Dugout Discussion

Boxing Day team news: Foden, Grealish, Vardy and Smith Rowe all benched

Gameweek 19 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) gets underway this afternoon, with four Premier League matches kicking off at 3pm GMT.

The fixtures in question are Manchester City v Leicester City, Norwich City v Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace and West Ham United v Southampton.

Pep Guardiola makes two changes from the side that beat Newcastle United 4-0 last weekend, with Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho coming into the team for the benched Gabriel Jesus and the absent Rodri.

Phil Foden and Jack Grealish are again only among the substitutes.

Brendan Rodgers has made six alterations with Jannik Vestergaard, Marc Albrighton, Kelechi Iheanacho, Ayoze Perez, Daniel Amartey and Ademola Lookman brought in.

Ricardo Pereira, Caglar Soyuncu and Patson Daka are all missing, while Wilfried Ndidi, Boubakary Soumare and Jamie Vardy – who himself suffered a hamstring strain in midweek – drop to the bench.

West Ham have made four changes from Wednesday’s Carabao Cup defeat by Spurs, with Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma in for Alphonse Areola, Ben Johnson, Harrison Ashby and Manuel Lanzini.

Michail Antonio is only among the substitutes after his recovery from Covid-19.

Southampton have also made four alterations from their last match 11 days ago, with Fraser Forster, Jan Bednarek, Theo Walcott and Mohamed Elyanoussi replacing Willy Caballero, Lyanco, Nathan Tella and Will Smallbone.

Mikel Arteta makes just one change from last week’s win at Leeds, with a Covid-hit Takehiro Tomiyasu missing out and Rob Holding recalled. Emile Smith Rowe is on the bench, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missing again.

Norwich make three changes from their last game, with Angus Gunn in for Tim Krul – who has tested positive for coronavirus – in goal. Kieran Dowell and Josh Sargent return to the line-up, with Todd Cantwell and Jacob Sorensen dropping down to the bench.

Antonio Conte has made five changes from Gameweek 18, as Ben Davies, Ryan Sessegnon, Dele Alli, Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele drop out and Sergio Reguilon, Japhet Tanganga, Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Lucas Moura come in.

Crystal Palace’s Covid outbreak hasn’t really affected Patrick Vieira’s team selection too much, with Joachim Andersen in for Marc Guehi the only change.

GAMEWEEK 19 LINE-UPS

Man City XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Bernardo, Sterling, De Bruyne, Mahrez

Subs: Steffen, Carson, Ake, Jesus, Grealish, Kayky, Foden, Mbete, Palmer.

Leicester XI: Schmeichel, Albrighton, Vestergaard, Thomas, Amartey, Tielemans, Maddison, Dewsbury-Hall, Perez, Iheanacho, Lookman

Subs: Jakupovic, Bertrand, Vardy, Choudhury, Ndidi, Castagne, Soumare, Nelson McAteer.


Norwich City XI: Gunn, Aarons, Kabak, Gibson, Williams, Dowell, Gilmour, McLean, Placheta, Sargent, Pukki.

Subs: McGovern, Byram, Cantwell, Tzolis, Sorensen, Lees-Melou, Mumba, Giannoulis, Idah.

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Lacazette.

Subs: Leno, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Tavares, Mari, Sambi Lokonga, Elneny, Nketiah, Patino.


Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris, Reguilon, Sanchez, Dier, Royal, Tanganga, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Moura, Son, Kane

Subs: Gollini, Doherty, Winks, Gil, Rodon, Alli, Bergwijn, Ndombele, Davies

Crystal Palace XI: Butland, Ward, TomkinsAndersen, Mitchell, Gallagher, Hughes, Kouyate, J Ayew, Edouard, Zaha

Subs: Matthews, Guehi, Mateta, Schlupp, Kelly, Ferguson, Riedewald


West Ham United XI: Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Masuaku; Soucek, Rice, Fornals; Bernrahma, Vlasic, Bowen.

Subs: Areola, Yarmolenko, Antoniio, Lanzini, Noble, Fredericks, Johnson, Kral, Ashby

Southampton XI: Forster; Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Salisu, Livramento; Romeu; Ward-Prowse; Redmond, Elyanoussi, Walcott; Broja

Subs: Caballero, Long, Adams, A. Armstrong, Perraud, S.Armstrong, Diallo, Simeu, Valery

1,895 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Silecro
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 3 months ago

    Early days I know, but is this correct formation for next gw?

    Sanchez
    TAA, Cancelo, Rudiger, White
    Son, ESR, Foden, Jota
    King, Antonio

    Foster, Bernardo, Livramento, Watkins
    3.5 itb, 1ft

    Obviously not thrilled with having both Foden and Bernardo in my team, but just dont know how to smartly use a ft here, so might as well roll it for gw21

    1. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 3 months ago

      I’m in the same both. Saving might be the wise move. Playing Bernardo or not is difficult

      1. Paqueta Rice
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 3 months ago

        *boat

      2. Silecro
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 3 months ago

        I'm actually contemplating Bernardo>KDB (-4), but not sure its worth it...although i would captain KDB

  2. Costa Nostra
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 3 months ago

    Anyone know the average? No chance of getting a turn on livefpl

    1. BIG TONES
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 3 months ago

      I think I saw 40 points for top 10k before the screen flashed and it crashed on me

      1. Costa Nostra
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 3 months ago

        Interesting.. so overall is way lower I presume. I guess 49 (no FH) isn’t bad with James and DDG left.

        1. BIG TONES
          • 9 Years
          2 years, 3 months ago

          Overall average is mid 20s

  3. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 3 months ago

    I hate ESR - there has been a difference of about 50 points between me and my rival just because of him.

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 3 months ago

      It's taken him about 9-10 GWs to amass 50 points

    2. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 3 months ago

      Because you don't have him.

  4. just a man
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 3 months ago

    Anyone getting cold feet not having Salah against that awful Leicester side?

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 3 months ago

      I could never...

    2. BIG TONES
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 3 months ago

      I held Salah just for that game.

    3. Dammit_182
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 3 months ago

      Yea, I’m dreading it. The FH this week has the asvsntage of Salah C next week. With 12 player playing could not bring myself to FH though

  5. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 3 months ago

    I have double Chelsea defence in this game. Cup opponent has treble with James C too boot

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 3 months ago

      Maverick pick. More confident than I am as a Chelsea fan.

  6. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 3 months ago

    Assist given

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 3 months ago

      Dias for reference.

      1. Paqueta Rice
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 3 months ago

        Apologies, yes. Dias assist

    2. Bada Bing
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 3 months ago

      Phew, finally...

  7. Debauchy
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 3 months ago

    Get innnnnnn lol

  8. KnightSlayer
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 3 months ago

    I was thinking of captaing Reese James.
    Went sterling (C) , James (V)

  9. SpaceCadet
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 3 months ago

    Just realised I don’t have a gk for next gw! Any suggestions for a foster replacement? Budget 4.7m

    Ramsdale foster
    Taa cancelo rudiger Alonso tierney