Dugout Discussion

De Bruyne in advanced role as Man United deploy midfield diamond for derby

Pep Guardiola has afforded Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) an advanced role once again as Manchester City travel to Old Trafford.

The Belgian has been operating as a number 10 increasingly often this season having previously only played in that position in the big games.

And they don’t come too much bigger than a city derby for Guardiola’s men, so De Bruyne’s 24.5% ownership will be relishing his advanced runs tonight.

He features at the centre of an attacking midfield trio in support of Gabriel Jesus (£9.3m), flanked by Raheem Sterling (£11.4m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.4m), who enjoyed a disparity of fortunes against Fulham.

Elsewhere, it is a third consecutive Premier League start for John Stones (£4.8m) at the heart of City’s defence, while João Cancelo (£5.5m) retains a berth, switching to the left-hand side, pushing Benjamin Mendy (£5.9m) to the bench and allowing Kyle Walker (£6.2m) back into the side.

Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appears to have tweaked his Manchester United outfit with respect to the opposition, changing his favoured 4-2-3-1 system into a midfield diamond shape.

Fred (£5.3m), Paul Pogba (£7.7m) and Scott McTominay (£4.9m) are all included in the line-up behind Bruno Fernandes (£10.9m) in support of Marcus Rashford (£9.4m) and Mason Greenwood‘s (£7.1m) two-man strike pairing.

Anthony Martial (£8.7m) is still an option though, named on the bench alongside Alex Telles (£5.5m).

Manchester United XI (4-1-2-1-2): De Gea; Shaw, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka; McTominay; Pogba, Fred; B Fernandes; Rashford, Greenwood.

Manchester City XI (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Walker; Fernandinho, Rodrigo; Sterling, De Bruyne, Mahrez; Jesus.

Lessons learned from FPL Gameweek 12

1,330 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Jindaljain
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Need KDB and Bruno goals

    1. All Hail K
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      In other words two penalties

  2. Right In The Stanchion
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Today has been a very very boring football day.

  3. Right In The Stanchion
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Rashford should stick to politics.

    1. Camino Aleatorio
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He needs to go to the Juergen Klinsmann school of diving

      His dives are not Oscar quality

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

    City playing into United's hands now, space...

  5. el polako
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    He rushed this shot.

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

    is there no fans?

    1. Ginkapo FPL
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Tier 3

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

        oh right yea

    2. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Makes no difference to City players.

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

        LOL

      2. Camino Aleatorio
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        “What is a fan?”

    3. Patio Kev
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      No - Tier 3 innit.

  7. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    KdB and Bruno are both on completely different levels to their respective teammates.

    1. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      To all other players in PL...

      1. Duke Silver ☑
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Yeah that too. The gulf in class is so apparent in this game though.

  8. Esalman
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Anyone with Salah TC here?

    1. djman102
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Not seen one, but there's a Kane TC in my minileague.

      1. Esalman
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Oof

    2. Jindaljain
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Salah blank will impact low scores this week

    3. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Away? Non DGW. Why would you?

    4. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Seen one guy just below me in my local mini league alright but nobody here so far.

  9. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Gashford

  10. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Fernandes saving his VAR pen bs for when I get him for the Sheff Utd game, excellent.

  11. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Come ooon Bruno

  12. Jindaljain
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    KDB is my differential in my ML

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Bougie Bissouma.

  13. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Maguire hahahahaha

  14. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    If Pep wants to win he needs to take out Jesus and put Torres a striker. Simple

    1. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He needs to take selfish Mahrez off.

  15. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    City giving United far too many chances here

  16. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    This city team really misses a David Silva in there

    This is dreadful

    1. DGW blindness is for Kinnea…
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Isn't Bernado Silva the next David Silva?

      1. Vazza
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        No, apparently Foden is the heir to David Silva’s throne

      2. Jindaljain
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        All Silva's are not same

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

        People said he was but don’t see it myself or at least he hasn’t shown it. David had the technique but also the ability to manage the tempo

        1. Vazza
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Football magicians aren’t born everyday..

      4. Party time
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Pep said Foden. Pep knows nothing

    2. DGW blindness is for Kinnea…
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Tactical masterclass

    3. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      This is garbage

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

        It really is

    4. Nightcrawler
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Rodri is so bad

      If there is one single player responsible for city's decline its him

      1. Flair
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Pep was so obsessed with the idea of Busquets v2

      2. DGW blindness is for Kinnea…
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        The next Javi Garcia

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

        He's no Jorginho

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

      Bit of width from Mendy would go a long way.

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

      Maguire and Lindelof, best centre back partnership in the league, am I wrong?

    7. Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Get to 60 Mahrez

    8. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Aguero could be an amazing pick for West Brom

      1. Nightcrawler
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Not going to start

      2. DGW blindness is for Kinnea…
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        I don't think he'd be too keen on the move

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

        Will he play though?
        Thinking the same but last time l took a punt on him and capped ended 2pointer...

        Tempted though

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

        Crocked

      5. Patio Kev
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        If he wasn’t fit to get on the bench today then I doubt he will be fit to start vs WBA.

      6. Jindaljain
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        That form may be not consistent

    9. Bob_the_builder
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Who to get for Mahrez and Jota?
      A) Salah and Romeu
      B) KDB and Soucek
      C) Other
      Already own Grealish, Bruno, Son.

      1. jb1985
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        B

    10. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      City should be looking to sign Haaland by any means necessary.

      1. bso
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Totally agree!

      2. Royal5
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Not sure Citys slow build up style woul suit Haaland. He loves pace and quick build ups.

    11. JJO
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      What a shaite of game is this?

      1. Party time
          3 years, 4 months ago

          This game is just like SHU vs WBA

      2. R.C
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Woohooo 6 points from KDB and Bruno

        1. RAFA THE GAFFA
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Sign of a terrible GW

        2. Jindaljain
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Goals will come for sure

      3. RAFA THE GAFFA
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Bruno-KDB double up flopping finally

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

        poor from KDB

        1. DGW blindness is for Kinnea…
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          The next Jack Rodwell

        2. Vazza
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          The next Reece Oxford

      5. Duke Silver ☑
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        This isn't even at training match intensity.