Dugout Discussion

Arsenal v Liverpool team news: Ekitike absent, Saka starts

8 January 2026 582 comments
FPL Marc FPL Marc
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Gameweek 21 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) concludes at the Emirates Stadium, where Liverpool must face Arsenal without Hugo Ekitike (£9.0m)

It’s a huge clash between the league’s leaders and reigning champions.

TEAM NEWS

For the second successive match, Ekitike hasn’t made Liverpool’s squad because of a hamstring issue. Get your autosubs ready!

Arne Slot’s only change from the weekend brings in Jeremie Frimpong (£5.7m) for Curtis Jones (£5.4m), allowing Florian Wirtz (£8.2m) to keep starting.

Whereas tonight’s hosts have made two alterations to the victorious XI versus Bournemouth. Bukayo Saka (£10.2m) and Leandro Trossard (£6.9m) replace Noni Madueke (£6.8m) and Gabriel Martinelli (£6.8m), who join the likes of Eberechi Eze (£7.3m) and Mikel Merino (£5.7m) on a strong bench.

Arsenal are still without Riccardo Calafiori (£5.6m), as the Reds don’t have Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) or Alexander Isak (£10.3m).

LINE-UPS

Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard

Subs: Kepa, White, Lewis-Skelly, Eze, Norgaard, Madueke, Merino, Jesus, Martinelli  

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

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

price change predictions

FPL Marc Broadcaster, writer and overthinker. Hoping that ‘differential potential’ will catch on.

582 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. FantasyTony
    • 8 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Saka should have looked up

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  2. Iceball
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Terrible week, 25 with Saka Raya Gabriel Szobo VVD, doubt I can survive with gray arrow...

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  3. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Saka is scaring me

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    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      And yet he still won’t haul 🙁

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  4. Warbling Wendy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Gary Neville sucks

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  5. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    What GW does Arsenal's bottle job start?

    Fear we may not see it this season...

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    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      ...one way traffic, so far..

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    2. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Just a matter of time

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  6. WVA
    • 9 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    How are Arsenal not 3 up already against such a woeful defence?

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    1. Supersonic_
      • 4 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Why the hell did i shift saka

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    2. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      They have a striker from Hungary

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      1. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        3 months, 5 days ago

        Do they?

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

    saliba fortunate

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  8. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Raya is a clown

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    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Eh? Hardly his fault

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      1. x.jim.x
        • 11 Years
        3 months, 5 days ago

        Should have shouted

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  9. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Bradley bar....

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  10. Royal5
    • 14 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    I claim a Raya save for that

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  11. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Liverpool string together 25 passes, and about 6 times it ends up back with VvD

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  12. MetallicaJack93
    • 2 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Anyone worse than 3.8 mil overall rank right now? Made the top 1% last year...

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    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Maybe you over achieved last season?

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      1. MetallicaJack93
        • 2 Years
        3 months, 5 days ago

        Haha just hoping to do better than this, had 500k rank before

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        1. Royal5
          • 14 Years
          3 months, 5 days ago

          I’m around 600k and usually finish minimum top 100k tough season and a lot of luck

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          1. Royal5
            • 14 Years
            3 months, 5 days ago

            Still time at least

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    2. Abaddon
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Only halfway yet 🙂

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    3. AIRMILES
      • 14 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      I was at 4m two weeks ago. Up to 2.7m now. Mind you, it's many years since my top 10k finishes. I claim bad luck, but I don't invest the time I used to.

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      1. MetallicaJack93
        • 2 Years
        3 months, 5 days ago

        Thanks guys, it seems a very up and down season compared to the last couple

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    4. Zalk
      • 14 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Not that bad but it has been the worst season I've ever played. In the first 14 GW's my best GWR was 1.8m.
      Just variance I guess, but it has also been a weird season.

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  13. Warbling Wendy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    'pool keep the ball for a few minutes, Arteta instantly tells his troops to drop in deep and psychologically move to a small mentality - then Liverpool his the bar. Arsenal are weak at the core

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  14. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Anyone not own an Arsenal def or Raya?

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    1. Bigbars
      • 15 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      me, i missed the boat then being stubborn by not biting

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    2. Hooky
      • 11 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Few Spurs fans probably

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    3. Bigbars
      • 15 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Do you ? I prefer rice in my diet

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  15. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Saka limping

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  16. Warbling Wendy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Saka with a sore toe, moving gingerly

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  17. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    This has got 0 - 0 written all over the top left corner..

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  18. WVA
    • 9 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    VVD on my bench to outscore my triple Arsenal?

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  19. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Frimpong down, ankle turn

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  20. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Handbags

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    1. Hooky
      • 11 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      But no gladrags

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  21. Royal5
    • 14 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Ping Pong injured

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  22. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Pathetic from Frimpong. He will be back running in 30 seconds

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

      Ok it actually looked painful

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      1. Bigbars
        • 15 Years
        3 months, 5 days ago

        On first look it did, especially on slow down, but he wouldnt run it off so easily if it had been contact... i smell something fishy with his action there. And the oscar goes to...

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      2. Freshy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        3 months, 5 days ago

        That was close to completely folding over

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  23. Supersonic_
    • 4 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Rice look like he'll get another 17 pointer? Asking for a friend

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    1. Kaneyonero
      • 9 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Not looking likely based on proceedings so far

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    2. Make United Great Again
      • 13 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Definitely not tonight

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

      He's certainly involved

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  24. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Ars have striker who’s never in the box for the tap ins

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    1. NZREDS
      • 12 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      This.

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

      need havertz back

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

      To think they released Kane when he was 9

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  25. WVA
    • 9 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    DCL rising tonight! Definitely the player I want to bring in most. Take the risk?

    Verbruggen
    Gab Tim VVD Guehi
    Rice BrunoG Wilson
    Haaland Thiago DCL
    Dub Foden Cunha Chalobah

    Might have to bench boost!?

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  26. Make United Great Again
    • 13 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Gyokeres is pretty average isn’t he. Hasn’t impressed at all since joining.

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    1. Utopsis
      • 6 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Jesus will start getting a run soon I think

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      1. Make United Great Again
        • 13 Years
        3 months, 5 days ago

        Yep

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    2. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Great at holding up and distribution.
      He has not showed ARS any talent for being a threat in the box

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      1. Make United Great Again
        • 13 Years
        3 months, 5 days ago

        Definitely was bought for his goals. Havertz can do the hold up & link up better. Will eventually drop to the bench

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  27. Make United Great Again
    • 13 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Arsenal set piece will clearly win this

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  28. WVA
    • 9 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Foden dropping FFS

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    1. AIRMILES
      • 14 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Wolves at home in two weeks. Not the time to sell.

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

        Wolves improving

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        1. AIRMILES
          • 14 Years
          3 months, 5 days ago

          Which is good to see, but I'd still keep Foden for that match.

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      2. WVA
        • 9 Years
        3 months, 5 days ago

        He will likely be benched for that game especially if Semenyo comes in

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        1. AIRMILES
          • 14 Years
          3 months, 5 days ago

          That's a very good point.

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    2. Bigbars
      • 15 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Foden to Wilson may be the play now ? That's what I'm thinking after these Foden no shows.

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    3. Make United Great Again
      • 13 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Can’t wait to sell. His purple patch is over

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

    argh so close for saka

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

      Well blocked tbf

      By Kerkez

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      1. Utopsis
        • 6 Years
        3 months, 5 days ago

        Yeah that was dogged defending

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  30. NZREDS
    • 12 Years
    3 months, 5 days ago

    Need more of those rice shots.

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    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Sushi?

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    2. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      3 months, 5 days ago

      Sake ftw

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