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

    That’s a red

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

    look how close the ball is to Mane on the replay, he would've controlled that easily.

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

    Clear red

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

    Red?

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

      Incoming

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

      Given

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

    Ok, if i got rid of Werner in WC, i could have Sterling alongside KDB and Salah in midfield.

    Takes on this?

    Martinez
    James - Robertson - Saiss
    Klich - KDB - Salah - Sterling
    DCL - Jiminez - Bamford
    _______________________________
    Steer: Anguissa: Mitchell: Ferguson

    I know the bench is whack, but still? Tempting?

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

      Good team

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

        Cheers bud!

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

      I’m not a United fan, Not considering any of them mid/fwd?

  6. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    That's a red

  7. TheDragon
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    What on earth is the ‘correct’ frontline to have?

    - Martial - in theory should be almost essential but United likes terrible
    - Werner- should be scoring for fun and is clearly Chelsea’s main attacking threat but he looks off the pace of the premier league
    - Ings - Southampton in disarray
    - Bamford - Pukki v2.0 will surely regress
    - DCL - won’t okay 10 man West Brom everywhere week will surely regress
    - Mitrovic - Fulham don’t create a lot and are getting relegated
    - Vardy - the forgotten man?

    1. Ginkapo FPL
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Different every week

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

        I guess my real question is: is Werner & Martial front line worth it/ will it come good?

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

      Jimenez - forgotten man 2

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

        Oh my god yes, I love Jimenez usually too

        Vardy, Jimenez front 2 actually seems the most reliable

    3. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Jimenez. Jimenez is the answer

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

        Always

    4. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Add in Kane, Wilson and Jimenez too

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

        So what is the answer?!

        1. Big boy Bowen
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          We don’t know yet

    5. Homer21
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      We've only had 2 matches ffs

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

        Yes exactly hence the uncertainty - I wouldn’t be asking if it was clear

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

      It's confusing but I like DCL-Jimenez-Werner for now

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

    Clear red WTF

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

    I want Salah Captain now haha

    1. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Very likely to be mine next week

  10. Albrightondknight
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    No covering player has to be red. Ref coped out -BS

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

    Lucky boy Christensen.

    1. HuthTheMagicDragon
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Why?

  12. FPL_DON
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    If this isn't red

  13. 1zverGGadeM
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    How on Earth this is not a RC for the defender?!

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

      Justice!

  14. BrutalLogiC
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    watching Magnus Carlsen talk about FPL on CNN right now

  15. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Red card given

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

    RED

  17. Zimo
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Off!

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

    Justice.

    Trent and Salah returns looking good now 🙂

  19. the dom 1
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    100% red

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

    Amazed the ref had to resort to VAR on that. Clear red card.

  21. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Christensen with his usual early bath

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

      Those were the days

  22. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Deserved it

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

    Its looking like those who got the 'luck' in GW1, GW2 and probably GW3 - are on the road to glory.

    Those (like me) who went Auba instead of Salah GW1, did the Ings to Martial - THANKS AZ! 🙁 - in GW2 and panicked to WC GW3 are in mega trouble.

    I'm 140+ points off top after 1.5 GW's. It isn't impossible but as these teams make the single change to Kane or Son I'm sat here crying into my note pad.

    Teams are still settling I admit, but I fear I'm going to be playing catch up for many many weeks now.

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

      That's the reason I'm forced to play my WC

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

      Can’t blame Az haha. Got to think for yourself.

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

        Tongue was in cheek bro. I'm a big boy.

    3. Legendary!
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Keep calm mate. If you've been playing FPL for over a decade you know it's still early days for a variety of reasons - teams are still gelling, teams/players will go through different patches of form, many FPL players that are "leading" now are going to lose interest etc etc

      Keep calm and play on

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

    Red... Chelsea will be put to the sword now

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

    10 men.

    Salah fill your boots.

  26. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Chelsea down to 10 men

  27. sandman58
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    If u had to....James or Saiss???

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

      Based on today and Wolves fixtures, no contest.

      1. sandman58
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Sorry...not watchin game

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

    red all day

  29. THFC4LIFE
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Easy decision, clear red

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

    Idk why people call close matches boring, like it's football, not cricket lads.

    This match has been interesting to watch tbh. Matched effort, Chelsea is looking relatively better at the back giving the exception of Kepa