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Dugout Discussion – West Ham vs Stoke City

Four nights of Gameweek 34 action begin at the London Stadium where West Ham United host Stoke City with both seeking to earn three points to ease relegation fears.

In truth, a victory for the Hammers tonight would surely seal mid-table safety, though, with a tortuous season run-in ahead of them, a win against the Potters looks vital.

In Fantasy terms, Marko Arnautovic is undoubtedly the key attacking asset on show. He heads into the contest against his former club with nine goals and five assists from his last 14 starts and, despite Chicharito’s equaliser at Chelsea, the Austrian remains the lone striker. Arnautovic scored in the reverse fixture at the bet365 Stadium and fired a brace and 16 points in his last home fixture against Southampton.

Chicharito is kept on the bench, alongside playmaker Manuel Lanzini who makes his return from injury.

Meanwhile, Stoke City’s players are auditioning for bit-part roles in our Gameweek 35 Free Hit squads with Shaqiri and Jack Butland the leading men.

Butland has just a single clean sheet in his last eight starts, though has returned 45 saves and 12 save points over that spell.

As for Shaqiri, his returns have dried up and have been reduced to just a single assist from the last four Gameweeks having struck three in three outings prior to that drought.

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

1,427 Comments Post a Comment
  1. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    Lee Grant better than Jack Butland.

  2. FPL ZB
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    Gutted for Stoke. Wanted a Stoke win to really open things up at the bottom

    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Yep.

    2. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Agree

    3. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Yeah and the Hammers run-in would have made it very interesting

    4. Yozzer
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      I'm glad they down. Taking that fat little cigar stump bas*ard shaq with them

      1. the axolotl
        • 12 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        Lol at cigar stump bas*tard 🙂

    5. F4L
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      aye

  3. G-Whizz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    Stoke get their first corner 93rd minute...

  4. OldBenKenobi
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    LIV, WBA, HUD the only teams with clean sheets this week 😆

    1. 1zverGGadeM
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Since Van Dijk, Pool are one of the best teams at the back in the league, so there no so much surprise

      1. OldBenKenobi
        • 7 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        Totally agree

    2. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Utd absolute crap. Jose has sucked the attacking play out of that team. Where is the swashbuckling play of the Fergie era gone?

      1. G-Whizz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        Probably killed by the 15 managers they've had since him...

      2. Zladan
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        Second half v City last weekend already forgotten about?

    3. G-Whizz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Proof if ever it was needed we are at the mad end of the season where results could throw up anything!
      Clean sheet odds: Implied chance of a clean sheet
      LIV 2.10 48%
      HUD 2.87 35%
      WBA 11.0 9%

  5. Taking the Mkhitaryan
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    Throw another one in Joe

  6. Rash
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    Carroll has arsenal next.. likes a goal against them

    1. Majestic Chanka
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Straight in my FH team!

  7. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    That was 2 points Stoke desperately needed. Championship next?

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      I think so.

      Can’t see any of the current bottom 3 getting out of it now.

  8. Mysterion
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    Well done Jack Bauer owners

    1. That Was Easy!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Moritz?

      1. Mysterion
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        Yup 6 pointer

        1. Slitherene
          • 6 Years
          6 years, 12 days ago

          Plus a probable bonus of 1 point.

        2. G-Whizz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 6 Years
          6 years, 12 days ago

          6 pointer? 😆

  9. FPL ZB
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    Hilarious cameo from Cameron. Fouled everything in sight

  10. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    Carroll all 3 bonus now

  11. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    Great result for FPL.

    Dilly Dilly!

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Dilly Dilly!

  12. Waynoo
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    great game in the end

  13. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    Butland will be where next season?

    1. OldBenKenobi
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      In goal

    2. makaveli123
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Stockport

    3. F4L
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      cant see many overpaying for average English talent

    4. Goalosaurus
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      West Ham

    5. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      If any in the Premier League:
      - Arsenal
      - Bournemouth
      - West Ham
      - Crystal Palace (meh)

    6. barracuda
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Palace

    7. the snazzy viking
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Dortmund perhaps

    8. 1zverGGadeM
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      I hope Liverpool to sign him in

  14. arndff_
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 12 days ago

    To pick or not to pick Arnie @FH team...

    1. OldBenKenobi
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      I’d still pick him

    2. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Way down my list of potential GW35 players.

    3. MTPockets
        6 years, 12 days ago

        Nope

      • mdm
        • 12 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        I would pick Carroll...

        1. Taking the Mkhitaryan
          • 7 Years
          6 years, 12 days ago

          MDM with kneejerk of the day

          1. arndff_
            • 12 Years
            6 years, 12 days ago

            😆

      • G-Whizz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        For me Zaha > Arnie > Shaq 🙂

        1. arndff_
          • 12 Years
          6 years, 12 days ago

          Thanks, mate!

          I’ve already made 2 drafts, here’s the current one:

          Ederson
          VvD Baines Mustafi
          KdB Salah Sterling Arnie Zaha
          Auba Firmino

          Hennessey Perez Kiko Long

          0.5M ITB

          1. G-Whizz
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 6 Years
            6 years, 12 days ago

            Looks strong on paper!

      • arndff_
        • 12 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        Thank you all!

        It’s going to be a long week. 🙂

    4. the axolotl
      • 12 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Shaqiri on a bap now all the defenders lost out

    5. ZeBestee
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Worst GW of the season getting terrible now. Arnie fail.

      1. Zladan
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        How he made the Scout Picks over some DGW options still baffles me.

        1. G-Whizz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 6 Years
          6 years, 12 days ago

          Midfielder playing OOP against Stoke, what's not to like?

          1. Zladan
            • 6 Years
            6 years, 12 days ago

            I’d rather Willian or downgrade Arnie to upgrade defence. It seems such a strange Scout Pick to me this week, especially with it being a DGW.

            If Scout Picks is supposed to be offering advice, it was not good advice.

            1. Zladan
              • 6 Years
              6 years, 12 days ago

              I see Willian there already actually. But you get my point. He was a potential differential at a push. Even still, there are DGW differentials instead.

            2. G-Whizz
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • Has Moderation Rights
              • 6 Years
              6 years, 12 days ago

              A player shouldn't be overlooked in a DGW if they have a SGW imo...

              1. Zladan
                • 6 Years
                6 years, 12 days ago

                I do. It’s not done me so well this week in all honesty. 36 points from 15, with 15 to go.

                But, no offence, West Ham are hardly a team you’d trust in a SGW to outscore any team with a DGW.

                1. G-Whizz
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • Has Moderation Rights
                  • 6 Years
                  6 years, 12 days ago

                  VVD, Robertson, Karius, Salah, Firmino, Mané etc. all have returned this week and all had a SGW and that's not even mentioning Zaha, Tompkins, Milli...

                  1. Zladan
                    • 6 Years
                    6 years, 12 days ago

                    You’re absolutely right, but let’s not forget all the DGWers still have a game to play. The reason the DGWers should be chosen over the SGWers is the higher upside.

                    1. G-Whizz
                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                      • Has Moderation Rights
                      • 6 Years
                      6 years, 12 days ago

                      I'm not seeing much of that upside at the moment :/

                      1. Zladan
                        • 6 Years
                        6 years, 12 days ago

                        Keep the faith.

    6. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Carroll (26)
      Crouch (24)
      Shaqiri (23)
      Bauer (23)

      Need Shaqiri to lose his BAP.....

    7. COLLIN QUANER
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Shaqiri assist, Bauer clean sheet as he was subbed before the goal. Bench boost working nicely

    8. Monkey Hanger
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      LOL Carroll comes on foe five minutes and cleans up the BAPS.

    9. OldBenKenobi
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Couldn’t have got a better result tonight. This GW goes on being abysmal 😆

      1. G-Whizz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        This! 😆

    10. COLLIN QUANER
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Dream gameweek so far. Bring on the remaining games

    11. Majestic Chanka
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      My FH team is going to be an abomination of heart over head choices!

      Carroll & Milner incoming!

    12. OldBenKenobi
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Bauer and Lossl on my bench.
      Not BBing this week 😆

    13. Toblerone52 - Zlatan Ibra-H…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      So proud of my single gameweek 'assets' returns from shaq, Zaha, VVD, pickford and Auba with only kenedy letting me down! Counting myself very lucky for a change 🙂

    14. Leaf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Shaqiri Shaqiri

      Just moved on to 2 baps now , feels massive in a week like this

      Why is Shaqiri not at a decent club ? , seems to have the lot to me

      1. Leaf
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        I’d take him at Arsenal

      2. how now brown cow
        • 9 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        Looks like he's eaten the lot.

    15. Taking the Mkhitaryan
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Tinman you should have listened to me with both teams to score

    16. pjomara
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      which players from bottom 3 likely to move when relegated?
      Butland to Liverpool
      Bauer to man u

    17. FPL ZB
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Just realised I have 4 defenders in Burnley Chelsea. 3-3 incoming

      1. Monkey Hanger
        • 10 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        I have two, and that's the score I'm hoping for.

    18. Monkey Hanger
      • 10 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      BB the chip that keeps on giving. Up to a humongous 7pts now. 🙂

    19. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 12 days ago

      Kane tomorrow. How many pts.?

      1. how now brown cow
        • 9 Years
        6 years, 12 days ago

        1

      2. MTPockets
          6 years, 12 days ago

          2

        • JabbaWookiee
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          6 years, 12 days ago

          1 - come on for the last 15, do nothing

        • Burger
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          6 years, 12 days ago

          38pts