Dugout Discussion
14 March 2021 1772 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
Share:

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur is the third of four Premier League matches to take place on Sunday.

Kick-off in the north London derby is at 16:30 GMT.

Much of the pre-match coverage has centred around Mikel Arteta’s surprise decision to omit Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.4m) from his starting XI.

We have seen the Gabon international, among others, rested after his exertions in Europe in recent weeks but today’s benching is instead for “disciplinary reasons”, rather than influenced by fatigue.

Mikel Arteta said ahead of kick-off:

He was going to start the game. We had a disciplinary issue, we have drawn the line and we move on. He’s on the bench.

We have a process that we have to respect for every game, and that’s it.

Aubameyang is one of four changes that Arteta has made from the side that drew 1-1 with Burnley last weekend.

Calum Chambers (£4.5m), Willian (£7.5m) and Pablo Mari (£4.4m) also make way, as Alexandre Lacazette (£8.1m), Cedric (£4.6m), Emile Smith Rowe (£4.2m) and Gabriel (£4.9m) are recalled.

As for Spurs, Tanguy Ndombele (£5.9m) in for Harry Winks (£5.1m) is the only change that Jose Mourinho has made from the Gameweek 27 win over Crystal Palace.

That means that Harry Kane (£11.4m) has recovered from the knock to the knee he took in Thursday’s win over Dinamo Zagreb.

The England international is reunited with Son Heung-min (£9.6m), Lucas Moura (£6.6m) and Gareth Bale (£9.5m) in a front four that looked potent against the Eagles last weekend.

Kane and Bale were the top two most popular purchases of Gameweek 28, following their double-digit hauls in the Lilywhites’ previous league outing.

The Spurs duo were transferred in by over one million managers combined in the run-up to Friday’s deadline.

LINE-UPS

Arsenal XI: Leno, Cedric, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Xhaka, Partey, Saka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Lacazette.

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris, Doherty, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Reguilon, Højbjerg, Ndombele, Lucas, Bale, Son, Kane.

GAMEWEEK 28 SO FAR…

.

Kelechi Iheanacho‘s (£5.6m) superb Fantasy Premier League form continued on Sunday as Leicester City thumped a Sheffield United side marooned at the foot of the Premier League table and starting life without Chris Wilder.

The Nigeria international hit a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over the managerless Blades, taking his total to five goals and 35 FPL points in his last three appearances.

Iheanacho has been flourishing alongside Jamie Vardy (£10.2m) since the budget FPL forward’s return to the Leicester starting XI in Gameweek 26, and has had over twice as many shots as the long-serving striker in that time.

No Fantasy forward has registered as many shots in the box or big chances as Iheanacho over the last three Gameweeks.

Vardy again failed to find the target on Sunday but was as much a part of the Foxes’ victory as his strike partner, supplying three assists – two of them sublime passes for Iheanacho before Ethan Ampadu (£4.3m) deflected in his off-target effort – en route to his first double-digit haul since Gameweek 14.

The fit-again Ayoze Perez (£6.0m) also got in on the act by finding the net on his return from injury.

This was not a match to gauge the offensive threat or defensive competence of Brendan Rodgers’ troops, however, as Sheffield United turned in a thoroughly abject display under caretaker boss Paul Heckingbottom.

The Blades managed just one shot on goal as the hosts cruised to what was their first clean sheet in six matches.

Owners of Ricardo Pereira (£5.9m) couldn’t enjoy the routine shut-out, however, as the Portuguese full-back was withdrawn at half-time because of “tightness in his hamstring”.

GET IN-GAME DATA AT LIVE FPL

Check your own rank and in-play FPL stats on LiveFPL.net every Gameweek

  1. FPL Daniel
    • 16 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    How bad the Son injury looked like?

    1. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Hammy

    2. SB007
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Hammy -expect out of 29

    3. Keep Calm and Play On
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      It looked like something in the hammy, usually not a good sign

  2. The Suspended One
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Son would have gotten something here

  3. SB007
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    5 mins extra

  4. Keep Calm and Play On
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    FFS

  5. GROBARI
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Nooooo,last chance went away

  6. rjcv177
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    With WC saving for 31, and no FH, i was on 5 for gw29.
    Plan was -8 to get to 8 and then BB30.
    Now "loosing" bamford and Son is pushing me to Plan B.
    Would WC29/BB30 be crazy waste?

    1. Gross Blank Point
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Everyone's in the same boat remember, many will be taking hits with not a lot of choice in picks.I don't see a huge spread of points so your WC might be more of a differential later

  7. Baron Penguin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Me: Ha ha! I have shrewdly set up for the BGW with 10 players and no hits needed. I am sure to gain ground on my badly set up rivals who will need to take hits or use chips!
    The differentials in my team: Oh dear, our hamstrings have gone.

  8. EmreCan Hustle
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Arsenal don't know how to finish games.

    1. Deulofail
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      But they do know how to Norwegian

      1. jdp219
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Wow. I thought I was “good” at dad jokes. Bravo.

    2. Moderately content penguin
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      The start?
      The middle?

  9. jdp219
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Ugh. Chose the wrong captain ... yet again.

    A solid gameweek, but surely I have to hit the correct captain at some point, right?

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Nice brag

      1. jdp219
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Honestly was just trying to not be constantly complaining. Trying to see the brighter side.

    2. Tango74
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Who was the right captain ?

      Stones ?

      1. jdp219
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Sure, Stones or Cancelo, but those would have been gambles. Probably Bruno at this point. As my ML rival as captained him.

    3. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Nearly everyone else failed too.

      1. Tango74
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Kane c here Oh well......

        Be funny if all premiums failed

  10. Isca Extremadura
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Auba must have arrived really late at 4.25 !

    1. Arteta
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      You'd expect better from captain before arguably one of the biggest games of the season for us.

  11. lordkippe
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    41 with Bruno(C) & AWB left.... Ouch

    1. Danno - Emre Canada
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Will be better than many

      1. lordkippe
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        seriously ? Usualyy pretty rubbish score

  12. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Another Kane FK

  13. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Kane time

  14. Catastrophe
    • 15 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Dangerous free kick, another chance for Kane to dissapoint us

  15. SB007
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Another chance for Kane

  16. diesel001
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Kane gets another FK opportunity.....

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Won’t score

  17. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Kane last chance

  18. Lord.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Which way will Leno dive this time

  19. GROBARI
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Pls Kane

  20. Catastrophe
    • 15 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    I would quite like the person lying down in the wall to get injured as a result

    1. GROBARI
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      This

  21. Pompel
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Is Ødegaard cementing a starting spot now? Scored in last two, and looking more influential

    1. Steve The Spud
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Yes but still doesn’t look great, his goal was a rank finish which bounced in off a spurs player

    2. Deulofail
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      He's in the best XI, but they need the best XI in EL too, and rotation happens anyway.

      1. Pompel
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Would be fun getting him in, but too risky I see. Will get him in jut for fun if decideto play FH

    3. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      It’s his to lose at this point

  22. diesel001
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Over the bar from Kane

  23. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Kane(C) fail

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      You’re only just realising this, wow

  24. fedolefan
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Leno is going to let in a goal. He's been poor.

    1. Debauchy
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Next eeek ?

  25. SB007
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Over the bar - Kane free kick. Out of sorts.

  26. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Get in Harry 🙂

  27. Debauchy
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Woohoo nice Harry

  28. Sgt Frank Drebin
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Fan fuct: On the transfers main page, out of 30 best scoring players there are only 4 with red color of shirt. I think you know the conclusion. If a player has a blue or white color of a shirt he is more likely to score points in FPL than a player with red shirt. Simple.

    1. Sgt Frank Drebin
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I've always based my decision on stats.

    2. HashAttack
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      That's good confirmation - I don't like too many red shirts in my team (Just Bruno this week)

  29. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Probably no chance of bonus for Kane now 😉

  30. GROBARI
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Kane ball to Madagascar

    1. Party time
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Kane ball to Spurs trophy cabinet