Dugout Discussion
16 August 2025 656 comments
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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. Tonyawesome69
    • 7 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Burnley playing well since going down 1-0. Spurs need Palhinha (on the bench) to protect the defence.

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Yeah. They grew into the game

  2. ☈☾
    • 8 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Wirtz to King will be very popular

    1. TheBiffas
      • 5 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      You might be even more annoying than Virgin

      1. Red Red Robins
        • 5 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        Can we call it a draw?

    2. Red Red Robins
      • 5 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Bet it won't

    3. cravencottage
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Think the poster is a bot

    4. Moon Dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 1 Year
      11 months, 5 days ago

      I don't understand the hostility. You were clearly joking.

      xoxo

    5. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      • 9 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Scotty B

  3. Football is home
    • 4 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    A)4.5m replacement for Konsa
    B)Reinildo vs BUR
    C)Esteve vs SUN

  4. ☈☾
    • 8 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Konsa 1 or 3 match ban?

    1. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 9 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      1 match

    2. Ze_Austin
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      1

      Professional foul to deny a goal scoring opportunity as the last man

      1. Freshy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        Haaland wouldnt have broken stride

  5. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 9 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    King (4.5m) on 8 defcon already

  6. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Get Kudus they said... meanwhile no one mentioning Richarlison. Is this why we pay for this site?

    1. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Really you pay? Most of us are given free memberships.

    2. Ze_Austin
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Solanke is the reason

      1. Ze_Austin
        • 7 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        Also, how bad was Kudus's blank?

    3. Football is home
      • 4 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Next time don't listen to "the experts". I didn't it listen to anyone about Richarlison. Watching the games and trusting your instincts is more important than following the herd equipped with stats only. PSG game convinced me Richarlison is the best Spurs striker at the moment.

    4. ‘Tis the Season
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Look who’s back! Hopefully you behave

      1. Brosstan
        • 11 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        I wasnt banned this time. Just rage quit deleted my team around november. Im always on my best behavior!

        1. ‘Tis the Season
          • 7 Years
          11 months, 5 days ago

          You have your moments but good to hear

    5. chocolove
      • 15 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Do you even pay?

  7. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Vicario wtf

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      The spin made things awkward

  8. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Where are the goals? Need to spice up the weekend ...

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      In the EFL

      I've got two players for Man City this evening

      Otherwise it's Sunday

  9. Tonyawesome69
    • 7 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    No idea what Vicario was doing with that spinning shot

    1. have you seen cyan
      • 6 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Vicario is a bad keeper. I think he might have eye problems.

      1. Dynamic Duos
        • 12 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        Wow haha :laugh:

  10. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Josh King a big star on the England Underage squads?

    1. Moon Dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 1 Year
      11 months, 5 days ago

      He's Norwegian

        1. Moon Dog
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 1 Year
          11 months, 5 days ago

          The other Josh King had an ongoing joke of being called English for years. So I thought I'd flip the script on this one 😛

      1. chocolove
        • 15 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        Stuck in the past

  11. Tonyawesome69
    • 7 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Wtf was Porro doing in the box?! No need to make that challenge

    1. Bihom
      • 1 Year
      11 months, 5 days ago

      He's bored like the rest of us

    2. Ze_Austin
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Had a Konsa moment

      And whoever that basketballer was in yesterday's match

  12. el polako
    • 9 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Digging that West Ham away kits, shame about the green atrocity on the shoulder though.

  13. ☈☾
    • 8 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Terrible GW

    1. Red Red Robins
      • 5 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Go away

    2. chocolove
      • 15 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Nice

  14. Tonyawesome69
    • 7 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Quite like Rich playing CF. Good in the forward press and has the ability to be in the right place inside the box.

    1. Tonyawesome69
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      This also goes back to him playing CF under Ange season 23/24

      1. Ze_Austin
        • 7 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        I wonder what happens when Solanke is ready to start

  15. F4L
    • 11 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    holdddd Spurs

  16. Deulofail
    • 10 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    The FPL rules make a distinction between Tackles (used for in CBI(R)T for DCs) and Successful Tackles (used for the BPS). Does anyone know if they are the same or different?

    From what I can tell, Tackles dispossess a player. It doesn't matter what happens to the ball afterwards (it can even go to a teammate of a tackled player). While Successful Tackles (aka Tackles Won) are Tackles which result in possession changing sides or the ball going out of play.

    So points tackling are harder to come in the BPS than the DC system. Is that right? And if so, why bother with the differentiation, do you think?

    1. SalahFingers
      • 8 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      The stats are from OPTA, so they use their definitions.

      If you are interested, here's each stat defined: https://www.statsperform.com/opta-event-definitions/

      1. Deulofail
        • 10 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        They don't mention the distinction there

  17. have you seen cyan
    • 6 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    What a boring day of football, bring back pre-season.

  18. F4L
    • 11 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Diouf sounds very involved

    1. el polako
      • 9 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Looks really good, came close to scoring.

  19. Dynamic Duos
    • 12 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    How do you bloody do emoji on here ?

    1. The Night Trunker.
      • 2 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Google word press emojis

    2. chocolove
      • 15 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      :bear:

      1. The Night Trunker.
        • 2 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        😯

    3. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      😉

  20. MrAnderson
    • 16 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Free transfer question. Ive not played fpl in 3 years and cant see in the help section. If you dont transfer for 5 weeks you will have 5 free transfers. Am I right in saying if you only do 1 free transfer you will still have 5 the following week?

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Yes. They roll over with a maximum of 5 FTs in any GW

      1. MrAnderson
        • 16 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        So say you use 3 out 5. That leaves 2, so then 3 next week. As you say up to 5. Just confirming you dont lose them.

        1. Ze_Austin
          • 7 Years
          11 months, 5 days ago

          Yup 🙂

        2. AC/DC AFC
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          11 months, 5 days ago

          You don't lose them

          They accumulate to 5

          But on a FH and WC they remain as they were which is a factor too

          1. MrAnderson
            • 16 Years
            11 months, 5 days ago

            Thanks for the info.

  21. ‘Tis the Season
    • 7 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Goal rush?

  22. JBG
    • 8 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Sunderland defending annoyingly well (or I overestimated WHs attack for this match).

  23. Deulofail
    • 10 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Keep going Josh! 15 more mins, 4 more DCs and an early sub before the goals start for a 5 point haul!

    1. Pep Roulette
      • 8 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      I think 4.0-4.5 defenders and 4.5-5 midfielders are going to be of good value this season!

  24. Pep Roulette
    • 8 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    If Isak signs for Liverpool, which is very much imminent. Who drops out of the attack? Gakpo or Ekitike?

    1. Pep Roulette
      • 8 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      And don't give me the rotation BS

    2. ‘Tis the Season
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      I’d say Gakpo, Eki goes out wide

      1. More Tragic
        • 10 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        lol

      2. Count of Monte Hristo
        • 13 Years
        11 months, 5 days ago

        Praying Mantis out on the wing sounds like a disaster to me.

    3. F4L
      • 11 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      form based

  25. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Back in my day we called him Lolly Trashkins. Not much have changed except for some reason hes now 9.0 and people think hes a good asset.

    1. Jordan.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      he also has been redubbed as sh*tkins

    2. JBG
      • 8 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Said last season that he was overpriced, still is.

  26. nanxun
    • 4 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Just tuning in to today's fixtures. So, why isn't Palhinha in the Spurs starting XI??

    Guess the kids need some game time?

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      New transfer. Being bedded in

    2. F4L
      • 11 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      frank prioritised the psg match possibly

    3. Tonyawesome69
      • 7 Years
      11 months, 5 days ago

      Lack of preseason, not fully fit to start another game with short turnaround

  27. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Goal

    Two nil

    Bradford City v Luton Town

  28. DeSelby
    • 3 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Kudus taking an easy goal away from Porro. Thanks a lot.

  29. chocolove
    • 15 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    Kudus Porro on Cks.

  30. The Night Trunker.
    • 2 Years
    11 months, 5 days ago

    The Seagulls are toothless.