Dugout Discussion

Mendy and Azpilicueta return for Chelsea as Tuchel benches Havertz

Edouard Mendy (£5.2m) and César Azpilicueta (£5.9m) are back in the Chelsea side as they travel to West Ham in Blank Gameweek 33.

Both key defenders were absent from the starting XI for the 0-0 draw with Brighton on Tuesday, the latter ending his run of having played every Premier League minute under Thomas Tuchel.

Against the Hammers, Azpilicueta is joined in the team by Thiago Silva (£5.6m), Antonio Rüdiger (£4.7m) and Andreas Christensen (£4.7m), the latter claiming more clean sheets than any other Chelsea defender in the last six matches (five).

Their involvement today means a rare foray onto the right-hand side of Chelsea’s four-man midfield for Azpilicueta while, at left wing-back, Ben Chilwell (£5.8m) keeps Marcos Alonso (£5.7m) out of the team again.

Kai Havertz (£8.2m) is on the bench this afternoon for the second time in the last four matches.

Timo Werner (£9.2m) comes back in for his first start since Gameweek 30 with Mason Mount (£7.3m) and Christian Pulisic (£8.3m) either side of him, the latter Chelsea’s top-scorer in the last four matches (three goals).

West Ham remain without Aaron Cresswell (£5.7m) and Arthur Masuaku (£4.3m) while Craig Dawson‘s (£4.5m) suspension means starts for Fabian Balbuena (£4.1m) and Ryan Fredericks (£4.2m).

Michail Antonio‘s (£6.4m) continued absence means Jesse Lingard (£6.6m) and Jarrod Bowen (£6.0m) lead the West Ham attack with Pablo Fornals (£5.8m) at number 10.

Blank Gameweek 33 Line-ups

West Ham United XI (3-4-1-2): Fabianski; Ogbonna, Diop, Balbuena; Fredericks, Noble, Soucek, Coufal; Fornals; Lingard, Bowen.

Chelsea (3-4-3): E Mendy; Rudiger, T Silva, Christensen; Chilwell, Jorginho, Kanté, Azpilicueta; Mount, Werner, Pulisic.

Elsewhere in Blank Gameweek 33

Mohamed Salah (£12.6m) earned his Blank Gameweek 33 points quickly on Saturday lunchtime as he netted in the third minute of Liverpool’s meeting with Newcastle.

However, the encounter proved to be a rather frustrating one for those in possession of the Reds’ assets considering they should have won by a big scoreline.

Sadio Mané (£11.7m) and Diogo Jota (£7.1m) missed a string of chances with the latter coming off in the 58th minute and missing out on a clean sheet point in the process.

His team-mates came close to securing a shut-out against Newcastle but a late Joe Willock (£4.7m) goal wiped it off the board.

Callum Wilson (£6.5m) also put the ball in the net minutes before but had his effort ruled out for a handball.

Bonus points

  • 3 – Martin Dubravka
  • 2 – Andrew Robertson
  • 1 – Alisson, Joe Willock

GET IN-GAME DATA AT LIVE FPL

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

493 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Mr. O'Connell
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Mount class again for no FPL points

    1. A. PRISE
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      I have him, apologies

      1. Mr. O'Connell
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        Same. Can't even be pissed off tbh, he's class. Points will come.

        1. Bushwhacker
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 11 days ago

          Doubtful. I don't think he's an FPL points getter in Tuchels set up.

    2. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Should've had 4 assists this game. So sad

      Last game for Mason next GW then its on to Maddison or Lingard

    3. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Top player ... but doesn’t look like FPL volcano sadly.

  2. tbos83
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Oh ffs Mendy

  3. Scholes Out For Summer
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    I can understand Kavanaugh's perspective there.

    After looking at the rules, endangering an opponent because you lost control (follow through of the kick was out of control) is still meant to be a red, soooo I guess it's justifiable.

    The issue is the wording of the rule. "Endangering" is very subjective, and every ref has a different understanding of that word. If Chilwell broke his leg there then would that be a red card offense?

    1. Will Kane
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Makes no difference whether Chilwell breaks his leg or not, cards shouldn't be handed out based on the outcome. It was either an offence or it wasn't. In my opinion clearing the ball is not an offence

      1. Sharkytect
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        Agreed. Son got sent off for a freak tackle last season when his opponent (gomes) broke his leg. The ref was gonna book son but then changed it to a red when he saw the damaged leg. Not after seeing a replay. Different punishment for the same tackle.

        1. Sharkytect
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 11 days ago

          (This shouldn't happen)

    2. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Second non red of the week. Just get out VAR. Just get out.

  4. Stupendous
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Mendy Azpi Rudi Triple finally!!!!!

    1. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Good for you ... genuinely

  5. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Tammy wastes Mount assist.

    Full time.

  6. SEXY SALAH
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Lingard blank and Rudiger cleanie, GET IN I can breathe

    1. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Happy for that balance

  7. Mr. O'Connell
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Brewster time

    1. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      OMG Brewster to ruin Brighton defence buyers ...

  8. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Lingard was due...

  9. SEXY SALAH
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Is that 2 juicy ones for Rudiger too?!

  10. OLD Rafiki
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Beautiful Rudiger with another Beautiful CS.

  11. EmreCan Hustle
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Moyes ignored the referee, shook hands with other officials.

  12. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Jota > Siggy?

    Pretty good schedule, dgw 35 and not a blank gw 36.

    1. The Invincibles
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      I'm thinking Siggy or even Bowen. Would be a West Ham double up on attack as I own Lingard, but their fixtures till the end of the season are really good and he's playing up front.

    2. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Everton are the most underwhelming over achieving team this year ... so yeah, stick him in, bound to deliver more than the hickey player posing as a footballer Diogo Joker.

  13. TheDragon
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Rudiger and Mendy paying me back somewhat after last weeks disaster

    1. Botman and Robben
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Rudi had 7 last GW.

      1. TheDragon
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        Benched him for Dias didn’t I.

        I’m great at FPL 🙂

    2. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      I played last week and benched this week

    3. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      This.

  14. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Rudiger was a good purchase a few weeks back, especially with lack of funds to spend in the back.

  15. TheDragon
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Salah is up to 2 bonus points!!!

    1. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Carrier pigeon?

      1. TheDragon
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        I’ve not spent all day on here - shocking I know

        1. Paqueta Rice
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 11 days ago

          How dare you ? I just log on and post sarcastic comments to fit in really. My apologies. 😉

          1. Ginkapo FPL
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 11 days ago

            Keep up the good work

            1. Paqueta Rice
              • 3 Years
              3 years, 11 days ago

              That’s the spirit

      2. OLD Rafiki
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        on the move

      3. My heart goes Salalalalah
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        GTFO

    2. SEXY SALAH
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      To be taken off with the final adjs after Sheff game

    3. The Invincibles
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      All 3 now!

      1. TheDragon
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        Sadly dubrevka is way ahead

  16. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    FFS Mendy booking. Only 5pts now. Watch Martinez concede 2 and still get 3-4pts. I guess this is the issue with Mendy.

    1. Qaiss
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Only 5 pts instead of 6. First world problems.

      1. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        5th minute of injury time though. So needless.

    2. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Wow. More stressful typing that heart wrenching message than it was worth surely.

  17. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Benched double Chelsea defence

    1. Dreaming of glory
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Same! After the last 3 weeks this means no cleans from mendy since I got him in 29 & taa lost his cs in 96th min.

      Need veltman to get a cs to make up for lost rudiger points now, was a ballsey call as rival had double Chelsea def and I thought they would concede. Tried to be too smart clearly

      1. Paqueta Rice
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        I took a -8. Kane, Digne and Cancelo to Vardy, Trent and Castagne. Then played Shaw, Trent and Castagne and benched Digne and Rudiger and Mendy.

    2. El Presidente
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      You can't complain, how on earth you bench the best defense in the league???

      1. Paqueta Rice
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        Well, the obvious reason really. My other players had better fixtures ?

    3. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Prob best keeping that to yourself. But as you haven’t I can recommend the Kleenex with added Alo Vera as you’ll no doubt rattle through a few boxes of tissues

  18. The Final Boss
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Started Shaw veltman coady ahead of Rudiger especially I was starting mendy lingard..Not a bad decision right regardless of what others do?

    1. TheDragon
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Perfectly reasonable decision

    2. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Sensible enough ...

    3. Ruth_NZ
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      I'd have benched Lingard. In fact I did bench Lingard. 🙂

  19. Mweene
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Would like an explanation for how Robertson lost those BPs.

    Finding it increasingly hard to believe that these highly captained players keep sneaking BPs late in the day by coincidence.

    1. El Presidente
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Well deserved Salah was Liverpool's best player

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        Only player.

  20. Stranger Mings
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Was mendy in bonus points before he got YC?

    1. Phlajo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      No

    2. FPL_Motty
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      No not really, only 2 saves.

    3. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Nowhere near.

  21. OLD Rafiki
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    veltman do the trick

  22. Mweene
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Need Iheanacho to score 2+ or this GW could derail my season.

    Rank has more than doubled so far.

    1. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      No Mo?

    2. TheDragon
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      He should def get minimum 2 points so you’ll be fine

    3. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      That’s what happens when you triple captain your mum.

    4. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Your season is already great. You cannot derail your season by benching the entire squad the rest of the way.

    5. Wet Knee Houston
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      So far you've had blanks from players with 63%, 73% and 84% in the top 10k (i assume not much different percentages in top 1k), so not a big deal, plus Salah (9) 148.5% against you, again not a big deal. 4/12 against 6/12 average, so the drop is likely temporary and irrelevant, as you very well know 😛

  23. Ramboros
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 11 days ago

    Kind of fishy by OPTA to add a key pass on Salah in a situation where Mané clearly loses the ball while trying to dribble past Dubravka. No shot given to Mané in the statistics, but somehow Salah gets a key pass and a big chance created. That's a strict contradiction to their definitions.

    1. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Are you suggesting Mark paid OPTA to add 1 key pass to Salah’s stats in order to boost him to 2 baps in order to increase his rank by 0.5% then you are absolutely correct

    2. @persecuted_by_mods
        3 years, 11 days ago

        Does the key pass only count if the receiving player shoots?

    3. Botman and Robben
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      Something tells me should have played Sanchez over Emi.

      1. TheDragon
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        Brighton definitely higher clean sheet probability

        It’s just for Martinez a clean sheet is normally 9-10 points whereas it’s 6 for Sanchez.

        Very close decision I think

      2. Eh, just one more thing ...
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        Something tells me should have played EMI over Sanchez.

    4. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 11 days ago

      I do love Moyes at times, experience, measured, doesn't make a massive thing of it but points out the referee is a complete clown still.

      1. Duke Silver ☑
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 11 days ago

        Yeah I liked his interview. Could tell he was pished off but kept calm all things considering.

    5. hueycho
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 10 days ago

      Werner finally delivers!