Dugout Discussion

Man City v Villa team news: Rashford over Watkins, Savinho benched

22 April 2025 764 comments
FPL Marc FPL Marc
Share:

Double Gameweek 33 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) continues with a huge match in the chase for Champions League qualification, so here’s the Manchester City and Aston Villa team news.

Pep Guardiola makes two changes from the side that won at Everton. Savinho (£6.2m) and Nico Gonzalez (£6.0m) make way for Mateo Kovacic (£5.4m) and James McAtee (£4.6m).

This means that Kevin De Bruyne (£9.4m) and Omar Marmoush (£7.7m) keep their place and winger Jeremy Doku (£6.2m) remains on the bench. Just like Saturday’s unused Phil Foden (£9.1m).

Both sides have a Wembley weekend after this, taking part in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Therefore, Villa continue to showcase their new squad depth by making five lineup changes, aiming for a sixth successive league win.

Marcus Rashford (£6.7m) takes the spot of weekend hero Ollie Watkins (£8.9m), with Marco Asensio (£6.2m) and John McGinn (£5.2m) also on the sidelines. Lucas Digne (£4.5m) replaces Ian Maatsen (£4.5m) at left-back, plus Pau Torres (£4.2m) enters proceedings.

As always, Morgan Rogers (£5.7m) is starting. He hauled against his former club in Gameweek 17’s reverse meeting, a 2-1 Villa win.

GAMEWEEK 33 LINE-UPS

Manchester City XI: Ortega; Nunes, Ruben, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Kovacic, Gundogan; Bernardo, De Bruyne, McAtee; Marmoush

Subs: Carson, Grealish, Doku, Nico, Akanji, Savinho, Khusanov, Foden, Lewis

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne; Kamara, Onana, Tielemans; Rogers, Rashford, Ramsey

Subs: Olsen, Maatsen, A Garcia, Disasi, McGinn, Barkley, Malen, Asensio, Watkins

FPL team previews – Liverpool: Best players, predicted XI + more

FPL Marc Broadcaster, writer and overthinker. Hoping that ‘differential potential’ will catch on.

764 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. DeSelby
    • 3 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Konsa should have stuck his leg out to try to cut out Doku's cross instead of cringing in terror.

    Open Controls
    1. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      He didnt have the time to

      Open Controls
      1. DeSelby
        • 3 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        Don't get me wrong, it was a great run and pass by Doku but Konsa had time to try to do something. I just re-watched it several times. What he chose to do was plant his right foot and turn his upper away from the ball as if he was afraid to be hit by it.

        Open Controls
  2. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    People complaining about their bench boost score when its filled with Newcastle and Villa defenders who were always conceding goals in these fixtures. lol.

    Open Controls
    1. Sun God Nika
      • 5 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      This

      Open Controls
    2. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Got neither, but kinda hoped Isak and Evanilson could have mustered an assist between them. Ah well, nearly FH time

      Open Controls
    3. WVA
      • 9 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      My bench boost is good but still only got 10 points, worthless chip and should be ignored at all costs.

      Sels (best defence in league and conceded at death)
      Salah (best player in game)
      Isak (highest scoring striker in game)
      Konsa (fodder)

      Raya
      Saliba Gvardiol Dias Munoz
      Saka Rashford Rogers Sarr
      Marmoush Mateta

      Open Controls
      1. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        Mine has got 20 plus whatever Henderson gets tomorrow and that includes Burn's - 2.

        Open Controls
  3. Flynny
    • 11 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Marmoush TC megafail

    Open Controls
    1. F4L
      • 11 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      😥 was worth a try imo, just frustrating. oh well. at least isak "only" got 11 last gw

      Open Controls
    2. raider110_0
      • 10 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Me too. Marmoush TC why? What a mare!

      Open Controls
  4. JBG
    • 7 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    My FH did outscore my regular team and yet it's looking like a very sh*t DGW.

    Open Controls
  5. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 15 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Marmoush involved in post match celebrations

    Open Controls
  6. Skout
    • 6 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Marmoush what a useless player, watching him was very frustrating, no urgency to his play at all

    Open Controls
  7. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    A truly deflating double game week indeed.

    Open Controls
  8. Nightcrawler
    • 6 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    that goal was great

    -1 for kdb
    -1 for rashford
    -1 for martinez, konsa, digne

    reduced to this lol....

    Open Controls
    1. Eightball
      • 5 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      -4 for me there. Sigh

      Open Controls
    2. WVA
      • 9 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Yeah it fckin ruined me

      Open Controls
  9. Gizzachance
    • 11 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Poor dgw, some poor pts from some players

    Some sgwers outdoing them,
    No one really owning some of the scorers with dgws !

    Open Controls
    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Template for you

      Open Controls
    2. All Hail K
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Trossard captain here.

      Open Controls
      1. All Hail K
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        On the other hand, Mbeumo on the bench.

        Open Controls
  10. F4L
    • 11 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    villa played that wrong. match was there for the taking. their bad record at the etihad played on their minds, should've gone for it

    Open Controls
    1. Nightcrawler
      • 6 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      city cant defend when put under pressure, and villa didnt even bother attacking. deserved to lose

      Open Controls
      1. F4L
        • 11 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        yea, its a bit odd as they're taking top 5 out of their own hands and relying on others to slip up. i guess for them its down to whether forest keep their nerve, Newcastle soon to be 5 points clear of villa

        Open Controls
  11. Punned It
    • 1 Year
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Rogers couldn't even see fit to give me two points here, he has to go and get a yellow card as well? This week, I swear.

    Open Controls
  12. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    KDB is pissed at Pep for some reason

    Open Controls
    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      They didn’t offer him a new contract

      Open Controls
  13. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Rashford narrowing the gap to a green!

    What’s tomorrows prediction?

    Open Controls
    1. have you seen cyan
      • 6 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      The only thing which can really go wrong for me tomorrow is Palace bringing some pain. So I expect Sarr or someone to score.

      Open Controls
      1. RICICLE
        • 3 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        That would be great for me as have Sarr on bench boost lol, won’t happen though

        Open Controls
        1. have you seen cyan
          • 6 Years
          11 months, 18 days ago

          Glasner said there would be 3 or so benching's. But if any of them score, I think its Sarr or Munoz. Maybe Kamada scores, just to troll everyone 😀

          Open Controls
          1. RICICLE
            • 3 Years
            11 months, 18 days ago

            Haha probably mate! At this point I couldn’t care less if all 5 players I have tomorrow are benched lol, absolute dire GW/Season

            Open Controls
          2. Crunchie
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            11 months, 18 days ago

            Arsenal 0 Palace 1

            Ntkeiah 53 mins att 61,153

            Open Controls
            1. have you seen cyan
              • 6 Years
              11 months, 18 days ago

              Nketiah starts right?

              Open Controls
              1. Crunchie
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 7 Years
                11 months, 18 days ago

                Probably.

                I think he gets 60 mins and Mateta 30 (just to see what happens).

                Eze will start I think

                Here is the actual quote.

                Oliver Glasner has revealed the number of changes he expects to make to his starting XI when Crystal Palace face Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

                The Eagles’ fourth Premier League match in the space of 11 days will fall just three days prior to their FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa this coming weekend.

                Discussing how he is balancing his squad’s workload in his pre-match press conference, Glasner said: “It’s everything – [balancing] all the minutes with players who have played in the last games.

                “We are in a good situation that the players are fit, but we want them to stay fit, and therefore of course we’re always monitoring their minutes.

                “I mention it quite often: having a three-game week is not a big problem, but now it’s the second three-game week, and they’re very intense games, so then we have to look at what’s best, and which players are in the best shape.

                “It doesn’t mean that we make 10 changes tomorrow, but maybe two or three. It’s not because we value the Saturday game more than tomorrow’s game – it’s just we need to be physically top fit and mentally top fit to be competitive against Arsenal.”

                One player who will be absent is Ben Chilwell, who Glasner revealed was suffering from “not injury, but sickness – Ben Chilwell is sick, unfortunately. He should have started but he couldn’t come today to training, and couldn't train, so he's not available – all others are fit.”

                On his side’s run of fixtures, Glasner noted: “To be honest, before the [March] international break, with the postponed Newcastle game, it’s not so fluid – it's three weeks with no game, then five games within two weeks.

                “And also players, then, being suspended, like when Will Hughes had a two-game suspension [which ruled him out for two matches previously], Marc [Guéhi] a red card, and some players being sick – not really injuries, but being sick.

                “The last few weeks didn’t feel like the weeks before, where the players could always train together and play together. But we have to deal with this situation, and the players dealt really well with all the circumstances against Bournemouth

                Open Controls
                1. have you seen cyan
                  • 6 Years
                  11 months, 18 days ago

                  Thanks. Its a shame Chilwell hasn't worked out, imagine the Munoz / Chilwell double up..

                  They'd probably concede loads, but IDC 😀

                  Open Controls
                  1. Crunchie
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 7 Years
                    11 months, 18 days ago

                    Chilwell has gone. Was supposed to give Mitchell a rest, but he has been so bad.

                    Our U20 England RWB has signed a new contract and looks good. Sound go to the championship next year.

                    We do need a LWB though BADLY 🙂

                    Open Controls
                    1. Crunchie
                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                      • 7 Years
                      11 months, 18 days ago

                      *should

                      Open Controls
                    2. have you seen cyan
                      • 6 Years
                      11 months, 18 days ago

                      Maybe Sessegnon. Not sure he will work out though. He always seems to have some issue.

                      Open Controls
                      1. Crunchie
                        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                        • 7 Years
                        11 months, 18 days ago

                        Southampton always score a goal, But they did draw at Craven Cottage 0-0

                        LOL

                        I looked at Leno for my GK and decided against it.

                        Quite barmy how they lose 3-1 nearly all of the time. 🙂

                        Open Controls
      2. Baps Hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        Has to be Eze or Muñoz, I don't own them.

        Open Controls
        1. have you seen cyan
          • 6 Years
          11 months, 18 days ago

          Eze is so garbage, I am not convinced. But he has been trolling hard in the last few, so maybe! I think he gets benched though.

          Open Controls
  14. KeanosMagic
    • 4 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Desperately need Saliba to outscore Raya and Kiwior for my minileague.

    Not likely, is it? Unless he scores in a score draw or something

    Open Controls
    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      I need Timber to start

      Open Controls
    2. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Combined? Needs to score at a minimum tbh.

      Open Controls
      1. KeanosMagic
        • 4 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        Yeah, combined unfortunately. I guess the best I can hope for is for them to concede and then it might only be 2 points

        Open Controls
    3. have you seen cyan
      • 6 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      I don't think its unlikely. Saliba is the best FPL pick out of those 3.

      Open Controls
  15. Skout
    • 6 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Thanks Savinho for your double GW contribution

    Open Controls
    1. The Knights Template
      • 12 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Straight to dungeon!

      Open Controls
  16. Qaiss
    • 10 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Foden not playing a minute is annoying. Need him to start the next game. Something must’ve happened between him and Pep

    Open Controls
    1. RICICLE
      • 3 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Just sell

      Open Controls
  17. FPL Sanky
    • 2 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Wow, as a Pep AM, that goal was a game changer.... thanks Nunes

    Open Controls
  18. Vinyl78LP
    • 16 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Six players tonight deliver 5 points total, roll on 25/26.

    Open Controls
  19. Skout
    • 6 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    As a Marmoush (c) I now have to hope Saka doesn’t start, chances he doesn’t start?

    Open Controls
    1. Qaiss
      • 10 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      3% EO, meaningless what Saka does

      Open Controls
      1. Qaiss
        • 10 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        Unless you’re against someone who captained him

        Open Controls
        1. Skout
          • 6 Years
          11 months, 18 days ago

          Exactly that

          Open Controls
    2. Nightcrawler
      • 6 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      yeah sounds like he won't. i hope hes benched. own him but a haul would be a disaster

      Open Controls
    3. have you seen cyan
      • 6 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      IDK if Saka even hurts me. His EO around me is 98.9%, his eo in the top 10k is 106.8%.

      I'm at 80k, so who knows.

      Open Controls
  20. Eastman
    • 8 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    De Bruyne somehow getting 1 bonus point means I’ve lost my H2H game by 1 point (we have the same players tomorrow - had Savinho)

    Open Controls
    1. KeanosMagic
      • 4 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      He was on 2 before that goal went in somehow

      Open Controls
      1. Eastman
        • 8 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        lol think I’d have preferred him to get 2

        Open Controls
  21. F4L
    • 11 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    would've been a fun dgw if nunes and o'reilly were defenders in fpl

    Open Controls
    1. have you seen cyan
      • 6 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      So true eh. I wonder how many managers checked to see if O'Reilly was a defender. I did. Not sure I would have got him though as already had Gvard.

      Open Controls
      1. FPL Blow-In
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        I checked immediately after his first start and was disappointed. Not sure he will be reclassified next season either after Peps attacking midfielder comments

        Open Controls
        1. have you seen cyan
          • 6 Years
          11 months, 18 days ago

          Yea, I think I checked ages ago. I knew he was a mid, don't know why I even double checked lol. Hopefully FPL put him as a defender, fingers crossed.

          Open Controls
      2. TallestJohn
        • 9 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        I probably would've because he's the reason Gvardiol's open play threat has gone down the toilet in recent weeks.

        Open Controls
        1. Haa-lala-land
          • 5 Years
          11 months, 18 days ago

          Since Akanji was back on the bench today, there's a chance he could play CB , and Gvardiol moves over to his favourable attacking LB spot.

          Open Controls
  22. Silecro
    • 8 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    There were literally pages upon pages of captaincy debate for Saka vs Marmoush vs Salah, only for all of them to blank (pending Saka's inevitable blank).
    Just tells you how stressing over this game is sometimes utterly unimportant

    Open Controls
    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Yeah. It’s small margins. Salah was so close to a big haul between the frame of the goal on a few occasions and clearances off the line. That’s why this game is luck

      Open Controls
  23. Rwilliams90
    • 14 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    I'm now relying on Guardiola AM from GW35. Bet they manage to lose all 3 games.

    Open Controls
    1. have you seen cyan
      • 6 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Haaland will come back to blank in the last 4 games.

      Imagine xD

      Open Controls
  24. DROP IT LIKE IT'S HART
    • 13 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Really thought Malen was going to start the Newcastle game at least as he's not part of their Champions league squad. He was my differential. Oh well.

    Open Controls
  25. have you seen cyan
    • 6 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Are people not capping Isak next week? I just assumed everyone was. But I saw everyone saying Salah cap.

    Open Controls
    1. Silecro
      • 8 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Im capping Isak, Newc attack in better current form than Pool

      Open Controls
    2. _Ninja_
      • 15 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Spurs are poor and will have minds on the Europa semi final so Salah is a great choice.

      Open Controls
      1. have you seen cyan
        • 6 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        Yea, it is a very hard call. Salah always seems to screw me when I go against him, maybe I should just put it on him.

        Open Controls
    3. Effe
      • 15 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      My captain is currently on Isak too

      Open Controls
    4. RICICLE
      • 3 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Spurs there for the taking, will have main focus on Europa, and massive game for pool to celebrate winning with a bang

      Open Controls
    5. WVA
      • 9 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Should really be Barnes

      Open Controls
      1. have you seen cyan
        • 6 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        True, I have him too. Considered him briefly last week for cap, but Gordon put me off. Same as he does in 34, which is very annoying. I think Murphy gets benched tbh, but its too risky for cap.

        Open Controls
    6. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Isak isn't 100% fit
      I like my captain playing 9p

      Open Controls
      1. have you seen cyan
        • 6 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        Yea. Now I think about it more, think I will just put it on Salah. They surely win the league, Salah might go big. There's always niggling issues with Isak which make me nervous, plus Wilson is lurking.

        Open Controls
        1. GCHILD2K16
          • 9 Years
          11 months, 18 days ago

          Not a bad shout. Spurs have lost 18 games and banking on Europa league so could just fall apart
          Cunha or iwobi at Southampton are alternatives

          Open Controls
  26. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    I’ve just noticed the FDR for Fulham away to Southampton is showing as a 1 on FPL. Don’t think I’ve ever seen that before

    Open Controls
    1. have you seen cyan
      • 6 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Leicester have a 1 too. I didn't read the post, but saw someone say the same earlier about them. Apparently it only shows in draft for Leicester, not fpl?

      Open Controls
      1. TallestJohn
        • 9 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        Showing in both now. Good spot, I would've missed that (even though I have triple Wolves on FH). Think I'm colourblind.

        Open Controls
        1. have you seen cyan
          • 6 Years
          11 months, 18 days ago

          Its deserved tbh. Ipswich are no where near as bad as Leicester and Saints.

          Open Controls
    2. WVA
      • 9 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      That’s just changed for some reason

      Open Controls
    3. dhamphiir
      • 10 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Manchester United (H) is also showing as 2

      Open Controls
    4. Haa-lala-land
      • 5 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      I think it happened as soon as those two's relegation was confirmed.
      Ipswich should then should suffer the same grim dark green fate next week.

      Open Controls
      1. have you seen cyan
        • 6 Years
        11 months, 18 days ago

        Ah, good point.

        Open Controls
  27. Ruinenlust
    • 8 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    When will Marmoush assist be awarded?

    Open Controls
    1. RICICLE
      • 3 Years
      11 months, 18 days ago

      Never

      Open Controls
  28. WVA
    • 9 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Ruben Dias my highest scoring player this DGW… what is the point!

    Open Controls
  29. adrianh2024
    • 2 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Poor gameweek so far - i'm expecting nothing from the 3 palace players + Saka not starting tomorrow!

    Open Controls
  30. Cheeky Reijnders
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    11 months, 18 days ago

    Eze hattie incoming! 🙂

    Open Controls

You need to be logged in to post a comment.