Dugout Discussion

Mendy benched as Chelsea and Arsenal make a combined 12 changes

It’s 12 matches down, three to go as Triple Gameweek 35 continues with Chelsea v Arsenal on Wednesday evening.

Kick-off at Stamford Bridge is at 20:15 BST.

Mikel Arteta and Thomas Tuchel have been prone to a spot of rotation in the spring, with both of their sides juggling domestic duties with involvement on the continent.

Changes always looked likely for this second Gameweek 35 fixture for the pair and there have indeed been a dozen alterations to the two starting XIs this evening.

Only four of Thomas Tuchel’s side have survived the cut from the 2-1 win over Manchester City.

Cesar Azpilicueta (£5.9m), Reece James (£5.1m), Billy Gilmour (£4.3m) and Christian Pulisic (£8.3m) are the lucky quartet.

That means that Edouard Mendy (£5.2m) drops to the bench, with Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.7m) making his third Premier League start in the Tuchel era.

Thiago Silva (£5.6m), Kurt Zouma (£5.3m), Ben Chilwell (£5.9m), Jorginho (£4.7m), Mason Mount (£7.3m) and Kai Havertz (£8.3m) are also recalled, with Antonio Rudiger (£4.7m), Andreas Christensen (£4.7m), N’Golo Kante (£4.9m), Marcos Alonso (£5.7m) Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech (£7.9m) making way.

Rudiger, Kante and Christensen are all absent from the match day squad, with the latter having previously been confirmed as being injured.

Arteta has made a mere five changes to the team that beat West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.3m), Kieran Tierney (£5.2m), Martin Odegaard (£5.7m), Thomas Partey (£4.9m) and Pablo Marí (£4.4m) are all promoted to the starting XI.

Budget FPL midfielder Emile Smith Rowe (£4.2m) has recovered from a hamstring strain to start.

Calum Chambers (£4.5m), Willian (£7.5m), Nicolas Pepe (£7.6m), Dani Ceballos (£4.7m) and Gabriel Martinelli (£4.9m) all drop to the bench.

Rudiger and Mendy were by some distance the most-popular players within the top 10k as of the Gameweek 35 deadline, with ‘effective ownerships’ (EO – something that takes into account captaincies and benchings) of 30.73% and 23.36% respectively.

Rob Holding (£4.3m), whose EO of 17.03% in the top 10k is more than the rest of Arsenal’s squad combined, is therefore the most-owned player within this leading group of Fantasy bosses in tonight’s game.


LINE-UPS

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Zouma, James, Gilmour, Jorginho, Chilwell, Mount, Pulisic, Havertz.

Subs: Alonso, Werner, Mendy, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech, Emerson Palmieri, Anjorin, Livramento.

Arsenal:Leno, Holding, Gabriel, Pablo Mari, Tierney, Thomas, Elneny, Saka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Aubameyang.

Subs: Bellerin, Ceballos, Lacazette, Willian, Cedric, Pepe, Chambers, Ryan, Martinelli.


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542 Comments Post a Comment
  1. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Fun fact.

    Sunderland have more top flight championships than Chelsea.

    1. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Wrong actually. They have the same.

      I’ll get my coat.

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Chelsea have the only London champions league victory.

        Newcomers too with Roubles.

  2. FPLtfs
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    A) Bruno -> Son
    B) Greenwood -> Raphinha

  3. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Just like the last time they were in ucl final, Chelsea could be playing not only to win it but also to qualify for next seasons comp

  4. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Is it time to lose Watkins?

    Thinking Nacho & Watkins > Antonio & Bamford

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Watkins vs. Crystal Palace is not a bad fixture.

      Those are still not bad moves though & would look to do something like that the following week anyway.

    2. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Makes sense on form and fixtures

    3. tbos83
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      I'd keep him for Palace

    4. BIG TONES
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Keeping for Palace fixture then likely gone after that

    5. Buck The Trent
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Is the RC rescinded?

  5. Bushwhacker
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Ha Bellerin is such a cheat.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      His race is run?

  6. A. PRISE
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    I don't believe in God but clearly God wants an Arsenal clean sheet

    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      She has holding on her benchboost

      1. A. PRISE
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Did you see what happened just now???

        1. Revival
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          2 years, 10 months ago

          classic case of hanging on

  7. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    That'll be the Leno save point and BAPs of the clean sheet holds.

  8. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Leno 3rd save should be worth 3 points to him.

    1. Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Or even 4

  9. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Great result for West Ham and Liverpool

  10. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Just saw the goal. Surprised to see people defending Kepa tbh. Only needed to defend the near post rather than rushing out. Adrenaline running high, no doubt, but he's a professional sportsperson innit

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      He was wide for the pass back

      1. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        That too. Kind of missed the beginning of the replays

  11. A. PRISE
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Watch Arsenal get pummeled by Crystal Palace next week

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Possible

  12. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Chelsea hit the bar twice in a minute

  13. FantasyHero
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Brought in maguire for holding. That went well.

    1. Ch0udini
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Zaha for ESR for me...

    2. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Saka over ESR for me

  14. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Absolute scenes

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Where?

  15. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Be very surprised if Arsenal hold out for these 5-6 minutes

    1. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      100% they will

    2. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      3 mins to be surprised left

  16. Abusive_Sgt_Daelrhos
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    These idiots are conceding for sure

    1. A. PRISE
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Not a chance

  17. Random Name
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Leno struggling with a looping header despite standing on the line

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      At least he's not Pickford

    2. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Get Laca in goal.

  18. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Miraculous from Mount.

    Stricken to hobbling to looking to knock it in.

    He's the messiah

  19. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    12 points from bench boost. I suppose it could be worse 🙂

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      You could have been on Leeds in gw19

    2. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Yes, I've finished on 5 (9 minus a hit).

    3. Gunners in Haaland
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      28 on the bench and no BB...

      1. FFSbet.com
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Amater,45pts
        https://imgur.com/a/JI5Ut1m

        1. Gunners in Haaland
          • 4 Years
          2 years, 10 months ago

          Wow

    4. Shearer & Sutton
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      38pts on the bench.
      FH this GW.

  20. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    ESR getting those passes completed & zooming up the BAPs again.

  21. Abusive_Sgt_Daelrhos
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Hooooold please, I know you suck but please hold

  22. 3 A
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Hold Holding.. Hold.

  23. Life_Ban
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Why is potato not using his 4th sub just to waste time?????!??

  24. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Holding holding 1 bap.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      It's the small things on top of the clean sheet that counts

  25. Mr. O'Connell
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Class bench. Forster, Holding, ESR. If only if not played BB 3 weeks ago for -1 points.

    1. Patio Kev
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Is that a FH bench anyway ?

  26. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    FT 0-1

    1. WVA
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Ha crazy result, sold Leno for Henderson!

  27. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Worse dive of the season from Partey

    1. Patio Kev
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      It did look like the defender got a little bit of him on the replay.

  28. fusen
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    The BPS are all over the place for the arsenal defenders

  29. Patio Kev
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    FT: Chelsea 0 Arsenal 1 but tonight’s biggest winners must be Liverpool. What an incentive they have to beat Man Utd tomorrow night now.

    If Liverpool win that and then also their last 3 games then they end up on 69 points. But because Chelsea and Leicester have to play each other then they can’t both then finish above Liverpool if Liverpool do win all their last 4 remaining matches.

    Liverpool’s goal difference isn’t currently as good as Leicester’s but if they do win their last 4 matches then it will almost certainly end up better than Leicester’s.

    Back in Liverpool’s own hands anyway for Champions League Qualification. Expecting a massive performance tomorrow.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Game over

      Nice

    2. dark91
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      If Chelsea beat Leicester and Leicester win their other remaining games Liverpool doesn't get CL

      1. Patio Kev
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        If Chelsea beat Leicester and win their last game they end up on 70 points

        However in that case Leicester would need to win their last game and end up on 69 points which is the same maximum as Liverpool can get currently on 57 points with 4 games to go.

        It’s in Liverpool’s own hands, win their last 4 games and score lots of goals and CL spot is theirs.

  30. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Odds seems to have been swapped for clean sheet chances vs. WBA & CHE this gameweek...