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. Tic Tacs
    • 5 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    FPL team deleted

    1. wowo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      No mate. 39 pts on bench here and 3m rank. Still insisting!

    2. Bluetiger1
      • 3 Years
      3 days, 21 hours ago

      don't do it

      This season been my worse since starting in 2011/12 - My poor selections, the extra transfers / extra chips taking away the FPL I used to enjoy.

      Keep going since half a season & will be thousands of teams created not being managed with chips you had still gain ground - My goal
      is to gain millions not thousands which will be very interesting in my second half charge.

      FPL content creators need to relook at possible less extra chips - Afcon (x5) chips not needed & DFCON - not really a fan of - preferred
      old formats with possible the manager chip.

      Another thing to get away from 'AI' generated teams to reclass midfielders - like Salah/Saka from midfields to forwards then more skill in
      choosing the teams - less tempplate teams

  2. Machine Gun Skelly
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      who got the assist for reed

      1. Freshy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Kevin

      2. F4L
        • 11 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        kevin the greatest winger the prem has ever seen

      3. Sgt. Schultz
        • 9 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Kevin

      4. The Road to Turfdom
        • 9 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        friends with Perry

    • Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Liverpool dropping points. Things you love to see!

    • tuturututu
      • 4 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Gordon or Bruno G for next 2?

      1. Sailboats
        • 10 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Bruno

      2. HuttonDressedasLahm
        • 16 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        The one who can find the net

      3. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        I’m stuck with Gordon for the time being, but my god he’s sickening to own. Hopefully change of fortune next Gw

      4. F4L
        • 11 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        bruno g was everywhere today and really passing eye test recently

      5. Bluetiger1
        • 3 Years
        3 days, 21 hours ago

        Bruno G

    • TheBiffas
      • 5 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      The guy's not started a game since 23/24

    • Gizzachance
      • 11 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Bye bye Vvd, not getting trapped into the it’s Burnley soon, who will probably nick a goal anyway

      1. wowo
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Byebye Guehi as well.

    • Jafooli
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      With all the jam about, would officially like to declare I'm getting Guehi 0pts of the bench for Ekitika blah...

      1. Jafooli
        • 13 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Actually for VDB, getting Xhaka 4pts for Ekitika

    • Sailboats
      • 10 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Pool FT

    • Bigbars
      • 15 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Haha.. Sky cameras picked up that colourful language... pure emotions

    • Vinyl78LP
      • 15 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      equaliser should at least dilute the controversy of Liverpool's offside goal.

    • Vardi Gras
      • 1 Year
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Saka to Palmer or Bruno F
      Have Rogers, foden, brunoG and wilson

      1. Cojones of Destiny
        • 7 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Bruno if fit

    • Machine Gun Skelly
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        I got 42 points w/ foden and haaland (c) u guys?

        1. Glasner Ball
          • 13 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          57 points with O'Reilly / Foden / Haaland (C)

        2. Sgt. Schultz
          • 9 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          27 with Foden and Haul to go

        3. F4L
          • 11 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          48 with donna, foden and (h)aaland to go

        4. A Moon Shaped Pool
          • 9 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          68 with Haaland (C) and Foden to go

          1. Bluetiger1
            • 3 Years
            3 days, 21 hours ago

            congrats

        5. Babit1967
          • 9 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          53 with Haaland (C), Foden & Gvardiol left.

      • The Bandit
        • 15 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Lol, went for a pee and forgot to pause. Came back to see Gakpo celebrating, pressed rewind to see it, making me miss the Fulham goal too. 😆

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          What a screamer to miss haha.

      • Von Lipwig
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        WC Team with a nice bench. Thoughts?

        Roefs (Dub)
        Gab Thiaw Chalobah (Mukiele, Gud)
        Rice Rogers Foden Palmer Bruno G
        Haaland Thiago (DCL)

        1. Fifa las vegas
          • 13 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Looks alright on paper anyway

        2. Jonesfromthere
          • 13 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Looks nice would prefer double Arsenal defence than the bench headache you’ll have every week with that front 8

      • Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        This is a really bad week to have a bad gameweek!

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Fortunately I have Bruno G & Thiaw.

      • Khalico
        • 10 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Worth going extra for Roefs or stick with Areola?

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Roefs is immeasurably better than Areola.

      • OverTinker
        • 7 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        I ao much deserve Thiaw Bruno G and Wilson points

      • fedolefan
        • 11 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        What a GREAT GW!!! Full of 17 pointers. Just need one last 17 pointer from Nico to turn a dark red arrow into a green one.

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Haaland Hattie or Foden Brace + DC seems kinda obvious now.

          1. Bluetiger1
            • 3 Years
            3 days, 21 hours ago

            fingers cross would be nice in FPL terms,
            otherwise would still like a Chelsea result
            cannot see that today

      • Count of Monte Hristo
        • 12 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Bruno G and Thiago thank you very much!

      • fantasist
        • 15 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Those who did Thiago > Ekitike now gonna do Ekitike > Thiago

        1. Deer-in-headlights
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Waiting for somebody to talk me out of that move.

      • Nightf0x
        • 10 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Will van hecke get 2 pts deducted ?

        1. A Moon Shaped Pool
          • 9 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Why?

          1. Nightf0x
            • 10 Years
            3 days, 22 hours ago

            9 defcon not 10

        2. fedolefan
          • 11 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Yeah he will. He’s gone down to 9 defcon

          1. Lanley Staurel
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 15 Years
            3 days, 21 hours ago

            Nope still at 10 and still got his 2 points

      • F4L
        • 11 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        are there people out there who benched rice and thiago eek

        1. Sgt. Schultz
          • 9 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          surely Ekitike brings most of them some joy

        2. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Yes and they are getting rewarded for poor decisions!

        3. Fifa las vegas
          • 13 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Guy in my ML benched both along with Wilson!

        4. fantasist
          • 15 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Only Rice but luckily Ekitike didn't play

        5. WVA
          • 9 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Yep, shockers, yet still getting them from the bench

      • Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Don’t know where to turn now, wildcard seems rash but team a shambles this week. Not sure who I’d really get either though.

        Gordon stinking up the place, no Bruno, Wilson, Thiago and took Rice out for fecking Garner to make room for Gabriel. Not great long term.

        Don’t know whether to go Ekitike to Watkins or just downgrade to Thiago again and bulk up the midfield. Or even wait it out and see what the story is with Ekitike.

        1. MIGHTY JOE
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Feels, my friend. Feels.

        2. Bluetiger1
          • 3 Years
          3 days, 21 hours ago

          Ekitike to Thiago (Brentford at home)
          & then look at the Ekitike fixtures
          GW21 Arse (A) / Bur (H) / Bou (A)

      • MikeS
        • 11 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Vvd has to go absolutely terrible player, only kept him due to other priority transfers but he's absolute trash

        1. WVA
          • 9 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          He’s awful, been stuck with him and continue to be so, now Ekitike to move on

          1. MikeS
            • 11 Years
            3 days, 22 hours ago

            Not sure it's even worth benching him to keep for burnley now he's so bad it's laughable

        2. MIGHTY JOE
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Did VVD -> Gabriel last night. I recommend it, you will feel better.

          1. MikeS
            • 11 Years
            3 days, 22 hours ago

            Already got Gabriel

            1. MikeS
              • 11 Years
              3 days, 22 hours ago

              Not sure who to bin him for anyone I think, long term plan maybe bin Raya and get second arse defender instead here's my backline:

              Raya
              Gabriel -tarkowski-vvd-mukiele-dorgu

              Other one I have been considering is bvd to nunes or other city defenders

      • lilmessipran
        • 13 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        From 5k to 15k, what a shitty GW

        1. Bluetiger1
          • 3 Years
          3 days, 21 hours ago

          (only 10K) not great at top end of table but much worse when you drop hundred of thousands - still half a season to go Lilmessipran - continue the great first half - one bad week
          does not define your season

      • fedolefan
        • 11 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Can score posters also please add their OR. Let’s not leave that out please.

        1. Jet5605
          • 11 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Bad week this week?

          1. fedolefan
            • 11 Years
            3 days, 22 hours ago

            This week?

        2. Sgt. Schultz
          • 9 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          if anyone wants comforting.
          27 pts with 2 to play
          623k > 864k Drop

      • WVA
        • 9 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        I just don’t understand how you can be lucky enough to get Thiago off the bench for Ekitike, HTF does he score a hat trick the week Ekitike randomly misses out completely, ridiculous, shame how the game is just complete luck.

      • IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
        • 8 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Rank got destroyed by 3pm matches. Absolute carnage. Looking like a hit minimum next gw. Hopefully cherki salvages something

        1. AC/DC AFC
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Tbf

          Only 4 matches yesterday

          The 4 at 3pm had lots of picks active

          It's tough with 12 million+ teams

          The ghost teams still get points

          At least a low chip use week

      • AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        That's a Liverpool fan calling that VAR review decision for the Wirtz goal..

        Is it just semi -automatic?

        2 1/2 minute review must mean human error

      • Camzy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Not owning Thiago has really hurt. Got saved by Thiaw otherwise would be staring down a very large red arrow.