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

    BOOM! RAPH!

  2. Lieutenant Frank Columbo
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Thank you RAPHA

  3. Differentiator
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    RAPHINHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

  4. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Ah there's the rank busting Leeds goal!

  5. Thanos
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    No party... Pukki on

    Sargent Slaughter on !!

  6. Shark Team
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    I think struijk offside

    1. Differentiator
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      shut your mouth sharky

    2. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Hope so.

  7. Fabreghastly
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Raaaaaaphiiiiiiinhaaaaaa!!!!!!!

  8. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Never in doubt. Assist next

  9. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Screw you Raph

  10. Differentiator
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    RAPHA BENITEZ

  11. Ibralicious
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Raphinha is a baller. Has to be owned at 6.5, especially when the likes of Grealish are so overpriced.

  12. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Digne autosub activates.

  13. Thanos
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Newcastle pen
    Martinez foul and YC

  14. Pukki Party
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Get in

    1. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Pukki goal?

      1. Pukki Party
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        No but it's between him and Kane who will be ManCitys striker this season surely?

        1. Scapegoat Salah
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Easily

  15. Scapegoat Salah
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Super Saints in heaven, will have to eat his own words

  16. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Never doubted Raphinha for one minute….

  17. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Wilson on Pens ?

  18. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Raphinha's record against Everton. 🙂

  19. TheBiffas
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    The amount of Leeds trollers here 5 minutes ago... When will they learn

  20. Abusive_Sgt_Daelrhos
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Raphinha essential that's it

  21. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Villa conceded a penalty. Martinez YC.

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Awful tackle...

  22. OptimusBlack
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Damn it I really want him

  23. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Send Martinez OFFFF

  24. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Mings 15pts about to disappear ?Nooooooooooooooo

  25. Fabreghastly
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Really great strike - has been looking likely all game

  26. Uppercut Panda - A legend i…
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Raphina never didn't have it. never in doubt!

  27. TheDragon
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Just need a Toney goal now

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

    Pen Newc. CWilson fouled. Emi booked.

    1. MrZ
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      For seconds i thought emi buendia who's booked LoL

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

        There's only one Emi!

  29. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 16 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Raphinha thunderbolt

    1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 16 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Gorgeous bit of curl coming from outside the post back in again of his left peg

      Lol @6.5 for this man

  30. Differentiator
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Martinez pen save pls