Dugout Discussion

Hazard deployed as a false nine as both Aguero and Sterling start

Gameweek 27 came to a conclusion earlier this afternoon with two matches held at Old Trafford and the Emirates, so our focus now switches to the EFL Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City.

Kick-off at Wembley is at 16:30 GMT.

Both of these sides blanked in Gameweek 27, of course, as a result of this tie.

Pep Guardiola has made only one change to his starting XI from the side that beat Schalke in midweek, with Oleksandr Zinchenko starting instead of Ilkay Gundogan.

That alteration means that Aymeric Laporte will move back over to centre-back, with Fernandinho pushed forward into his usual central midfield position.

Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling start in a front three with Bernardo Silva again.

Leroy Sane is among the substitutes, though Gabriel Jesus hasn’t recovered from injury to make the bench.

Eden Hazard starts as a central striker in Maurizio Sarri’s usual 4-3-3, with Gonzalo Higuain only among the substitutes.

Marcos Alonso is not part of the match-day squad, so Emerson Palmieri starts at left-back.

Both of these sides return to Premier League action on Wednesday evening: Chelsea face Spurs at Stamford Bridge, while City take on West Ham at the Etihad.

Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Kepa, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Rudiger, Emerson, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Willian, Hazard, Pedro.

Manchester City XI (4-3-3): Ederson, Zinchenko, Laporte, Otamendi, Walker, Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero.

1,786 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Ógie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    The quadruple is on 🙁

  2. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Sterling oh boy

  3. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    City win?

    1. ClassiX
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      yep

  4. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Kepa in big trouble now......

    1. MTPockets
        5 years, 2 months ago

        So he should be

    2. CloudSky
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      First Kepa to be blamed in a pen shootout.

    3. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      sterling and aguero jumping and dancing with lots of energy, look fine for midweek

      1. Mysterion
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Lol

      2. Salah’s Sonnet
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Lol

    4. LǝgleSs e|even
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Bye Sarri!
      Take Sarri ball back to Italy

    5. Infamy, Infamy
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Odious club getting everything they deserve.

      1. Kiwivillan
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Never too late for the plastic fans to jump on the City train

        1. Postman Ty
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 2 months ago

          give it a rest.

    6. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      City win the Moose Cup!!

      Congrats! 🙂

    7. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Quadruple alive, well done, Raheem!

      Now rest up midweek 😉

    8. EMBOLOFAN
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      glad kepa lost tbh

    9. LǝgleSs e|even
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Pep signing Willian next season?

      1. Old Man
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Why doesn't he sign Hazard - another winger to go with the others.

    10. Yome
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Sarri still without a trophy, sack him now

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

      Kepa is the new number 2 goalkeeper. What a muppet

    12. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      "Earlier in the season, Sarri said Hazard is not a leader. Hazard has just made him eat his words"

      wtf these commentators man...

      1. fedolefan
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Seriously, not sure where that came from.

        1. Deulofail
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 2 months ago

          Don't know if I'm just wise to it from life experience, but seems to me that everyone is trying to "write the narrative" as soon as they get any slight bit of new information. Sensationalism at every turn

          1. Deulofail
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 2 months ago

            I mean, I don't know if the times have changed or whether I've simply learnt how the world works.

    13. fedolefan
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Raz you GOAT penalty taker.

    14. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      kepa getting it right now in the dressing room

    15. drughi
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Sterling owner but not very confident he starts against west ham

      1. GreennRed
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Why not?

      2. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Pep loves him.

        1. Salah’s Sonnet
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 2 months ago

          Lol, hiw many times we’ve heard pep loves players and still benches them

          1. Twisted Saltergater
            • 14 Years
            5 years, 2 months ago

            He may get benched, but he doesn't get benched very often at all.

      3. Yome
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        He will, he deserves it after his penalty winner

      4. DandyDon
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Benched for Mahrez and/or Sane

    16. 007 [RoboKlopp]
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      What will happen to Kepa?

      1. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Gonna get "taken care of"

      2. EMBOLOFAN
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        hes going to hell

      3. OPTA FPL
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Sarri want to kill him

      4. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        New manager won’t care about today

      5. FPL DONKEY
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        He'll be sleeping with the fishes

      6. LǝgleSs e|even
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Sarri has summoned the Italian Mafia to sort him out

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

        No manager will want him as his number 1 after the lack of respect. He has messed up his future

    17. OPTA FPL
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Both Jorginho and Luiz misses look most stupid as f 😆

      1. George Sillett
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Not true. Luiz penalty was 6" away from bring the perfect spot kick.

        1. Infamy, Infamy
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 2 months ago

          WTF? Couldn’t hit the target from 12 yards???

      2. GreennRed
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Fair play to you for coming on here to share your wisdom after your lengthy football career.

    18. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Caballero at 4.7m anyone? 😀

      1. GreennRed
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        For Chelsea.

    19. -GK22-
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Jorginho more to blame than kepa

      1. EMBOLOFAN
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        nah

    20. fr3d
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Caballero worth a punt?

    21. Bury94
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      I'm gonna presume Sane starts midweek, might be a nice differential for us few remaining owners

    22. Forza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Kepa owns himself in Fantasy Carabao Cup and thought he'd get penalty save points. That's the only possible explanation.

      1. Mysterion
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        What a casual...

    23. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Kinda wanna do Son to Sterling....

      1. Do I Not Like Orange
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Don't think I want to sell Son now, Chelsea could implode on Wednesday.

      2. DandyDon
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Probably rested midweek

    24. fedolefan
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Raz has gone from being a joke and serial tap-in misser to absolutely thumping in a trophy winning penalty kick. Incredible. Never thought he'd get to this level.

      1. EMBOLOFAN
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        hes still a serial tap in misser he just scored 1 pen in the league cup

        1. fedolefan
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 2 months ago

          Know how many have bottled and missed them? For someone used to missing and being mocked, it is quite a transformation.

      2. Old Man
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        There was far too much rubbish, and vitriol, written about him originally. He's a very effective footballer, with a few shortcomings.

        1. fedolefan
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 2 months ago

          Actually I was once for a rumored Alexis/Sterling swap. Thought City were crazy if they wouldn't swap Sterling for Alexis. Look where they are now.

          1. Old Man
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            5 years, 2 months ago

            Indeed - Pep has shown faith, and how he's blossomed!

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

        He's gone a long way but he was Golden Boy 2014. The talent was always there.

      4. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Iwobi next

        1. fedolefan
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 2 months ago

          Lol, I'm an Arsenal fan, and all the talk on AFTV is Iwobi has the potential of Sterling.

          1. Deulofail
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 2 months ago

            It is? I think that's fair enough. Arsenal fans are too harsh on Iwobi. He's often the best player on the pitch for real. They're just scapegoating for more team performances and he's an easy target because he isn't expensive and hasn't quite sorted out his final ball. But Sterling was also very frustrating only a year go

            1. Deulofail
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 2 months ago

              poor team performance*

              1. fedolefan
                • 9 Years
                5 years, 2 months ago

                You're right. They are actually all hating on him. I said it wrong. It's Robbie who mainly said that and has repeated it a few times.

                1. Deulofail
                  • 8 Years
                  5 years, 2 months ago

                  Robbie isn't a complete narrow-minded twit like half the people on there, despite how he pretends to be one of them 😆 I try to avoid AFTV though. It makes me feel like the world is ending because Ozil has a cold or Iwobi make a single mistake etc

    25. 007 [RoboKlopp]
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      A neutral but really want City to win after that drama.

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Good news, they did

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

        Dial up ?

    26. Bouncebackability
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Winds me up that best penalty takers go fifth. Hazard was lucky his counted. Its stupid. best penalty takers go first surely.

      1. Here's Tom with the We…
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Totally agree with this

      2. BOATIES FC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Yep I agree. Drives me mad when it happens

      3. Yank Revolution
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        It's an insane strategy that makes zero sense.

    27. El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Post match presser will be funny from.Sarri

      1. RAFA THE GAFFA
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Kepa not taking it?