Dugout Discussion
25 May 2025 1310 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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It’s the final day of the Premier League season, with all 10 Premier League fixtures kicking off at the same time (4pm BST):

starts Isak

It’s difficult to know where to begin with the team news given the numerous talking points across the country.

But let’s do so at St James’ Park, where Alexander Isak starts for the Magpies after recovering from injury.

His recall at the expense of Callum Wilson is Eddie Howe’s only alteration, but the Newcastle United boss does at least have the fit-again Kieran Trippier among the substitutes.

Everton bring in Charly Alcaraz, Jack Harrison, Ashley Young and Michael Keane, with Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dwight McNeil dropping to the bench and injured duo Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman missing out as expected.

It’s teamsheet carnage at St Mary’s, with five changes apiece.

William Saliba is absent, while Myles Lewis-Skelly, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard are demoted to substitute duty.

In come Kieran Tierney, Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri. 

Riccardo Calafiori is unexpectedly absent.

Ross Stewart, Yukinari Sugawara, Charlie Taylor, Lesley Ugochukwu and Jay Robinson are the new faces in the hosts’ starting XI.

Jack Stephens, Tyler Dibling and Taylor Harwood-Bellis are all injured, while James Bree and Joe Aribo are benched.

There are unexpected absences at the Amex, too, as Danny Welbeck and Pervis Estupinan miss out.

Jack Hinshelwood and Igor Julio take their places.

Ange Postecoglou makes just three changes from the starting XI that beat Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Mathys Tel, Archie Gray and Kevin Danso come into the team, with Sergio Romero, Yves Bissouma and Richarlison dropping out. The first two are injured.

The pre-deadline rumours were true about a Kevin De Bruyne benching, with Jeremy Doku coming in to replace him.

Nico Gonzalez for the suspended Mateo Kovacic is Pep Guardiola’s only other alteration.

Fulham boss Marco Silva meanwhile brings in Jorge Cuenca, Tom Cairney, Andreas Pereira and Harry Wilson for Calvin Bassey, Sander Berge, Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi.

Liverpool and Crystal Palace both pretty much go full strength at Anfield.

For the hosts, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, Curtis Jones and Luis Diaz get the nod over Jarrell Quansah, Kostas Tsimikas, Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold also starts on the bench.

As for Crystal Palace, four changes see Tyrick Mitchell, Daichi Kamada, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta come in for Joel Ward, Ben Chilwell, Romain Esse and Eddie Nketiah.

At the City Ground, Forest are unchanged for their crunch match against Chelsea.

The Blues bring in Jadon Sancho for Tyrique George in their only alteration.

Brentford also name the same starting XI but Wolves make six changes, going back to pretty much full strength after some midweek experimentation.

Jose Sa, Matt Doherty, Nelson Semedo, Joao Gomes, Matheus Cunha and Marshall Munetsi all come in as Jorgen Strand Larsen (who had been a doubt for this game), Rodrigo Gomes, Pablo Sarabia and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde drop to the bench.

Dan Bentley and Nasser Djiga miss out altogether.

Another unchanged side are Aston Villa, whose opponents Manchester United side bring in Altay Bayindir, Ayden Heaven and Victor Lindelof for Andre Onana, Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw.

Youri Tielemans is only fit enough for a place on the bench for the Villans.

Andoni Iraola makes three changes to his Bournemouth line-up. 

Marcos Senesi, Adam Smith and David Brooks come in, with Dean Huijsen and Julian Araujo benched and Lewis Cook suspended.

As for Leicester City, three alterations see Victor Kristiansen, Oliver Skipp and Patson Daka replace the absent Wilfred Ndidi, Bilal El Khannouss and Jamie Vardy.

Kieran McKenna names two changes for Ipswich Town’s final match before the drop: Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead come in for Jack Clarke and Julio Enciso, who is missing from the matchday squad.

Graham Potter makes five tweaks from Gameweek 37, with Lukasz Fabianski, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Ollie Scarles, Edson Alvarez and Niclas Fullkrug replacing Alphonse Areola, Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Guido Rodriguez and Mohammed Kudus.

LINE-UPS

Bournemouth XI: Arrizabalaga, Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez, Adams, Brooks, Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo, Evanilson.

Subs: Dennis, Huijsen, Soler, Araujo, Hill, Scott, Winterburn, Jebbison, Silcott-Duberry.

Leicester City XI: Stolarczyk, Justin, Coady, Faes, Kristiansen, Skipp, Soumaré, McAteer, Ayew, Thomas, Daka.

Subs: Iversen, Okoli, Pereira, Aluko, Golding, Buonanotte, Monga, Braybrooke, Evans.


Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson, Lukić, Cairney, Traoré, Pereira, Wilson, Jiménez.

Subs: Benda, Bassey, Berge, King, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe, Vinícius, Iwobi, Willian.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, González, Gündoğan, Silva, Marmoush, Doku, Haaland.

Subs: Ortega, Aké, Lewis, Rodri, De Bruyne, Echeverri, Foden, O’Reilly, Savinho.


Ipswich Town XI: Palmer, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy, Cajuste, Hutchinson, Chaplin, Broadhead, Hirst.

Subs: Walton, Woolfenden, Burgess, Boniface, Taylor, Szmodics, Luongo, Delap, Clarke.

West Ham United XI: Fabianski, Todibo, Kilman, Mavropanos, Wan-Bissaka, Álvarez, Souček, Ward-Prowse, Scarles, Bowen, Füllkrug.

Subs: Areola, Cresswell, Coufal, Paquetá, Rodríguez, Irving, Kudus, Guilherme, Ings.


Liverpool XI: Alisson, Bradley, Konaté, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Díaz.

Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Endo, Elliott, Núñez, Jota.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Lerma, Muñoz, Hughes, Kamada, Mitchell, Sarr, Eze, Mateta.

Subs: Turner, Ward, Kporha, Esse, Devenny, Nketiah, França.


Manchester United XI: Bayındır, Lindelöf, Maguire, Heaven, Mazraoui, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu, Diallo, Mount, Højlund.

Subs: Heaton, Dalot, Evans, Fredricson, Eriksen, Ugarte, Mainoo, Collyer, Obi-Martin.

Aston Villa XI: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Onana, Rogers, Asensio, McGinn, Watkins.

Subs: Olsen, Mings, Digne, Garcia, Barkley, Tielemans, Bailey, Ramsey, Malen


Newcastle United XI: Pope, Schär, Botman, Burn, Murphy, Guimarães, Tonali, Livramento, Barnes, Gordon, Isak.

Subs: Dúbravka, Trippier, Lascelles, Krafth, Willock, Longstaff, Miley, Wilson, Osula.

Everton XI: Pickford, Young, O’Brien, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, Harrison, Alcaraz, Ndiaye, Beto.

Subs: Virgínia, Begović, Patterson, Welch, Doucouré, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin, Chermiti, Broja.


Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Milenković, Murillo, Williams, Sangaré, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Domínguez, Wood.

Subs: Miguel, Morato, Toffolo, Boly, Yates, Danilo, Hudson-Odoi, Silva, Sosa.

Chelsea XI: Sánchez, James, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernández, Madueke, Palmer, Sancho, Neto.

Subs: Jörgensen, Badiashile, Chalobah, Gusto, Acheampong, Dewsbury-Hall, Lavia, George, Guiu.


Southampton XI: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Wood, Taylor, Welington, Downes, Ugochukwu, Fernandes, Robinson, Sulemana, Stewart.

Subs: McCarthy, Manning, Bree, Kayi Sanda, Moore, Aribo, Smallbone, Archer, Onuachu.

Arsenal XI: Raya, Partey, White, Kiwior, Tierney, Merino, Rice, Zinchenko, Nwaneri, Sterling, Martinelli.

Subs: Neto, Ødegaard, Jorginho, Henry-Francis, Lewis-Skelly, Saka, Trossard, Havertz, Kabia.


Tottenham Hotspur XI: Vicario, Porro, Danso, van de Ven, Udogie, Gray, Bentancur, Sarr, Johnson, Solanke, Tel.

Subs: Kinsky, Spence, Davies, Bissouma, Olusesi, Richarlison, Odobert, Moore, Ajayi.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Verbruggen, Hinshelwood, Webster, van Hecke, Igor, Baleba, Ayari, Wieffer, Gruda, Adingra, Minteh.

Subs: Rushworth, Dunk, Cashin, Veltman, Milner, Mitoma, Gomez, O’Riley, Howell.


Wolverhampton Wanderers XI: Sá, Doherty, Agbadou, Gomes, Semedo, Gomes, André, Aït-Nouri, Munetsi, Cunha, Guedes.

Subs: King, Bueno, Lima, Sarabia, Bellegarde, Larsen, Hee-chan, Gomes, Mane

Brentford XI: Flekken, Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter, Nørgaard, Yarmoliuk, Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade, Wissa.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Henry, Pinnock, Ajer, Jensen, Konak, Thiago, Nunes.



1,310 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Urban Cowboy.
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Honestly thought my Diaz punt would have paid off.

    1. diesel001
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Liverpool been on the beach for a while. With hindsight, no Liverpool was the play for the last 7/8 GWs of the season.

    2. Bushwhacker
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Not with the ref today ; tbf he was close to hauling

    3. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Just unlucky today tbh

  2. Feanor
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Shame Isak showed up. Would have got Sarr off the bench.

  3. Jafooli
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Any chance the top 500k OR cheated, will be disqualified and I can still win FPL?

    1. lilmessipran
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Nope, but you can try and win the club world cup fantasy game

    2. potatoace
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Well I cheated, so that's one down

    3. Bushwhacker
      1 year, 5 months ago

      They were luckier than you ; that’s sort of cheating

  4. andymck
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    1 year, 5 months ago

    So close to hitting 10 top 100k finishes in a row but went from 89k to 106k, wasn’t to me! At least I didn’t throw my money league.

    1. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      1 year, 5 months ago

      A rare top 50k finish for me but nowhere near top of my money league 🙁 Think I might need to drop down a division!

  5. Bleh
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Omg I missed the deadline and still won my ML! The excuses the other guy is coming out with now hahaha - Arsenal fan inside and out!

  6. shaunyjames
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Snuck into top 60k and few hundred won in mini league, happy days

  7. Sun God Nika
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Managed to win my last league against TCers !

  8. Jafooli
    1 year, 5 months ago

    FPL need to work in some ‘Rage’ chips for next season - reverse transfers, switch captain, sack manager etc…

    1. Debauchy
      1 year, 5 months ago

      They should have taken you over Mark Jaf, FPL management are a joke.

  9. bso
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Let down by all front three Wissa, Watkins and Isak. Not brilliant but ok with finishing 313K.
    All the best next year fellas!

  10. denial
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Are all the bonus points sorted and confirmed?

    1. Eightball
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Not sure. I am currently 10,091 so hopeing for a random point from somewhere haha. Welbeck not being in the squad, Evanilson getting nothing, Arsenal losing the clean sheet. A little bit annoying!

  11. Qaiss
    1 year, 5 months ago

    So, mentioned before but went Saka over Bowen in GW33 which I was so hesitant to do and it’s cost me 44 points

    I finished 15k… what could’ve been, gutted

    1. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Ouch, that’s rough. I brought him in on WC a couple of weeks earlier and he cost me plenty in benched points (Murphy’s 15 come to mind), but I never really considered Bowen at the time… so a bit easier to accept! Still, great rank, well played on your season!

  12. nanxun
    1 year, 5 months ago

    My front 3 got 5 pts.

    Midfield 4 got 57 pts. (including bonus pts.)

    Def (incl gk) got 16 pts.

    1. Bushwhacker
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Worst humble brag yet, requires math!

  13. _Ninja_
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Kerkez Mbuemo and Bowen on my Bench.

    I knew my actual BB would only get about 5 points so i done it make me feel better.

    Hope they get rid of that chip.

  14. have you seen cyan
    1 year, 5 months ago

    I know its early, but thoughts on this GW1 team please:

    Raya
    Gvard - Frimpong - Munoz
    Sala - Palmer - Rogers - Mbeumo
    Cunha - Wissa - Isak

    1. Herger
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Looks good but I prefer Gyokeres to Cunha for Utd attack

      1. have you seen cyan
        1 year, 5 months ago

        🙂

        Good season mate?

        1. Herger
          1 year, 5 months ago

          Just glad it’s over! How about you?

          1. have you seen cyan
            1 year, 5 months ago

            Same lol.

    2. Fifa las vegas
      1 year, 5 months ago

      F**king hell 😆

    3. _Ninja_
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Why punish yourself so soon? Have a kitkat

    4. Boz
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Must be a cheap bench....

    5. g40steve
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Give it a rest?

    6. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Wouldn't go Palmer with UCL!

    7. Captain Beefheart
      1 year, 5 months ago

      You cannot be serious

    8. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      1 year, 5 months ago

      No Wirtz?

  15. Feanor
    1 year, 5 months ago

    29,419. Pretty happy to sneak into the top 30K with all the 50/50s I’ve got wrong this season.

    1. Silecro
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Congrats man!

  16. The 12th Man
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Nail biting stuff.
    Salah goal securing a new PB 4.3k rank.

    Tailed off in the final month from 1k and got close to not beating my 5.6k goal .

    1. Bushwhacker
      1 year, 5 months ago

      How do you set a goal for a game of luck? Congrats though!

      1. The 12th Man
        1 year, 5 months ago

        My goal at the start of a season is always to beat my best ever rank.
        5.6k has stood since Leicester won the league.
        Lots of luck, I agree. Not taking as many hits has helped me too.

    2. Boz
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Great stuff! Onto the top 1k next season!

      1. The 12th Man
        1 year, 5 months ago

        Thank Boz.

  17. BIGREDDOG
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Captaining Saka cost me about 300 quid

    1. BIGREDDOG
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Went from 2nd in cash league to 5th

  18. Stimps
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Goodbye cruel season

    1. BIGREDDOG
      1 year, 5 months ago

      This bro

  19. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Rank 1,198 🙂

    ML won with 84 entrants all paying £20 each, so £1,680 pocketed 🙂

    1. Gudjohnsen
      1 year, 5 months ago

      congrats

    2. Bushwhacker
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Noice

    3. DA Minnion (Former great)
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Nice

    4. The 12th Man
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Well done

    5. Boz
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Mega season!

    6. iFash@FPL
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Congratulations!
      Will Saka & ESR share in the bounty? 😉

  20. Original Sin
    1 year, 5 months ago

    68 points all out. Ended up with 40k Rank. Quite happy with it

    1. Bushwhacker
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Quite? Congrats great fortune is upon you

    2. Silecro
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Nice, congrats 🙂

  21. lilmessipran
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Pretty happy to sneak into the top 164,421 with all the 50/50s I've got wrong this season.

  22. djman102
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Bowen(C) gets me 69 points to just make it into...the top 300K. :p

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Awesome final day captain.

  23. ClassiX
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Now...what to do for the next 82 days...??

    1. el polako
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Clair Obscure Expedition 33

      1. Bushwhacker
        1 year, 5 months ago

        Seconded. And Blue Prince

  24. Boz
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Finished at 45k, best rank for 7 years. Definitely getting harder to push onto the top 10k. Sarr over Eze on GW30 WC was a killer.

    See you all in 2 months!

    1. Silecro
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Congrats man, great rank!

  25. Silecro
    1 year, 5 months ago

    First forray into top 10k, finished with 6k OR. Extremely happy since my previous best finish was 35k, and Im playing for 8 years

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Brilliant rank, especially these days!

      1. Silecro
        1 year, 5 months ago

        Thanks man! Also ideal day as a fellow Chelsea supporter. Was a bit conflicted in supporting Villa (3x players) and Chelsea 😀 but happy with how that came out also

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          1 year, 5 months ago

          I was so nervous watching our game. Didn't enjoy the feeling or the football!

          After we drew to Ipswich wrote our chances of UCL off.

          5 wins in the last 6, after that Did the job when it mattered.

    2. Bushwhacker
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Massif

    3. The 12th Man
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Congratulations

      1. Silecro
        1 year, 5 months ago

        Thanks!

    4. iFash@FPL
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Awesome!

  26. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Mini-league came down to the last 10 minutes.

    Salah (C) vs. Evanilson (C)

    If they had capped Salah they'd have beaten me by one point.

    KDB to Bowen at 14:29 saves me.

    Blimey that was uncomfortable :mrgreen:

    1. iFash@FPL
      1 year, 5 months ago

      Congratulations!

  27. GC123
    1 year, 5 months ago

    1 Salah goal away from winning my ML. Damn you Gravenberch!

  28. Super-Anders
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Semenyo kinda the only GW38 pick doing anything it seems? Besides Bowen, Salah and Mbuemo that everyone has. My FH without Semenyo was bang on average and I got passed by a guy in my ML that had to play Sarr.

  29. Stevecat
    1 year, 5 months ago

    2nd by 2 points ffs. Lesson learnt. Play your tripple captain in a double game week. I chanced week 36 being a double and it wasn’t and then I made the disastrous choice of evanilson. Beaten by someone getting 80 points on a bench boost to my 46. I need a beer.

  30. iFash@FPL
    1 year, 5 months ago

    Top 280k overall. I was in the top 15k at a time. 🙁

    Early WC to bring in Saka & Palmer (FOMO) cost me.

    We go again next season by God’s grace. 🙂