Dugout Discussion

Mount, Pulisic and Ings benched as Boxing Day rotation strikes

There are six Premier League matches kicking off simultaneously at 15:00 GMT this afternoon.

Aston Villa v Norwich City, Bournemouth v Arsenal, Chelsea v Southampton, Crystal Palace v West Ham United, Everton v Burnley and Sheffield United v Watford are the half-dozen fixtures in question, with two more games to follow later this evening.

The headline team news perhaps comes from Stamford Bridge, where there are benchings for Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Danny Ings.

Frank Lampard has seemingly stuck with a 3-4-3 for the visit of Southampton, with Fikayo Tomori again lining up at centre-half.

Marcos Alonso, the suspended Mateo Kovacic and Mount drop out of the team that defeated Spurs, with Jorginho, Emerson and Callum Hudson-Odoi promoted to the starting XI.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s alterations both come in attack, with Ings and the injured Shane Long replaced by Che Adams and Michael Obafemi.

Bjorn Engels, Frederic Guilbert, the injured John McGinn and Conor Hourihane make way for Aston Villa, with Ahmed El Mohamady, Ezri Konsa, Marvelous Nakamba and Trezeguet recalled.

Norwich City are unchanged.

At the Vitality Stadium, Jack Simpson, Callum Wilson and the fit-again Steve Cook replace the suspended Diego Rico, the injured Simon Francis and the benched Philip Billing.

Mikel Arteta makes three changes from the side that started the goalless draw at Everton.

Sokratis returns from suspension and replaces the banned Calum Chambers, while Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil oust Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe from the starting XI.

Mamadou Sakho returns from suspension for Crystal Palace, with Cheikhou Kouyate moving back into midfield and James McCarthy dropping to the bench.

Max Meyer replaces Christian Benteke in attack.

Neither Lukasz Fabianski nor David Martin have recovered from injuries, so the much-maligned Roberto starts between the posts for West Ham.

Pablo Zabaleta replaces the suspended Ryan Fredericks at right-back in the Hammers’ only other change.

Carlo Ancelotti makes two changes for his first match in charge.

Seamus Coleman and Bernard start, with Tom Davies and the injured Alex Iwobi dropping out.

Robbie Brady replaces the suspended Jeff Hendrick for Burnley, while Jay Rodriguez is in for the benched Ashley Barnes.

There is one change apiece for Sheffield United and Watford: John Fleck is back from suspension and replaces Luke Freeman for the hosts, while Nathaniel Chalobah is in for the banned Abdoulaye Doucoure for the Hornets.


Aston Villa XI: Heaton, El Mohamady, Hause, Konsa, Targett, Nakamba, Douglas Luiz, Grealish, El Ghazi, Wesley, Trezeguet.

Norwich City XI: Krul, Aarons, Zimmermann, Hanley, Byram, Tettey, Trybull, Buendía, McLean, Cantwell, Pukki.

Bournemouth XI: Ramsdale, S. Cook, Mepham, Simpson, Stacey, L. Cook, Lerma, Gosling, Fraser, C. Wilson, King.

Arsenal XI: Leno, Maitland-Niles, David Luiz, Sokratis, Saka, Xhaka, Torreira, Nelson, Özil, Aubameyang, Lacazette

Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga, Rüdiger, Zouma, Tomori, Azpilicueta, Kanté, Jorginho, Emerson, Willian, Hudson-Odoi, Abraham.

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Soares, Bednarek, Stephens, Bertrand, Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Højbjerg, Redmond, Adams, Obafemi.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Kelly, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt, Milivojevic, Kouyaté, McArthur, Meyer, Ayew, Zaha.

West Ham XI: Roberto, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Snodgrass, Noble, Rice, Fornals, Antonio, Haller.

Everton XI: Pickford, Coleman, Mina, Holgate, Digne, Sidibé, Sigurdsson, Delph, Bernard, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.

Burnley XI: Pope, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Brady, Cork, Westwood, McNeil, Rodriguez, Wood.

Sheffield Utd XI: Henderson, Basham, Egan, O’Connell, Baldock, Lundstram, Norwood, Fleck, Stevens, McBurnie, McGoldrick.

Watford XI: Foster, Mariappa, Kabasele, Cathcart, Femenía, Capoue, Chalobah, Hughes, Sarr, Deeney, Deulofeu.

1,485 Comments Post a Comment
  1. ZeBestee
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Fleck big chance missed. Mousset denied A

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

    Che Adams rested alongside Obafemi for Saturday.

  3. OPTA FPL
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Bourn 2-1

    1. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Fake news

  4. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Foster what a save.

  5. Smurf
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    If fit, how the hell has Pogba not got a start considering his performance at the weekend.

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

      Not fully fit.

    2. JustPark
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Super sub!

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

      Hes being sold..

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

        If they’ve any sense. Juve need him too.

  6. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Wilson off-side goal

  7. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    VAR wilson

  8. Piggs Boson
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    de Gea Wan-Bissaka Lindelöf Maguire Shaw McTominay Pereira Fred Greenwood Rashford Martial

    Dubravka Schär Fernández Lejeune Manquillo S Longstaff M Longstaff Almirón Willems Gayle Joelinton

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

      Greenwood!

    2. GOTHAM City F.C.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Ma man.

  9. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    C.Wilson goal ruled out by VAR.

  10. Dele
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Hate VAR

  11. DGW blindness is for Kinnea…
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Wilson and Laca don't look too dissimilar

  12. Bushwhacker
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Southampton have been incredibly impressive here. Tight at the back, lots of niggly fouls to break up Chelsea playing out ; time wasting ; holding up free kicks, lovely breaks on an over extended team. And the ref has been amazingly lenient to it all. More of this Ralph!!

  13. Dele
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    No Pogba

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

      No surprise.

  14. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    DcL goal

  15. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    DCL G
    Sidibe A

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

      Sidibe haul.

  16. Cojiro
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    No chance Chelsea will do anything. Southampton defending very well

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

    DCL goal, Burnley CS gone

  18. ZeBestee
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Pope CS ruined.

  19. Maddi Son
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Absolutely class header from DCL.

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

    Goodness I hate Pope

  21. BNMC
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Sidibe Bandwagon has officially begun

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

    Here’s the wagon!

  23. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Love that Everton goal.

  24. WVA
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Pope

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Nooope

  25. One More Hit
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Thank god I've got my wildcard so I can be reactive.

    Off you go Abraham, and thanks for the last couple of weeks Grealish

  26. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    DCL G

  27. Differential C (Mark)
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    No goal for Che, but played really well in his snippets of possession. Needs a goal, but with more game time and performances like tonight, he'll be fine.

  28. HurriKane
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Nooo pope cs gone

  29. Saïss Doesn't Mat…
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    There goes my last clean sheet

  30. Smurf
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Burnley cleanie gone 🙂

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

      Yeeeeess

    2. Sailboats
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      YESS!!

    3. MITHRRANDIRR
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Beautiful