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. BenSvnt
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    What was the average points 1st GW?

    1. TheBiffas
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      69 😉

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

      69

    3. Chalobah's Witness
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      everybody's favourite number

  2. BobB
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Delayed offside flags cause injuries and yellows unneccesarily

    1. TheTinman
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      True.

    2. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      He was never going to raise the flag,, it was too close. Should’ve been a red.

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

    I don't care who gets the winner so long as DCL, Digne or Rapha are involved

    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Ok

  4. Pukki Party
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Classic, everyone except the captain gets points.

    Fpl is back

  5. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    do something toney ffs even just have a shot

  6. diesel001
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Mahrez doing anything? Don't own, just interested.

    1. Rainer
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      😀

    2. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Scored

    3. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      😛

  7. tambourineman
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Mahrez goal

  8. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Mahrez!

  9. Rainer
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Leeds vs Everton is a classic!

  10. Thanos
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Mahrez G

  11. Butcher
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    El Capitano Mahrez

  12. JBG
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Mahrez tearing apart this Norwich side, 4 assists is mad.

    1. JBG
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Woops, hahha. Jinxed myself.

  13. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Norwich now averaging 0-4 per game 😮

  14. Pacer.
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    That Raphina goal is oh my the content creators who tore up midfields and went city. Gave themselves a massive transfer headache and Raphina probably outscored both the city mids combined. Amateurs!

    1. Cilly Bonnolly
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Raphinha’s easy to get in though.

    2. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Timing

    3. Nanoelektronicar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Shut up! Let's goooo Mahrez!

    4. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Er….

  15. Duke Silver ☑
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Damn it Mahrez

  16. Scapegoat Salah
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Noooooooo

  17. dark91
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    YEEEEEEEEES Mahrez get in

  18. CHIBBY1990
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    MAHREZZZZZ

  19. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Dias, Mahrez essential

  20. Nanoelektronicar
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Ryad, thank you and goodbye. We end our cooperation now, forever.

  21. Meinhoff
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    MAHREZZZZZZ

  22. Shark Team
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Dias or Rodri Assist??

    1. Shark Team
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Oh it's dias

    2. Bobby Digital
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      D

  23. Scholes Out For Summer
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    MAHREZ never in doubt wasn’t even worried

  24. Uppercut Panda - A legend i…
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    mahrez wow

  25. Random Name
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    MAHREZ YOU BEAUTIFUL MAN

  26. AzzaroMax99
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Who to sell first? 2 FT

    a) Buendia
    b) Mahrez
    c) Digne
    d) Ings

    1. Ibralicious
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Can't sell B anymore

      1. Butcher
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Definitely A

        1. AzzaroMax99
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Buendia to Benrahma a no-brainer?

          1. Butcher
            • 12 Years
            4 years, 7 months ago

            Raphinha

      2. AzzaroMax99
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Will he start vs Ars? :/

    2. Heisenberg W. W.
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      C

    3. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      A - off my team

  27. Ibralicious
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    RIYADDD was always the right move to hold 😀

  28. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    So Wilson offside was called and vid confirmed?

  29. mezza
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Haha get in Mahrez

  30. JT11fc
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Ohhh boy. Mahrez you made me sweat