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. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Looks offside but he plays for United...

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

      Pity 🙁

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

    Yesss Penandes!!

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

      Lol.

    2. Tasty Jerk
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Clearly off.

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

      Clown 😆

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

    Looks like it’s offside

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

    offside

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

    Offside no pen

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

    No pen

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

    He looked miles off

  8. Cok3y5murf
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Pathetic dive by Rashford anyway

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

      Streetwise*

  9. COLLIN QUANER
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Is anyone currently eating some snacks whilst they watch the game?

    I've got some Ritz crackers on the go and then some jam donuts to tuck into! Also washing it down with some Old Empire IPA!

    1. Tired and weary
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      I’ve gone for a family pack of Monster Munch with a vintage Chardonnay. Great topic, hulk this

    2. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      roast chicken for me

      do love a Ritz though

    3. The Habib Beyes
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Hazy Jane and Doritos over here!

      1. Party time
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Hahaha

      2. Neves say Neves
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        This should be a weekly hot topic!

      3. The Mighty Hippo
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Birra Moretti and a jammie Wagon Wheel.

        1. The Habib Beyes
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Bold combination. Respect

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

        A Lidl weiss bier and a bag of chilli heatwave doritos

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

        Jamaican rice, hot pepper sauce and salad...Mmmm!

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

        Just had some buttered toast and a cup of chai

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

      Rashford was WELL offside.

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

      Some ball in from Bruno, less said about Walker the better...

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

      Few. Thank you VAR

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

      Boo offside

    8. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Phew

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

      Roy Keane hates Kyle Walker. He’s going to roast him at FT.

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

        Walker is pretty crap, basically another version of Traore, all he can do is run

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

      Offside... Can't believe my luck this GW

    11. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Let off for city, was a foul alright but offside.

      Fair play to McTominay there. Most players would have rolled around after being fouled but he got straight back up, played the advantage and created the chance.

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

      My TOE! ! my TOE!

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

      VAR saving non-penandes owners here

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

      Need that penalty badly

    15. Steve The Spud
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Bruno pen would have Been lovely

    16. Joey Tribbiani
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Ole moaning that VAR wont save his ass 76th time

    17. Random Name
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Man utd players disgust me. Ole has ingrained diving into them - same antics Fergie used to teach him back in the day.

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

        Elite tactics

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

        Gain every advantage you can.

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

      Unlucky Bruno owners

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

        It’s ok he’ll get two next week 😉

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

      Mahrez trying to run through the whole defence

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

      Bruno will get penalty just wait

    21. Gnu
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Massive credit to Sterling playing so soon after brain surgery.

    22. Parsnips
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Kyle walker is delusional and Rodri is pissing me off

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

      That drone-cam makes me dizzy

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

        I like it.

        I gives a nice birds eye view of the game play.

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

      Massive relief with that offside call