what a trio that was once they started clicking. Seems like a distant past though

    3. PartyTime
      • 4 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      Best striker in the world. Lucky he plays for Bayern 🙂

  13. Ignasi M
    • 8 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Palmer will be going off ... can't see him lasting 90mins. he's dropping off then springing into energy.

    1. Ignasi M
      • 8 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      symptomatic of a player nursing a pain or ache

  14. Amartey Partey
    • 6 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    JP close!

  15. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Pedro FFS

  16. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Rogers testing the eject button from my team

    1. Ignasi M
      • 8 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      Reminds me of Eze. Has one or two 'world class' performances a season and then does zilch for the remainder only to repeat that cycle when people start criticising him.

      1. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        9 days, 4 hours ago

        Got Wolves next but others are getting points

  17. PartyTime
    • 4 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Palmer(C) but forgot to switch to Haaland(C)

  18. Ze_Austin
    • 7 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Ugochukwu subbed off for JWP

    1. JBG
      • 7 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      JWP to score a screamer

  19. Ignasi M
    • 8 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Chelsea game feels like a 2-0 or 1-1 at the moment. second goal, a penalty.

  20. Digital-Real
    • 9 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Doesn't Palmer usually score most of this goals in the first 25 mins?

    1. Ignasi M
      • 8 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      yeah because that's when the painkillers work the best. thew longer the game goes on, his injury affects him. He needs surgery imo.

      1. Digital-Real
        • 9 Years
        9 days, 4 hours ago

        I'm sure he'll be fine to take the pen IF Chelsea win one

  21. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    The last 6 GWs, Verbruggen has conceded 1 goal every single game. When will he concede his customary this game week?

    Minute check on Thiago's penalty?

    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      Did he concede ?

  22. DRIZ ✅
    • 14 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Didn't change captaincy from Haaland to JP. Behind the sofa now.

  23. JohnnyB10
    • 1 Year
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Glad I didn’t brought Martinez or Kelleher this week, you really can’t rely on their respective teams smh

  24. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 11 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Surprising results so far...

    1. JBG
      • 7 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      The inconsistency of this season is so annoying for FPL, but somewhat enjoyable to watch

    2. JohnnyB10
      • 1 Year
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      For sure and I’ve got no players active in these three games lol

  25. Amartey Partey
    • 6 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Has Thiago got 12 defcons yet?

    1. JohnnyB10
      • 1 Year
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      Lol

  26. FC Hakkebøf
    • 9 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Should have listened to my gut and not captained Palmer. Been brillian to have him the last few weeks but he mainly scored penalties. I will now be hiding behind a couch for the city game.

    1. Ignasi M
      • 8 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      Haaland has a poor record v Newcastle. Even semenyo or rogers is a better captaincy choice.

      1. JohnnyB10
        • 1 Year
        9 days, 4 hours ago

        That’s true! I pretty much captained Bruno cause I’ve got a gig tonight and can’t watch the game lol

    2. DRIZ ✅
      • 14 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      I have Haaland C so its good to hear this

  27. fantasist
    • 15 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    West Ham: Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Disasi, Mavropanos, Diouf; Soucek, Fernandes, Magassa; Bowen, Taty, Summerville.

    Subs: Areola, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Wilson, Adama, Todibo, Scarles, Kante, Mayers.

    Bournemouth: Petrovic; Truffert, Senesi, Scott, Evanilson, Adams, Jimenez, Adli, Kroupi, Hill, Rayan.

    Subs: Mandas, Brooks, Christie, Smith, Tavernier, Diakite, Enes Unal, Toth, Milosavljevic.

  28. Ignasi M
    • 8 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Villa are only in this situation because of their lack of quality in their squad depth

  29. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Does Neto ever look up?

    1. Ignasi M
      • 8 Years
      9 days, 4 hours ago

      no, he's worse than Martinelli

  30. Mr. O'Connell
    • 13 Years
    9 days, 4 hours ago

    Enzo CS point. Pinch me!