Dugout Discussion

Aguero and Mahrez benched as Guardiola rotates again

Sergio Aguero (£12.2m) owners once again find themselves burned by Pep Guardiola’s rotation policy as he is named on the bench for Gameweek 9.

It represents the second successive away match that the Argentinian has been selected among the substitutes with Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m) chosen to lead the line at Crystal Palace.

Joining him on the bench is Riyad Mahrez (£8.7m), further frustrating those who signed the Algerian international ahead of Gameweek 8.

Against Wolves he was substituted in the 59th minute and this week misses out on a place in the starting line-up for the first time since Gameweek 5.

Those invested in Raheem Sterling (£12.1m) and Kevin de Bruyne (£10.0m) will be much happier ahead of the game as both of them feature in the first XI.

The England international continues his run of matches without a benching to three, while his Belgian colleague is back in the team after missing Gameweek 8 with an injury.

As Guardiola had promised before the international, it has proved not to be too serious and, after a pretty abject start to Gameweek 9, de Bruyne’s owners will be quietly hopeful of attacking returns.

Meanwhile, Guardiola appears to have shaken things up at the back by naming both Fernandinho (£5.2m) and Rodrigo (£5.5m), defensive midfielders by trade, in the two centre-back positions.

Nicolas Otamendi (£5.6m) has come in for some serious criticism of late and finds himself not even in the matchday squad.

Crystal Palace line up in a 4-4-2 formation with Wilfried Zaha (£6.7m) leading the line with Jordan Ayew (£5.1m).

Vicente Guaita (£5.0m) is missing from the squad, which may encourage those invested in the Manchester City attack, as Wayne Hennessey (£4.4m) comes in for him.

Crystal Palace XI: Hennessey; van Aanholt, Cahill, Tomkins, Ward; McArthur, Milivojevic, Kouyaté, Schlupp; Zaha, Ayew.

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Mendy, Rodrigo, Fernandinho, Cancelo; De Bruyne, D Silva, Gundogan; Sterling, Jesus, B Silva.

1,433 Comments Post a Comment
  1. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Two weeks wait for this ***. Never seen a season so poor

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

    No Aguero confirmed.

    1. FPL.team
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Jammy Rico, Sterling VC points 🙂

  3. Regin
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Gonna captain Aguero in uefa cl fantasy game.

  4. The Ejiptian King
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    It's Rico time!

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Nice - I put Lundstram ahead of him but am confident Blades can hold off Arsenal.

    2. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Go Rico, go Rico, goooooo....

    3. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Woo hoo!

  5. HamezMace
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    If today has proved anything it’s that the eye test beats stats.

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

      Wasn’t able to follow games really - who you referring to?

      1. HamezMace
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Sterling, Abraham.
        Stats will show they had X amount of ‘big chances’ in the box. Which I assume puts them high up on goals imminent etc.

        Stats don’t show that missing big chances can effect confidence of players.

  6. Miguel Sanchez
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Aguero captain vs Villa next GW then.

    1. The Ejiptian King
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      KdB for me I think.

      1. Miguel Sanchez
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Might be the smart play.

    2. beric
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Yep

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

    RICOOOO for Mahrez!!

    1. The Ejiptian King
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      !!!!!

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

      Getting rewarded for two bad picks...

      The year of the casual.

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

        Add that to Sterling(C) KDB(VC) + Lundy = 34 jam points in GW6 😆

        1. Rainer
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          That one was skill... 😉

    3. MTPockets
        4 years, 5 months ago

        More jam for you. I get Tammy c (Aguero) and Lundstram

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

          Ouch. Hopefully some Lundy points vs that ARS defence

    4. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      boooo, red arrow with 20 from 7

    5. LIARS POKER
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Rico off the bench for Aguero and then Aguero (c) next week at home to Villa.

      Not a bad outcome

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

        What’s Jesus done wrong to not start.

        1. have you seen cyan
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          selfish as feck, bad decision making. Good finisher but thats all he has going for him. Aguero literally chanegd to be what Pep wanted and has surpassed Jesus so much. Kun was always better ofc but Jesus had more to his game back then when he first joined imo

      2. HNI
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Not if he plays full match midweek

    6. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      So KDB shouldve hauled and many Aguero, Otamendi and Mahrez owners will have Rico off the bench. Lol at this game, can't get it all 🙂 focus on the postivies

      1. The Ejiptian King
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        I strategically positioned Rico on my bench thank you very much.

        1. HTL
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          Rico is my second sub behind Cantwell. For some inexplicable reason I thought Pukki would finally be in the goals so decided against Rico.

    7. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Jess minus bap. Let's go, David baps

      1. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Gutted about the subbing that could mean he starts UCL game which puts the Villa game into question. Nice mini haul today tho

        1. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          Yeah that's fair, hoping for a start in one of the next two home games after today and no cameo.

          But very happy with output today 🙂

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

      God I hope Lundstram scores... useless Aguero’s autosub

      1. Miguel Sanchez
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Be grateful that there was no 1 point cameo.

    9. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      No harm done.

    10. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Preferred the IB tbh

    11. HNI
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Ederson looks so bloated. That neck tattoo hardly helps

    12. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Whoo-oo, Mané(vc) for Aguero

      1. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Nice.

    13. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Still top 1k.

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

        Of course. Which country?

        1. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          World wide, world wide.

    14. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Mings to Diop for free ?

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        No to West Ham defense.

        1. Brosstan
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          Get Willems from Newcastle

    15. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Will play Lundstram and Rico next week over Kane (liv), how does this sound?

      1. HNI
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Lund yes but Kane over Rico as Pukki missed sitters

    16. Amey
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Raz should have had at least one
      Definitely keeping him now. Hopefully Mendy's inclusion would make him play more centrally

      1. HNI
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        He is far too wide. After Soton he can be dropped for double liv mid in Mane and salah

        1. Amey
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          Of course
          That is the plan after gw 12
          That assist was exquisite though 😮

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

      Otamendi no show means I have some interest in Monday Night Football with Lundstram.

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        I started Lundstram for this reason

      2. Tsparkes10
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        It'll be a great game.

      3. Bobby Digital
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Pepes' turn to haul

    18. BigBillyBass
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Didn’t manage to watch the City game. Did KDB play?

      1. dshv
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Yea

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

        They won so obviously.

      3. BigBillyBass
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Huge haul?

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

      Ota denied a CS 🙁

      1. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Baldy fraud.

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

        No CS if the clown played.

      3. Granville
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Aguero denied at least a hatrick

      4. FPL.team
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Ota denies a CS every week...

    20. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Avg, what’s the Avg.

    21. dshv
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      27 points with auba mane robbo to play ?????

    22. Surfeit of Lampteys
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Jesus not squaring it to kdb for a tap in. Boy, was that a low point. My word. I was already celebrating.

      1. Firminooooo
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        He should be shot.

        1. Surfeit of Lampteys
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          An absolute sickener.

    23. KGFC
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Top 10K average 24 with 9/12 players done and 70% captains played

      1. Collie01
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        I imagine there will be lots of Rico autosubs to come in.

    24. Granville
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Jammy Rico owners 😎

      1. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Lol.

      2. the Penman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Some of us started him you know...

        1. Granville
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          That feels worse. That said that I only benched him because I started Ramsdale and didn't want a double up.

          1. the Penman
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            4 years, 5 months ago

            Fair, a double up would have been extreme. I only started him expecting an assist at best!

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

        Put him in my XI 😎

        Ready for Lundstram goal and CS off the bench for Kun(t) on Monday

        1. Granville
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          I started Lundy over Rico.

      4. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Ota owners with Rico first bench 😎

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

        Half bench points needed.

        1. Granville
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          Gone off the idea now

    25. BNMC
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Is wanting to sell Sterling a bit kneejerk?

      1. the Penman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Yes. He seemed well involved. Missed a good couple of chances.

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

        Time to sell if he starts midweek.

      3. MaRooney 5
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        yes

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

      How were Wilson, Tammy and Maddison today?