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. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    18k already brought in Tsimikas….he going up 0.3m this week

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

      Nice

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

      Up 0.4m by weekend, confirmed bench, sell Sunday and bank 0.2m by GW3 😎

      1. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Then we run off into the sunset together.

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

          Hand in hoof……

        2. BirdyRob
          • 15 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Brokeback mountain style

      2. Pep bites Kun
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Nice plan. I've got an FT +.0.5 to spare for this. Who are you bringing in?

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

      Think he will start vs Chelski?

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

        No idea Bobby, I don’t really follow football, just play FPL 😀

    4. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Zip.

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

      16k have brought in Jota 😮

    6. Botman and Robben
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Very good.

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

      could be interesting if TAA should miss the next game

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

    Grealish nowhere near the box. Not looking great.

  3. Andy_Social
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Villa and Brentford barely in their games yet. Come on!

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

    Torres this time!

  5. Make United Great Again
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    So if it’s not KDB we might as well forget owning a City attacker

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

    F Torres G

  7. Ze_Austin
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    There it is

  8. Gudjohnsen
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Did not see that Mahrez benching coming.

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

    Mark knows again.

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

      Does he though 😛

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

      Nope, still knows nothing...

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

    Ferrrraaaaaannnnnn

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

      Ah balls, he could have 2

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

    VAR check

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

    Deulofail knows

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

    Jesus looking essential!

    Easiest game of the season next GW too...

  14. Make United Great Again
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Ferran Torres!!!

  15. Lieutenant Frank Columbo
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Var check ….. goal disallowed

    1. Lieutenant Frank Columbo
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Mark moving from the beer to the absinthe …

  16. WVA
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    How the hell do people have Torres and captain him and him score,

    1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 16 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      He has 2% ownership - 98% of people don’t even own him let alone captain him

  17. BrockLanders
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Ruled out!! YAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSS

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

    Goal chalked off.. Torres not getting his goal 😀

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

    Ruled out.. woah!

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

    Mahrez + Ings -> Lukaku + Mbeumo for 2 FTs. Yay or nay?

    1. Andy_Social
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Um, watch the games first?

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

        This is my reaction to the Mahrez benching. Have to keep my mind on its toes

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

      I would

    3. Podge
      • 15 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Nay

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

      Lukaku legit hasn’t played yet….

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

    Unlucky. But Jesus on the right wing, Torres down the middle. Pep knows, never doubt.

  22. Drip Doctor
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Lol @ Mark

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Haha yeah glad he hasn’t got this jam

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

    First Salah, now Torres goal ruled out

  24. Zimo
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Poor Deulofail 😆

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

      Ahhh come awwwwnnnnn

  25. Botman and Robben
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Ferran just can't catch a break.

  26. Rupert The Horse
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Oh my God phew.

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

    Tsimikas up to 22k transfers in since post above 😆

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      LOL

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

    Lmao people on here really want to give a goal to Torres it seems

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

    No golazo

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

    Cruel on Deulocaptainfail 🙁