Dugout Discussion
23 August 2026 750 comments
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Three more Premier League matches take place on Sunday, with a double-header up first at 2pm BST.

Brighton and Hove Albion host Aston Villa on the south coast, while Manchester City meet Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium.



TEAM NEWS

Man City boss Enzo Maresca makes two changes from last weekend’s Community Shield defeat by Arsenal.

Rico Lewis replaces the benched Mateo Kovacic, while the injured Jeremy Doku drops out for Marc Guehi.

Nico O’Reilly subsequently looks set to play in a more advanced role.

Erling Haaland unsurprisingly leads the line.

Alex Scott was suspended for Bournemouth’s final pre-season friendly. He’s the only change from that kickabout, with Alex Toth making way.

Finally, at the Amex, Fabian Hurzeler makes just one change from his final pre-seaason line-up: Lewis Dunk is in for Ferdi Kadioglu, who has a minor injury.

Maxim De Cuyper will likely play ‘out-of-position’ as a left winger.

There’s no Emiliano Martinez or Ollie Watkins in the Aston Villa squad due to ongoing transfer uncertainty.

New recruit Joao Gomes is fit to start for the visitors, however, while £4.5m midfielder George Hemmings is preferred to Alejandro Garnacho on the left flank.

Emiliano Buendia or Ross Barkley could lead the line in Watkins’ absence.

Other transfer window captures Zion Suzuki and Matteo Ruggeri are substitutes.

LINE-UPS

Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Verbruggen, Wieffer, Vuskovic, Dunk, Boscagli, Ayari, Gross, Gomez, Hinshelwood, De Cuyper, Rutter

Subs: Steele, Struijk, Promise, Osman, Kostoulas, Costinha, Svoboda, Yalcouye, Yohanna

Aston Villa XI: Bizot, Cash, Lindelof, Pau, Maatsen, Kamara, J Gomes, McGinn, Buendia, Hemmings, Barkley

Subs: Suzuki, Mings, Ruggeri, Garnacho, Bogarde, Rowe, Alysson, Burrowes, Lynch


Manchester City XI: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol, Lewis, Anderson, O’Reilly, Semenyo, Foden, Haaland

Subs: Rulli, Marmoush, Kovacic, Cherki, Nico, Grealish, Ait-Nouri, Reis, Nunes

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert, Cook, Scott, Rayan, Kluivert, Tavernier, Evanilson

Subs: Dennis, Brooks, Gannon-Doak, Adams, Diakite, Juanlu, Toth, Jebbison, Rodriguez


LIVE GAMEWEEK PAGE + MATCH CENTRE

You can follow all the day’s action via the Live Gameweek page, which you can find in the all-new FPL Toolkit section.

Here you can follow the scores, watch the defensive contribution (DefCon) points roll in, see who the leading players are for xG and more as the games play out.

And there’s also the all-new Match Centre to explore.

A snapshot of this page can be seen below; it’s basically a condensed version of the one you can find in the Members Area.

debuts

FPL Stats Centre

750 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. JBG
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Cherki immediate impact

  2. Fifa las vegas
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Left with oceans of space again, like the miss earlier

    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      They probably thought he wasn’t a threat after that miss it was so bad

  3. JBG
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    City back in the title race!!

    (Am I doing it right?)

    1. jacob1989
      • 4 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      Still 2 pts dropped at home. As of now

      1. JBG
        • 8 Years
        1 month, 17 days ago

        Not anymore

  4. Gizzachance
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Most seem to went a gvardiol or oreily, creators saying guehi more of a risk

    Semenyo more nailed, Cherki riskier, assist of bench, fpl eh

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      I’d rather O’Reilly over Gvardiol still, he looks pointless in this setup FPL wise. Not sure on Guehi, you’d still think O’Reilly would be better long term. Might not get to stay in this position long term either though

      1. BobB
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 17 Years
        1 month, 17 days ago

        This aged well!

        1. Fifa las vegas
          • 14 Years
          1 month, 17 days ago

          Manifest 😆

    2. LarryDuff
      • 11 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      Dont listen to 'creators'

    3. TheBiffas
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      This was all true before the deadline. That's FPL for you

    4. All Hail K
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 17 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      I just remind myself that once Gameweek 2 starts, all this week will be forgotten.

  5. Strike me a Gakpose
    • 13 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    These Isak points are Haaland blanking gonna be so good

  6. Capocannonieri
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Well, one thing went right with my draft. Got Guehi.

    Other than that, all blanks

  7. g40steve
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Gvari off G

    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      He’s on

      1. g40steve
        • 8 Years
        1 month, 17 days ago

        Cherki A

  8. Garfield1001
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Genuinely fed up of this game already. Put so much time in preseason research and content.

    Numerous players were in my squad going up the deadline but ended up taking them out just before deadline - Sangare, Ajer, Ndiaye, Gomez

    Instead I have Le Fee, Hume and Gross all blanking.

    Why can’t I have nice things or any sort of luck?

    Feel like deleting my team

    1. Strike me a Gakpose
      • 13 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      Womp womp

    2. Capocannonieri
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      This game hates us.

      The influencers are the worst. But before the season, they are good for news. After the start, avoid the influencers

  9. Thanos
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Gvardiol G
    Cherki A

  10. DropkickMurphys
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    That looks on

  11. DeSelby
    • 4 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Not offside.

  12. Camzy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    He looks on.

  13. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Given

  14. Moon Dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 1 Year
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Lovely finish from the central pillar

  15. JBG
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    If only Maresca gave any hints to playing Cherki more often, immediately in my team.

  16. el polako
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Haaland involved in celebrations

  17. BobB
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 17 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    So glad I went Gvardiol. 12 goals from 84. How easily people forget

  18. KAPTAIN KANE SERVES THE PAI…
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    I said the high line would cost them

  19. henrysquire
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Foden to Cherki it is

  20. Albrightondknight
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Doesn’t mean Maresca ain’t a clown.

  21. Fifa las vegas
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Thankfully, my insistent complaining about Gvardiol not being involved all game has paid off!

  22. MIGHTY JOE
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Gvardiol - never in doubt! 😉

  23. SINGH
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    City with the greatest come back in PL history

    1. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 10 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      Knowing them, they probs bribed the ref at Half Time

      1. SINGH
        • 8 Years
        1 month, 17 days ago

        116 charges now

  24. Tomerick
    • 12 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    FPL is a cruel mistress. How many of us dropped Gvardiol in the run up

    1. Ghost Ship
      • 16 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      To be fair, most people on here have had and dropped most players in the run up.

      1. Tomerick
        • 12 Years
        1 month, 17 days ago

        Friend of mine has double Hull defence including Mendy. I can honestly say none of my drafts went in that direction

  25. Cojones of Destiny
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Cherki was the one

  26. KAPTAIN KANE SERVES THE PAI…
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Cherki the unlikely GW saviour!

  27. Zilla
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    3 city players, no returns lmao

  28. Stoic
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Maresca rolling out the tank tops

  29. Gizzachance
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    2 def scoring for city, no haaland involvement!

  30. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Just a horror gw. Guehi and Gvardiol goals crown the week as a NOR owner (who is quite low owned among "engaged").

    1. Firminooooo
      • 10 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      Same. Nightmare.