Dugout Discussion

Fabinho starts at centre-half as injured Gomez and Matip miss Chelsea v Liverpool

The stand-out Premier League fixture of the weekend takes place at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.

Liverpool are Chelsea’s visitors, with kick-off in west London at 16:30 BST.

Both managers have made one change to their starting XIs for this clash.

Joe Gomez (£5.5m) misses out with a knock and with Joel Matip (£5.5m) also unavailable because of a minor muscle injury, it’s Fabinho (£5.5m) who is given the nod to partner Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) at centre-half.

New signing Thiago Alcantara (£6.0m) is only among the substitutes, while the rest of the Liverpool side is as expected.

Mateo Kovacic (£5.5m) comes into the Chelsea midfield in place of Ruben Loftus-Cheek (£6.0m) in Frank Lampard’s only alteration.

Cesar Azpilicueta (£6.0m) is still only a substitute, so that means another start for Reece James (£5.0m) and Marcos Alonso (£6.0m) at full-back – the latter going up against Mohamed Salah (£12.0m) down the Liverpool right.

Kai Havertz (£8.5m) gets another chance to impress after his quiet debut at Brighton, while Timo Werner (£9.5m) – still the most-owned forward in FPL by some margin – again leads the line.

Despite his overall popularity, Werner was the most-sold player of Gameweek 2, with over half a million Fantasy managers ditching him.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m) wasn’t far behind him for transfers out and no defender was sold by as many FPL bosses as the Liverpool right-back following his Gameweek 1 blank.

The England international scored home and away against Chelsea last season, with the two league meetings between the two clubs returning 11 goals.

Only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£12.0m) was captained by more Fantasy managers than Salah this weekend, meanwhile.

The Egyptian, who hit a hat-trick against Leeds United last weekend, was handed the armband by over 560,000 of us ahead of Saturday’s deadline.


Chelsea XI: Kepa, James, Zouma, Christensen, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Mount, Havertz, Werner.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Fabinho, Robertson, Henderson, Keita, Wijnaldum, Mane, Firmino, Salah.

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2,462 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Werner should be the one running through that defense

  2. Dr. Rog
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    4.5 4
    Digne James Saiss (4.5 4)
    Salah Sterling Son Soucek (4.5)
    Werner Jimmy DCL

    1. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Really starting to toy with the idea of no TAA as well...

      Just tough to get in a LIV defender when they start racking up clean sheets

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I do like it. Avoiding pool defence all together yeah?

    3. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Yeh, good

    4. Dr. Rog
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      there are cash cows in Son/Jimmy/Werner. particularly the fist two whose fixtures dry up just as liverpools get good.

      1. Scholes Out For Summer
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Fair point. Son is first out if anything

    5. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I'd go KDB instead of Sterling and upgrade Soucek to a 5.5

    6. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Son worth 1.5m over Rodriguez?

      New & Whu won't be playing a high line against Spurs.

  3. LewanGOALski
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    McCarthy - 4.0
    TAA - Digne - Tierney - C.Taylor - Mitchell
    Salah - Auba - JWP - Soucek - Bissouma
    Werner - Martial - Mitro

    WC these folks?
    Or rather sth like Tierney + Auba + JWP ➡ Saiss + Sterling/KDB + Zaha for (-8)..?

    1. Wild Card this!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Wait for Grealish haul 😉

  4. Gobigorgohome
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Werner too deep for my liking

    1. Pep bites Kun
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Whatever about his demeanour - don't like his positioning on the pitch either

  5. Royal5
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Poor game this

    1. fusen
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      not really, just two different styles equalling each other out

      1. Royal5
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Lacks entertainment.

    2. Pep bites Kun
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I agree - they should be paid the same as the top teams

  6. Ser Davos
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Werner with wba CPA SOU remember

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Indeed

    2. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      No matter how deep he is today he's staying for me

    3. Wild Card this!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      CPA was sublime so far

      1. Ser Davos
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        but WBA and SOU have looked dismal

      2. Dr. Rog
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        scraped a 1-0 win vs Southampton, and beat a team in pre-season.

    4. puhd
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I’m selling anyway

  7. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    just like a game of chess

    1. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Remis incoming

    2. Wild Card this!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Pawn takes the queen

  8. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Fabinho looks better than gomez at CB

  9. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Didn't know Havertz was a forward.

  10. seewhyaxe
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    if Pool keeps a cs this game, would be template wrecking

    1. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Pool defense is already template...

    2. yousunkmybattleship
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      How?

  11. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    People were willing to pay 8-9m for a glorified Danny Rose..

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      ?

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

      😀

  12. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Robbo seems to be bombing forward

    Trent not to so much

    1. Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Robbo against Mount, TAA against Werner

    2. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      TAA has Werner to watch

  13. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    TAA gonna yellow card

  14. The Suspended One
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Am I reading that early result correctly? Kane to Son x4 ....?

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Yes

    2. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      yup

    3. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      What in the world...

      1. how now brown cow
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Kane 2 disallowed goals too. Could have been a monster haul.

  15. Pedram
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    TAA still not sharp

  16. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    If you were wildcarding now what keepers would you choose?

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Pope and Martinez. They haven't let anyone down 😉

      1. Pep bites Kun
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Amen, bit more than I'd like to spend, but there is value in attack it seems

    2. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Kepa keeping a CS against the champions here... good fixtures..

  17. Gobigorgohome
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    goals quota already used up this gw

  18. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    zzz he pass to alonso it's a goal

  19. Camzy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Chelsea are scared of Liverpool. They need Pulisic who has that fearless running. Worked amazing in the same fixture a few months ago.

    1. ivantys
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      They can't play too open it's not really scared just tactics

      1. Camzy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        It is though. They aren't willing to play a killer pass or make a really direct run in behind. They choose the safer sideways option. You can tell because they've had moves that progress towards the Liverpool box and then the move just fizzles out when Chelsea decide to pass it back into their own half.

        1. Flair
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          The team's dynamic will change when Puli returns, can't come back soon enough.

        2. ivantys
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          That's why pool had it lucky this season. Whoever made the fixture list must be a pool fan who knows pulisic won't be ready for GW2

  20. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Weird shot from werner

    1. Ser Davos
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      he's not at yet. WCers have only got Mount as an alternative atm

  21. subhojit123
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Hey guys...what is the link where we can check the price change for a FPL player?

    1. Horlicks esq.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      fplstatistics

      1. subhojit123
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Thanks buddy

  22. Chilli Heatwave
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Werner getting closer, reckon he will bag against teams like Southampton and Leeds who play high lines

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Liverpool play a high line

      1. Scholes Out For Summer
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Van Dijk vs Stephens vs Cooper

        Hmmmmm

      2. Chilli Heatwave
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Levels to the players

    2. Gobigorgohome
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      of course even Tammy score agaist them

    3. mattk lfc
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      But any striker can score against them

    4. clodhopper
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Yes he look ok

  23. Horlicks esq.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Is there a single GK worth having or just stick with the McCarthy x 4m combo?

    On a wc.

    1. Pedram
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Martinez

      1. Horlicks esq.
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        With what evidence/reason?

        1. Pedram
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Good goalkeeper, Aston Villa defense isn't bad either.

          1. Horlicks esq.
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Ok, thanks for feedback pal. Andy put up top the Martinez/Pope combo - based on the fact so far they haven't let us down.

    2. puhd
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Stick

    3. Pep bites Kun
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Pope, but he's +1m

  24. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Nice try Timo

  25. puhd
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Thoughts on Sterling?? Considering selling Auba for him.

    1. Wild Card this!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Should do good without Kun

    2. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      watch tomorrow?

  26. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Firmino again useless, no striker's instinct at all. Anyone decent would have scored

    1. puhd
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      They need Suarez back

  27. Sandy Ravage
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    On WC:
    A - Sterling (LEI, lee)
    B - Salah (ARS, avl)

  28. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    0FT, is this a WC job? 3.5ITB

    Mccarthy
    TAA Doherty Taylor
    Salah HamezR Son ASM
    Wilson Werner DCL
    (Nyland, Justin, Bissouma, Mitchell)

  29. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    And werner's a wingback now

    1. puhd
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Chelsea is frustrating this year

  30. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    The quicker Pulisic and Zyiech are fit for Chelsea the better.