Dugout Discussion

Man United and Villa audition for Blanks and Doubles at Old Trafford

Fantasy Premier League managers will have eagle eyes on Old Trafford in Gameweek 17 as Manchester United and Aston Villa go under the microscope.

The two teams were recently confirmed as having three matches across Blank Gameweek 18 and Double Gameweek 19 – increasing interest in their key assets.

A large majority of the community are currently in possession of talismanic figures Bruno Fernandes (£11.2m) and Jack Grealish (£7.7m) but this is an opportunity to look beyond the obvious.

Marcus Rashford (£9.5m) features in what looks like a two-man strike-force in front of a midfield diamond, having scored more goals in the last four matches than Fernandes (four to three).

Anthony Martial (£8.7m) holds onto his centre-forward berth as Edinson Cavani (£7.8m) embarks on his three-game ban, although the Uruguayan will only miss one Premier League outing.

Eric Bailly (£4.9m) sits next to Harry Maguire (£5.4m) in defence once again, in light of Victor Lindelöf‘s (£4.8m) most recent injury while Luke Shaw (£4.8m) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£5.3m) are on the left and right of the back-four.

Fantasy managers are not short on alternative options at Villa either, not least because Anwar El Ghazi (£5.8m) has outscored Grealish by 42 points to 19 over the last four matches.

He features on the left-hand side of Dean Smith’s attacking midfield trio at Old Trafford, joined there by Grealish and Bertrand Traoré (£5.9m), who has three attacking returns since Gameweek 14.

There is still no Ross Barkley (£5.9m) in the matchday squad but the defence has reset to normal, with Tyrone Mings (£5.4m) coming straight back into the team following his Gameweek 16 suspension.

Manchester United XI: De Gea; Shaw, Maguire, Bailly, Wan-Bissaka; McTominay; Pogba, Fred; B Fernandes; Rashford, Martial.

Aston Villa XI: Martínez; Targett, Mings, Konsa, Cash; McGinn, D Luiz; El Ghazi, Grealish, B Traoré; Watkins.

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1,932 Comments Post a Comment
  1. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Python's out for new year

  2. MagicMessi
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Imagine Bruno not on penos ... Very average

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

      Yawn

      1. MagicMessi
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Go to bed

    2. kennethrhcp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Average fpl player... not average player

      1. MagicMessi
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Average points without penos I mean

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

      Player of the season.

    4. Pep Roulette
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Do you even watch football?

      1. MagicMessi
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        More than you

    5. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Ur mom

      1. MagicMessi
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Ur sister

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

    United own VAR. DEAL WITH IT

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

    Grealish still on 3bp (Bruno 2 Martial 1 - 33,32,30)

    1. Lev Yashin
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Has the final whistle gone?

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

      Wow

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

    Bad day to bring in a united defender. Bleh.

    1. FFSbet.com
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Yeah Cresswell > Maguire here...

  6. Bounce
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Lmao at people celebrating that goal. If you own Bruno without having him as captain you've got a red arrow.

    1. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      I am ranked 7m so it works well for me

    2. Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      So? I'm in a money league with friends and colleagues and the people below me don't have him but I guess I should be gutted because some random guy in Egypt triple captained him.

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

        This

      2. Leonard hatred
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        if FFS comments have taught me anything, its that the joy of this game isn't in playing, and clearly not winning, but trying to make other people feel bad about their team.

      3. SackWenger
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Pharaoh enough

  7. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    3- Grealish
    2- Penandes
    1 - Martial

    As it stands

  8. ChickenTikkaMoSalah
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Was it a pen? Unbiased opinion plz

    1. Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      I thought he tripped himself up tbh.

      1. @persecuted_by_mods
          3 years, 3 months ago

          He did, after luiz clipped him. That's what made him trip himself

      2. Scholes Out For Summer
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        yes.

        totally unbiased

      3. Bram
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Soft but yes

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

        United fan. Bruno (c)

        Soft

      5. @persecuted_by_mods
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Yes but soft, d luiz is rash and clips pogba which makes pogba clip his own leg

        • Balls of Steel
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Think Luiz arm on Pogba was the difference

        • Pukki Party
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          No

          1. Pukki Party
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Or at least worth looking on the screen imo

        • Paqueta Rice
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Luiz needlessly hits the outside of Pogbas left boot in behind his own leg after he had turned him. Was a penalty. Referee thought so and VAR is to overturn a clear and obvious error. Didn’t even need the ref to go and look at the screen. It was an obvious penalty.

      6. Begbie.
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        State of the FPL twitter account even trying to put doubt on the Grealish assist 😆

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

        Martinez is missing a save

        1. Lev Yashin
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          He's missing the ball.

        2. Nanoelektronicar
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          That from left side from Rashford wasn't a save.

      8. Londongeezaa
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        I’ve somehow still got Grealish. Was so close to swapping out for El Ghazi 🙂

        As a non Bruno captainer will his goal actually help?

        1. Sun Jihai
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          No, red arrow

      9. jimmyabs1987
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Anyone hold on to Grealish for last 4 weeks and dump him this week?

        1. OverTinker
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          i was about to move him out

          1. Saka_me_sideways
            • 3 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Yep, with Cresswell and Soucek on the bench... one of THOSE weeks

        2. kennethrhcp
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          o/

          Before the rescheduled games

        3. Kuzser
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Did exactly this, had him since gw5, but had to sacrifice to enable City def

        4. The Point About It Is
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          yep - that's the way it rolls sometimes.....

      10. Ozzy smith
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Imagine if that was a foul anywhere on the pitch. We’d officially have a no contact sport.

      11. Gudjohnsen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Isn't Michael Oliver a United supporter?

        1. Balls of Steel
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Yep Paul Tierney is too...

      12. Herman Toothrot
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        El Ghazi equaliser imminent

        1. Sim Simma
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          AWB says hello

      13. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        AWB lucky not to give away a pen

      14. Sun Jihai
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Just perma cap Bruno

        1. Gudjohnsen
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          F--- off

          So lucky tonight

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

            The majority of his hauls involve a lucky pen shout

          2. Dont_Win_Friends_With_Salah…
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Hmmm, people say that every week

        2. The Pesci challenge
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          But we say that about salah as well so you can never win

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

        Sterling or KDB?

        1. Begbie.
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          KDB

      16. Orion
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Rashford is so bad at finishing

        1. Bruce Lee
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Said nobody ever

        2. Salah’s Sonnet
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          You’ve only just noticed this?!

          1. Orion
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Every single week he surprises me again

        3. Zladan
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          You’ve lost your head.

        4. Deulofail
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Good at shooting. Not a great finisher. Goes for style and feel instead of engagine brain and choosing the best option. Idk I'm making this up

      17. Silecro
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Coufal, Soucek, Grealish, Bruno. A truly wonderful FPL day

        1. Balls of Steel
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Hats off all round

        2. Salah’s Sonnet
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Only been two games

          1. kennethrhcp
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            And all those players scored well for him in those 2 games

            1. Salah’s Sonnet
              • 12 Years
              3 years, 3 months ago

              Ok

              1. kennethrhcp
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 13 Years
                3 years, 3 months ago

                You just come in for smart arse comments?

          2. Silecro
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Hence the "day", not the gameweek. Son captain could blank and gameweek gonne to tatters

        3. joey
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          I've got all of them but shrewdly left Coufal on the bench

      18. Catastrophe
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Stupid question - when do winning goal BPS get added - 90 mins or during the game?

        1. TorresMagic™
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          during these days

          1. Catastrophe
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Ta.

          2. MGD
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Ah, I see. I stand corrected below.

        2. MGD
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          After the game I believe.

        3. joey
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          I just came on to ask that

        4. Salah’s Sonnet
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Does it matter?

          1. Catastrophe
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Top drawer commenting tonight, well done!

      19. diesel001
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Bruno isn't *that* lucky.

        The best teams in the PL are Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs. They will win the most penalties.

        Bruno is a penalty taker.

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

          Getting bs penalties is lucky tho

          1. diesel001
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Every top team gets bs pens. That is football now. Salah gets them. Vardy gets them. Kane gets them.

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

        Nearly another pen to united

      21. CheesyZoot
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Coufal points staring at me from my bench... Roy better not give Mitchell a pointless cameo tomorrow if he doesn't start...

        1. Begbie.
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          I started Mitchell but put Dallas first sub due and Coufal second due to Dallas attacking potential 🙁 Disappointing but hopefully Mitchell starts and bags a CS.

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

            Fingers crossed mate!

      22. TH14 - INVINCIBLE
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        VAR was supposed to bring consistency and transparency on refereeing calls and it's only done the opposite.

        The concept is great the people at the screens... Not so much.

        1. diesel001
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          It has brought consistency to offside IMO. People don't like it because more goals are ruled out. But that was the whole point of VAR. To rule out all those dodgy offside goals that were getting scrutinised by TV pundits literally every week.

          1. TH14 - INVINCIBLE
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            If they weren't getting offside goals right I'd think it be scrapped already. However it comes to penalties and fouls being given and not given, no consistency whatsoever.

      23. Party time
          3 years, 3 months ago

          I know a fella who thinks Rashford can cover Bruno 😆

          1. Twisted Saltergater
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            nice double up, but you've got to have Man U's penalty taker - whoever it is.

            1. Party time
                3 years, 3 months ago

                Yeah, exactly. That’s why I’ve got both Bruno + Martial. Just hope Bruno does nothing again because I’ve got Salah(C) on Monday

          2. Twisted Saltergater
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Something has to be done about simulation. Players trip themselves, fall into opponents and force contact by stretching out a leg. These are all easy to see using VAR, so the only reason decisions are not being overturned is to avoid undermining referees.

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

            Watkins goal would be lovely...

            Not gonna happen is it

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

            If people are thinking of getting Maguire, he is one yellow card away from suspension.

          5. gooberman
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 3 months ago

            Does anybody know what the captain percentages are?