Dugout Discussion

Pulisic benched as Lampard switches to a 3-4-3 against unchanged Spurs

The final match of Gameweek 18 takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Chelsea the visitors to north London.

Kick-off is at 16:30 GMT.

The team news is straightforward from a Spurs perspective: Jose Mourinho has named an unchanged side for the third game running.

The Chelsea starting XI requires a bit more explanation, however.

Frank Lampard has benched Christian Pulisic (£7.3m) for the first time in the Premier League since Gameweek 9, with Jorginho (£5.0m) and the injured Emerson Palmieri (£5.5m) also making way from the side that lost to Bournemouth.

Marcus Alonso (£6.0m) gets his first start since Gameweek 10, with Mateo Kovacic (£5.3m) and Fikayo Tomori (£4.8m) also recalled.

All of that would seem to suggest that Lampard has switched to a 3-4-3, with Tomori joining Kurt Zouma (£4.7m) and Antonio Rudiger (£6.0m) at centre-half.

Mason Mount (£6.5m) and Willian (£7.0m) appear to be flanking Tammy Abraham (£7.9m) in attack.

Mount, Pulisic and Abraham were three of the four most-sold FPL assets of Gameweek 18.

Lampard’s side have lost four of their last five Premier League games and haven’t kept a clean sheet on the road in 2019/20.

Spurs, by contrast, have won four of their five league games under Jose Mourinho since the ‘Special One’ first took charge a month ago.

Dele Alli (£8.8m), Son Heung-min (£10.1m) and Harry Kane (£10.9m) are averaging 8.0, 7.8 and 5.4 points per game respectively under their new manager.

Kane is the fourth-most-popular captaincy pick of Gameweek 18, while only three FPL assets were bought by more managers than Son in the run-up to this weekend.


Spurs XI: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Dier, Sissoko, Dele, Son, Lucas, Kane.

Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Tomori, Rudiger, Alonso, Kante, Kovacic, Willian, Mount, Abraham.



1,997 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Jordan.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    OVER TO NFL BOLLOCKS TO THIS STUPID GAME

  2. Jafoole_88
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Get in...who got the Chelsea assist?

  3. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Son > Mane or Salah easy transfer.

  4. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Who are Pulisic owners getting off the bench?

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

      No one

    2. FC Hakkebøf
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Hayden

    3. EmreCan Hustle
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Dendoncker

    4. Woy_is_back
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Donkey

    5. Forza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Soyuncu monster haul 😎

    6. st4rty
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Tomori.

  5. Zilla
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    I expected nothing and I am still disappointed

  6. BobB
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    "Violent" is a bit ott for that really. "Petulant" more like it.

  7. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Abraham out and Alli 2nd yellow just to sum up my shi*y season?

  8. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Ali goal and Tammy goal will be dream now

    1. Rolls-Royce
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Only Alli.

  9. lilmessipran
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    How many epl games will Son be banned for?

    1. Sailboats
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      3

    2. The Train Driver
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Should be 3

    3. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      3

    4. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Booked hols

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Tokyo KFC for Christmas!

  10. Obi Wan Elokobi
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Son and Jimi to Salah and Pukki?

  11. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    3 match ban when they have 3 nice fixtures...nice one, Son's crying

    1. Pras (FPL)
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Easy - get Moura

  12. LǝgleSs e|even
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Salah or Mane in for Son?

    1. GAMBIT
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      I'm trying to fit both in on a WC

  13. Sid1891
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Mou will not be a happy one after this

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Honeymoon is over

  14. sandman58
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Son's 2 straight red card
    Does this mean he gets a4 game ban??

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      1st got rescinded.

  15. Gizzachance
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Pulisic to son cap
    Pope an cantwell on bench, along with tomori

    1. Regin
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      U didn't play bench boost?

      1. Gizzachance
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

  16. LE CHARO
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Took my second hit of the season to get Son in for Maddison, glad I didn't captain him at least (not as if Alli was a great choice either though)

  17. El Matador
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Anyone doing Son to Alli?

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Thanks for the price rises.

      1. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Although after this performance, perhaps not.

    2. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Son>Moura already done lol. Have Alli

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Digging a Spurs grave!!

  18. balint84
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Goodbye fpl cup. See you next year

  19. Abusive_Sgt_Daelrhos
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Alli plays like he's 67

  20. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Fair play to Son.

    No better time for 3 games off.

  21. @ocprodigy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Just to confirm for those who think it wasn’t a red card, are you saying putting studs in a player’s mid rift purposefully is allowed?

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

      Yes.

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

      Red Cards for violent conduct should be based on the actual danger posed by whatever act the player performs. That's why
      pushing and shoving like what Kovacic and Alli did is yellow cards, not red, even though its clearly "violent conduct".

      What Son did wasnt dangerous at all, the worst that can happen is Rudiger gets a scratch...there was no force. Compare that to stuff like Westwood on Fraser yesterday which is extremely dangerous, reckless and ended up with not even a card.

      Its the inconsistency that is annoying.

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        He kicked his studs at another player. You have to be a Spurs fan to NOT think that’s a red card.

  22. Regin
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    The bad news for us kdb owners. Every son owner will now sell son for kdb

  23. Rhodes your boat
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Think this counts as a captain fail!

  24. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    fpl is boring

  25. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Son's foul was YC IMO.

    RC was given, because Taylor didn't card him at all. Therefore went to VAR to check.

    1. jason_ni
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Not sure I agree, once you intentional kick out like that, it's going to be a red.

  26. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Aurier is horrible pick

  27. Mo Salah No Mane
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Willian you couldn't have chosen a better gameweek to repay me for my patience.
    Thank God I didn't bring Son in early 🙂

  28. EL tridente
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Son to
    A) Ali
    B) KDB

    1. Sailboats
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      B

  29. jason_ni
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Holding on that kdb transfer last night is a blessing after that son redcard.
    Son straight to kdb then?

  30. FDMS All Starz
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Any chance that red being over turned?

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      None.