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

    Most of us have players from 4 of the 6 matches. 0 goals in any of them.

    The 2 other matches? 5 goals

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

      I'll take the clean sheets for Fabianski, Alonso and Doherty.

    2. glufs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Edit: 6 goals

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

    Bounre 2-2

  3. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Wilson 2-2

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

      FINALLY

  4. SirStevieG
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    I wish Kane was my captain...

  5. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Wilson. Anyone kept him?

    1. Mo Mané Mo Problems
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Yep

    2. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      I sold him I admit

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

      Yee

    4. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      o/

    5. Jam0sh
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Sure

    6. Shuko
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Like all of my ML rivals.

    7. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Yup. Likely dropping him to enable Salah soon.

    8. TOPCAT1960
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      oh yeh baby !!

    9. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      yes

      only because had other fires to put out

    10. Tasty Jerk
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Of course

    11. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Meh.

      Sold him for Deeney weeks ago.

    12. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Top 10k ownership is 23.0% with 20.4% starting him
      Thought it would be much lower actually (was 50% a few GWs ago)

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Thanks all. Cheers

  6. Syd.
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    2-2

    Bournemouth is were the goals are at

  7. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Bournemouth comeback...Wilson

  8. JohnnyMagrinho
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Sticking with Fantasy Football throughout winter really is a struggle.

      Far too many games, too much rotation and usually reliable players going AWOL.

      Big yawn.

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

        We all have our crosses to bare i suppose.

      2. TRIPOS TOPPER
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        if you dont enjoy it not sure why you are playing

      3. Pasqualinho
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        FA Cup week imminent. Take a well earned rest.

    • Rainer
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      He's back!

    • Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      What would you like to happen? I'd like the Wham cleanie wiped, and a Brooks goal

    • Richd
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Ake has scored so many recently. Good god my Curley haired freak.

    • Shultan
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      So glad its FA cup this weekend so i can enjoy football without thinking about fantasy

      Been an awful xmas period.
      Wrong 50/50 decisions in captain/bench & transfers every GW!
      Carrying on this week with Haz (C) benching pererira, got in pogba

    • Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Can Ake stop stealing Wilson's goals?

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

        Why do I even own this dud still..

        1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
          • 14 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          He’s got 2.5 games left for me, him & Fraser both

          1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
            • 14 Years
            5 years, 3 months ago

            In the time it took to type this they both got a G & A lol

            Happy enough!

    • FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      I think the icy conditions are a major factor here. No one is up for it except for gritty players like Drake.

    • Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Ouch

      1. Gnu
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Marsh breathing through his erse for the time being.

    • mookie
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      I have 7 playing tonight, Fabianski top scorer with a save point.

    • TheSteel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Glad i benched Holebas

      1. MTPockets
          5 years, 3 months ago

          yeah about that...

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

        Rash clattered

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

          No

        2. Gnu
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          Close.

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

        Brooks assist?

      4. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Wilson (Fraser) Finally something to cheer.

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

        Martial smashed in the face by the ball and down. Currently getting treatment.

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

          He's been cleared to resume

      6. Hy liverpool
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        As Arnie and Anderson owner i would like to say.. Feck me

      7. Syd.
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        That did look painful

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

        Wilson, best signing I’ve made all season.

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

        Note to self captain anyone vs Watford too

      10. TomSaints
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        To all hazard (c)'a (and I own hazard). Don't moan until the game is over.

        Aubameyang left it late yesterday and even as a saints fan. Once we concede one, we'll collapse.

      11. FPL Forward Thinker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Callum who?

      12. My heart goes Salalalalah
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Watford 3

      13. tiger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Bournemouth conceding a game...they are hogging all the goals!!

        1. tiger
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          *again

      14. Tasty Jerk
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Wilson YES!!!