Dugout Discussion
5 September 2026 699 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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We’ve got five Premier League matches kicking off at 3pm BST today, including the fixture that influenced the activation of a flurry of chips: Manchester City v Coventry City.

Cherki Semenyo

TEAM NEWS

The big team news from the Etihad, after the usual wild pre-match rumours suggesting otherwise, is that Enzo Maresca largely sticks with the same Manchester City team that beat Crystal Palace. So, there are starts for Antoine Semenyo, Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki.

Nico O’Reilly had kept his place, too, but he has picked up an injury in the warm-up, allowing Enzo Fernandez to make his City debut.

Maresca’s other alteration sees another deadline-day signing, Iliman Ndiaye, replace the benched Phil Foden.

Coventry’s Frank Lampard switches to a back five as expected, with Ethan Pinnock and Frank Onyeka replacing Caleb Yirenkyi and Loum Tchaouna.

At the Amex, Fabian Hurzeler’s one change is enforced: the injured Mats Wieffer is replaced by Yasin Ayari.

One of Daniel Farke’s alterations is also necessary due to Joe Rodon‘s hamstring problem. Brenden Aaronson and Jaka Bijol drop to the bench, meanwhile, as Nico Elvedi, Ao Tanaka and the fit-again Gabriel Gudmundsson are handed starts.

It’s one change apiece in west London.

Dango Ouattara comes in for Jaidon Anthony for Brentford, while Sunderland manager Regis le Bris hands Kevin Danso a debut at centre-back. Trai Hume drops out.

Liam Delap makes his full debut for Nottingham Forest against Tottenham Hotspur, replacing Igor Jesus.

Daniel Munoz is named on the bench after his move to the Tricky Trees.

Savio also gets his first start for his new club, as Roberto De Zerbi promotes the Brazilian winger, Destiny Udogie and Conor Gallagher to his starting XI.

Archie Gray, Andrew Robetson and Mateus Fernandes have to make do with substitute duty.

Finally, at Fulham, Shea Charles comes in for Sander Berge.

Crystal Palace hand starts to two of their summer signings, too, as Axel Disasi and Quinten Timber replace Jorgen Strand Larsen and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

LINE-UPS

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Sangare, Janelt, Ouattara, Damsgaard, Schade, Thiago.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Henry, Yarmoliuk, Wilson, Carvalho, Anthony, Diouf, Schuster.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Meunier, Mukiele, Ballard, Danso, Reinildo, Angulo, Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Fee, Brobbey.

Subs: Ellborg, Hume, O’Nien, Alderete, Methalie, Ahoka, Rigg, Fofana, Isidor.


Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Verbruggen, Kadioglu, Vuskovic, Dunk, Boscagli, Gross, Yalcouye, Ayari, Gomez, De Cuyper, Kostoulas.

Subs: Steele, Hadjam, Struijk, Promise, Andres, Osman, Costinha, O’Riley, Oriola.

Leeds United XI: Trafford, Justin, Muharemovic, Elvedi, Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Stach, Gudmundsson, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin.

Subs: Zetterer, Bard, Bijol, Longstaff, Aaronson, Wilson, James, Bahoya, Nmecha.


Fulham XI: Leno, Robinson, Bassey, Andersen, Castagne, Iwobi, Charles, Palacios, King, Bobb, Garcia.

Subs: Lecomte, Larsson, Berge, Angel, Muniz, Affengruber, Kevin, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Disasi, Richards, Canvot, Mitchell, Timber, Wharton, Khalaili, Kamada, Pino, Nketiah.

Subs: Benitez, Tomiyasu, Gozo, Hughes, Doucoure, Larsen, Mingueza, Chilwell, Osorio.


Manchester City XI: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol, Anderson, Fernandez, Ndiaye, Semenyo, Cherki, Haaland.

Subs: Rulli, Aït-Nouri, Lewis, Kovačić, Nunes, Bouaddi, Foden, McAidoo.

Coventry City XI: Rushworth, Van Ewijk, Thomas, Amenda, Pinnock, Dasilva, Grimes, Onyeka, Rudoni, Mason-Clark, Awoniyi.

Subs: Bentley, Latibeaudiere, Sakamoto, Yirenkyi, Torp, Hamer, Simms, Tchaouna, Thomas-Asante.


Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Cunha, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina, Schlager, McAtee, Williams, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Delap.

Subs: John Victor, Hudson-Odoi, Dominguez, Wood, Diomande, Igor Jesus, Yates, Netz, Munoz.

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Kinsky, Porro, van Hecke, van de Ven, Udogie, Bentancur, Tonali, Gallagher, Savio, Marmoush, Tel.

Subs: Dubravka, Robertson, Senesi, Gray, Bergvall, Fernandes, Solanke, Kudus, Mudryk.


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 track 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. Here, you’ll find stats, heatmaps, rolling xG graphs and more on every Premier League fixture.

A lot is free for all, with Chief Scout Members getting full access.

Enjoy!


Introducing our new UCL Fantasy toolkit! 7
699 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. DeSelby
    • 4 Years
    31 mins ago

    Well, on the bright side I only singled up on Brentford defence instead of doubling or tripling up. Yay me.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      just now

      It's a game of such fine margins

      VAR chalks off MGW and Thiago points etc for assists

  2. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    29 mins ago

    I'm still okay with the FH...

    Otherwise I'd have Mitchell and his 15 pointer + staring at me in the middle of my bench.

    I'd have had Aina points tho.

    It would have been on Bruno and Mbeumo who could hurt tomorrow.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      just now

      Oh

      Aina hooked on 56 mins

      That would have been more frustrating with points benched

      There's too many ifs and buts in this game

      So many near misses and fails!

  3. Orion
    • 15 Years
    28 mins ago

    Did Anderson loose his srećom points?

    1. Orion
      • 15 Years
      1 min ago

      *His defcon points sorry

  4. JohnnyCroat
    • 11 Years
    28 mins ago

    Got lucky at the end... Le Fée definitely put a shine on everything.
    66 with Pedro and Bruno to play.

  5. Forgot I had Kinsky lol

  6. lilmessipran
    • 14 Years
    27 mins ago

    Sangare getting hooked at HT is worrying..as a DM he will get booked frequently, early subs mean less chance of defcon.

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 9 Years
      7 mins ago

      Yeah though he was a nailed 90min guy

      1. Bobby Digital
        • 9 Years
        7 mins ago

        thought*

    2. Amartey Partey
      • 7 Years
      7 mins ago

      Yeah, I don’t know what to do with him now.

      1. Bobby Digital
        • 9 Years
        6 mins ago

        I'm benching him as punishment

        1. Amartey Partey
          • 7 Years
          5 mins ago

          That’ll show him!

  7. pundit of punts
    • 13 Years
    27 mins ago

    For next GW, play two -

    A. Foden (mun)
    B. Wissa (lee)
    C. Sangare (bou)
    D. Williams (avl)

    1. The Philosopher
      • 6 Years
      16 mins ago

      Play Wissa and bench the other 3

  8. Bobby Digital
    • 9 Years
    26 mins ago

    Sangare was supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread

    1. Amartey Partey
      • 7 Years
      5 mins ago

      His routes to points include yellows and early subbings.

    2. Don Be Zeelly
      5 mins ago

      But then crusty loaves came back into fashion.

  9. Weasel Boy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    23 mins ago

    Ditched Le Fe for Sangare.

    Story of my FPL life.

  10. Garfield1001
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    22 mins ago

    I freehitted and I am on 48 with one to go.

    If I had kept my team and TC instead I would be on 44 with 5 to go

    Hate this game

  11. bso
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    21 mins ago

    Anyone know why Sangare only played 45 mins?
    Thanks!

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 9 Years
      5 mins ago

      Tactical apparently and he was on a YC

      1. bso
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        just now

        Thanks Bobby!

  12. Pino
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    20 mins ago

    I have been crazy lucky this GW.
    My ipad stoped working just minutes before deadline and I coudnt pick the players I wanted on a FH. A huge mess of players with 6.7 mil in the bank and no Haaland. Was raging and just wanted to deleate my account. I was on -44p and wasnt sure if the FH got activated.

    The game updated and this is the team I ended up with. FH got activated with 6.7 mil in the bank.

    Kinsky (Tzolakis)
    White Gvardiol Calafiori (De Cuyper Egan)
    Palmer Szoboszlai Gakpo Cherki Sangare
    Wissa Isak (C) (JPedro)

    I just feel very, very lucky how it worked out. Brentford and Brighton CS gone, Haaland only 1 goal. Iwill never complain angain.

    1. Pino
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      8 mins ago

      58p with 3 players to go. Amazing struck of luck.

      1. The Philosopher
        • 6 Years
        6 mins ago

        That story had me thinking it was 88 points with 5 to play.

  13. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 12 Years
    20 mins ago

    This game is so unpredictable....

    1. The Philosopher
      • 6 Years
      8 mins ago

      First time?

  14. GoonerGirl
    • 7 Years
    19 mins ago

    Can't wait for Mbuemo to score 6 goals tomorrow now I transferred him out for Cherki.

    1. The Philosopher
      • 6 Years
      8 mins ago

      6 goals in unrealistic. He might score 5 though.

  15. Bluebulls
    19 mins ago

    Wildcarding next week, which is the better option:

    A: Hall, Gros, 4.5m forward
    B: Dedic, Wissa, 4.5 midfielder

    Thanks

    1. The Philosopher
      • 6 Years
      7 mins ago

      Better option is to WC during IB.

  16. All chips left. No clue when to activate them. Haaland TC vs Ipswich is what I am looking at. WC and BB, lets see

    1. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      2 mins ago

      These promoted teams are better defending than some of the others

      1. True that actually.

  17. adstomko
    • 10 Years
    14 mins ago

    53 pts with 2 to go, despite no City & Thiago (C).
    Gladly take that.

    1. Botman and Robben
      • 9 Years
      12 mins ago

      Only have 38

    2. g40steve
      • 8 Years
      11 mins ago

      49 4 to play

    3. RICICLE
      • 4 Years
      8 mins ago

      63 Bruno to go

    4. fantasyfog
      • 11 Years
      2 mins ago

      53 with 3 to play

      1. fantasyfog
        • 11 Years
        just now

        Burned tc chip though

  18. fantasyfog
    • 11 Years
    10 mins ago

    Gapko looked good, is he likely to lose his place to Barcola?

    1. 17th Time Lucky
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 mins ago

      Iraola had said that he's going to rotate the wingers a lot. But i reckon first choice when no one needs to be rested will be Barcola and Gakpo. Gakpo is probably first in line as the Isak back up too

      1. fantasyfog
        • 11 Years
        1 min ago

        Gapko a good pick still then?

  19. Jordan.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    8 mins ago

    gvardiol joint top defender

  20. 17th Time Lucky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 mins ago

    Had been worried that going Vuskovic over deCuyper on FH was me overthinking things unnecessarily. Worked out perfectly though.

    Double Brentford defence could have been better, but a last day swerve away from triple and into the Forest defence to hedge my bets a little was definitely good.

    Happy with the week so far, now just need ManU to do nothing, Chelsea to score 1 and Saka to do loads

  21. BerryMaze
    • 9 Years
    1 min ago

    Play Sangare, Ajer (Bournemouth away) or Wissa (Leeds away) next week?