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.

GET IN-GAME DATA AT LIVE FPL

Check your own rank and in-play FPL stats on LiveFPL.net every Gameweek

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

    Salah looks dangerous, I need him

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

      GW5 I'll lose Bruno for either Salah or Sterling to accompany KDB.

  2. Cruz88
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    How nailed is James? Out as soon as Azpi is fit?

  3. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Wow what was that Werner

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

    Firmino...

    Werner...

    If I speak I am in big trouble.

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

      I am thinking the same

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

    wtf werner

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

    Lucky that was off because that was a bad finish

  7. potatoace
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Omg, this is appalling

  8. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Werner what was that !

  9. Danstoke82
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    My word, even though he was offside Werner has to get that on target surely??

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

    Liverpool getting closer

  11. Londongeezaa
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Werner still has a lot to Wern 🙂

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

    Have a feeling Werner is the German firmino in this Chelsea team

    Hard working. Has a few shots, drops deep and making runs for others to get in dangerous positions

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

      Haven't seen a take this bad in ages

    2. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Doesn’t look great but I wouldn’t really agree with this analysis

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

      This is an awful take

  13. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Werner 😆

  14. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Wow that was an embarrassing finish

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

    Werner offside

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

    Werner look terrible

    1. Pipermaru
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Same as Son in gw1 or worse?

  17. potatoace
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Havertz is incapable of staying onside.

  18. BobbyV
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Kante so slow with the pass

  19. Limbo
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Hmmmn. That’s not the clinical finishing I brought you in for Mr Werner.

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

    I can get 2 Bamford with Werner money

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

      Mitrovic - DCL - Bamford is tempting

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

        and still can get KDB Salah Son

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

    Lads, WC needed here or should I give it another week?

    Ryan / Walton
    TAA / Doherty / KWP / Dallas / Mitchell
    Salah / KDB / James Rodríguez / Harrison / Soucek
    Werner / Martial / Brewster

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

    I've got 5 players in this crappy game.

    1. NULL-X-VOID
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Same here lol

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

    Andy - See you flitting about.

    Have you pressed WC yet mate?

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

      Me? I panicked last week mate.

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

        Ahaha. GW2 WC - new record?

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

          For me, afraid so. And yet - even after getting rid of Kane, my WC team is still 15 points up on what I would have had with my GW1 squad!

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

    West Ham looked tighter after last week's dismal showing.

    Often these teams have a tendency to bounce back after such a terrible result. Southampton went to the Etihad with a decent showing atmfter the 0-9

    It almost sometimes encourages a back to basics approach. Palace are keeping it simple as they have Kouyate and Mitchell in their backline and it's working well

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

      Southampton should improve, Newcastle jumping back to the 5-4-1 with ASM out

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

      Yeh, a few defences are going to tighten up - as forwards get sharper!

  25. Hansel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    A) Auba, ASM, Adams -> Son, Zaha, Jimmy (-8)
    B) Auba, ASM -> Sterling, Zaha (-4)

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

    Firmino has been utter dross again. About time Minamino gets a real chance. Ive had it with all the people parroting the "hes so important to their build up" bs as well, hasnt been true for a long time.

  27. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Werner to Bamford 😉

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

      Enjoy missing his haul next week against wba

      1. g40steve
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Like the haul last week?

  28. Robson-Canoe
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Who's the best pick out of the following "cheap" forwards?
    A) Mitrovic
    B) Bamford
    C) Wood

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Wood.

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

      Burnley have played a single game yet. Hard to say.

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

      Mitro

  29. Danstoke82
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Reece James in free kicks??

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Placeholders for Lord Ziyech

      1. Party time
          3 years, 6 months ago

          🙂

      2. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        - and corners, as advised on Friday.

        1. Danstoke82
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Hmm maybe tempting at 5.0 but Azpi looms large.

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

      Lol Alonso passing the ball behind him to find Werner 🙂