Dugout Discussion

Dugout Discussion – Middlesbrough vs Arsenal

After Diego Costa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic managed a single point between them at Old Trafford yesterday, all eyes are on Alexis Sanchez as Arsenal roll up to the Riverside in tonight’s final Gameweek fixture.

Recently shuffled onto the left flank, a run of three matches without a goal has knocked our confidence in the Chilean ahead of the Gunners’ double Gameweeks 36 and 37.

Indeed, only 5.9% have handed Sanchez the armband as he attempts to reclaim his spot as top scoring player in Fantasy Premier League, having been knocked off his perch by Romelu Lukaku at the weekend.

Tonight’s team selection looks to have handed Sanchez a change of role. To everyone’s surprise, Arsene Wenger appears to have set up with a 3-4-2-1 formation or even a 3-4-1-2, with Sanchez perhaps joining Olivier Giroud up front – a concern perhaps for the 91,000+ who sold the Chilean ahead of Gameweek 33.

Tonight’s encounter also gives us the chance to run the rule over the hosts as they prepare for a potentially profitable double Gameweek 34 against Bournemouth and Sunderland.

Both Victor Valdes and Ben Gibson currently sit second for transfers in among keepers and defenders since Saturday’s deadline, though in the four matches under new manager Steve Agnew, Boro have been somewhat hot and cold – keeping two clean sheets and conceding at least three times in the other two.

Valdes misses out this evening with a rib problem sustained at Burnley last time out – an injury kept under wraps until tonight: Brad Guzan claims the keeper’s jersey.

Sitting six points from safety, the Teesside team are in desperate need of wins now. Having failed to score in six of their last eight, though, most will likely steer clear of the hosts’ attack unless they can punish the Gunners this evening.

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

4,192 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Sonic Huth
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    ALEXIS SOT!

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Dial up 😉

  2. nkhoughton
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Triple boro defense next week?

    1. Old Schoolᴼˢ “disa…
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      They won't play Arsenal every week

    2. Smurf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Yep, done well not conceading a goal in the first half hour against one of the leagues most out of form teams.

    3. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      No way.

    4. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      I think I am going to do it
      They are like a poor man's west brom.
      I figure the sunderland game is a good chance Iof a clean sheet at least. It will be all muck and bullets

  3. Smurf
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Fabio joint top BPS and he's not even on the pitch. I think that sums up this match.

  4. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Was Valdes injured is that why he is not playing?

    1. jmcclory123
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Yep

  5. Costa's Counsellor
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Any lol@s yet?

    1. jmcclory123
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      @Arsenal

      1. Old Schoolᴼˢ “disa…
        • 12 Years
        7 years, 1 month ago

        😎

    2. Old Schoolᴼˢ “disa…
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      @arsenal fans?

    3. fedolefan
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Lols @ us with San(c)hez. Depressing.

    4. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      @ Sanchez holders!

    5. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      The idea of selling Sanchez for Townsend.

  6. jmcclory123
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Foul by Xhaka, uncharacteristic

  7. FPL Pillars
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Oh dear Valdes out, glad I didn't transfer him in yet. He was locked as well!

    How serious is injury?

  8. Garfield1001
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    De Roon has looked to be playing quite far forward.

    My worry is he doesn't play the 2 games in DGW after getting dropped last week.

  9. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Boro defence could be really good for DGW... I'm tempted by a treble up now that Friend is back... Two cleansheets in the DGW & they will be FPL heroes, relegation or not.

    1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Spoke too soon lol

  10. ZeBestee
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Fill in the blank

    Xhaka is ................. ?

    1. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Shaka Zulu

    2. Old Schoolᴼˢ “disa…
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Not kaka (in his prime)

    3. Smurf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Not premiership quality.

    4. Speédy
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Donkey

    5. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      as dirty is nacho cheese.

      1. FPL Pillars
        • 7 Years
        7 years, 1 month ago

        As*

    6. The Rock
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      A waste of £35m.

  11. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Alexis inches from a goal

    1. Woy of the Wovers
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Is he standing by a post?

  12. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Alexis close

  13. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Alexis nearly.

  14. Smurf
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Ox, nice cross.

  15. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Wenger's self importance is a massive problem here imo, just say whether you are staying or going and pick the players who like your decision

    1. internal error
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      He is staying. Just waiting for a time when he wont get lynched

    2. Wilshere Knowledge
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Not sure we could field XI if he stayed.

  16. The Rock
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Is Leadbitter on penalties?

  17. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Barragan nailed!

  18. Sonic Huth
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Hoping for a Sanchez goal and the site going nuts 🙂

  19. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Sanchez 0.34 inches away from scoring

    1. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      You should know. 😉

      1. internal error
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Hahahaha

      2. Differentiator
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Credit where due

  20. Sjaugen
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Xhaka is the most expensive tool in England

  21. PlayPercentage
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Will Valdes be back for next GW?
    Got him in specifically a couple of weeks back.

    1. vectorman
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Yep me too, 3 players out from this game. A rib injury doesn't sound to good for a GK 🙁

  22. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Why bother change the formation..it's the players attitude that needs to change..desperate times for Arsene

  23. sambyy
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    It has just come to my attention that Valdes IS NOT PLAYING because of injury in training.

  24. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Ozil is so useless

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Wenger still needs to bring him on here though.

    2. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Weird that he was one one of the pro Wenger contract guys allegedly

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Probably because he knows he can get away with putting 70% effort in every game and not get a telling off from Wenger

  25. Injury Prone o_O Gooner.
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    urghh... Soo depressing.

  26. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Arsenal don't commit enough midfield runners beyond Giroud. Consider Chelsea - Pedro and Hazard always looking to run forward. Alexis and Ozil / Ramsay need to do the same.

    1. twoplustwo
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Their style is very dated in my opinion

  27. twoplustwo
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    50 shades of 2016 Chelsea

  28. Oggle22
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Giroud off Walcott wide Sanchez through the middle simples!

  29. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Take Ramsey out, Move Ox into his position, bring in Wally for Giroud , problem solved

  30. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Anyone working on a Xhaka & Sanchez theory, just opposite to Dembele & Kane?

    1. Smurf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Xhaka makes the whole Arsenal team weaker not just Sanchez.