Dugout Discussion

Sterling and Laporte benched as Guardiola rings changes

Raheem Sterling (£11.5m) has been benched for the third time this season as Pep Guardiola rang the changes for Manchester City’s trip to Watford.

That will be of huge frustration to those who have signed him off the back of his recent incredible form.

However, the England international was not the only important player left on the bench by Guardiola with ever-present Aymeric Laporte (£6.1m) named there for the first time this season.

Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m) and Vincent Kompany (£5.2m) were the two that came in for them.

Elsewhere in the side there was a return for Kyle Walker (£6.5m) and Fabian Delph (£5.3m) at full-back and David Silva (£8.7m) in midfield.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus (£10.1m) and Leroy Sané (£9.4m) kept their places in the attacking line.

Opponents Watford made just one change to the side that lost to Leicester with the suspended Etienne Capoue (£5.1m) replaced by Nathaniel Chalobah (£4.5m).

In the earlier kick-offs David Brooks (£5.1m) returned to the Bournemouth side while Laurent Depoitre (£5.2m) replaced the suspended Steve Mounié (£5.8m) for Huddersfield.

Crystal Palace named an unchanged side from the one which beat Burnley while Glenn Murray (£6.7m) came back in for Brighton.

Finally, Fabian Balbuena (£4.4m) was named on the bench for West Ham while Felipe Anderson (£7.1m) and Marko Arnautovic (£7.2m) both start.

The Line-Ups

Bournemouth XI: Begovic; Daniels, Aké, S Cook, Francis; Fraser, Lerma, L Cook, Brooks; King, Wilson

Huddersfield XI: Lossl, Kongolo, Billing, Zanka, Schindler, Hogg, Hadergjonaj, Durm, Mooy, Pritchard, Depoitre.

Brighton XI: Ryan; Montoya, Duffy, Dunk, Bernardo; March, Pröpper, Bissouma, Izquierdo; Groß; Murray.

Crystal Palace XI: Hennessey; Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt; McArthur, Kouyaté, Milivojevic, Meyer; Townsend, Zaha.

West Ham XI: Fabianski; Antonio, Diop, Ogbonna, Masuaku; Snodgrass, Rice, Noble, Felipe Anderson; Chicharito, Arnautovic.

Cardiff City XI: Etheridge; Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett; Gunnarsson; Camarasa, Ralls, Arter, Hoilett; Paterson.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Kompany, Stones, Delph, Fernandinho, D. Silva, B. Silva, Sane, Mahrez, Jesus.

Watford XI: Foster; Kiko Femenía, Cathcart, Kabasele, Holebas; Doucouré, Chalobah; Hughes, Pereyra; Deeney, Success.

Become a Member and access our data

Memberships for the 2018/19 campaign are now available for the price of just £15.

Join now to get the following:

  • Plot your transfer strategies using the fully interactive Season Ticker.
  • Get projections for every Premier League player provided by the Rate My Team statistical model.
  • Use Rate My Team throughout the season to guide your selections and transfers.
  • Get access to over 130+ exclusive members articles over the season.
  • Analyse our OPTA-powered statistic tables specifically tailored for Fantasy Football Managers.
  • Use our exclusive tool to build custom stats tables from over 100 OPTA player and team stats.
  • View heatmaps and expected goals data for every player.
  • Use our powerful comparison tool to analyse players head-to-head.

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A FANTASY FOOTBALL SCOUT MEMBER

2,957 Comments Post a Comment
  1. My Name Is Pepu
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Should have got sent off before the penalty. Would have saved my Palace cleanie. Idiot.

  2. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Straight Red ?

    1. My Name Is Pepu
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Yes

  3. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Callum Wilson will cost a fortune next year.

    1. Chenku╰☆╮
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      And will flop like king did.

  4. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Brighton sub scores 10 seconds after coming on 😆

  5. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Floodgates about to be burst open for City.

  6. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    I knew it Fanderson is fraud.

  7. BenDavies
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    So Duffy and Murray go off right before they cost me a Hennessey cleanie. Right. Yep. Sure. Penalty save please now.

  8. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Duffy on -2pts 🙁

    1. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Cs locked in though 😉

      1. IRBOX ⚽
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        It’s not. He still loses points for goals conceded despite the dismissal

        1. how now brown cow
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          I know

  9. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    2 - 0 Brighton?

    1. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Balagun

    2. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Sub scored.

      1. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Christ almighty!

  10. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    wan b bench points up in flames.

  11. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    BALOGUN ESSENTIAL!

  12. French Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    How’s Arnie looking?

    1. BenDavies
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      As ever he's involved but could easily come away with nothing.

    2. Barbarians
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Sharp and on the ball. But no real returns

  13. Gooner97
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Typical

  14. Bury94
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Lovely -2 for me

  15. KLOPPTOMANIA
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Ooh that’ll be a blow for Duffy owners

  16. HonestBlatter
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Balo...telli...no..gun who?

  17. The Mandalorian
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Sané is making the most runs at goal so far

  18. fr3d
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    My boy Wan-B looking like scoring today?

    1. My Name Is Pepu
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Own goal more likely

  19. The 12th Man
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Will Duffy get any BAPs?

  20. Richd
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Fraser and Wilson have blanked several times recently. Behave yourselves you’ll all be dropping them soon.

    Cracking haul this week and fair play but I’m not buying it.

    1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Wilson has 16 attacking returns in 15 games... Fraser has 11... they are cheap enablers, not 9.5’s

      1. Richd
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Oh I get that. That’s exactly what they are. People comparing to vardy and mahrez tho.

        1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
          • 14 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          26 attacking returns in 15 games for 11.0m is absolutely astounding FPL points scoring - it’s very easy to see where the hype comes from to be fair

    2. Tempestic
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Fixtures don't look good until gw30

      1. Tempestic
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        But still bossing it, I currently own brooks so a bit salty rn

  21. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Foster about 14 saves already

  22. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Palace wat r u doin hun?

  23. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Duffy just sold himself off my team

  24. Licky
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Foster doing work!

  25. Yank Revolution
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Foster playing out of his gourd!

  26. My Name Is Pepu
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Mahrez is a fraud, bring on that beautiful man Sterling.

    1. AuFeld
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Only a matter of time.

  27. Richd
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Watford are being peppered. This is insane. Could be 7 or 8 goals in this.

  28. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    I hope Balbu comes on for 1 pointer.. don’t need AWB’s potential 0 pointer

  29. My Name Is Pepu
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Foster playing like a monster.

  30. Ozzy smith
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Cardiff Pen