Dugout Discussion
2 September 2018 2514 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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The first of three matches this afternoon kicks off at 13:30 BST, as Cardiff City entertain Arsenal.

The visitors’ starting XI represents bad news for those who own the most in-demand FPL player on show in South Wales: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (£7.2m) is only among the substitutes this afternoon. The Armenian features in more than one in five Fantasy squads and was the only Arsenal midfielder or forward to have played all 270 minutes of Premier League action this season.

Mkhitaryan recorded a goal, an assist and two bonus points in his side’s previous away league fixture at Chelsea in Gameweek 2.

Despite a tumble in ownership after three matches without an attacking return, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£10.9m) is actually the fourth-most-popular captaincy choice of Gameweek 4 – though that only equates to just over 3% of all FPL managers.

Over 148,000 managers lost faith with the Gabonese striker this week and cashed in on his premium price tag.

Alexandre Lacazette (£9.4m) gets his first start of the season today, which presumably means Aubameyang will move out to the left flank to accommodate the Frenchman. Mesut Ozil (£8.3m) returns from illness to take Mkhitaryan’s place, with Alex Iwobi (£5.5m) also dropping out.

The hosts have registered two clean sheets in as many matches, with Neil Etheridge (£4.6m) currently the highest-scoring goalkeeper in Fantasy Premier League following those back-to-back shut-outs and a brace of penalty saves.

The Philippines international is also the most-owned City player in FPL, sitting in over 6% of our squads.

There is further disappointment for those hoping for a start for Lee Peltier (£4.0m) – the Bluebirds’ most-owned outfield player – who is only among the substitutes this afternoon.

Neil Warnock has made three changes to his side, all in attack: Bobby Reid (£5.4m), Danny Ward (£4.5m) and the fit-again Junior Hoilett (£5.3m) come into the starting XI.

Cardiff City XI (4-4-2): Etheridge; Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett; Camarasa, Arter, Ralls, Hoilett; Reid, Ward.

Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Cech; Bellerin, Monreal, Mustafi, Sokratis; Ramsey, Xhaka, Guendouzi; Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang.

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2,514 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Ward first goal since November 2017

    Hardly prolific

    1. Smurf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      8 years, 1 month ago

      He's been out injured for a long while.

    2. Rogue Todd
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Ignorant

  2. Fantastisk
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Billing to Ward for a -4?

    1. Coaly
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Better if you swap them a few times for a bigger hit 🙂

  3. yakirh
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Richarlison back for the Arsenal game, just saying

    1. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Waiting on my bench 😎

    2. Mic
      8 years, 1 month ago

      True

    3. yakirh
      8 years, 1 month ago

      I think he's a great option on WC

  4. tafrère
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Danny Ward on my bench. 🙁

  5. Brosstan
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Arsenal 😆

  6. Patch
    8 years, 1 month ago

    RIP arsenal defence over the upcoming easy fixtures

    How has Guendo looked? Worth dipping my toe in during the IB?

    1. Podge
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Guendouzi 1pt, something owners should get used to.

      1. Patch
        8 years, 1 month ago

        Just 1 Bap is ok...I can get used to that

  7. DV8R
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Is Unai allergic to substitutions or something? bring mkhi on FFS

    1. tvz32
      8 years, 1 month ago

      This

  8. Hughes Your Daddy
    8 years, 1 month ago

    WC activated earlier - so bye bye Arsenal players.

  9. Mic
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Well done Cardiff!!! Hahahahahha

  10. Davido989
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Arsenal are a GK, RB, 2 CB's and a LB away from a good defence.

    1. diesel001
      8 years, 1 month ago

      and a DM

      1. Desperately Seeking Dusan
        8 years, 1 month ago

        This. Just said the same. Wenger failed to do it in 13 years from when Viera went and ever since teams walk straight through us.

        1. diesel001
          8 years, 1 month ago

          Gilberto was good

    2. Coaly
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Monreal is ok

    3. Ginkapo FPL
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Thats harsh on Monreal, Leno and Koscielney.

      1. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
        8 years, 1 month ago

        Kosc is just about past it, and Leno is probably not starting for a reason

    4. Brosstan
      8 years, 1 month ago

      And a whole squad of defensive coaches

      1. Desperately Seeking Dusan
        8 years, 1 month ago

        This. Although Bould was there from that. But by all accounts, he was simply cowed under Wenger who used to ignore his input completely.

      2. Ginkapo FPL
        8 years, 1 month ago

        I'm not sure. If the attacking players actually thought about how the ball was going to get to them the defence wouldnt be spending so much time with the ball.

    5. Srv210
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Leno is there...for the rest god help them...sloppy also doesn't describe that lethargic defence

    6. Desperately Seeking Dusan
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Lol.

      In all seriousness, in 13 years Wenger failed to get in a decent defensive mid to take pressure off the defence let alone buy and develop defenders. Bellerin went backwards under Wenger.

  11. Rsforstar
    8 years, 1 month ago

    4.5m bargain. another magic bean surely

    1. Richd
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Booked

  12. yakirh
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Mkhi still on the bench? wow bring back Wenger

  13. Differential C (Mark)
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Torreira finally on.

  14. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Remember folks, they wont play Arsenal every week

    1. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Haha

    2. BIind Moth
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Got United soon though

  15. Chi not God
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Arsenal will arsenal.. smh
    Just glad for my Auba goal.. 😀

  16. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Cardiff arsenal, the Spain Portugal of the premiership.

    1. IL Fantasista
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Lack the CR7 effect

      1. IL Fantasista
        8 years, 1 month ago

        *Lacks

        1. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
          8 years, 1 month ago

          Harry arter...

          And cech doing his best ddg impression

  17. ⭐ ABHISHEK - THE CURIOUS …
    8 years, 1 month ago

    WTF why their is no subs on either sides

  18. Differentiator
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Bring on Mkhi please. Need a cameo

  19. Jealous Viper
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Please no mhki. Please

  20. Mic
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Pls Cardiff do them

  21. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    8 years, 1 month ago

    stay on bench mkhi

    1. Red Star Toro
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Ye

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      8 years, 1 month ago

      I really want him to stay on bench so i have Hughes playing, gimme something to hope for during Spurs game haha!

    3. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
      8 years, 1 month ago

      So much this!

    4. Yellin' in my Ear
      8 years, 1 month ago

      No, we had the annoying Bilva cameo yesterday so you should feel our pain too 😆

  22. TomSaints
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Where are the subs?????

  23. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Not looking good innit fam.

    1. We Will Klopp you
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Yes blud.

  24. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Team News: BUR vs MUN, WAT vs TOT
    Referee: Jonathan Moss,Andre Marriner

    BUR: Hart, Bardsley, Mee, Taylor, Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil, Lennon, Westwood, Cork, Hendrick, Wood
    Subs: Heaton, Ward, Lowton, Long, Vokes, Barnes, Vydra

    MUN: De Gea, Shaw, Lindelöf, Valencia, Smalling, Fellaini, Matic, Pogba, Sánchez, Lingard, Lukaku
    Subs: Grant, Young, Bailly, Fred, Herrera, Martial, Rashford

    WAT: Foster, Janmaat, Kabasele, Cathcart, Holebas, Pereyra, Hughes, Doucouré, Capoue, Gray, Deeney
    Subs: Gomes, Mariappa, Kiko Femenía, Masina, Sema, Chalobah, Success

    TOT: Vorm, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Sánchez, Dembélé, Davies, Alli, Trippier, Eriksen, Kane, Lucas Moura
    Subs: Paulo Gazzaniga, Rose, Walker-Peters, Wanyama, Dier, Winks, Llorente

    1. Oven Glover
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Lindelof... There goes my Shaw CS 🙁

    2. Rogue Todd
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Fellaini 😆

    3. yakirh
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Shaw to save my GW

    4. Rsforstar
      8 years, 1 month ago

      ward, lowton rested 😮

    5. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      8 years, 1 month ago

      You can't bench Dier !

    6. We Will Klopp you
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Lucas, my son, score a hat trick... In a 3-3 Spurs draw, of course.

    7. Yellin' in my Ear
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Bavies 🙂 There goes my last chance of Ings bench points 🙁

  25. Mic
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Mkhi staying on bench

  26. FISSH
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Mkhi to Richarlison haha

  27. FC Barkerlona
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Boomerang still on for 3 BAPS

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Pending surely

    2. Drexl Spivey
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Nope.

  28. Dickie1898
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Lovely dive from Arter.

  29. tafrère
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Lowton on the bench. If he don't come in, I will have Ward points. Too optimistic ?

    1. Pierce34
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Yes 😛

      1. Pierce34
        8 years, 1 month ago

        Actually I missed his benching - I think it's very unlikely that he comes on, going by Dyche's record last year.

  30. Mic
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Looks like Mkhi staying put