Dugout Discussion
21 August 2021 1861 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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Four Premier League matches kick off at 3pm BST today, including reigning champions Manchester City against newly promoted Norwich City.

Aston Villa v Newcastle United, Crystal Palace v Brentford and Leeds United v Everton are the other top-flight fixtures taking place at the traditional Saturday afternoon start time.

The headline team news comes from the Etihad as Pep Guardiola makes five changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur.

Aymeric Laporte, Kyle Walker, Rodri, Gabriel Jesus and Bernardo Silva are all recalled to the starting XI, with Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Nathan Ake, Benjamin Mendy and Fernandinho dropping to the bench.

An ankle injury keeps Kevin De Bruyne out, while John Stones isn’t part of the hosts’ matchday squad.

Norwich are unchanged from the side that lost 3-0 at home to Liverpool last Saturday.

That’s also the case with Brentford, as Bryan Mbeumo gets set for another out-of-position run-out alongside Ivan Toney.

Summer signings Conor Gallagher and Joachim Andersen get their first Palace starts, with Christian Benteke also recalled. Jordan Ayew, Jairo Riedewald and Jean-Philippe Mateta drop to the bench.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith makes two changes to the team that lost to newly promoted Watford last weekend, with Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz replacing Matt Targett and Marvelous Nakamba.

Targett’s benching means that Ashley Young starts at left-back.

Joe Willock starts for Newcastle as Steve Bruce makes three changes to the Magpies side that lost at home to West Ham last Sunday.

Willock replaces the injured Jonjo Shelvey in midfield, with Fabian Schar and captain Jamaal Lascelles coming into defence in place of Emil Krafth and Ciaran Clark.

Kalvin Phillips and Junior Firpo are make the Leeds line-up after fitness-related benchings in Gameweek 1, with Robin Koch and Rodrigo dropping to the bench.

Yerry Mina for Mason Holgate and Alex Iwobi for Andros Townsend are Everton’s two alterations.

GAMEWEEK 2 LINE-UPS

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young, McGinn, Ramsey, Douglas Luiz, El Ghazi, Buendia, Ings

Subs: Steer, Targett, Wesley, Hourihane, Tuanzebe, Nakamba, Hause, Philogene-Bidace, Chukwuemeka

Newcastle XI: Woodman, Murphy, Schar, Fernandez, Lascelles, Ritchie, Hayden, Willock, Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin

Subs: Gillespie, Clark, Joelinton, Lewis, Hendrick, Krafth, Fraser, Gayle, S. Longstaff

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Kouyate, Schlupp, McArthur, Benteke, Gallagher, Zaha.

Subs: Butland, Matthews, Tomkins, Ayew, Mateta, Kelly, Riedewald, Rak-Sakyi.

Brentford XI: Raya, Ajer, Jansson, Pinnock, Henry, Janelt, Onyeka, Mbeumo, Norgaard, Canos, Toney.

Subs: Goode, Forss, Wissa, Fernandez, Ghoddos, Dervisoglu, Bidstrup, Sorensen, Roerslev.

Leeds: Meslier, Ayling, Struijk, Cooper, Firpo, Phillips, Raphinha, Dallas, Klich, Harrison, Bamford.

Subs: Forshaw, Roberts, Klaesson, Helder Costa, Rodrigo, Summerville, Shackleton, Cresswell, Drameh.

Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Mina, Keane, Digne, Allan, Doucoure, Gray, Richarlison, Iwobi, Calvert-Lewin.

Subs: Kenny, Holgate, Delph, Townsend, Begovic, Gbamin, Davies, Kean, Branthwaite.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Walker, Gundogan, Rodri, Grealish, Silva, Torres, Jesus.

Subs: Steffen, Ake, Zinchenko, Mendy, Fernandinho, Sterling, Mahrez, Doyle, Palmer.

Norwich City XI: Krul, Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Giannoulis, Lees-Melou, Gilmour, Rupp, Cantwell, Pukki, Rashica.

Subs: Gunn, Omobamidele, Dowell, Tzolis, Sorensen, McLean, Sargent, Mumba, Idah.

FANTASY5

There’s still time to enter today’s Fantasy5 contest, in which you can win £10,000 without paying a penny.

Simply pick five players from the nominated Gameweek 2 matches and, if they all exceed their Fantasy ‘points targets’ (a par score set by Fantasy5 for each asset), you’ll be in the money.

The deadline is at 3pm BST – so get those entries in now.

We’ve selected our own picks for Gameweek 2 in the article below, with Ted Talks FPL following suit.

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  1. Bobby Digital
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Who won the Villa pen?

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Handball via Mings

    2. TheSteel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Mings

    3. Pukki Party
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Ings

      1. Pukki Party
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Mings* sorry

    4. TheTinman
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Mings headed it onto Lascelles hand

    5. @persecuted_by_mods
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Wow 2 assists for Mings then

    6. Duke Silver ☑
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Scores pen last week
      Scored bicycle kick in first half
      Yeah you're full of confidence but you're not taking this pen.

      1. Scholes Out For Summer
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        El Ghazi has 100% record for Villa

        1. Podge
          • 15 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          So does ings

    7. Steinburg FC
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Villa need to move Cash to left wing 😉

      1. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Right-wingers need some funds too

    8. TheTinman
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Ings needs to pull himself together not taking the pen as the main attacking man. Pathetic!

      1. TheSteel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        El Ghazi is 5 for 5 in the PL

    9. PartyTime
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Almost Gundogan own goal

    10. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 15 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Sad ings didn’t try to wrestle the ball off el ghazi

      Grow some balls

      1. Scholes Out For Summer
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Club taker whos 100%...

      2. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Think balls need approved by UEFA. You can’t just grow your own and use it to take a peno.

    11. Thanos
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Gundo coming off

      1. OptimusBlack
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Bad news

      2. Salah’s Sonnet
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Good

      3. Pacer.
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        lol

    12. Lingard’s Shin Guards
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      El ghazi hasn't missed a pen in the epl

      6/6

    13. Uppercut Panda - A legend i…
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Ings needs to take these pens from el ghazi.. come on man.. thats disgusting

      1. TheSteel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Why? El Ghazi is better at them

        1. Uppercut Panda - A legend i…
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          why? el ghazi is not in my team

    14. Ginkapo FPL
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      "Ings definitely on pens". There was zero evidence

      1. Forgetmeknot
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        He took one last week?

      2. Bushwhacker
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        When El Ghazi is not on the pitch …

    15. Nanoelektronicar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Not just that El Ghazi took it, it is Migs second assist, so Ings looses his bap.

    16. Tcheco
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      MINGS AND GRAY 😀

    17. Zimo
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      When is Bailey going to start over El Ghazi?

    18. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Er Toney & Raphinha, fancy doing something today?

      1. Lieutenant Frank Columbo
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        With two transfers to burn and a team I’m generally happy with … those two may find their membership revoked.

        1. Jafooli
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          I would do the same…

    19. potatoace
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Two assists for Mings

      1. Tcheco
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Dream land

    20. lilmessipran
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Assist for Laporte goal?

      1. diesel001
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        None. Norwich error gave Laporte the chance.

      2. TorresMagic™
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 16 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Laporte

    21. Marvin.
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Are Newcastle going down this year?

      1. Drexl Spivey
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Well it's game week two, mate...

    22. EL TANO
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Pss off el ghazi
      For gods sake ings…obviously doesn’t want the golden boot

      1. Ibralicious
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        😀

        El Ghazi was the pen taker long before Ings arrived off his overhyped English media boat

        1. Zimo
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Now now buddy calm down. Ings is a class striker. Just look at his goal from this very match.

          1. Ibralicious
            • 11 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            Lmao chill out, buddy. How about you look at El Ghazi's penalty record in the prem? How many has he missed in the last 6? Yeah, thought so.

    23. Steve The Spud
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      oh god, rival has Mings, jammy mega haul

      1. Tcheco
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Not so jammy, best villa defense pick with best opening 3 fixtures

        1. Bushwhacker
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Yeah Villa looked do good in defense last week

    24. Ibralicious
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Pep used 2 subs with the Gundo replacement, so probably no Mahrez until the last 2 minutes for a run around

    25. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      No drop off in pens being awarded yet then lol

    26. tambourineman
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Gundogan off Palmer on

    27. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Non-Wilson Toon goal needed...

    28. MIGHTY JOE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Will we get a Toney winner today?

    29. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Mahrez asleep on the bench.

    30. Differentiator
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Raphinha and Dinghy goals NEEDED

      1. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Looking unlikely at the moment

    31. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Mahrez isnt coming on is he....

      1. Scapegoat Salah
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        He doesn’t usually mo

        1. Scapegoat Salah
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          *no

    32. PartyTime
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Gundogan clean sheet points for owners

    33. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Norwich not one shot, what the hell 🙁

    34. AzzaroMax99
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Where's Mahrez ffs??