The first double Gameweek of 2016/17 comes to its conclusion at the Etihad tonight as Manchester City take on Stoke City at 8pm.
Pep Guardiola’s decision to rotate has hit owners of Raheem Sterling hard – the winger has been rested for tonight’s match and fails to even make the bench.
It’s a bitter blow for the 338,000+ managers who drafted Sterling in for the double – they’re left with six points in Gameweek 27 after he provided the assist for Sergio Aguero’s opener at Sunderland.
There’s no concerns over Aguero, though, as he leads the line once again.
Handed the armband by 12.6% of Fantasy Premier League managers and Triple Captained by over 159,000, the Argentine has produced two goals and an assist in each of his previous two home appearances.
Leroy Sane also retains his role in Pep’s XI. The German is currently City’s top scoring player of the Gameweek after notching the second at the Stadium of Light to return a ten-point haul.
Those holding David Silva and John Stones are left frustrated as the duo drop to the bench, with Kevin De Bruyne returning to the teamsheet after a stint as a sub away to the Black Cats. A big performance would go some way to vindicating the decision of 6,937 FPL managers to play their Triple Captain chip on the Belgian.
After delivering a third clean sheet in four, City’s prospects of more defensive returns were handed a boost after Marko Arnautovic failed to recover from the illness that forced him off against Middlesbrough at the weekend.
The Austrian is currently the top scoring double Gameweek 27 player after bagging both goals in the 2-0 win over Aitor Karanka’s side.
Up top, Peter Crouch’s appeal as a budget third striker now seems far from secure – the target man’s run of ten league starts comes to an end as he drops to the bench, with new boy Saido Berahino handed a first start.
