Dugout Discussion
4 January 2026 977 comments
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After Leeds United and Manchester United cancelled each other out at Elland Road, the Premier League action continues with four 3pm GMT kick-offs:

TEAM NEWS

The absence of Hugo Ekitike from the Liverpool matchday squad is the headline team news.

The Frenchman misses out due to a minor fitness issue.

Andrew Robertson and Jeremie Frimpong drop to the bench, with Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo coming into the starting XI.

Issa Diop, Timothy Castagne and Tom Cairney start for Fulham.

Kenny Tete, Sander Berge and Kevin make way.

At Goodison Park, David Moyes makes two changes to the side that beat Nottingham Forest.

Michael Keane and Jack Grealish replace Nathan Patterson and Merlin Rohl.

Keith Andrews brings in Aaron Hickey, Mathias Jensen and Mikkel Damsgaard for Brentford, with Rico Henry, Jordan Henderson and Keane Lewis-Potter dropping to the bench.

Jacob Murphy for Harvey Barnes is the only change for Newcastle United from Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Burnley.

Yoane Wissa consequently starts up front again in place of Nick Woltemade.

Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier and Tino Livramento return from injury as substitutes.

Oliver Glasner gives new signing Brennan Johnson his Crystal Palace debut as he replaces Justin Devenny.

Tottenham Hotspur give chances to Ben Davies and Mathys Tel.

Djed Spence and Palhinha drop to the bench.

Sunderland are unchanged from the side that drew with Manchester City in midweek.

LINE-UPS

Everton XI: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Iroegbunam, Dibling, McNeil, Grealish, Barry

Subs: Travers, King, Patterson, Beto, Rohl, Aznou, Armstrong, Welch, Campbell

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Hickey, Janelt, Yarmoliuk, Damsgaard, Jensen, Schade, Thiago

Subs: Valdimarsson, Henry, van den Berg, Pinnock, Nelson, Henderson, Lewis-Potter, Peart-Harris, Donovan


Fulham XI: Leno, Diop, Andersen, Cuenca, Castagne, Lukic, Cairney, Robinson, Wilson, Smith Rowe, Jimenez

Subs: McNally, Lecomte, Amissah, Berge, Ridgeon, Reed, Traore, Kusi-Asare, Kevin

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Wirtz, Gakpo

Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Ramsay, Frimpong, Gomez, Robertson, Nyoni, Chiesa, Ngumoha


Newcastle United XI: Pope, Miley, Thiaw, Schar, Hall, Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton, J Murphy, Gordon, Wissa

Subs: Ramsdale, Trippier, Botman, Barnes, Livramento, Woltemade, Willock, A Murphy, Ramsey

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Lerma, Lacroix, Guehi, Clyne, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell, Johnson, Pino, Mateta

Subs: Benitez, Uche, Esse, Canvot, Sosa, Rodney, Devenny, Benamar, Drakes-Thomas


Tottenham Hotspur XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Davies, Bentancur, Gray, Kudus, Odobert, Tel, Richarlison

Subs: Kinsky, Dragusin, Danso, Spence, Bergvall, Palhinha, Williams-Barnett, Kolo Muani, Scarlett

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

Subs: Patterson, O’Nien, Ballard, Hjelde, Neil, Jones, Tutierov, Mundle, Rigg


Introducing The Eye Test 2
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  1. Old Wulfrunian
    • 9 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Mukiele you beauty!

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

      4 pointer

  2. Effe
    • 15 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Xhaka now on 12 def cons (if anyone else cares…)

    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      coming off my bench so will happily take the extra 2 points

  3. RICICLE
    • 3 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Despise you Thiago

  4. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Already a disaster gw and of course I used one of my transfers for O'Reilly who starts.

  5. Albrightondknight
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Planned moves this week get rid of Thiago and get Tark in ….

  6. Dr Funk
    • 13 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiago, Wirtz, Rice and Gabriel.

    Lovely stuff.

    1. Albrightondknight
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      Nice

  7. Tic Tacs
    • 5 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiago punishing me so badly, first time I’ve benched him and he’s scored more points than the whole time I’ve played him. FPL is actually ridiculous, the luck involved is insane

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

      Swings and roundabouts

  8. nanxun
    • 4 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiago is killing me.

  9. Khalico
    • 10 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Would you have Bruno G or Rice? Already own Saka

    1. Effe
      • 15 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      Rice easily in my opinion

    2. Sandy Ravage
      • 9 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      both

    3. keefy59
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      Both & sell Saka

    4. RICICLE
      • 3 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      Need all of them unfortunately

      1. Khalico
        • 10 Years
        3 days, 5 hours ago

        Wish we could do 1-7-2 formation and have 7 mids instead

  10. TyroneGAA
    • 8 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiago to Bowen went really really well I see FFS

  11. Cojones of Destiny
    • 7 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Szob to Rice a no brainer ?

    1. Effe
      • 15 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      Yes

  12. Do I Not Like Orange
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Took Thiago out for DCL, season over

  13. REDMOND IN SANDALS
    • 4 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Sold Grealish for Rodgers. knew this was happening

    1. Voronins Pony Tail
      • 2 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      You still had Grealish???

      1. REDMOND IN SANDALS
        • 4 Years
        3 days, 5 hours ago

        Went Rodgers to Grealish on GW18 based on fixtures

  14. tutankamun
    • 16 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Bruno G DEFCON

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

      Nice

      12 pointer

      I was pretty close to capping him

      Caved in the end for Haaland

    2. Pompel
      • 11 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      Should've taken the hit to get him this gw. Will be getting now, but chasing points obviously

  15. wowo
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    39 pts on bench. Record for me in 10yrs fpl history. After 19Gw stubbornness, i believe 5 defender is the way to play this game at this point. And i am punished with thiaogo and rice on bench.

    1. JoeSoap
      • 12 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      2 of my defenders have scored zero

  16. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Bruno DC

  17. -GK22-
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiago VC

    No show Haaland pls

  18. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiaw huge haul...nice!

  19. RICICLE
    • 3 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Szbos is soooo gone for Rice

    1. Cojones of Destiny
      • 7 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      same

  20. Sif
    • 12 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Someone please find VdV one more defcon point please!

  21. Not again Shirley
    • 9 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiago goes down as my new least favourite player. Scored pretty much nothing for weeks so finally decided to ditch this week and he bags a hattie (in one would argue a much tougher fixture then when he blanked).

    Oh well, we move on to next GW I guess.

  22. Lanley Staurel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Good day for FPL. More options than people think. Fascinating season esp with Defcon.

  23. Pompel
    • 11 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    At least one good thing coming out of all the injuries in my team - never got the extra transfer to do Thiago -> DCL !

  24. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiago 24 points in 3GW since over 1m people sold him to Ekitike!

  25. Baps Hunter
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiago managed to play 6 games without a goal. Now hattie. And Wirtz gets offside goal by VAR. Sometimes I hate this game.

    1. RICICLE
      • 3 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      It’s all luck

  26. _Ninja_
    • 15 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiaw 17 pts... Hero

  27. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Who's got Thiaw Rice and Thiago? 17pts each 😛

    1. A Moon Shaped Pool
      • 9 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      Me!! Lucky us

    2. wowo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      Me, but they are on my bench

      1. A Moon Shaped Pool
        • 9 Years
        3 days, 5 hours ago

        Only Harry Wilson in my 2nd bench. Semenyo gonna come in for Eketike haha

    3. A Moon Shaped Pool
      • 9 Years
      3 days, 5 hours ago

      Ive already updated my team id in my profile

  28. adstomko
    • 9 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Thiaw has scored the same number of goals in the last 5 weeks as the previous 5 years

  29. Dynamic Duos
    • 12 Years
    3 days, 5 hours ago

    Bruno lite and Thiago you legends!