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
    • 7 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

    Christ. Dumpster start!

  2. lilmessipran
    • 13 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

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

  3. Tonyawesome69
    • 7 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

    Big Dunk should have done better with his header

  4. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

    Potter first manager to get sacked?

    1. The Philosopher
      • 5 Years
      8 months, 23 hours ago

      Will be surprised if he survives till September.

  5. The Philosopher
    • 5 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

    Anyone got both Muniz and Munoz in their team?

    1. F4L
      • 11 Years
      8 months, 23 hours 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. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      8 months, 23 hours ago

      No, I did last season though

  6. Scapegoat Salah
    • 9 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

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

  7. Zalk
    • 14 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

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

  8. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

    Mitomo CS point locked in 🙂

  9. Nightcrawler
    • 6 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

    Dr Cutler and diouf bullets doged

    1. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      8 months, 23 hours 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
    8 months, 23 hours 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
    • 7 Years
    8 months, 23 hours 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
    8 months, 23 hours 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
    • 5 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

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

  14. C_G
    • 10 Years
    8 months, 23 hours ago

    Wilson punt still working out

  15. Moon Dog
      8 months, 23 hours ago

      Burnley 1.24 xG.

      They need more quality up top...

      1. The Philosopher
        • 5 Years
        8 months, 23 hours ago

        Apparently they're looking at Isak.

        1. Moon Dog
            8 months, 23 hours ago

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

        2. g40steve
          • 8 Years
          8 months, 23 hours ago

          2 of the goal were worldies

      2. Count of Monte Hristo
        • 12 Years
        8 months, 23 hours ago

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

        1. The Philosopher
          • 5 Years
          8 months, 23 hours ago

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

        2. Scapegoat Salah
          • 9 Years
          8 months, 23 hours ago

          And not on CC even mentioned him 😆

          1. Scapegoat Salah
            • 9 Years
            8 months, 23 hours ago

            *one

      3. Zalk
        • 14 Years
        8 months, 23 hours ago

        Watkins with 25k transfers in already.

        1. Mambino
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          8 months, 22 hours ago

          in or out?

      4. have you seen cyan
        • 6 Years
        8 months, 23 hours ago

        Palmer cap next week it is then.

        1. g40steve
          • 8 Years
          8 months, 22 hours ago

          On that showing

      5. have you seen cyan
        • 6 Years
        8 months, 22 hours ago

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

      6. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
        • 9 Years
        8 months, 22 hours ago

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

      7. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        8 months, 22 hours ago

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