Dugout Discussion

Rashford fit to start while Hazard remains on the left flank

Six Premier League matches take place this evening before the Gameweek 21 showpiece of Manchester City v Liverpool brings the frenetic festive fixture schedule to a close ahead of FA Cup third round weekend.

Four of tonight’s games kick off at 19:45 GMT, with Bournemouth v Watford (due to a delay) and Newcastle United v Manchester United getting underway at 20:00 GMT.

There aren’t too many surprises in the team selections this evening, with many of the more widely-owned Fantasy Premier League assets getting a start.

Marcus Rashford has recovered from a groin problem to keep his place in Manchester United’s starting XI, with Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial also unsurprisingly named in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Jesse Lingard, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez make the bench.

Fabian Schar replaces the injured Federico Fernandez in Rafael Benitez’s only alteration, while Florian Lejeune makes the matchday squad for the first time in 2018/19.

Eden Hazard is again deployed on the left flank as Alvaro Morata replaces the injured Olivier Giroud, but Chelsea are otherwise unchanged from the side that beat Crystal Palace 1-0 in Gameweek 20.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has really shuffled his pack for this encounter at Stamford Bridge, making eight changes – including the recall of Danny Ings – following the 3-1 defeat against Manchester City.

In the delayed kick-off on the south coast, Ryan Fraser returns to the Bournemouth starting XI after his benching at Old Trafford.

Javi Gracia has made five changes to his team, with Jose Holebas, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Troy Deeney among the players handed a recall.

Andy Carroll makes his first Premier League start in over a year for West Ham, who have new signing Samir Nasri among their substitutes.

Glenn Murray replaces Florin Andone up front in Chris Hughton’s only change.

Joao Moutinho and Helder Costa return to the Wolves starting XI, while Jordan Ayew gets his first start since Gameweek 17 as Roy Hodgson switches to a 4-3-3.

David Wagner has made two changes to his team and seemingly reverted to a 4-2-3-1, while Sean Dyche trusts the same 11 players who beat West Ham three days ago.

Bournemouth XI (3-5-2): Begovic, Cook, Ake, Daniels, Brooks, Lerma, Gosling, Fraser, Stanislas, Wilson, King.

Watford XI (4-4-2): Foster, Femenia, Cathcart, Mariappa, Holebas, Sema, Capoue, Doucoure, Pereyra, Deulofeu, Deeney.

Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Hazard, Willian, Morata.

Southampton XI (3-4-3): Gunn, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Valery, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Cedric, Armstrong, Ings, Redmond.

Huddersfield Town XI (4-2-3-1): Lossl, Kongolo, Schindler, Zanka, Hadergjonaj, Hogg, Billing, Mbenza, Pritchard, Kachunga, Mounie.

Burnley XI (4-4-2): Heaton, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Cork, Westwood, Gudmundsson, McNeil, Barnes, Wood.

West Ham United XI (4-4-2): Fabianski, Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Diop, Cresswell, Rice, Obiang, Snodgrass, Anderson, Arnautovic, Carroll.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI (4-3-3): Button, Montoya, Dunk, Duffy, Bernardo, Stephens, Propper, Gross, March, Murray, Locadia.

Wolverhampton Wanderers XI (3-4-3): Patricio, Bennett, Boly, Coady, Doherty, Saiss, Moutinho, Jonny, Costa, Cavaleiro, Jimenez.

Crystal Palace XI (4-3-3): Guaita, Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt, McArthur, Milivojević, Kouyaté, Townsend, Ayew, Zaha.

Newcastle United XI (3-4-2-1): Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Hayden, Diame, Atsu, Pérez, Rondón.

Manchester United XI (4-3-3): De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Lindelöf, Shaw, Matic, Herrera, Pogba, Mata, Martial, Rashford.

Become a Member and access our data

Memberships for the 2018/19 campaign are now available for the price of just £15.

Join now to get the following:

  • Plot your transfer strategies using the fully interactive Season Ticker.
  • Get projections for every Premier League player provided by the Rate My Team statistical model.
  • Use Rate My Team throughout the season to guide your selections and transfers.
  • Get access to over 130+ exclusive members articles over the season.
  • Analyse our OPTA-powered statistic tables specifically tailored for Fantasy Football Managers.
  • Use our exclusive tool to build custom stats tables from over 100 OPTA player and team stats.
  • View heatmaps and expected goals data for every player.
  • Use our powerful comparison tool to analyse players head-to-head.

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A FANTASY FOOTBALL SCOUT MEMBER

5,260 Comments Post a Comment
  1. OLLY G
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Is Rashford or Martial a better option?

    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Right now Rashford, Martial in the longer run

    2. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Alexis is back. Both will be rotated.

    3. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Watch the game and see

  2. Royal5
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Wouldn't mind Palace Wolves to end 0-0

    1. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      booorinnnggg.

      jimenez+doherty combos better

      1. Royal5
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        I'll take it. Getting Bissaka of the bench though.

  3. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Another brace inc from Logba today. Non-captained but a happy owner here.

  4. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Alonzone

  5. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Alonso poor FK

  6. FDMS All Starz
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Seriously Luiz needs to stop standing next to a FK, no ones gonna beleive he will take it

    1. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      He's good for one world class free kick per season tbf

    2. DAZZ
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Lol, soon though he will take one and it’ll fly into the top corner

    3. Ode
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      He’s better at freekicks than most at this league, his technique is insane

  7. Monkey Hanger
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Hazard fail.

    1. Tommy Tynans Left Shin Pad
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      11 mins gone????

  8. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Are people doing stuff or is MANAVSONDAGAR just a tool?

    1. El Matador
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      It's not the first time he's done it

    2. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      He’s just a tool

    3. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Tools are useful

    4. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      The latter

    5. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      The latter

  9. Greenbackbøøg…
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    What happened to watford bournemouth

    1. Jack Burton
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Delayed until 8 false fire alarm I think

    2. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      There was a fire incident, but it is sorted now. Kick off at 8.00 UK time (15 mins delayed)

    3. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Delayed 15 mins

    4. ⚔★Vibudh★⚔
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Postponed to 8 pm

    5. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Postponed because Eddie Howe set fire to the fax machine.

      (There was no fire, it was a false alarm.)

    6. Greenbackbøøg…
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      ok cheers guys

  10. ⭐ ABHISHEK - THE CURIOUS …
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Still 0-0 ..........
    🙁

  11. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Why is Bou Watford delayed ?

    1. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Howe started a fire in the stadium

    2. Podge
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      fire alarm

    3. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Fire alarm

  12. Rupert The Horse
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Palace with 83% possession.

    1. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Knew I should have started AWB over Doherty.

      1. VFORVANDETA
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        I started both and bench vvd laporte

        1. Rupert The Horse
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          Started both too.

      2. Homer21
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Still takes 90 mins minimum for a clean sheet

  13. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    West ham have fizzled out it seems, looking quite ragged

    1. The Train Driver
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      They look awful everywhere

    2. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Arnie factor

  14. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Some goals would be nice

    1. Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      United play shortly 😉

      1. Top Lad Dakes.
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Logba time

      2. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        I can't see Newcastle scoring ?

        1. Rupert The Horse
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          Why is that a question?

          1. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
            • 13 Years
            5 years, 3 months ago

            I was messing what's your problem ?

  15. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    This better not be one of those GWs where AWB max baps and cleanies up from the bench

    1. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      It better.

  16. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Sanchez to start vs Spurs then after a cameo tonight and a run out against Reading in the cup.

    1. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Thought the same about lukaku but he’s on the bench

  17. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Who's watching Hudds - Burnley?

    1. N00B
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      People with insomnia

      1. Big_Andy_GAWA
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Lol.

  18. N00B
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Why is Hazard doing Jorginho's job in midfield?

    1. Tcheco
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Because teams have figured Chelsea out by man marking Jorge

    2. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Same reason Kane has to do the job of Winks and Sissoko every game.

  19. Alli 3',17',64�…
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    ugh I dont want to watch this Chelsea game, what other game is good?

  20. FDMS All Starz
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Have Watford kicked off yet?

  21. Kryten
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Hazard scored yet :/

  22. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Hazzo captain fail 😛

    1. FDMS All Starz
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Reminds me of Auba yesterday

  23. Alli 3',17',64�…
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Morata should have scored, header str8 at keeper

  24. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Morata doing what he does best.

  25. Zladan
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Morata steals Hazard chance.

  26. aarrgghh
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    And Heaton dominating bps again

    1. VFORVANDETA
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Nice to see him back

  27. Mr Wizard
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Has anyone managed a WC team with the following included and it still being decent?

    Auba
    Hazard
    Salah
    Kane

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Many, but areas of the team then fail a bit

    2. Alli 3',17',64�…
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      yea 4 is possible, u just need a cheap ass midfilder and maybe one cheapy defender but its doable

    3. WVA
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Yep and Pogba

      Foster Hamer
      TAA Schindler Manga AWB Bennett
      Salah Hazard Pogba Brooks Camarasa
      Kane Auba Jimenez

    4. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      I'll do you one better and include Pogba too.

      Fabianski Hamer
      Robertson Doherty Digne AWB Bednarek
      Salah Hazard Pogba Camarasa Billing
      Kane Auba Jimenez

      1. WVA
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Good god what is your TV? 105+?

      2. Mr Wizard
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Thanks folk. They look good!

      3. Mr Wizard
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        I like this! Front 3 is solid. I was leaning towards a 433 or 352

    5. HamezMace
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Pat/Button
      TAA Digne Doherty Wan Biz Bednarek
      Salah Hazard Fraser Richarilson Camarasa
      Kane Auba Kamara

  28. Alli 3',17',64�…
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Definetly a few goals in this for Chelsea, all over Saints tbh

  29. UltimateWarrior
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Need some help gonna get salah

    Thinking cheap defence

    Alonso, Lingard out Salah and 4.0 defender

    Already have Doherty TAA AWB Digne

    Or take out Kane and Lingard for Salah and either a cheap striker or lose Alonso too for Pereira/Shaw and Aguero?! Help please??

  30. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Trollrata