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. Babelcopter
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Pope cleanie gone! Nice!

    To the Sidibe train! TSUUH TSUUH

  2. lordkippe
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    11 from 5 with Pogba benched... and surely a cameo
    At least my captain left to play.
    Anyone worse ?

    1. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      15 from 5 with pogba benched. Livid.

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

    Come oooonnn Geealish and Tammy!!!

  4. Bobby Digital
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    DCL or Callum?

    1. ChelseaGuy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Neither for me but DCL of the two

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

      Neither.

    3. GOTHAM City F.C.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Both

  5. BNMC
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Haven't had this bad of a week since GW9...

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

      And I was 2.2m OR back then.

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

      Average is 20pts in top 10K. Everyone doing pretty badly.

  6. HurriKane
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Time to get Sidibi in ??

    1. Babelcopter
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Yep!

      1. HurriKane
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        4 assist in last 7 starts is so tempting

  7. Piggs Boson
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    How has Richarlison played?

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

      Remove how.

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

        I see.

        Rich to Pogba may be on the cards soon then.

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

    Imagine paying a total of 130m for the American Barkley and the Spanish Massimo Taibi...

  9. Pedram
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Boxing day football have always been disappointing.

    1. GOTHAM City F.C.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Yeah, there are better gifts

  10. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Cantwell still on?

    1. Chenku╰☆╮
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      yes but wont do anything

  11. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Norwich goal would be lovely

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

    Has anyone not got Sidibe in yet?

  13. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Need Tammy to explode asap...

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

      No chance. Soton CS locked in

  14. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Aren’t united showing on amazon prime?

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

      On Cartoon Network apparently 🙂

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

        Ban!!!

      2. Champions League Varane
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Ban!

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

      All 10 games

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

    Looks like Martial on the wing and Martial upfront.

    Latest Mark's protege Greenwood starts too. Both for United and for Mark. He knows 😉

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

      Martial is everywhere?

    2. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Martial
      Rash Green Pereira

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

        We'll see

  16. Ask Yourself
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Idea confirmed to AC Milan

    1. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Ibra lol

    2. DGW blindness is for Kinnea…
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Who?

      1. @persecuted_by_mods
          4 years, 3 months ago

          No idea

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

      😆 ole is clueless

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

        Why?

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

      DCL owner and rival has Pope !

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

        You must be dreadful if you own DCL

    5. Hands Guber
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Why so many virgins celebrating Burnley cleansheets? What am I missing?

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

        Pope is one of the most owned GKs in the game.

    6. Chenku╰☆╮
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      How Norwich are losing this i will never know..

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

      What a save Heaton

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

      Tammy 😆

      1. GOTHAM City F.C.
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Assist?

      2. WVA
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        He's been awful
        Probably rested next game too?

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

      never ever captaining a championship player again, Pukki if you can score vs Pukki you r useless

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

        cant

    10. Babelcopter
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      My first wc move:

      Robertson -> Sidibe

    11. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      remember when people said villa defence was rubbish.....

      1. Clintymints
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Norwich should have at least 12 goals

    12. Clintymints
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Tammy super poor

    13. BNMC
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Sidibe in now or after City?

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

      Chelsea terible. Loosing home to Bournemouth and Southampton. Terrible 🙁

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

        We need to play 4 3 3 in games like these

      2. Mikeharbrw
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Somehow still fourth

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

          Cant believe it

    15. FPL Blow-In
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      I played Cantwell over Maddison. Seemed like the right decision at the time but I just know he will get an assist or goal now

    16. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Dion Dublin “Heaton has been the signing of the season”
      You don’t get this kind of insight anywhere else but amazon