Dugout Discussion

Aguero, De Bruyne and Sterling start as Mendy and Cancelo are benched

Six Premier League matches get underway at 15:00 GMT today, with Liverpool and Manchester City among the dozen teams in action.

Sergio Aguero (£12.1m) has been named in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI for the first time in the league since Gameweek 8.

Just shy of 300,000 Fantasy managers sold the Argentina international in the lead-up to Gameweek 11.

Raheem Sterling (£12.1m), Kevin De Bruyne (£10.2m) and David Silva (£7.7m) also start.

Nicolas Otamendi (£5.4m), Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m), Benjamin Mendy (£6.0m) and Joao Cancelo (£5.3m) are the victims of Guardiola’s rotation roulette, however, with all four benched.

The Saints have made three changes from last Friday’s hammering by Leicester, with a switch of goalkeepers among the alterations.

Mohamed Salah (£12.4m) is fit to start and joins Roberto Firmino (£9.5m) and Sadio Mane (£11.9m) in a familiar-looking front three.

The Reds’ back four is unchanged, too.

Fabinho (£5.5m), who is on four yellow cards, is benched, with perhaps one eye on next weekend’s clash with Manchester City.

Jack Grealish (£5.9m) has not recovered a calf injury and misses out, with Anwar El Ghazi (£5.5m) replacing him.

Unai Emery has recalled Mesut Ozil (£7.2m) to his starting XI for the first time in the Premier League since Gameweek 5.

Nicolas Pepe (£9.3m) makes way for the German, while Granit Xhaka (£5.3m) is excluded from the matchday squad as expected.

Nuno Espirito Santo sticks with the side that started Wolves’ 1-1 draw at Newcastle last Sunday.

Todd Cantwell (£4.8m) has been benched for the first time this season, with Onel Hernandez (£5.3m) taking his place.

Graham Potter has named the same 11 players who started against Everton last Saturday, meanwhile.

West Ham are also unchanged from last weekend, while Steve Bruce recalls Isaac Hayden (£4.4m) and Jonjo Shelvey (£5.0m) for the Longstaff brothers.

There is only one change to the starting XIs at Bramall Lane, with Lys Mousset (£4.9m) replacing Callum Robinson (£5.3m) for the hosts.

Chris Wood (£6.2m) misses out again for Burnley.

Arsenal XI: Leno, Chambers, Papastathopoulos, Luiz, Tierney, Guendouzi, Torreira, Ozil, Ceballos, Lacazette, Aubameyang.

Wolves XI: Patricio, Dendoncker, Coady, Saiss, Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Jonny, Traore, Jimenez, Jota.

Aston Villa XI: Heaton, Guilbert, Engels, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Nakamba, Douglas Luiz, El Ghazi, Trezeguet, Wesley.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Salah, Firmino, Mané.

Brighton XI: Ryan, Montoya, Webster, Dunk, Burn, Gross, Pröpper, Stephens, Alzate, Maupay, Connolly.

Norwich XI: Krul, Lewis, Godfrey, Tettey, Aarons, Trybull, Buendia, McLean, Stiepermann, Hernández, Pukki.

Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Fernandinho, Angelino, Gundogan, Silva, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero.

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Valery, Bednarek, Stephens, Vestergaard, Hojbjerg, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Armstrong, Ings, Redmond.

Sheffield United XI: Henderson, Basham, O’Connell, Egan, Baldock, Fleck, Lundstram, Norwood, Stevens, McGoldrick, Mousset.

Burnley XI: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters, Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Rodriguez, Barnes.

West Ham XI: Roberto, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Cresswell, Rice, Yarmolenko, Noble, Snodgrass, Felipe Anderson, Haller.

Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Yedlin, Fernandez, Lascelles, Clark, Willems, Almiron, Hayden, Shelvey, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton.

2,302 Comments Post a Comment
  1. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Ideally gives city a kick up the arse to get going

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

    Get Mendy on!

  3. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Get Mendy on yah bald fraud....

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

    There's the SOU consolation.

    Aguero time.

  5. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Oo-er, as if.

    Bloody unpredictable game

  6. Sid1891
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    In Sergio we trust? Or not
    Planning on selling next week

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Should have got rid. Pep has hurt his confidence by dropping him for PL games (that matter when you are chasing Liverpool) and playing him in CL games (that don't matter when you are basically qualified).

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

    Oh wow!

  8. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Lol

  9. tm245
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Not Ederson's finest moment.

  10. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Bloody Lanzini

  11. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    City really missing Otamendi’s defensive abilities.

  12. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Lovely. Means City have to attack now. Would rather have goals than a CS point for a midfielder.

  13. Tambling5
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Thanks Pep for benching Mendy!

  14. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Angeliño looks like Karl Pinkington...

  15. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Mark knows

  16. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Mark knows

  17. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Ederson error

  18. Eat my goal!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Norwich all over again

  19. Piggs Boson
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Serves Pep right for not starting Mendy 👿

    1. Pumpkinhead *non-expert*
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      This

  20. Supersonic Marv'
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Anyone else bench Rico?

    1. Pumpkinhead *non-expert*
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Tons

  21. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    southampton are going to sit every single player behind the ball now. Was 8 men behind the ball now it will be 11

    will be tough for city to break this down no matter how good the attack is

  22. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    FPL out the window for now.

    Hooooooold Saints!

    1. Postman Ty
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      2nd really up for the taking if they drop points again here.

  23. Follyfarmer
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    So glad i TCd ward-prowse

  24. Modest Bob
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Damn 1 week too late with my JWP TC.

    1. Pumpkinhead *non-expert*
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      stop

  25. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Leicester would score 15 vs City

  26. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Mane sitter, Hendo cross.

  27. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Newcastle goal

  28. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    OMG Clark

  29. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Sheef utd goal. Lundstram

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

      no way

    2. Postman Ty
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      What a great last minute inclusion over Wilson 😀

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

    Gloves off for Ozil. Literally.