Dugout Discussion
15 May 2026 323 comments
FPL Marc FPL Marc
Share:

The penultimate weekend of 2025/26’s Fantasy Premier League (FPL) campaign begins on Friday night, when Aston Villa host Liverpool, fifth versus fourth.

Kick-off at Villa Park is at 20:00 BST.

TEAM NEWS

No big surprises in the line-ups, as Arne Slot said there’d be a late call on Florian Wirtz‘s (£8.3m) illness, and partial Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) minutes. Both are on the Liverpool bench.

The Reds’ only change sees Joe Gomez (£4.9m) come in for Jeremie Frimpong (£5.7m).

That means another Rio Ngumoha (£4.3m) start, and no Alisson Becker (£5.4m)

As for their hosts, it’s a strong XI, considering that the Europa League final versus Freiburg is next Wednesday. Starts for Morgan Rogers (£7.4m), Ollie Watkins (£8.7m), John McGinn (£5.3m) and Emiliano Martinez (£5.1m).

Unai Emery’s three tweaks have Pau Torres (£4.3m), Lucas Digne (£4.5m) and Emiliano Buendia (£5.3m) replace Tyrone Mings (£4.3m), Ian Maatsen (£4.2m) and Ross Barkley (£4.8m).

LINE-UPS

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne; Lindelof, Tielemans; McGinn, Buendia, Rogers; Watkins

Subs: Bizot, Garcia, Sancho, Douglas Luiz, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey, Barkley, Abraham  

Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Jones, Gravenberch; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Gakpo, Ngumoha

Subs: Woodman, Robertson, Salah, Wirtz, Chiesa, Nyoni, McConnell, Ndiaye, Wright  


price change predictions

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

323 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Boxwoods
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    @The Knights Template - How are you feeling? 😉

    1. The Knights Template
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Dungeon!

      1. Baps Hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        1 month, 2 days ago

        I am in it to get rid of the smell of ....

  2. The Knights Template
    • 12 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Hard to see Liverpool winning from here.

  3. Drop Dead Tsimikas
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    I take back everything I said about Virgil today, lol

  4. jacksonbarber125
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    I have Ollie Watkins but my ML rival has Van Dyke and Szoboszlai :/

  5. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Sold VVD for Saliba this week and have benched Rogers...there are levels to this game!

    1. Bod
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      I transferred Rogers out. We just have to hope our replacements do better over this week and next

    2. swanseag55
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Welcome to the club. Played my free hit and took Van Dyk and Roger’s out. Got to laugh

      1. Revival
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 2 days ago

        yep 24 points down the drain

  6. Do I Not Like Orange
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    This game has singlehandedly destroyed my season

    1. Boxwoods
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Cole Palmer did mine

  7. Scapegoat Salah
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Quickfire Salah brace to make it 4-4

    1. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      ?

  8. Winging it
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Watkins to Gyokeres has gone well then

    1. Drop Dead Tsimikas
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Early doors yet.

      1. Scapegoat Salah
        • 9 Years
        1 month, 2 days ago

        Yeah fancy Gyok to outscore Watkins tbf

        1. Utopsis
          • 6 Years
          1 month, 2 days ago

          Lol

          1. Scapegoat Salah
            • 9 Years
            1 month, 2 days ago

            Just needs hat trick, word on the street is Burnley gonna allow a walkover, should mean hat trick minimum surely

            1. Utopsis
              • 6 Years
              1 month, 2 days ago

              It could happen I guess, 15pts hard to overhaul though!

            2. JabbaWookiee
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              1 month, 2 days ago

              What street is that? Never heard such guff

    2. 2EyedTurk
      • 10 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Snap!

  9. Nomar
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    3 pt lead in my ML.

    I have Rogers he has Watkins. Tight ain’t the word!

  10. Sandy Ravage
    • 10 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Moral of the lesson, do nothing

    1. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      So in other words don’t enter a team

  11. TheBiffas
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Depressed Liverpool fan but bringing Szobo in has gone alright

  12. Drop Dead Tsimikas
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    VvD hat trick incoming?

  13. Gazwaz80
    • 6 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Virg scored twice and not even in the baps

    1. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Tbf his job is to stop goals and has conceded at least 4

    2. Baps Hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      I have owned him from the start of the season until lately not, because of slot...

  14. Gazwaz80
    • 6 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Got Szob in my team and Virg in my benchie

  15. The Knights Template
    • 12 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Liverpool need more beards I think.

  16. Drop Dead Tsimikas
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    So, that's more or less officially five teams in next year's CL, not six?

    1. bruik
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 1 day ago

      Not necessarily. Villa has nothing to play for in GW38 whereas City may still have a chance for the title. And Villa will not be recovered from the Europa League final. If Villa wins the final and loses vs City and Liverpool wins at home, Villa finishes 5th. 6th ranked team will then make CL.

  17. Atimis
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Was considering Szobo for two weeks now…went BrunoG after all, having cold feet now.

  18. Scapegoat Salah
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Great to see the King back, looked great as well.

    Wildcard activated and the King is the first name on it as we speak!

  19. Qaiss
    • 10 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Watkins playing for a World Cup spot

    Calvert Lewin, up you step

    1. JabbaWookiee
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Up you trip more like

      1. Utopsis
        • 6 Years
        1 month, 2 days ago

        Ban

  20. Utopsis
    • 6 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    3 double digits hauls for highly owned players - rank killer

  21. Kiwivillan
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Was 30pts ahead of cash league rival and he sold Watkins but has VVD. That 2nd VVD goal hurt but Villa CL confirmed yeah baby!!!!

  22. Feanor
    • 17 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Virgil on the bench, ugh

  23. Lahm and Lallanas Llama
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    What a gw.. 36 so far from 3

    1. Utopsis
      • 6 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Haha wow

      1. Lahm and Lallanas Llama
        • 11 Years
        1 month, 2 days ago

        Some higher power wants me to win this mini league

        1. Utopsis
          • 6 Years
          1 month, 2 days ago

          Good going and good luck!

  24. Gazwaz80
    • 6 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Virg on 9 def cons

  25. Baps Hunter
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Okay, time to fight for green arrow with random results on last dgw. Gakpo was more likely to score 2 goals than Virgil, but here we go. At least this was never good season for me.

  26. ZeBestee
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Any chance Vvd gets 10 defcons?

    1. Qaiss
      • 10 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Remove defcons FPL !

      1. ZeBestee
        • 11 Years
        1 month, 2 days ago

        Its a game, chill.

        1. Qaiss
          • 10 Years
          1 month, 2 days ago

          Yes so 2 extra points for a player doing nothing is all a bit silly isn’t it?

          1. ZeBestee
            • 11 Years
            1 month, 2 days ago

            Its not. Doing nothing means standing there not making any contributions, defcons means he has made those defensive work of clearances, tackles etc. Chill

    2. Gazwaz80
      • 6 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Hope so

  27. Planet Head
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    The fact I transferred out Watkins, Rogers and Szoboszlai this week, sums up my season

    1. Utopsis
      • 6 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Oh my word

    2. Qaiss
      • 10 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Sorry for you

  28. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Sold Rogers after owning since GW20, typical …

    1. andoman
      • 11 Years
      1 month, 2 days ago

      Rogers is such a troll - I sold this week too after owning since GW18.

      Had VVD on the bench- I really need a rest for O’Reilly now

  29. Utopsis
    • 6 Years
    1 month, 2 days ago

    Hmm players will want to put on a performance for their friends, family and the fans in their last home game of the season. One to note for GW38