Dugout Discussion
4 February 2017 1681 comments
Mark Mark
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As mid-season encounters go, this is as crunchy as they get.

Arsenal make the trip to Stamford Bridge knowing that, should they falter, their own title bid would likely be irreversibly de-railed. Meanwhile, a victory for Chelsea would surely come as the latest evidence that they are truly champions elect.

For Fantasy managers, there is also plenty at stake.

Alexis Sanchez starts in the central striker role and in 36.5% of squads, having returned a goal or an assist in ten of his last eleven Gameweeks. In opposition, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard also remain hugely popular assets, despite the alarming recent regression from the latter. The Belgian has supplied just three assists in his last five, with a single goal in eight Gameweeks – a penalty against Bournemouth back in December.

With Marcos Alonso also a key asset, there will be mixed emotions heading into this clash for the neutral, with a high-scoring contest perhaps the optimum outcome for many.

Mark Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.

  1. Rolls-Royce
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Another Chelsea rout incoming

    1. diesel001
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Think Arsenal need to swap Ox and Coquelin. Put Ox deeper to give him more of the ball. Then put Coquelin up against Matic.

    2. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Didn't mark say Arsenal would beat Chelsea in the scoutcast?

      I think it was mind games he has played alonso and hazard!

  2. justmatt
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    I'm already doing better than last week!!!

  3. Lallana_
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    As a Alonso owner that looked like a foul as you can use your arms to jump in but not lean in with them

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      I've seen a foul called for less.

  4. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    That was dirty from Alonso, dangerous play

    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Didn't look deliberate

      1. Royal5
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Alonso no-owner hitting the + button hard 🙂

        1. Royal5
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          *non-owners

  5. JayBomb
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Bellerin has been my worst transfer in to date looking forward to selling him now

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      I feel for you.

      Looking at Arsenal's schedule you would have fancied one of their defenders and either Koscielny or Bellerin would have been the preferred choices.

      Thems the breaks, though.

      1. JayBomb
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Ye cheers got him in 4 weeks ago for the fixtures just unlucky i suppose

  6. walkman666
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    The greater impact for bellerin was when he landed, back of head first slamming on the ground. Ouch! Due to that forearm from Alonso, but very questionable about flagrant (hoops term).

  7. aCunha Mateta
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Costa vs Gabriel 2 on the cards...

  8. Fowler23
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Bellerin is so lightweight

    1. makaveli123
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Worst comment of the day

  9. TheTinman
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Thank God I played Alonso!! What was I thinking

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Why would you consider not playing him?

      1. Lawrø
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Many were considering him for the bench last night... he has over 6.5pts per 90min ffs... excluding this

      2. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        only two clean sheets in the last five

        1. La Roja
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          And 2 goals

          1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
            • 16 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            He is not going to score goals every week a defenders primary source of points is clean sheets

    2. jayzico
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      me too. Was so close to sticking yoshida in over him

  10. denial
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Selling Alonso on WC before Leicester was one of my FPL decisions.

  11. OptimusBlack
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Sorry to tell you that and bookmark it but Costa and Sanchez Gonna fighting and both Get Red Card 🙂 🙂
    Non owner here o/

  12. odotfenz
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    I still don't have Alonso - is there something wrong with me?

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      At least you've got an excuse for not starting him unlike some.

      1. odotfenz
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Benching him is criminal. So is not owning him to be honest

        1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
          • 16 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          Rubbish talk 2 clean sheets in the last five and up against a free scoring arsenal team.
          Would hardly call it criminal

          1. odotfenz
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            You get Alonso for his attacking potential though. Clean sheets for him are an afterthought

    2. For Fuchs Sake
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      he is expensive, I tend not to go with high cost defs

      1. odotfenz
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Yeah my defence is full of 4.5s

  13. For Fuchs Sake
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    My rival benched Coleman midweek and Alonso today ........

  14. Jafooli
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Retrospective for Alonso?

    1. JayBomb
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      no chance

      1. Jafooli
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Please 😀

  15. Danstoke82
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Alonso u beautiful man.

  16. The Overthinker
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Salute to people who bench Alonso vs any opposition.
    Smart brains

    1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      You are over thinking it as usual

  17. itwaswritten
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Yes Alonso!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Must have taken you ages to type all of those exclamation marks

      1. itwaswritten
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        I'm not on mobile. Lol.

  18. Guba
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    How can people even consider benching Alonso? For me he's a season keeper and a guaranteed starter every week. You don't just play him for the clean sheet potential (which is always going to be high anyway) you play him because he's OOP in a top team of Chelsea's caliber that means he'll always have opportunities for attacking returns.

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Because people outthink themselves instead of just playing their best players every week and accepting that sometimes they'll get 1 point and sometimes you get an unexpected bonus.

    2. GreenArrows
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      But so is the three I decided to play, Coleman, Baines and McAuley so all have attacking returns

      Benched Alonso but still could do well with above played

      1. Guba
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Yeah but realistically McAuley's attacking returns are significantly less than Alonso's, particularly because Alonso plays further up the pitch. That plus West Brom haven't actually kep many clean sheets this season.

        Good luck though of course, never know!

        1. Guba
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          significantly less likely*

          1. GreenArrows
            • 9 Years
            8 years, 10 months ago

            True true. Did ask on here and got 4-1 to McAuley but oh well, what's done is done. Just don't like the people on here saying it was a no brainier

    3. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Agree, a very cheap goalscoring mid, and can even get cs bonus.

  19. Dirty Harry
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Surely everyone has Alonso anyway lol

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      On lots of benches.

      1. Dirty Harry
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Ludicrous.

        Any figures of the amount of Alonso benchers?

    2. Forza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      I got Luiz for the free kicks and price.

    3. denial
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      12%

    4. jayzico
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Many have him on the bench.

    5. some witty pun
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      not that high, 30% in top 10k despite points week in week out

    6. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Many is already playing the players with no blank as we were already there. And forgetting that they already have better players

  20. Godot - Fashanu Zealand
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Alonso = essential

    1. Richd
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Yep.
      Shame Moses counts as a midfielder.

  21. Richd
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Alonso wanted it, Bellerin didn't.

    Difference between Spanish and French innit.

    1. The Wise Owl
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      They're both Spanish?

      1. For Fuchs Sake
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        No they're not Bell is french

        1. For Fuchs Sake
          • 15 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          ha ha or not 🙂

      2. denial
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        HaHA! Casual racism blown away

    2. Lallana_
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      I'm I missing something? Both are Spanish

      1. Richd
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Nah. Hectors a fraud. Look at his name !

        1. BananaNose Maldonado
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 10 months ago

          You're right. Hector is a very common French name.

  22. JÆKS ⭐
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Was it a foul from Alonso or not? Having an argument with a friend about it

    1. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Yes but as an owner I couldn't care less

      1. Epic Fail
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Also this.

      2. OptimusBlack
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Yes Me too

    2. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Just about a foul. Definitely debatable.

    3. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      The slow motion reply made out look like a Street Fighter II KO 🙂

      Sho-Ryu-Ken!

    4. thegame983
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Never a foul

  23. Jafooli
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Wenger needs to bring Sanchez on.....

  24. Dr Dream
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Chelsea are so damned good.

  25. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    This guy dropped Alonso before his brace. What a numbnuts

  26. Lallana_
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Conte's a tactical genius. What a way to maximize the potential of his squad by changing the formation.

  27. Speédy
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Just need one of my 11 boys to not play so that Alonso comes off the bench

  28. JayBomb
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    You have to use your elbows to jump you can see in the reply he only has eyes on the ball and jumps naturally. Alonso is not a dirty player so many people over react on this site it's unreal

    1. Epic Fail
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 10 months ago

      Still a foul. No consideration for his fellow human.

      1. JayBomb
        • 14 Years
        8 years, 10 months ago

        Ha ha your right and a great humanitarian

  29. Fowler23
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    Hazard dead

  30. Jazz!
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 10 months ago

    I love you Alonso and Costa.