Dugout Discussion
24 October 2026 340 comments
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There are only four Premier League matches on Saturday, but there are some tasty-looking fixtures among them.

We start with an intriguing game at Villa Park, as the resurgent hosts – unbeaten in six competitive matches, scoring 18 goals along the way – entertain the Premier League leaders.

Aston Villa v Manchester City kicks off at 12.30pm BST.

TEAM NEWS

Both sides make four changes from their UEFA Champions League wins in midweek.

Johan Manzambi is fit to start for the hosts after missing out against Viking, while Ian Maatsen makes his first post-injury appearance.

Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara also come back in after midweek breathers.

Emiliano Buendia, Tyrone Mings, Ross Barkley and Ibrahim Mbaye make way. Buendia loses his ever-present starter status in the Premier League as a result.

It was pretty much signposted by Enzo Maresca anyway but the big City news is that Erling Haaland starts. The Norwegian limped off the field at the end of the Gameweek 7 victory over Ipswich Town and was then an unused substitute against AEK Athens.

Iliman Ndiaye, Jeremy Doku and Marc Guehi all return to the side after rests on Tuesday night.

Midweek hat-trick hero Phil Foden is the big-name casualty, dropping to the bench. Floyd Samba, Allan and Rico Lewis are less surprising omissions after rare starts in the Champions League.

Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic shake off injuries to make the bench but Matheus Nunes misses out.

LINE-UPS

Aston Villa XI: Suzuki, Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Gomes, Alysson, Manzambi, McGinn, Jackson.

Subs: Bizot, Mings, Barkley, Buendia, Mbaye, Bogarde, Goretzka, Madjo, Hemmings.

Manchester City XI: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Guéhi, Gvardiol, Anderson, Fernández, Ndiaye, Cherki, Doku, Haaland.

Subs: Rulli, Kovačić, Aït-Nouri, Reis, Bouaddi, O’Reilly, Foden, McAidoo, Lewis.

LIVE GAMEWEEK 8 PAGE + MATCH CENTRE

Villa v City

You can follow all the day’s action via the Live Gameweek page, which you can find in the 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.


340 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    8 hours, 12 mins ago

    It's the Manchester United show on Sky Sports news.

    1. SM001
      8 hours, 7 mins ago

      Biggest English club in the world.

    2. x.jim.x
      7 hours, 57 mins ago

      Always is

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        7 hours, 53 mins ago

        Except on Monday Night...

        Liverpool Night Football.

  2. Bobby Digital
    8 hours, 8 mins ago

    Tempted to get Jackson for DCL. Only worry is Villa's midweek fixtures...

    1. SM001
      8 hours, 7 mins ago

      And Jackson is a donkey.

      1. Bobby Digital
        8 hours, 5 mins ago

        So is DCL

        1. SM001
          8 hours ago

          Can I delete my comments? Jackson it is!

      2. Bobby Digital
        8 hours ago

        Donkey scores

        1. SM001
          7 hours, 59 mins ago

          Emery is some manager.

      3. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        7 hours, 54 mins ago

        You were saying?

  3. g40steve
    8 hours, 1 min ago

    Donna clown

  4. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    8 hours ago

    Jackson G

  5. g40steve
    8 hours ago

    Jackson G

    1. g40steve
      8 hours ago

      Guehi A

  6. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    8 hours ago

    Jackson goal

    6 in 6

    Points!

  7. Gudjohnsen
    8 hours ago

    Jackson a serious option now

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 hours, 55 mins ago

      I got him last week, instead of DCL.

  8. Thanos
    8 hours ago

    McGinn A

  9. GoonerSteve
    7 hours, 59 mins ago

    Great goal from Jackson.

    There goes my Gvardiol clean sheet

    1. Count of Monte Hristo
      7 hours, 57 mins ago

      It was never really a thing

      1. GoonerSteve
        7 hours, 55 mins ago

        True

  10. Nightcrawler
    7 hours, 59 mins ago

    City defence is rubbish

    Remind me of pool last season. Only people who watch rarely watch think they are the best team in the league

    1. x.jim.x
      7 hours, 58 mins ago

      Says more about the state of the league if anything

      1. Nightcrawler
        7 hours, 52 mins ago

        League is the best in the world. Every season Europa and conf league is being dominated by English clubs. You could argue football in general isnt as strong but relative strength of English football is unquestionable

        1. x.jim.x
          7 hours, 46 mins ago

          Because the quality is more spread throughout the league compared to La Liga, BuLi, etc. The top teams are the weakest they’ve been for years though - PSG or Bayern would get 90 points easily

          1. Nightcrawler
            6 hours, 57 mins ago

            Psg are the only clear team but their league is beyond crap. Bundesliga as well but Nothing we have seen from bayern in Europe for a while to suggest they would walk the Premier league. Premier league is miles ahead of others

  11. Count of Monte Hristo
    7 hours, 56 mins ago

    Villa 2.0 under Emery are back in a big way.

    1. Bobby Digital
      7 hours, 53 mins ago

      Great run of fixtures too

    2. Winging it
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 hours, 43 mins ago

      Their recruitment in the summer was impressive and Emery is arguably the best manager in the league.

  12. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 hours, 56 mins ago

    Camel Live is getting tricky

    It reminds me of leading a game on my Spectrum 128k when I was a kid, we'd copy a mates game on the tape to tape and after a while you were just pleased when it loaded!

    Good training back in the day for streaming.

  13. lilmessipran
    7 hours, 55 mins ago

    Should have captained Jackson over Haaland, was clear

  14. Supersonic_
    7 hours, 55 mins ago

    Lol

  15. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 hours, 52 mins ago

    Is the Villa goal good for Haaland Captainiers?

    1. Gudjohnsen
      7 hours, 49 mins ago

      If he scores it is

  16. Zalk
    7 hours, 49 mins ago

    Suprisingly many City players already show irritation and frustration on the pitch.

  17. Gudjohnsen
    7 hours, 49 mins ago

    This was clearly the week to bet against Haaland.

    The sheep that I am ended up going with him as C.

    Was on Palmer the whole week

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 hours, 48 mins ago

      Baa

  18. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 hours, 48 mins ago

    The Jackson goal, for those that missed it too

    Threaded it in nicely

    https://x.com/TheGoalsZone/status/2113958376510021743

    1. keefy59
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 hours, 45 mins ago

      He's had some intensive training recently
      Involving a cows backside & a banjo

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        7 hours, 43 mins ago

        He's hitting it now

        1. keefy59
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          7 hours, 42 mins ago

          It's the poor cow I feel sorry for

      2. x.jim.x
        7 hours, 35 mins ago

        He had 24 goals (no pens) in 59 starts at Chelsea, but people act like he’s Zirkzee

        1. Zalk
          7 hours, 31 mins ago

          His runs made so much space for the other Chelsea players too

  19. g40steve
    7 hours, 47 mins ago

    Enzo lol

  20. JBG
    7 hours, 46 mins ago

    So happy I got that Gvardiol last GW, got to sell at the right time. City defence is so bad.

    1. JBG
      7 hours, 46 mins ago

      Leak*

  21. g40steve
    7 hours, 45 mins ago

    Cherki close

  22. JBG
    7 hours, 43 mins ago

    A Villa pen would be nice, to see who's on them. McGinn or Jackson

  23. BobB
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 hours, 42 mins ago

    Doku by far the best MC mid not even close

    1. x.jim.x
      7 hours, 38 mins ago

      Can’t stop scoring can he

  24. Brosstan
    7 hours, 42 mins ago

    Me: "Ive been incredibly unlucky, 0 captain successes after 7 GWs with percectly sensible captain picks"
    People on here: "You cant complain about luck because Haaland was a better pick than MGW this week"

    Do people really believe that "you picked an option who had slightly lower expected points than other options" invalidates "7GWs with 7 captain fails means I've been incredibly unlucky"?

    The level of discourse you get on FFS.

    1. Bobby Digital
      7 hours, 39 mins ago

      You capped Haaland last week and he got 13 pts... Waaaah!

      1. Brosstan
        7 hours, 37 mins ago

        It was a captain fail because he had over 200% EO

        1. AC/DC AFC
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          7 hours, 34 mins ago

          If you're moaning with 26 points there's no helping you.

          1. Brosstan
            7 hours, 30 mins ago

            Im moaning when I lose OR, that's what this game is about...

        2. Revival
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          7 hours, 30 mins ago

          I was ranked 3 million and he was only 150% EO against me so gained a lot of rank.

    2. x.jim.x
      7 hours, 39 mins ago

      You probably think that bloke who jumped in the tiger cage was “unlucky”

    3. GoonerSteve
      7 hours, 38 mins ago

      You've been unlucky buddy.

  25. Thanos
    7 hours, 39 mins ago

    So Jackson will go limp once his bandwagon begins… right?

  26. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 hours, 38 mins ago

    Unlucky from Ndiaye

    Off the post

  27. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 hours, 35 mins ago

    The Villa one was a stone wall penalty by the looks of the replay

    1. g40steve
      7 hours, 33 mins ago

      You don’t have to move out the way?

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        7 hours, 32 mins ago

        He tripped him

        Didn't see him touch the ball

  28. g40steve
    7 hours, 34 mins ago

    Guehi YC

  29. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 hours, 34 mins ago

    Yellow card, Guehi on Jackson.

    Decent game.

  30. Feanor
    7 hours, 33 mins ago

    Benched Gvardiol twice in a row now. Correct decision, but why have a 5.8 defender you don’t play.

    1. Supersonic_
      7 hours, 32 mins ago

      I'm a genius and started him

    2. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 hours, 32 mins ago

      You've got ask yourself that.

      1. Feanor
        7 hours, 28 mins ago

        I am! I did!

    3. x.jim.x
      7 hours, 30 mins ago

      Money’s no object this season, pretend he’s 4m