Dugout Discussion
28 August 2021 1532 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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Manchester City v Arsenal gets the final Gameweek before the September international break underway.

Kick-off at the Etihad is at 12:30 BST and you can follow the fantasy action on our live Matchcast.

A manager naming an unchanged side after a 5-0 win wouldn’t come as a shock in most instances but where Pep Guardiola is involved, it’s almost more of a surprise than when he makes multiple alterations.

The City head coach has indeed stuck with the same starting XI that demolished Norwich City 5-0 last weekend, so that means substitute roles for Riyad Mahrez (£9.0m) and Raheem Sterling (£11.0m).

Jack Grealish (£8.0m) makes it three Premier League starts from three following his summer move from Aston Villa, with Ferran Torres (£7.0m) also keeping up his 100% record.

Torres may well be leading the line again this afternoon, with Gabriel Jesus (£8.5m) turning in an excellent performance down the right flank against the Canaries in Gameweek 2.

Kevin De Bruyne (£12.0m) misses out with an ankle injury, as previously disclosed by Guardiola.

The Arsenal team news is bamboozling in its own right.

Head coach Mikel Arteta makes four changes following the Gunners’ 2-0 defeat by Chelsea a week ago, with Martin Odegaard (£5.5m) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£9.9m) brought into the side after starring in the EFL Cup in midweek.

Calum Chambers (£4.4m) is also recalled but the biggest surprise is the involvement of Sead Kolasinac (£4.4m), in for his first Premier League start since Gameweek 2 of last season.

Bukayo Saka (£6.3m) and Kieran Tierney (£4.9m) have shrugged off minor injuries to feature.

Pablo Mari (£4.5m), Albert Sambi Lokonga (£5.0m) and Gabriel Martinelli (£5.4m) drop to the bench, while Nicolas Pepe (£7.3m) is absent because of illness.

Ben White (£4.4m) still isn’t involved following his own spell in self-isolation.

LINE-UPS

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

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

Arsenal XI: Leno, Cedric, Chambers, Holding, Kolasinac, Tierney, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Xhaka, Saka, Aubameyang.

Subs: Lacazette, Maitland-Niles, Tavares, Pablo Mari, Sambi Lokonga, Elneny, Ramsdale, Okonkwo, Martinelli

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

    Loool this is so sad

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

    Mark gonna be fuming on his MOTD watch-along tonight. Essential viewing!

    1. Piggs Boson
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow, damn. It'll be like a Black Box challenge.

    2. thegaffer82
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Why?
      What did Mark do that's gunna upset him when he finds out the score?
      (Sold Gundy I'm guessing!)

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

        Sold Torres

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

    All of Torres’s 2% ownership will now post here in unison

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

      Have him in draft , Yay

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

    This will end up 8-0 with Arteta sacked

  5. Lallana's Bananas
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Who else is regretting the lack of city assets?

  6. ☈☾
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Lol Andy having a nightmare. Sold Gundo for a hit

    1 G 1 A

    1. ☈☾
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      1G*

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

      Beside the Andy obsession. That wasn't a Gundo assist

    3. thegaffer82
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Erm.
      He's doing well nonetheless, and I don't like to LOL at people for making sensible decisions - yes, the outcome didn't work out for him. But the decision was sound!

  7. Eat my goal!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Arsenal are a joke team!

  8. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    What a shambles!! This defence is shocking.

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

    Blackbox MOTD live stream is going to be hilarious tonight… 😆

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

      I came here to say the same thing! Mark’s face when he sees the Torres goal!

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

        I fancy him to get more too. 😉

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

    Reckon three teams currently in the relegation spot go down:

    Newcastle
    Arsenal
    Norwich

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

      Arsenal two goals away from bottom of the league

    2. La Roja
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Massive game for relegation next GW with Arsenal vs Norwich

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

        😛

  11. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Poor Arsenal. Bottom of the table

  12. Egg noodle
    • 16 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    FFS

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

    Over/under 6-0?

    At HT.

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

      *8-0

  14. thegaffer82
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Who had 11 minutes until Arsenal completely disintegrate and implode.

    You free five pound amazon voucher is ready for collection

  15. Nate(U)dog(ie)
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Congrats to anyone that held Gundo or Torres, Torres owners definitely unlucky last week

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

      Again, there was no logical evidence to keep Gundo, could be said about any other player that suddenly scores

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

    Arsenal play 5 at the back and they defend like this... It should be considered criminal activity

  17. A-L
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Torres, my boy, you have done me proud

  18. Forza Papac
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    So glad I kept Torres. Almost shipped him for a hit

    1. thegaffer82
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Nice work!

      I'd have shipped him I think. So enjoy those points!

  19. L'Aeroplanino
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    what a mess

  20. 1984 TC
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Time to rest Grealish/Cancelo/Dias now.

  21. OverTinker
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    In this game I am only interested in watching Arsenal's customary goal of the month.

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

    Lee judge rant tonight on YouTube

    Absolutely essential viewing

    1. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      #AFTVOUT

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

    Chambers so soft

  24. Puntillimon
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    The Swiss cheese model of defending

  25. jia you
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Hurts so much as I defended owning Torres right up until I took him out of my final WC today...was bound to happen, he should have had a couple of goals in the first two games!

  26. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Simply painful being a Gooner, Sunday League defending at best

  27. Glad He Ate Her
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Other than for amusement, why does Arsenal exist?

    1. OPTA FPL
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      arteta

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

      One of the top 6 Super League teams.

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

    Torres will be essential

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

      Benched next week

  29. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Pukki(c) next week then

    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      As part of Cantwell in for a -4

  30. Paqueta Rice
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    So the trend so far after the first 3 games of the season is to target players facing Arsenal??