Dugout Discussion

Frank Lampard rotates Chelsea squad as Aston Villa visit Stamford Bridge

In a Gameweek where Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£8.0m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£11.7m) saw their fixture unexpectedly postponed, Frank Lampard has heaped misery on misery for Fantasy Premier League managers.

The Chelsea manager has made six changes from the side that lost 3-0 to Arsenal, omitting three of his club’s four-most popular Fantasy assets.

27.0% of managers own Kurt Zouma (£5.9m), not in the matchday squad for Gameweek 16 with Antonio Rüdiger (£4.5m) next to Andreas Christensen (£4.7m) at centre-back.

The 12.8%-owned Reece James (£5.2m) is also out of the squad, replaced at right-back by Cesar Azpilicueta (£5.6m), although Ben Chilwell (£6.1m) holds onto the left-back berth.

Further up the pitch, Timo Werner (£9.3m), still sat in 14.0% of squads, drops out of the starting XI, joining Kai Havertz (£8.2m) and Tammy Abraham (£7.2m) on the Chelsea bench.

That means a front-three of Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.7m), Olivier Giroud (£6.7m) and Christian Pulisic (£8.2m) going up against an Aston Villa defence forced to leave out Tyrone Mings (£5.4m) through suspension.

This is the first Premier League match that Dean Smith’s men will face without the centre-back this season, a first start together for Ezri Konsa (£4.7m) and Kortney Hause (£4.4m).

The rest of Aston Villa’s squad looks in good shape, especially compared to the second-string feel of Chelsea’s line-up.

The in-form Anwar El Ghazi (£5.7m) and Bertrand Traoré (£5.9m) flank Jack Grealish (£7.8m) in the number 10 role while Ollie Watkins (£6.1m) starts up-front fresh from a hat-trick of assists against Crystal Palace.

Chelsea XI: E Mendy; Chilwell, Christensen, Rüdiger, Azpilicueta; Mount, Kanté, Jorginho; Hudson-Odoi, Giroud, Pulisic.

Aston Villa XI: Martínez; Targett, Hause, Konsa, Cash; D Luiz, McGinn; El Ghazi, Grealish, B Traoré; Watkins.

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1,792 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Martinez CS please.

    1. SHOOTER MCGINN
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Think there's reasonable chance of that

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

    Zouma not even in squad

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

    Grealish double figure haul. All we ask for

    1. Kellz86
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      I brought in Mount for Grealish on my WC sooo...

    2. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Don't see it tbh

    3. The Wanton Trader
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Every point we can get is going to be precious this week...

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

      If Watkins could have another please, that would be great thanks!

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

        Read this with the bosses voice from Office Space.

  4. R.C
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Villa to win this comfortably.

  5. Captain_Shirokov
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    sigh

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

    Best Arsenal defender to own?

    Money no problem

    1. Bury94
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Sol Campbell

    2. Karhumies
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Tierney, probably?

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

        holdini

  7. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Is Zouma on the bench?

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

      No

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

      Nope

    3. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Oh wait LOL. Benched Zouma for Dallas and/or Taylor. Off to buy lotto tickets...

  8. Syd.
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Tis the season to be jolly
    Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
    Strike the harp and join the chorus.
    Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

    1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      I love the smell of FPL carnage in the afternoon...

      * plays along to the Chorus *

      1. Syd.
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        I am sure you do 🙂

  9. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Should be a good game this.

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      That's what I hope for FPL aside

  10. Kellz86
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Mount to score a brace here

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

    Villa to destroy Chelsea pls

    1. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Would love Watkins to finally start putting the ball in the net today .... although, I’d take three assists again!

  12. Saka_me_sideways
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    The mighty Soucek finally coming off my bench this week

    1. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Jealous

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

    Why are people talking about a possible Newcastle-Liverpool postponement? Is there a covid outbreak in either team?

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Man City played Newcastle 2 days ago. If Man City getting positive tests then they could have passed it on to Newcastle and so they don't want Newcastle to pass it on to Liverpool.

    2. Dr Van Nostrand
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Fear mongerers be rife

    3. Lev Yashin
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      No but NEW played MCI not so long ago....

    4. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Scaremongering- it will depend however on COVID testing of players

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

      Thanks for the replies

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

      Most Newcastle players have already had it anyway

  14. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Martinez CS, penalty save, max BAPs and some saves.

    Let’s have it

    1. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      +267

    2. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      I'd take 3 points

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

        I’d take 2

  15. el polako
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Pep just wanted a rest for his players.
    #donttrustbaldfraud

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Baldist

    2. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      He is just prolonging the fixture congestion

    3. Third Eye Vision
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      I welcome the rest for the Everton team too. It won’t do any harm. Hopefully, we will be full strength or thereabouts when the fixture is rescheduled.

  16. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    This will be a surprising 3-0 to Chelsea.

    Mark my words.

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      It's not a surprise then. The other way around will be!

  17. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Grealish give me a haul, punish the sellers

    1. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      It will be difficult with this donkey Watkins up front.

      1. Paqueta Rice
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Aye, tough pull to swallow the other night, should of had 2-3 assists !

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

    Can see Villa getting a result here

    1. Lev Yashin
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Probably 1-1

  19. Rupert The Horse
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Whole weak rides on Villa players.
    I need to go and look in the mirror.

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Is this a double entendre

  20. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Grealish and Martinez blanks confirmed

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

      This

  21. The-Red-1
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Anyone had a worse gameweek in terms of available players?

    Zouma, Cancelo, Sterling, KDB, DCL all out.

    In comes Coufal and Brewster haha

    1. CRO KLOPP
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Nope,you win

    2. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Ouch

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

      I also have 8 left, but used to it by now from the Villa postponement. I had 4 players in the postponed game and 2 other injures that GW.

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

      Only two in that game but my bench is lookman and bissouma. Maximum 4 points

  22. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Premier league statement they read out on prime suggests the show will go on! Looking forward to my Firmino hall already

  23. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Villa are going to ruin this back-up defence aren't they?

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Watkins

  24. BobB
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Why is Zouma out? Frank tinkering?

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Yes just giving him a rest for the next 2 games

    2. Davros
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Sounds like his changes are mixture of rest due to quick turnaround and reaction to last match. Not sure where zouma sits

    3. Kellz86
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Rest

  25. jason_ni
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Just checked the news.. surely they knew before 4pm today that the game was as risk?

    Good start to the gw.
    No zouma, no cancelo, no dcl.

    Lampty, Anguissa, Burke to the rescue?!

    1. Garlana
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      You just know that some people who play this game had leeks and will have an advantage

      1. Garlana
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        And leaks 🙂

      2. jason_ni
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        To be honest, I've been having a shocker this year, so this gw nothing new.
        Petition for fpl to remove covid seasons from the permanent record anyone??

    2. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      They knew this morning but had protocols to follow

  26. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Why so many getting rid off Grealish?

    He has a game in the blank gw.

    1. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      FH18, BB/TC dgw19

    2. Karhumies
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      FH18 BB19. Plenty of people are selling Grealish, DCL, Kane, Son and MCity assets because they don't have double matches on 19.

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

      Lots doing FH18

    4. Plant Based FPLer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Fixtures on paper look bad. People on wildcard this GW. Then free hit GW 18, then bench boost GW 19.

  27. Meme2011
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    My night To myself is ruined...tempted not to tell the mrs the game is off...

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

      Haha, just need more fake crowd noise

  28. Davros
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Looking at that Chelsea team I am nervous having sold Grealish

    1. Meme2011
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Atleast you diddnt sell him for Maddison like me?!

    2. Pitch Perfect
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Kept Grealish because id want him in the blank. Cost me 7.0 to buy and would be 7.8 to buy back.

  29. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Am I remembering it right that COVID suspended the season halfway through a Man City DGW last season? I'm pretty sure I tripled up on City and had KDB (c) then. Cursed team!

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Bad memories - screwed my season.

    2. Forza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Yep, City v Arsenal was the midweek game and I had Auba (c).

  30. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Please Grealish behave. Rest of Villa please kill it!