Dugout Discussion
30 December 2018 2155 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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Two more Premier League matches kick off at 14:15 GMT today, as Manchester City look to bounce back to winning ways against Southampton and an in-form West Ham United make the trip north to face a Burnley side who shipped five goals on Boxing Day.

The headline team news at St. Mary’s is the benching of Leroy Sane, with the German winger missing his first Premier League match since Benjamin Mendy picked up his latest knee injury ahead of Gameweek 13.

Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez start in a front three with Sergio Aguero, while the influential figures of David Silva and Fernandinho return to the City midfield.

Aymeric Laporte is the only defender to keep his place from the defeat to Leicester, while Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan are not part of the 18-man squad.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has made six changes to his Southampton side and appears to have ditched the three-man backline, too.

Danny Ings, Nathan Redmond and Stuart Armstrong are among the players to make way, with 18-year-old defender Kayne Ramsay making his debut against the reigning champions.

Marko Arnautovic makes a quicker-than-anticipated return to the West Ham United starting XI and lines up in Manuel Pellegrini’s side for the first time since Gameweek 15.

Felipe Anderson and Robert Snodgrass start in midfield for the Hammers, who have five wins in their last six league matches.

Sean Dyche has rung the changes after the 5-1 trouncing at the hands of Everton on Boxing Day.

Joe Hart is dropped to the bench as Tom Heaton makes his first league start since September 2017, with wingers Dwight McNeil and Johann Berg Gudmundsson also returning to the team.

Burnley XI (4-4-2): Heaton, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Gudmundsson, Cork, Westwood, McNeil, Barnes, Wood.

West Ham United XI (4-4-2): Fabianski, Antonio, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Rice, Snodgrass, Anderson, Arnautovic, Perez.

Southampton XI (4-5-1): McCarthy, Ramsay, Stephens, Bednarek, Targett, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Lemina, Romeu, Elyounoussi, Austin.

Manchester City XI (4-3-3): Ederson, Danilo, Laporte, Kompany, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Silva, Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero, Mahrez.

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  1. Jimmy Boy
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Neck and neck with my cup opponent - 42 points each as it stands should BAPS stay the same. All comes down to Martial in my corner vs Fraser and Wilson here.

    1. Ask Yourself
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      You win

    2. Zenith UK
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      You got this.

    3. Deulofail
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Both forgot to press the WC button after all those hits?

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

        Lol

      2. Gentle_Turks
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Nice 🙂

  2. Niho992
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Need hattie from Pogboom to beat my dead team oponnent in the cup.

  3. fedolefan
    • 11 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    A garbage 40 point all out week with still a match to go is fairly scary. Bournemouth somehow better stifle United.

  4. Deulofail
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Yessss Sane came on. I got distracted but this is a lovely surprise.

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Was for me too. I’d have Bednarek otherwise.

    2. _Make
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Shame for me even though I have him. My rival had a -1 first on the bench. I had an enormous 2 points waiting 🙂

      1. Deulofail
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        I have that -1! History will forget the day Kamara tried to sabotage my attempts to stay in the top 100k

    3. Deulofail
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Looks like 24 with 4 to go. Come on United! *barfs*

    4. Richd
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Jiminez benched for me now. Bums.

      1. Deulofail
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Shame. History will forget that you actually deserved to win FPL this season 🙁

    5. hafakilo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Damn, cost me 18 points. Terrible surprise

      1. Deulofail
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        History will forget that you are a time-travelling cyborg

        1. hafakilo
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Lol. Took me a minute

  5. FPL Daniel
    • 16 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    And now tempted by Son captain. Oh my...

  6. Zenith UK
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Alonso & Snoddy > Shaw & Martial pending this games result.

    1. Ruinenlust
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Alonso has SOU and NEW next

    2. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Noooo

  7. Bubz
    • 12 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Aguero winning goal bps to be added?

    1. Ask Yourself
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      No own goal won. Sterling has 2 baps

      1. Bubz
        • 12 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Oh yeah

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

        1*

        1. Ask Yourself
          • 9 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Check members area please you’re talking poo

          1. Bubz
            • 12 Years
            7 years, 3 months ago

            It is 1

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

            I feel extremely offended by this... mortified infact

      3. Fred54
        • 11 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        How much is Own Goal?

  8. FPL Scoop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Chances that:

    1 Kane
    2 Snodgrass

    are rested midweek??? Considering dropping both to get Salah either this or next week

    1. Amey
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Kane No
      Snody dont know

    2. NABIL - FPL otai
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Think both will start again

    3. Big_Andy_GAWA
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Kane very doubtful. Snodgrass less so, but WHU are ravaged with injuries, so fancy him to play. He's an in-form player for them and they need to get back to winning ways.

  9. madame shelly
    • 11 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Kane to Auba hokey cokey ?

    1. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      God no

  10. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Virgil van Dijk being played at OT.

    1. Ha.
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Eh?

    2. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      song*

  11. HurriKane
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    So who are you captaining next gw?

    A) Hazard (SOT)

    B) Kane (car)

    C) Salah (mci)

    D) Any other?

    Want someone who is nailed on to start and won't get rested with good chance to get a haul

    1. Ruinenlust
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Hazard easy

    2. FPL Pillars
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Hazzza

    3. Amey
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Kane or Hazard

    4. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Hazz

      1. Big_Andy_GAWA
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Kane or Hazard.

    5. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Hazard, opponents looked weak today & Hojbjerg missing as well.

  12. The Red Devil
    • 11 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Snodgrass to martial on FT
    Or
    Snodgrass Fab to Pogba 4.0 keeper (-4)

  13. Amey
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Salah+Son for Sterling+Sane (-8) has gone well thankfully 😮

    1. Richd
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Christ you took a risk

      1. Amey
        • 7 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Yeah.
        Would have been priced out so took risk.

        1. Richd
          • 13 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Well you must have been owed some luck 😉

          1. Amey
            • 7 Years
            7 years, 3 months ago

            He he 🙂

  14. Richd
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    I could do Ederson and sane to hazard and button.

    Don’t really wanna lose Sane though.

    So just saying it’s possible 😉

  15. Tempestic
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Sterling 1 bap

    1. Richd
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      What a shocker of a score for that performance.

      Don’t wanna see any xG or xA

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

        You were very unlucky, I took out Sterling and Hojbjerg for Son and Pogba and am so thankful he did not punish me far more, I was convinced he would.

      2. Smurf
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        At least he kept up with Kane captainers.

        Salah captainers the only real winners so far.

    2. Shatner's Bassoon
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Not final yet are they?

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

      😮

    4. Ask Yourself
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Just because you decided that doesn’t mean it’s true

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

        It’s on the website?

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

          Is that not final?

          1. TRE2
            • 8 Years
            7 years, 3 months ago

            No

  16. FPL Pillars
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    There’s going to be ALOT of popular players benched New Years, buckle up lads!

    1. boc610
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Aubs won't be one of them, that's all that matters to me

    2. Nascimento
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      All of mine are going to play

      1. Fred54
        • 11 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Doesn't make much difference too them not playing.

  17. SPorting
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Oh good, now Fraser can troll me for 80 minutes to block some bench points.

  18. FPL Scoop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Auba, Kane or Haz for the captaincy?

    1. Niho992
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Haz for me. Kane VC. Dont have Auba.

  19. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Sterling sellers dodged a bullet today. Could/should have been a big haul.

    1. MTPockets
        7 years, 3 months ago

        yet all he got was an fpl towers assist

      • Bubz
        • 12 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Owners lucky to even get that assist

      • Tempestic
        • 7 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        So relieved

      • IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        True in a sense.But at the same time not all the chances are always put in the back of the net

    2. The Head-Ake
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Sane, why?

      1. Fred54
        • 11 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Is that your caption for the article pic?

      2. Rainer
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Pep had Kamara 1st sub.

        1. Ask Yourself
          • 9 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Makes sense now ffs

        2. The Head-Ake
          • 9 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          That explains a lot

    3. Niho992
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Play one for next GW
      A:AWB
      B:Robertson
      C:Pereira

    4. Smurf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Why because Sane has had a rest does everyone want to get rid? I’m happy to give him the Liverpool game and even the Wolves game before making a decision. If he’s still a starter then he’s a no brainier to own regardless of his short term form over the last few games.

      1. SPorting
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        This

      2. MTPockets
          7 years, 3 months ago

          I'm not selling him. One of favourite FPL and real life players

        • Champ
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 15 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          I don’t have him but you’re right. His rate of points is top drawer. With Aguero and Silva back etc city could very well bounce back big time. People won’t listen though!

        • Holmes
          • 12 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Double City mid not looking good at the moment and this week is probably the right time to ditch.

          Can always get him back later on.

        • Woy_is_back
          • 8 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Last three games. 2, 2, 1.
          Liverpool probably a 2 pointer.
          Nuff said

        • Deulofail
          • 10 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          If Sterling is rested in the next couple game, it hurts Sane imo. They look for each other (particularly Sterling for Sane) and boost each other's FPL appeal. Whereas Mahrez is out for himself and a bit more one-dimensional: turn and bend into area, or turn and bend into top corner.

          But I'm likely to keep him still, since it's Man City and Sane has the ability to perform without Sterling, whether harms by his absence or not. I was aware of rotation before I bought him, so I agree it would be weird to sell, but depends on circumstances I suppose.

      3. Alli 3',17',64�…
        • 7 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        anyone know how long that Button is likely to start?

        1. FPL Pillars
          • 9 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          One month max

        2. Tshelby
          • 11 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Until Ryan returns

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

            Genius

      4. sminkypinky
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Why is Fraser benched again?

        1. SPorting
          • 14 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          To come on with 5 mins to go and block some jammy bench points.

      5. Firminooooo
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Kane(C): 12 points, rest of the team: 12 points. Not so good. Martial and Pogba to save my gameweek.

      6. NABIL - FPL otai
        • 13 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Laporte & sterling -> vvd & haz

        Worth -4?

        1. Ha.
          • 10 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Nah

        2. WVA
          • 9 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Yep

        3. Tempestic
          • 7 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Yeh

      7. Tshelby
        • 11 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Kane, Son, Sane -> Haz, Salah, Jimenez (-4)?

        1. NABIL - FPL otai
          • 13 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Not yet

      8. HD7
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Hope Martial saves the Gameweek - come on - goal and assist or two goals please!

      9. FPL Scoop
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Worth hanging on to Snodgrass another week? Reckon he starts?

        1. Maddi Son
          • 8 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Only played 45 mins so you'd think he would? Unpopular opinion but I think Anderson will be rested and subbed on late.

        2. Twisted Saltergater
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 16 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Should be a fire and forget option unless you want to downgrade to Camarasa and free up some funds?

        3. badgerboy
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Would be surprised if he doesn't.

        4. NABIL - FPL otai
          • 13 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Worth it imo.'m possibly doing it

      10. Twisted Saltergater
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Calvert-Lewin. Welcome to my team.

        1. fedolefan
          • 11 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Is this guy nailed, looking for a 5.4m striker anyway.