Dugout Discussion
16 August 2025 656 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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Three more Premier League matches follow on from the goalless draw at Villa Park.

Sunderland and Burnley contest their first top-flight games since promotion from the Championship, while two of the sides who just missed out on Europe last season meet at the Amex.

Guiu Dubravka

Budget Fantasy picks take centre stage today.

Burnley have four £4.0m defenders – Kyle Walker being the odd one out – and a £4.0m goalkeeper in their starting XI this afternoon, with Martin Dubravka getting the nod between the posts.

Lyle Foster, a £5.0m forward, leads the line.

The Clarets make their Premier League return against Tottenham Hotspur, who make three changes from the Super Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

Lucas Bergvall, Brennan Johnson and Archie Gray come in for Joao Palhinha, Kevin Danso and Rodrigo Bentancur.

In the north-east, the big hope from the £4.5m forward pool, Marc Guiu, is on the bench.

The Black Cats have two £4.0m defenders in their team, Jensen Seelt and Reinaldo Mandava.

Mandava is one of seven new signings in their starting XI, alongside Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra and Robin Roefs.

Mads Hermansen is straight into the West Ham United team, with Alphonse Areola having to settle for a place on the bench.

El Hadji Malick Diouf gets his Premier League debut but £4.5m midfielder Freddie Potts drops to the bench, despite having started West Ham’s final three friendlies.

Finally, at the Amex, Fabian Hurzeler makes just one change from his final pre-season line-up: Carlos Baleba is in for Diego Gomez.

Danny Welbeck is only among the substitutes.

Fulham boss Marco Silva matches Hurzeler in making one change from last weekend.

It’s an enforced alteration, too, with Ryan Sessegnon missing out. Jorge Cuenca comes in.

LINE-UPS

Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Verbuggen, Dunk, van Hecke, Wieffer, De Cuyper, O’Riley, Ayari, Baleba, Minteh, Mitoma, Rutter.

Subs: Steele, Gruda, Welbeck, Milner, Boscagli, Kadioglu, Gomez, Veltman, Coppola.

Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Bassey, Anderson, Cuenca, Lukic, Berge, Wilson, Iwobi, Jimenez, King.

Subs: Lecomte, Reed, Muniz, Cairney, Adama, Pereira, Castagne, Diop, Emile Smith Rowe.


Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Seelt, Ballard, Reinaldo, Sadiki, Xhaka, Diarra, Talbi, Mayenda, Adingra

Subs: Patterson, Neil, Guiu, Roberts, Rigg, Alderete, Isidor, Le Fee, Jones

West Ham United XI: Hermansen, Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd, Wan-Bissaka, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Diouf, Bowen, Paqueta, Fullkrug

Subs: Areola, Walker-Peters, Alvarez, Wilson, Mavropanos, Soucek, Scarles, Potts, Irving


Tottenham Hotspur XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Spence, Gray, Bergvall, Kudus, Sarr, Johnson, Richarlison 

Subs: Kinsky, Danso, Joao Palhinha, Tel, Vuskovic, Solanke, Odobert, Bentancur, Davies.

Burnley XI: Dubravka, Sonne, Walker, Ekdal, Esteve, Hartman, Mejbri, Cullen, Laurent, Anthony, Foster. 

Subs: Weiss, Worrall, Bruun Larsen, Ugochukwu, Edwards, Tchaouna, Flemming, Ramsey, Lucas Pires.

656 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. henrysquire
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Christ. Dumpster start!

  2. lilmessipran
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    90th min clean sheet wipeouts, the game is well and truly back!

  3. Tonyawesome69
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Big Dunk should have done better with his header

  4. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Potter first manager to get sacked?

    1. The Philosopher
      • 6 Years
      1 year, 1 month ago

      Will be surprised if he survives till September.

  5. The Philosopher
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Anyone got both Muniz and Munoz in their team?

    1. F4L
      • 11 Years
      1 year, 1 month ago

      soon...

      got the o, will get the i

      honestly though muniz goals/per 90 is so solid in the pl, just wish silva trusted him more

    2. KAPTAIN KANE SERVES THE PAI…
      • 9 Years
      1 year, 1 month ago

      No, I did last season though

  6. KAPTAIN KANE SERVES THE PAI…
    • 9 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    See, fpl should have brought in my pro rated clean sheets idea from last season 😉

  7. Zalk
    • 15 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Love it when the budget enablers come good. VdV + Sarr for 12p.

  8. Brosstan
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Mitomo CS point locked in 🙂

  9. Nightcrawler
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Dr Cutler and diouf bullets doged

    1. KAPTAIN KANE SERVES THE PAI…
      • 9 Years
      1 year, 1 month ago

      Indeed, although I must say they’re going to be very good this season, monsta attacking output from them today. Scary not own whilst cheering on what I thought was an impossible triple Spurs cleanie

  10. pundit of punts
    • 13 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Vicario getting some juicy bonus on BB

    Things that you love to see

    Can’t thank Porro and VdV enough as well

  11. JBG
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    I only expected Spurs CS(and I got double) and yet 1 WH defender and 1 Brighton defender managed to pi*s me off... not to mention Pingpong subbed off with 10 seconds left for CS.

  12. HuttonDressedasLahm
    • 16 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    18 points BB is ok. Probably better than most I’ve played.
    Shame I lost those 4 points though from Cuyper

  13. The Philosopher
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Watkins + Wirtz + Bowen -> Richarlison + Semenyo + Isidor gonna be easy moves this week.

  14. C_G
    • 11 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Wilson punt still working out

  15. Moon Dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 1 Year
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Burnley 1.24 xG.

    They need more quality up top...

    1. The Philosopher
      • 6 Years
      1 year, 1 month ago

      Apparently they're looking at Isak.

      1. Moon Dog
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 1 Year
        1 year, 1 month ago

        Smart choice. Liverpool have no chance of getting him now.

    2. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      1 year, 1 month ago

      2 of the goal were worldies

  16. Count of Monte Hristo
    • 13 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Happy with my Reinildo CS but Ballard with the CS, goal, DC and maximum BPS locked in is something else!

    1. The Philosopher
      • 6 Years
      1 year, 1 month ago

      Were obvious choices, but still feels good when they come to fruition. Well played.

    2. KAPTAIN KANE SERVES THE PAI…
      • 9 Years
      1 year, 1 month ago

      And not on CC even mentioned him 😆

      1. KAPTAIN KANE SERVES THE PAI…
        • 9 Years
        1 year, 1 month ago

        *one

  17. Zalk
    • 15 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Watkins with 25k transfers in already.

    1. Mambino
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 1 month ago

      in or out?

  18. have you seen cyan
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Palmer cap next week it is then.

    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      1 year, 1 month ago

      On that showing

  19. have you seen cyan
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Wow, Tosin is now injured. This is possibly going to be my worst start to a season ever.

  20. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
    • 9 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    West ham losing first game 3-0 against promoted Sunderland
    Potter sacked before September?

  21. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    1 year, 1 month ago

    Why are Tottenham ahead of Sunderland, alphabetically in some league tables?