Dugout Discussion
12 August 2018 4682 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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There were a few surprise selections in Unai Emery and Pep Guardiola’s starting XIs ahead of this afternoon’s 16:00 BST encounter between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates.

The headline news was perhaps Raheem Sterling‘s (£11.0m) inclusion in the City line-up, although Guardiola had teased the prospect of that possibility in his press conference on Friday.

Leroy Sane (£9.5m) is the fall-guy in the Sky Blues’ line-up, to the chagrin of the 14.3% of FPL managers who own the wide-midfielder.

Kevin De Bruyne (£10.0m), another late returner after his World Cup exertions, starts on the bench for the reigning Premier League champions this afternoon.

The rest of Guardiola’s starting XI is perhaps as expected, with Sergio Aguero (£11.0m) leading the line and Riyad Mahrez (£9.0m) handed his City league debut.

Alexandre Lacazette (£9.5m) always looked at some risk of being benched for the visit of City and the French forward indeed starts among Arsenal’s substitutes, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.0m) fielded as the spearhead of the Gunners’ attack.

Though not likely to cause many ructions in the Fantasy community, Matteo Guendouzi (£4.5m) – who admittedly has had a fine pre-season for Emery’s side – has been preferred to the more experienced Lucas Torreira (£5.0m) in the engine room. Aaron Ramsey (£7.5m) also gets a start for the Gunners.

Nacho Monreal (£5.5m) has failed to prove his fitness, so FPL midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£4.5m) deputises at left-back.

Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Sokratis, Maitland-Niles; Xhaka, Guendouzi, Ramsey; Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang

Manchester City XI (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Laporte, Mendy; Fernandinho, Gundogan; Bernardo, Mahrez, Sterling; Aguero
  1. XabiAlonso
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 5 months ago

    Oh wow pointsfest

  2. windowview
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 5 months ago

    Mendy with the assist?

    1. LǝgleSs e|even
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Yep, sweet as.

      1. windowview
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        So glad I didn't bench him

    2. Warby84
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Yes

  3. MTPockets
      7 years, 5 months ago

      templatastic gw

    • Podge
      • 15 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Did bilva to mahrez, oops

      1. Nanoelektronicar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        0/

    • LǝgleSs e|even
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Mahrez salty... Why did Pep kiss arteta? Strategy call?

      1. FC Hakkebøf
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        Could be

    • Woy_is_back
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Mendy yayyyy Kun though -.-

    • Big_Andy_GAWA
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      I'd be away over the ton if hadn't benched Mendy. ****!

      1. Salah’s Sonnet
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        K

    • TOBY1
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Aguero - my only blanker so far. Not seeing the value in forwards this year. 4-5-1 incoming for me

      1. TOBY1
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        possibly premature comment!

      2. FC Hakkebøf
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        Cheap forwards has produced...

        Wilson, Tosun, Zaha

      3. Gr3g
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        Based on one week? next week will be all strikers scoring 🙂

    • Bubz
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Where you at Bilva haters

      1. G-Whizz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        😆

    • F4L
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      all that Bernardo hate in the first half 😆

    • diesel001
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Arsenal - 6th best team in the league. Can you imagine how City could destroy some of the rest?

    • Lukakwho
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Mendy Bilva owners unite!!!!!

      1. windowview
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        🙂

        1. _nod
          • 12 Years
          7 years, 5 months ago

          Just need Kun to do something and my day will be complete.

          1. rjcv177
            • 10 Years
            7 years, 5 months ago

            Easy...we can't go 150pts on first gw

      2. tiger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        woop woop...also Roberton Mane Salah. Today has been a good day.

      3. G-Whizz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        o/

    • Warby84
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Mendy assist

    • Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Dream goal

    • Bielsa's Bucket
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Bilva great goal

    • Davido989
      • 15 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      I'm going to captain Mendy at some point this season. Guy plays as a left winger.

      1. o0Ash
        • 16 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        He might be more reliable as a starter than most other City options, too.

      2. Scapegoat Salah
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        He's unreal. Such an engine

      3. HNI
        • 12 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        Really attacking. Hates defending. Almost gave away a penalty now. Weakest link in city defence so may miss out if city play 3 at back

    • SC not pearls before swine
      • 15 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Benching Wan Bissaka I can write off as bad luck. Benching Mendy feels stupid. Mostly a failure of team composition on my part I suppose but still Ouch.

      1. Stoic
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        Same

      2. HNI
        • 12 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        Such heavy defence will onvi have its drawbacks. But mane captain should make up for the bad luck

        1. SC not pearls before swine
          • 15 Years
          7 years, 5 months ago

          True, true.

    • Planet Jo
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      My bench is Foster, Mendy, Wan-Bissaka, Neves. 42 points and counting. I could almost cry

      1. Tommo1888
        • 16 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        It's a marathon not a Sprint , don't worry

      2. Cofinho
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        I would cry

      3. Zladan
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        You need to update the team in your URL if that’s the case.

    • Fire Chief Moe
      • 15 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Yessss Bernardo! Mendy too, what a day!

    • TheTinman
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Wan Bi..who?

    • Alex_thekid
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Going to easy break the 100 now Mendy assist Bilva goal 🙂

      1. Goat
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        Me too

      2. Salah’s Sonnet
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        K

    • Rainer
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Some serious bench scores this weekend 😆

      1. LǝgleSs e|even
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 5 months ago

        This

    • TheSteel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Mendy non-owners group hug

    • Ha.
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Sort it out Kun

    • Clintymints
      • 16 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Silva done brilliant to keep that shot down

    • the axolotl
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Come on Kun. Give me 11 players with returns . Please. Would be a 1st

    • Smurf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Kun and Auba my only players in this game. Not nice to watch at all.

    • manchesterisblue
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      mendy to bilva, where dreams are made, easy 100 plus points now for template

    • HavertzHero
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      Need aguero goal now to top the day off

    • Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 5 months ago

      That was a thing of beauty 😎