Dugout Discussion
1 January 2026 608 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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Two more Premier League matches to come now as Gameweek 19, and the first half of the Premier League season, draws to a close.

It’s Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland v Manchester City.

Kick-off in both fixtures is at 20:00 GMT.

TEAM NEWS

Pep Guardiola has kept changes to a minimum over the last month or so but he’s made two tonight.

The most surprising one comes in defence as Nathan Ake comes into the side in place of Josko Gvardiol.

Further forward, Savinho replaces Tijjani Reijnders, who drops to the bench alongside Gvardiol.

Jeremy Doku is also among the substitutes after recovering from injury.

Just the one alteration for Sunderland as Eliezer Mayenda is brought in to replace the benched Chris Rigg.

And there’s also just one solitary change for Brentford, who prepare to host Tottenham Hotspur.

Jordan Henderson is back in the starting line-up to replace Mathias Jensen.

Igor Thiago starts a midweek game for the first time this season.

Thomas Frank is back at his former club and makes three changes, one enforced due to the injury sustained by Lucas Bergvall at the weekend.

Joao Palhinha benefits from the Swede’s absence.

Cristian Romero returns from suspension to replace Kevin Danso, while Wilson Odobert gets the nod over Randal Kolo Muani.

Brennan Johnson is nowhere to be seen as he prepares to put pen to paper on a move to Crystal Palace.

LINE-UPS

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Henry, Yarmoliuk, Janelt, Lewis-Potter, Henderson, Schade, Igor Thiago.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Van den Berg, Pinnock, Jensen, Nelson, Damsgaard, Konak, Donovan.

Tottenham XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence, Palhinha, Gray, Bentancur, Kudus, Richarlison, Odobert.

Subs: Kinsky, Austin, Dragusin, Danso, Tel, Davies, Kolo Muani, Scarlett, Olusesi.


Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Mukiele, Alderete, Cirkin, Xhaka, Geertruida, Mayenda, Adingra, Le Fee, Brobbey.

Subs: Patterson, Neil, Rigg, Isidor, Mundle, Hjelde, H.Jones, O’Nien, Tutierov.

Manchester City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Ake, O’Reilly, Silva, Gonzalez, Savinho, Cherki, Foden, Haaland.

Subs: Trafford, Reijnders, Doku, Rodri, Gvardiol, Khusanov, Mukasa, Lewis, R. Heskey.


LIVE GAMEWEEK PAGE!

New to Fantasy Football Scout is the Live Gameweek page, which you can see on the side menu.

Here you can follow the scores, watch the defensive contribution (DC) points roll in, see who the leading players are for xG and more as the games play out, as seen below:

Sunderland City

price change predictions
608 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Qaiss
    • 10 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    THANK YOU Sunderland 🙂

    1. MIGHTY JOE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Aaah. Praise be!!

  2. Royal5
    • 14 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Pathetic

  3. All Hail K
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Ekitike cappers can breath now.

    1. PartyTime
      • 4 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Wirtz(c) outscored Haaland. Tiny win

  4. Supersonic_
    • 4 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    31 all out. Ouch

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Nobody like a bragger

  5. fedolefan
    • 11 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    I think I'm keeping Semenyo for the Man City triple up. He is kicking Doku out of the 11 in no time.

    1. All Hail K
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      I'm keeping him for a Man City quadruple up.

      1. fedolefan
        • 11 Years
        4 months, 28 days ago

        Yeah but that'll restrict you in the long term. May force you to save 5 FT, so a blessing in disguise?

  6. Atimis
    • 9 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    OReilly over Nunes, the outcome is just unbelievable

  7. RICICLE
    • 3 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Mukiele coming in for VDB, nice!!

    The only silver lining of this whole pathetic miserable GW

  8. F4L
    • 11 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    sweet sweet collins 9 pointer. thank you fella

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      My only points

  9. Mr. O'Connell
    • 13 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Got to stop benching Alderete. Haway the Lads.

  10. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Blankety blank

    Cunha
    Ekitike
    Haaland

    .
    Note to self: always start Nordi Mukiele

  11. Stranger Mings
    • 5 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Time to ditch thiago?

    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      You’re weeks late

      1. Stranger Mings
        • 5 Years
        4 months, 28 days ago

        Fuming - patience out the window

  12. NABIL - FPL otai
    • 13 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Roefs ELF and Mukiele on my bench.

    ELF is coming on for Rice.

    Only got myself to blame.

    1. Brosstan
      • 11 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Yeah such a bad decision to bench Sunderland players vs City. Logic is punished every time in this game

  13. Hughes Your Daddy
    • 13 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    What a waste of a FH damn

  14. Ady87
    • 12 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    I am the worst player to ever grace this game. Ever.

    1. Atimis
      • 9 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      I say hi o/

    2. Yes Ndidi
      • 6 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      I'm glad about that. I thought I might have been for a moment

  15. JabbaWookiee
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Absolute joke of a gameweek! Things can only get better in 2026

    1. Baps Hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      This was the start of 2026...

      1. JabbaWookiee
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 months, 28 days ago

        Correct. And things can only get better

  16. Pep's Money Laundry
    • 10 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Some people spent hours deciding who to captain between Haaland and Ekitike. Glad it worked out for both parties

    1. All Hail K
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Wirtz cappers the winner.

  17. Kaneyonero
    • 9 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    An outlier of a week, there's no way all the strikers will blank again

    1. Brosstan
      • 11 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Bowen and Watkins didn't blank

  18. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Good week all round, statement win for Arsenal, City drop points and I get a green arrow thanks to Bowen and Gabriel.

  19. F4L
    • 11 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    10 blanks in 15 GWs for Foden. 11 in 15 if you count a 4 pointer as a blank

    1. PartyTime
      • 4 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      I bought him @8.1m so it’s quite tricky to sell.

      Will you downgrade to Cherki esp if you need the cash elsewhere? Ngl I’m tempted.

  20. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    I have only gotten blanks now from Foden, Cunha and Ekitike. Meanwhile Lord Stach bringing bread to the table with 4 and 5 pointers.

  21. pundit of punts
    • 13 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Finally some luck

    Gudmundsson 8 pointer incoming for Van den Berg

    1. RICICLE
      • 3 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Nice! Mukiele for me, damn Gudmundsson last on my bench

  22. Tinydancer
    • 12 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    O'Reilly & Rice > Gabriel and Pacqueta (Or anyone up to 6.6) an easy one?

    1. #1 Arne Engels Fan
      • 1 Year
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Paqueta went off injured last game

      1. Tinydancer
        • 12 Years
        4 months, 28 days ago

        Ty I didnt know that, will have a look

    2. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Yep

    3. The 12th Man
      • 12 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Yeh that’s decent.
      I’m considering 2 similar options.
      O’Reily,Semenyo > Gabriel,Bruno G
      O’Reilly,H.Wilson > Gabriel,Garner

      1. Camzy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        4 months, 28 days ago

        The player you want is Rogers imo.

        1. The 12th Man
          • 12 Years
          4 months, 28 days ago

          I can go Semenyo to Rogers if I do the latter option.

  23. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    O Reilly and Chalobah 1 pointers. Mukiele 11 pointer on the bench, of course he hauls when no one in their right mind would play him. Awful game.

  24. Lanley Staurel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    So any chance of a press conference tomorrow or hint from Arteta about fitness and injuries?

  25. Vinyl78LP
    • 16 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Cant wait for Match of the Day tonight, total goalfest...

    1. Hughes Your Daddy
      • 13 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Despite our game having goals we will still be last as always 😀

  26. #1 Arne Engels Fan
    • 1 Year
    4 months, 28 days ago

    I'd be very worried as an O'Reilly owner about his chances of getting back into the team if Pep keeps Dias x Ake CB

    The difference in quality between him vs Gvardiol is astronomical.

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Ya u want Gvardiol now as much as Gabriel

      1. Camzy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        4 months, 28 days ago

        Gvardiol didn't start this game...

        I think Nunes is easily the best choice from the City defense for price and defcons. He also has basically 0 competition. City have no decent RB.

        1. Fifa las vegas
          • 13 Years
          4 months, 28 days ago

          Probably right in that sense.

          Gvardiol would be gold again if he could lock down the LB position, but as you say he won’t

  27. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 9 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Alderete 8 points on for Van Den Berg, 54 points all out

  28. Total Slotball
    • 10 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    A gameweek where if you could pick 11 keepers. You'd be flying

  29. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Guess I can skip the highlights of the other matches today then.

  30. 1912 F.A Cup Winners
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 months, 28 days ago

    Going O’Reilly over Nunes 3 weeks ago has been a disaster!! 8-22

    1. 1912 F.A Cup Winners
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      Nunes 23 not 22

    2. Pompel
      • 12 Years
      4 months, 28 days ago

      So true. At least we saved £0.5m ...