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. diesel001
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Arsenal and Norwich's seasons start after the IB. If you are playing 2 or more of Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool in the first 3 GWs you can pretty much write that period off.

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

      They also played the mighty Brentford

      Fixture computer never gave them a chance

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

        Brentford at home in their first ever PL game. Tough start for Arsenal coupled with Covid issues. But they have more than enough if they put out their best team.

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

      * Arsenal and Norwich's seasons start next season….

    3. HashAttack
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Arsenal also lost both pre-season fixtures in the MIND tournament - losing to both Chelsea and Spurs

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

        Both good teams though.

        Let's see how Arsenal do after the IB. If they are not picking up points then there will be an issue.

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

    Arsenal abysmal

  3. zon
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Gz anyone who has, nevertheless captained a City asset. This is going to be ugly.

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

    It's like I've seen this movie before....

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

    Arsenal need Wenger back

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

      #wengerin?

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

        #comebackarsenewererrallysorryallisforgiven

    2. Powers106
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      They just changed for change sake when they got him out

  6. Tripleh123
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Going foward, which option is preferred. Have Raphinha btw.

    a. Bamford
    b. DCL

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

      B

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

      Definitely B if he's fit

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

    Torres misses a tap-in 🙂

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

      haha, "tap in"

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

    Target Arsenal with cappo picks?

  9. Michelle Davin
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Ferran bandwagon incoming?

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

      Relax, it's Arsenal

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

      yep followed by a benching

  10. Joey Tribbiani
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    same old arsenal

  11. Stranger Mings
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Should I be worried being a ESR owner?

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

      almost had a goal now

      1. Stranger Mings
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Ok great just worried get dropped for Norwich with laca back

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

    This is why I couldn't agree with people saying keeping the likes of Ben White for Norwich or Burnley as they were good fixtures, Arsenal can't deal with the simplest of balls into the box at slow speed, I don't don't they'll deal with Norwich attacking them in numbers or Burnley physically dominating them

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

      *don't think, stupid keyboard

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

      I'm holding him - but not really through me thinking Arsenal are suddenly going to become a decent team.
      Just because I have other fires to put out instead.

      Still hoping White can be back for GW4 - and if he messes that fixture up, I may have to find a spare transfer down the sofa to get rid of him

  13. Zladan
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    On the anniversary weekend of “8-2 be an Arsenal fan”... this looks like it could get even uglier.

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

    Don't understand why Torres is 2% owned. He's the furthest forward City player. Baffling.

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

      2 blanks, seeming uncertain place and loads of value forwards scoring.

      On my watchlist though

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

      Because who the f... knows which player Pep will start.

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

        Until City get a striker, he's their 1st choice striker/false 9

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

          He just came out, yesterday I think, with this.

          Pep Guardiola says Liam Delap, Raheem Sterling, Ferran Torres, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, and Jack Grealish can all play at striker for #ManCity this season.

    3. Jordan.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      and has been for last 2gw ,nobody passed to him before

  15. TomSaints
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Rough start having no players in this game!

    1. The Big Fella
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Even rougher start for me. I have a player in the game and he's on the bench.

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

    Arsenal are a joke.. seriously. It's (almost) not funny anymore.

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

    Torres goal stands because I didn't captain him this week

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

      Subtle brag

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

        Sorry, I didn't intend it to be subtle

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

    AFTV literally printing money

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

      hahaha

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

    Arsenal's season is in real trouble

    They look abysmal

  20. yousunkmybattleship
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Captain Pukki next week

  21. farmerfat
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Arsenals centre backs are an embarrassment. They should retire

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

    Transfer window not shut yet, still time for Arsenal to buy their way out of trouble

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

      arteta is their problem bro

      1. yousunkmybattleship
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        They’ve got 99 problems and he is one

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

      lol doubt it, they’ve spent (wasted) all their money already

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

      Fitting name but I don’t think their will be a revival for Arsenal for quite some time.

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

      They've made baffling signings. Why Cedric? Why that much for Ramsdale or Pepe? Why Laca then Auba? Why Willian?

      ...why Arteta?

    5. HashAttack
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      It's hard to believe ManU got Sancho, Verane and Ronaldo whilst spending less than Arsenal (Wages aside)

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

    Ederson trying to make a game of it

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

      Owns ESR in fantasy

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

    When gundog wins all of his headers against your 3 CBs, you know its beyond bad

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

    Bit too relaxed 😆

  26. BeaversWithAttitude
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Ederson lollygagging... lol, chancer.

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

    Lol Ederson

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

    Ederson making his own entertainment

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

    Patience in the City boys pays off!

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

      I'm glad my patience with Mahrez ran out and I shipped him.

      I mean, he may come on and score, but still glad I got rid!

  30. Viprin
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Wouldn't be surprised if Norwich win next gameweek