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. Arctic monkeys
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    EMI !!

    1. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      !!!!!

      1. Arctic monkeys
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        1st save point

  2. ChickenTikkaMoSalah
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Marital close, good save

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

      Must’ve been a great stag do

  3. HuttonDressedasLahm
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    If Villa get a CS here I’m going to rage quit!

    1. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      If Man United score in Fergie time once more then I will rage quit

      1. Pep bites Kun
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        As a 100m runner you learn to run beyond the tape

    2. HuttonDressedasLahm
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Don’t own Martinez, but Konsa last on bench
      Villa have trolled me so badly

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

    Can't wait for an OMG Fernandes

  5. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Maguire goal threat

  6. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Martinez mega haul incoming

  7. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Martinez is going to haul 😀

  8. Dele
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    If Grealish picks up a yellow in this game, he’ll just miss the cup?

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

      No.

    2. Gobigorgohome
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      he will miss GW 18

  9. CRO KLOPP
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Save point Martinez

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

    Martinez 2nd save...

  11. riot
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    God I'm so tired of Martinez being 100% owned

    1. Steve The Spud
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      This

  12. Dont_Win_Friends_With_Salah…
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    There's going to be some save points in this for Martinez

    1. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Also some balls to pick out from the net

  13. Gobigorgohome
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    United is so good

  14. CloudSky
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Smells like Martinez is cooking a haul again.

  15. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Every game Maguire gets a header on goal from a corner. Unfortunately it is normally straight off a defender or at the keeper. Surely has a goal coming.

  16. BIG TONES
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Martinez > Leno

    Just saying.

  17. jdp219
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Just looking at how Grealish wears his shin guards makes me uncomfortable.

    1. Ode
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Yeah he’s using kids shin guards and they’re not even covering his shins

      1. jdp219
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        It's more about the slouching for me.

    2. circusmonkey
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      He shouldn't be allowed to do that, by his club or the ref. He's being paid a lot, so he should protect himself unless he wants to forgo pay when someone breaks his shin.

      1. Chalobah's Witness
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        A shin guard protects you from quite a lot things but it defo doesn't protect you from a fracture.

    3. Dont_Win_Friends_With_Salah…
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      This really annoys me. Fashion over safety is a very poor choice

  18. fedolefan
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Useless Martinez. 1 pointers galore in my team. Now save points every 10 mins.

  19. Arctic monkeys
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Great game so far

  20. For Fuchs Sake
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Free Hit next GW all?

    1. jdp219
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Was planning on it, but fell asleep and now have 2FTs to consider.

    2. Steve The Spud
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Not sure I fancy reverting back to a team with no city, 1 pool and 1 United for the double

    3. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      I'm just fielding 7
      Martinez
      Stones Dias
      Fernandes Son
      Kane DCL

      And maybe a hit for Sterling.

    4. Leonard hatred
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      gonna play with 10 men, am saving for a future covid emergency when everybody has spent theirs

      1. Leonard hatred
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        (9 if cancelo really does have the lurgy)

  21. Vazza
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Who would you bring in for the next few weeks

    A. Saka
    B. Wan-Bissaka

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

      Wan-Bissaka, although Maguire's a better pick imo if you've haven't got him already. Saka will likely get 70 mins over the next few and possibly a (well deserved) rest in one of them.

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

        Thanks mate. I’m 0.1m short of being able to afford Maguire.

        Why is Maguire better than Wan-Bissaka?

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

          Purely just on goal threat w/set pieces. If it's affordability go with Wan-Bissaka, he might come up with a freak of a goal again if you're lucky!

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

            Thanks mate. Makes sense.

            Happy New Year!

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

              No worries mate, best of luck!

  22. Im New Here
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Have Coufal and Soucek on the bench, not a brilliant start 🙂

    1. Iwantmorepointsthanks
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      you never know, they might come on!

    2. Boly Would
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Same here, hoping for Mitchell and Saka no shows..

    3. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Plenty of rotation possible this GW

  23. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Martinez 2 or 3 saves so far?

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

      2. First ‘save’ was a cross.

  24. BIG TONES
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Grealish has the best calves in the league. Solid.

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

    United in the mood.

    1. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      for dancing, romancing ....

  26. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Nearly a Fred bandwagon there

    1. Arctic monkeys
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Lol

  27. Scholes Out For Summer
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Is this enough for a FH? Need KDB doesnt it... Have 1FT but not even sure who to bring in

    Martinez
    Dias
    Son Bruno
    Kane DCL

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

      Can you bring in two players for a 4 point hit that play in the next BGW?

  28. drughi
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Dias as only city player for double gameweek 19 to risky ?

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

      Need an attacker

      1. drughi
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Son fernandes salah raphinha soucek in mid, vardy, adams and bamford in front. How ? thinking dier and son > Dias and rashford

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

      If you have to ask...

    3. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      I'm going Dias + Stones.
      I had triple mancity attack almost all season, they are completely useless

    4. Arctic monkeys
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      I think so

    5. KEN YA DIG IT
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      You know the risks

  29. Dele
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Knew I should have played Soucek over Watkins

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

      You should never have gotten Watkins that trap at all.

  30. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    I’d like more martial goals please