Dugout Discussion

Mane, Fabinho and Alisson return for Liverpool as Guardiola benches Jesus

The most-anticipated Premier League fixture of the weekend, and perhaps the calendar year so far, sees reigning champions Liverpool take on current league leaders Manchester City.

Kick-off at Anfield is at 16:30 GMT.

A win for City would take them ten points clear of Jurgen Klopp’s side, with the blue half of Manchester also having a game in hand to play on top of that.

Klopp has brought back three of his big guns from illness and injury for this fixture, with Sadio Mane, Alisson and Fabinho returning to the starting XI.

Fabinho will be deployed alongside Jordan Henderson at centre-half, with the Liverpool boss resisting the urge to hand a first start to new recruits Ozan Kabak or Ben Davies – the latter of whom doesn’t even make the matchday squad.

Along with the three returning players above, Curtis Jones is recalled to the hosts’ line-up.

Xherdan Shaqiri, James Milner, Nat Phillips and Caoimhin Kelleher are the men to make way.

Guardiola has made two changes to his City line-up as Oleksandr Zinchenko and Phil Foden start in place of the benched Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus.

The form book points to City in this fixture, with the visitors on a nine-match winning run in the top flight.

Guardiola’s troops have recorded 11 shut-outs in their last 13 matches, too.

Liverpool have won only two of their last eight Premier League games, meanwhile, with many of their key FPL assets in poor form.

Andrew Robertson is on his longest barren run without an attacking return since his debut season at Anfield, while Mohamed Salah – who is still the division’s top goalscorer, lest we forget – hasn’t found the net on Merseyside since Gameweek 13.


Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Henderson, Robertson, Thiago, Wijnaldum, Jones, Salah, Firmino, Mane.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Joao Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Gundogan, Mahrez, Sterling, Foden.

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2,350 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Alisson at fault for both

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

    Karius back in the team with an Allison mask.

  3. LE CHARO
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Masterclass from Alisson

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

    Poor Allison. Seems like such a nice guy too.

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Lovely bloke. But ...

  5. Zladan
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    ALOLisson

  6. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Now Cancelo to Stones.

  7. EmreCan Hustle
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Alisson return

  8. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Allison stayed up too late in the pub.

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

    Sterling on 2 BPs lovely. Foden knocking Salah off BPs too is great.

  10. Isco Disco
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Allison doing a Karius tonight

  11. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Alisson top 3 keeper in the world usually. Hope this doesn’t turn him into DDG post World Cup

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

    What happened with Alisson wtf

  13. Holmes
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Time to buy Areola

    1. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Any recommendations for Areola cover?

      1. Marvin Moon
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Those little tassels look nice. Can't remember what they're called.

      2. Marvin Moon
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        I couldn't tell you how long I've waited for an opportunity to make a joke like this. Thank you so much.

        1. Holmes
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          😀

  14. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    And they said Allisson was better than Ederson. LOL

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Probably talking about his looks

    2. Forza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      His distribution has always been worse, even without today's disasterclass.

    3. GROBARI
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      He is. You are casual bro. Beacuse of 2 mistakes in his Liverpool career he is worse than Ederson. Stop watching football dude

  15. Reeker
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Alisson gonna need to have a lot of mental strength to recover from this game

    1. CRO KLOPP
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      You could be on goal with this defence

  16. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    I swear Sterling only gets lucky goals lmao

  17. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    I demand my Stones goal 🙁

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

    Salah feck off with your dirty points Liverpool deserve beating as their slow burn tactics in play is not proper football

  19. GROBARI
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Please leave my man Alisson alone,it can happen to anybody

  20. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    C'mon Cancelo get in on this gravy train.

  21. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Gündogan (41)
    Sterling (32)
    Foden (26)
    Salah (24)
    Alexander-Arnold (24)
    Bernardo Silva (22)
    Jones (18)
    Stones (16)
    Wijnaldum (13)
    Henderson (11)

  22. Marvin Moon
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Everyone has bad game. Unfortunately if you're a keeper it costs you.

  23. Rik Waller
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Noob question maybe...
    Got Raz first on bench, but noticed Soucek scored a 0. When do those Raz sub points get added to my score?

    1. bialk
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Next week.

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

      3 years?

    3. jammie26
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      After tomorrow nights game.

  24. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Gundo essential for DGW? Or will he get benched for one of them?

  25. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Goooooooo Sterling !!!

  26. fusen
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    I benched Salah and played Stones and Dias.

    I also bet money that Salah would score. So I won £22.50 but lost out on quite a few FPL points 😐

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

    Karius in goal for Poole?

  28. JustPark
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Mignolet, Karius. Allison now.

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      One game. Big difference.

  29. Bushwhacker
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Liverpool fan, Sterling owner ... happy frankly. Just write the season off, give the kids some game time.

  30. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Give Liverpool defenders another -1, Cancelo!