Dugout Discussion
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. el polako
    • 8 Years
    1 day, 5 hours ago

    Wow, Gyokeres was actually playing!

    1. Jafooli
      • 13 Years
      1 day, 5 hours ago

      8 touches in 65mins..easy money

      1. HuttonDressedasLahm
        • 16 Years
        1 day, 5 hours ago

        Of his hair?

        1. Jafooli
          • 13 Years
          1 day, 5 hours ago

          No, that was 87 touches….

  2. Vinyl78LP
    • 16 Years
    1 day, 5 hours ago

    Gravenberch so smooth dribbling at times, mystery why Slot plays him so deep.

    1. Utopsis
      • 5 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      "At times" being the operative phrase. Lots of CBs are also silky on the ball at times

  3. Jafooli
    • 13 Years
    1 day, 5 hours ago

    Captain Jack Sparrow should’ve taken a shot there…

  4. putana
    • 7 Years
    1 day, 5 hours ago

    is Skelly the slowest player ever?

    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      1 day, 5 hours ago

      1.Gyokeres
      2.Skelly
      3.Burn

  5. Utopsis
    • 5 Years
    1 day, 5 hours ago

    What a fall from grace for this Liverpool team. They are frightened of Arsenal, making so many strange decisions

  6. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    1 day, 5 hours ago

    Ekitike to Thiago?

    2 FRs

    Pope
    Gabriel, Timber, Chalobah
    Cunha, Wilson, Saka, Foden
    Haaland, Raul, Ekitike

    Subs: Dub, Senesi, Rodon, King

    1. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      1 day, 5 hours ago

      *FTs

    2. WVA
      • 9 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Yes although then it’s Thiago v Chalobah

      What you doing with Foden and Cunha?

      1. RamaJama
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        1 day, 4 hours ago

        Have another FT, doing Cunha to one of the Bruno’s this week

  7. HuttonDressedasLahm
    • 16 Years
    1 day, 5 hours ago

    Come on Arsenal. I don’t even care if it’s not Rice or Saka, but Konate last on my bench looking like potential Defcons and 3 baps

    1. Gizzachance
      • 11 Years
      1 day, 5 hours ago

      Vvd on my bench

      1. Effe
        • 15 Years
        1 day, 5 hours ago

        Same here

  8. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    1 day, 5 hours ago

    Arsenal fans booing because Liverpool didn’t put the ball out of play, like Arsenal did when Frimpong was down 🙄

    1. Kaneyonero
      • 9 Years
      1 day, 5 hours ago

      Lol consistency

    2. Biggsy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      1 day, 5 hours ago

      Probably just pleased with some on pitch action to react to

  9. putana
    • 7 Years
    1 day, 5 hours ago

    Van Disney would keep a clean sheet now and not against Wolves or fulham

    1. BobbyDoesNotLook
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      vAn DiSnEy

    2. WVA
      • 9 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Yeah finally benched him, imagine he concedes v Burnley too

  10. Count of Monte Hristo
    • 12 Years
    1 day, 5 hours ago

    What has Eze done to warrant no longer featuring for Arsenal?

    1. Effe
      • 15 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      I wondered the same. Doesn’t feel like that long ago he scored 3 v Spurs

      1. Count of Monte Hristo
        • 12 Years
        1 day, 4 hours ago

        Yeah it’s a strange turn of events and really bad management imo. Yes rotation is absolutely necessary in the modern game but this is sending a message that he is no longer in Arteta’s plans.

    2. brianutd-why always we? 20
      • 14 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Bizarre but they don’t need him as a starter

      1. Count of Monte Hristo
        • 12 Years
        1 day, 4 hours ago

        He isn’t even getting on the pitch though…

        Check his minutes the last 6 weeks

        1. Jafooli
          • 13 Years
          1 day, 4 hours ago

          Arteta reading your comments…Eza on

      2. WVA
        • 9 Years
        1 day, 4 hours ago

        Not better than Trossard?

    3. DROP IT LIKE IT'S HART
      • 13 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Weird how he's just been frozen out.

  11. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Even if my double Arsenal cs would come through today a rank drop from 250k to 600k in two GWs looks like nice progress. GW 17 I was even 198k.

    I screwed my team with Afcon transfers.

    1. brianutd-why always we? 20
      • 14 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Yea I’ve got 2 CS arsenal defenders too and Rice but a red prediction

  12. WVA
    • 9 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Virgil and Guehi on my bench, should have benched Foden and Cunha!

    1. Count of Monte Hristo
      • 12 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Guehi first sub for me over Mr Potato Head O’Reilly.

      1. Sun God Nika
        • 5 Years
        1 day, 4 hours ago

        First time I benched guehi this week since having him and he finally gets a clean sheet

  13. Lanley Staurel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Jeez Liverpool seem incapable of passing forwards. What has happened to this team?

    1. Utopsis
      • 5 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      It's incredible isn't it. They are taking absolutely no risks whatsoever

  14. Pep Roulette
    • 8 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Timber YC on his next foul

    1. brianutd-why always we? 20
      • 14 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Ahhhh

  15. DROP IT LIKE IT'S HART
    • 13 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Ekitike slowly turning into my player of the season. His no show last GW meant that Thiago assumed Captaincy and Wilson from my bench this GW to replace him. What a player.

    1. brianutd-why always we? 20
      • 14 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Wow

  16. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Liverpool new boys starting to find their feet.

  17. RICICLE
    • 3 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    What could Arteta of said during HT? Like “yep, more of the same lads”
    This is shocking

  18. mad_beer ✅
    • 11 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    LIV need to score so that other people suffer from my bad choices.

  19. Mr. O'Connell
    • 13 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Szoboszlai more shots in half an hour than he had in 8 weeks in my team

  20. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Get Skelly off he’s getting rinsed

  21. Mr. O'Connell
    • 13 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Saka haul once again

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      *hauled

  22. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Sakak

  23. F4L
    • 11 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    4 points lost going against haaland cap, meh. shouldve been more tbf

  24. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Saka off

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      And exiting my team

  25. DROP IT LIKE IT'S HART
    • 13 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    This looking set up for Arsenal to win it from a set piece.

  26. putana
    • 7 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    skelly is putting on the worst substitution cameo ive ever seen. Has gotten beat every time

    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Shocking

    2. x.jim.x
      • 11 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Remember when Arsenal fans were kicking off about him not starting for England

  27. Amartey Partey
    • 6 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Saka CS point secured, GET IN!!!

    1. NZREDS
      • 12 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      Hahah - huge gainz

  28. Royal5
    • 14 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Feck off Saka. Need to flush him and Foden - not even close to be worth the price tag

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      1 day, 4 hours ago

      So much this. Both of them

  29. RICICLE
    • 3 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Thanks for nothing again Saka

  30. Biggsy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    1 day, 4 hours ago

    Saka CS banked