Dugout Discussion

The Dugout Discussion – Sunday

Sunday could well be a day of reckoning. While Liverpool clash head-on with City at Anfield, Chelsea’s hopes of keeping pace with that pair in the title race will rest on their ability to dispose of struggling Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.

The opening clash of the day, just minutes away, undoubtedly commands the bulk of our attention. City will arrive at Anfield looking to halt a charge from Brendan Rodgers’ side that has seen the Merseysider outfit win nine league matches on the spin. City turn up with Sergio Aguero fit but named only on the bench as Manuel Pellegrini keeps faith with Edin Dzeko and makes just one change – Gael Clichy returns as the rotation with Aleks Kolarov continues at left-back. Vincent Kompany is in the lineup despite a training ground injury on Saturday. There’s no such issues for Liverpool – Rodgers puts out an unchanged side as Mamadou Sakho retains his start at the back, despite Dan Agger returning to fitness; the Dane is named amongst the subs.

We’ll bring you the teamsheet news from today’s game in South Wales via our Twitter feed, while our Dugout Discussion chatroom is now open for those looking for some real-time reactions during totday’s vital encounters.

Mark Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.

3,232 Comments Post a Comment
  1. The Chosen One...
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    I can't believe my stupid Yaya > Lallana this week has actually paid off

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    1. DelPuich
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      how did it pay off?

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      1. The Chosen One...
        • 11 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        Lallana 2 points, Yaya 1...Yaya out for season

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    2. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      1 point banked 😉

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    3. copps
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      that 1 point should shoot you up the rankings

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      1. The Chosen One...
        • 11 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        talking about long term and not having to waste a transfer on Yaya genius

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        1. The Shadow
          • 12 Years
          10 years, 26 days ago

          And it only cost you -4. 😉

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    4. Billy Gilmore
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      You did it for a hit.

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      1. Piggs Boson
        • 12 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        What the...

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      2. The Chosen One...
        • 11 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        only cost me 3 points....talking long term

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        1. The Shadow
          • 12 Years
          10 years, 26 days ago

          Give up.

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          1. The Chosen One...
            • 11 Years
            10 years, 26 days ago

            thinking 2 blanks from Yaya this week and a haul from Lallana not reasonable? Oh wait, I must do what everyone else does and not bother taking risks....

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            1. The Shadow
              • 12 Years
              10 years, 26 days ago

              First, put down the shovel . . .

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        2. Spectrum-FFS Doubles Champ
          • 12 Years
          10 years, 26 days ago

          Appy a bit of common sense people will get rid for free next week it cost you a hit to get rid

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        3. Piggs Boson
          • 12 Years
          10 years, 26 days ago

          Long term? Yaya had more games and more to play for?!

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      3. Royal5
        • 12 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        Lol!

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    5. The Chosen One...
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      and btw the reason i got rid of him was because i already had Silva and Nasri. And planned to get Aguero next week

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      1. Piggs Boson
        • 12 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        Why not keep him for this week and then do the switch the week after?

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        1. The Chosen One...
          • 11 Years
          10 years, 26 days ago

          i could only do the 3 transfers i did this week by dowgrading Yaya to Lallana

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    6. Snikiii
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Post of the day surely

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  2. DelPuich
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    the amount of diving by suarez today

    was insane

    should have seen red

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  3. Total Foot 5 - romario 11
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Manuel Pelligrini tells he doesn't expect Yaya Toure to play again this season. is world cup also not an option??

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    1. For Fuchs Sake
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Be fit by then I reckon

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  4. For Fuchs Sake
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Lukaku to Ade and Yaya to Mata then?

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    1. In Like Flynn.
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Looks a plan.

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    2. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Not sure.. Ade looked pretty awful in the last game. Lukaku is a big game player.

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  5. rdpx
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    I am sure this has been said already, but wasn't Sterling's goal fantastic. It was like he had time to call his mum and say: "Hi Mum, yeah I'm good, I'm in the Man City box... Yeah, it's great... Ok, love you, I'd better go now because I have to score a goal... Not sure really, I think I might go left... Ok. Byee, love to dad".

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    1. isacki: full casual
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      😆 Bang on.

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    2. Leaf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Love to my 9 kids

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      1. isacki: full casual
        • 12 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        He knows how many?

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      2. DelPuich
        • 11 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        I think its 14 now

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        1. Wilshere Knowledge
          • 10 Years
          10 years, 26 days ago

          he can't count that high.

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    3. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Great goal but poor keeping by Hart imo

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    4. Billy Gilmore
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      😆

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    5. applebonkers
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      was good on sterling's part. didn't like what hart did though. the second he saw kompany was back he should have gone back to his goal line. otherwise sterling could beat both him and kompany with one shift, then smply have to shoot on target to score. if he retreated he'd have beaten kompany but still have to have found a corner to beat hart

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    6. Pringle
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      I laughed 🙂

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  6. Fray Bentos
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    after the earlier excitement, this game is awful zzz

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    1. Debauchy
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Well tbf what else cd you expect. Watching this game with one eye, is ok though.

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  7. Ian Davis
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Yaya > Silva

    Hazard > Gerrard or Mata ?

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  8. Declan
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Please bring Oscar on at HT.

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    1. Bad Pen
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Lack of running and creativity in the Chelsea team at the moment, can see it happening.

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  9. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    So everyone going

    Mata - Gerrard - Silva - Hazard

    #oldskoolmids

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    1. Somalion
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Pretty much... will wait for a while on Haz.

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    2. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Eriksen instead of Hazard

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      1. Jafooli
        • 12 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        Oh yeah, him as well.....

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    3. The Chosen One...
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Silva, Mata, Nasri, Lallana for me

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    4. Wilshere Knowledge
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Mata-AJ-Silva-Ramsey

      😎

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  10. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    City v Sunderland not televised 🙁

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    1. Kowalski
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      get it on the net?

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  11. Mílanista
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Willian, Schurrle, Salah
    Ba

    Pretty poor attack for a team of Chelsea's resources.

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    1. The Light Knight
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Mata would have been perfect for this and all of Chelski's slip ups

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    2. Leaf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Still about 70m transfer outlay for that lot

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  12. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Routledginhio

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  13. Piggs Boson
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    I was planning to do Gerrard -> Mata after next GW but Gerrard seems like a man possessed at the moment. Seems nuts ditching him.

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    1. Carrick Doesn't Deserv…
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      i was gonna do punch to eriksen but puncheon looks possessed too

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    2. Colonel Shoe 肝池
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      yep, i was surprised he didnt get a peno today (prob could have if suarez hadnt made such a meal)

      key player, barrin injury ill hold him till end

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    3. rdpx
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Me too - but now I have Hazard and Yaya to think about instead.

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  14. Wakka Wakkas
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Chelsea look like crap.

    0-0 draw all over this one.

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  15. Royal5
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Sagbo.

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  16. Somalion
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Kinda wish Suarez had been sent off for his relentless diving... Would have taught him to never do it again.

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    1. UnderstandablyDistraught
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Would have been harsh - all of those dives had a high degree of difficulty

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      1. Somalion
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        That's fair, the facial expressions were worthy of an Oscar nomination too.

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      2. isacki: full casual
        • 12 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        The Demichelis one was very poorly executed - I would accept nothing less than a week's hard training for that.

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        1. UnderstandablyDistraught
          • 12 Years
          10 years, 26 days ago

          back to the Bolshoi to work on fundamentals. I'm a swan, I'm a swan

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  17. Declan
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Get in there Sheff Utd 2-1

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  18. Colonel Shoe 肝池
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    midfield of AJ, lalana, yaya, gerrard not lookin very hot this week 🙁

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    1. UnderstandablyDistraught
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      will get even colder next week

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      1. Colonel Shoe 肝池
        • 12 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        aye.....will have to take another hit no doubt, get silva n eriksen

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        1. UnderstandablyDistraught
          • 12 Years
          10 years, 26 days ago

          doubt that you'll be alone in taking a hit

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  19. Deulo10
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Stuart Brennan ‏@StuBrennanMEN 2m
    City are denying the rumour that Yaya is out for the season - they say MP said they will look tomorrow, but he is a doubt for Sunderland,

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    1. Bøwstring The Carp
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Yaya is made of metal. I'd say he'll miss the midweek game and make the bench next weekend. Hopefully...

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    2. applebonkers
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      no way the floater was going down that easily

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      1. Wilshere Knowledge
        • 10 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        That was crap.

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  20. Wakka Wakkas
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Sometimes getting an early sending off sucks for the team that benefits.

    All game long the referee is going to make make-up calls.

    Chelsea wont get any more calls all match.

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    1. UnderstandablyDistraught
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      yeah, it's a real bummer playing with an extra man

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    2. Wilshere Knowledge
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Yeh, Chelsea are so unlucky that Swansea got a red card.

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    3. Debauchy
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Yeah , happens . hope so...

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  21. Zinedine Kilbane
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Bony king of the back heel

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  22. Elfozzie 42
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Blimey, going to be an interesting week of tweaking ahead now and some genuine differentials emerging in the final few games:

    Mannone / Ruddy
    Fonte - Coleman - Ward - Chester - Caulker
    Silva - Barkley - Llallana - Puncheon - Yaya
    Suarez - Sturridge - Lukaku

    Mulling through a wealth of options so far:
    D (Upgrades) > Chelsea, Mertesacker, Evra, Zaba
    M (Yaya out for) > Eriksen, Gerrard, Mata, Schurrle, Salah, Ramsey
    F (Sturridge out for) > Aguero, Adebayor, Lambert, Dzeko

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  23. Colonel Shoe 肝池
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    hold the phone is studge out too 😕

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    1. Elfozzie 42
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Yep, looks that way. Just need Aguero to get a tweak mid-week and the cat will be amidst the pigeons.

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      1. Colonel Shoe 肝池
        • 12 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        bums...... not a good dgw thus far

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  24. Nice to Finally Michu
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Snodgrass and Yaya > Mata and Ramsey -4?

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  25. Piggs Boson
    • 12 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Lukaku(MUN) -> Suarez(nor) for free a no brainer?

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    1. Colonel Shoe 肝池
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      3 hattricks against em...... yep go for it

      tho i hope lukaku does well v utd

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  26. applebonkers
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    to agree with wakka wakka's point but with different reasoning, i think the red is bad for chelsea's chances of winning.
    mourinho teams struggle against teams who play for a draw, the red card is simply like swansea pulling the handbrake up, hernandez off for a CB doesnt affect the defence, simply their ability and will to attack. you cant counter attack a parked bus. see chelsea west ham, and real madrid v grenada last season

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    1. CABAYE4
      • 12 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      10 men will have to do more work, eventually Chelsea should be able to wear them down.

      If Chelsea want to win the league, they need to be good enough to break through.

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      1. applebonkers
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        10 years, 26 days ago

        depends how much you give hernandez credit for doing off the ball, as technically that's the only difference now.
        the onus is on chelsea's CBs or defensive mids to be the extra man, may be time for mourinho to sacrifice matic or ramires for oscar

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    2. Wilshere Knowledge
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Swansea will be knackered.

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    3. Debauchy
      • 11 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Agree , but surely Mourinho gotta have plan B against a rather poor Swans team. Hope not though.

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  27. Valar(Keith)
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    When is rvp expected back? Might as well use tgat excess cash now 🙄

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    1. Recoba
      • 10 Years
      10 years, 26 days ago

      Was considering if he's fit for Nor. Could do yaya / lukaku > mata rvp

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  28. Jimbo123
    • 14 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    Was Sturridge badly injured?

    Do we have any idea what kind of bury it was?

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  30. Pringle
    • 10 Years
    10 years, 26 days ago

    GW35: Yaya --> Eriksen
    GW36: Mutch --> Mata

    No-brainer isnt it?

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