Dugout Discussion

Sane in for Mahrez while Hazard is named on the Chelsea bench

Two Premier League matches overlap one another this afternoon, with Manchester City and Chelsea enjoying enticing-looking home fixtures and carrying the hopes of legions of Fantasy managers after a somewhat underwhelming set of results for many FPL bosses on Saturday.

The action kicks off at 15:00 GMT, with Southampton – without a goal in five Premier League matches – the visitors to the Etihad.

Manchester City have won all five of their home league games this season, scoring at a rate of 3.6 goals per fixture at Eastlands in 2018/19.

Nine of Sergio Aguero‘s (£11.3m) ten attacking returns this season (five goals, four assists) have come at the Etihad. The Argentinean striker leads the line for City again this afternoon in his 11th straight league start of 2018/19.

Benjamin Mendy‘s (£6.4m) rate of 7.6 points per match is the best among FPL defenders this season and the French left-back hasn’t failed to record an assist, clean sheet and/or bonus in his seven Premier League appearances of this campaign.

Ederson (£5.8m) and Aymeric Laporte (£5.9m), meanwhile, come into this fixture off the back of recording six straight FPL clean sheets.

Pep Guardiola has made only one change from the side that beat Spurs last Monday, with Leroy Sane (£9.2m) replacing Riyad Mahrez (£8.7m). Raheem Sterling (£11.1m) will, presumably, move across to the right flank to accommodate Sane’s re-introduction.

Nicolas Otamendi (£6.1m) and Ilkay Gundogan (£5.4m) are not quite fit enough for a place on the bench, meanwhile.

Mark Hughes has made three changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Newcastle United last weekend, with Shane Long (£4.8m), James Ward-Prowse (£5.1m) and the fit-again Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£4.5m) replacing Charlie Austin (£5.5m), Mohamed Elyounoussi (£6.2m) and Oriel Romeu (£4.3m).

In the 16:00 kick-off, Chelsea take on Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have dropped points in their last two home Premier League fixtures but are nevertheless still unbeaten in the top flight this season.

The 44% of FPL managers hoping for a start for Eden Hazard (£11.3m), whose minutes were in doubt ahead of the visit of Roy Hodgson’s side, were left disappointed when the Belgian was named only among the Chelsea substitutes for this encounter.

The Blues, indeed, are unchanged from the side that started the win over Burnley in Gameweek 11, with Ross Barkley (£5.9m) again lining up in the centre of midfield.

Roy Hodgson has made one change to his Crystal Palace side from the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, meanwhile: Max Meyer (£5.6m) replaces Jordan Ayew (£5.8m).

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Mendy, Fernandinho, Silva, Sane, Sterling, Bernardo, Aguero.

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Soares, Stephens, Hoedt, Bertrand, Lemina, Hojbjerg, Ward-Prowse, Ings, Long, Redmond.

Chelsea XI: Kepa, Alonso, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Rudiger, Kante, Jorginho, Barkley, Pedro, Morata, Willian.

Crystal Palace XI: Hennessey, Van Aanholt, Tomkins, Sakho, Wan-Bissaka, Townsend, Milivojevic, McArthur, Kouyate, Meyer, Zaha.

 

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5,272 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Zilla
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Alonso you doofus

    1. Cok3y5murf
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      Can’t expect points every week. Palace are good

  2. bialk
    • 15 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    No CS points this week.

  3. Smurf
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Damn.

    Alonso cleanie gone and Hazard surely on now.

  4. Not again Shirley
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Should be nearly 110 by close of play. My luck will run out soon I’m sure!

    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/a/team/1337612/event/11

    1. FPL Scoop
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      Wow

    2. potatoace
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      That aged well.

      1. Not again Shirley
        • 8 Years
        6 years, 8 days ago

        Well 100 now that Alonso CS points gone but hey ho.

        1. potatoace
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          6 years, 8 days ago

          Lol. Just ignore me. Having a salty week.

          Great score.

    3. Totalfootball
      • 7 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      BAN

      1. Not again Shirley
        • 8 Years
        6 years, 8 days ago

        Ease up matey. First decent team in 15 years. Surely that’s ok to share no?

  5. FPL Scoop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Omfg.

    No CS for me this week. Great.

    1. Ross From Friends
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      But if you have Haz this is good news (probably)

  6. rambo.
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Chelsie cleaning gone yes

  7. Sgt Frank Drebin
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Awful week for defenders...

  8. IRBOX ⚽
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Townsend goal. Hazard coming on ASAP

  9. fusen
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Alonso is very expensive all of sudden with these 1 pointers (if it stays the same)

    1. diesel001
      • 8 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      He scored 11pts last week! THen he got 1pt against Utd and 6pts the GW before then. Not exactly loads of 1pters...

      1. fusen
        • 12 Years
        6 years, 8 days ago

        2,6,2,6,1,11,1

        (final 1 is current if things ended now)

        that isn't great for 7m

        1. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
          • 7 Years
          6 years, 8 days ago

          Its just fine to be fair (non-owner)
          I imagine Maddison has a worse/similar PPG, for example

  10. diesel001
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Hazard time now?

  11. Alex_thekid
    • 7 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Was on 29 before today
    85 now thanks to Sterling (c) Aguero and Mendy with Barkley and Mitro left 🙂

  12. FPL Daniel
    • 15 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Get the RAM they said. All blanked!!! Massively fail of funds!!!

  13. Tasty Jerk
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

  14. Fred54
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Townsend essential.

  15. Ha.
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    FFS

  16. asquishypotato
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    I coulda not be happier as a man who owns no city and Chelsea defender

  17. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Not a good week for RAM

  18. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    CS carnage. What a week! FEEEECK

  19. The Tinkerman
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Mendy, Alonso, Trippier, Robbo and no clean sheets 🙁

  20. NATSTER
    • 14 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Haha.. No cleansheet and extra attacking points from my expensive backline.

  21. Sánchez
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Get Haz on and Barkley off

  22. Eden Wizard
    • 6 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Hahahaa

    1. Eden Wizard
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      Said Chelsea defence isn’t worth 7ml. Lol

  23. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Premium defenders suck, Wolves and Palace much better 🙂

  24. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Chelsea CS GONEEEE

    1. Eden Wizard
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      Get in

      1. Chucky
        • 10 Years
        6 years, 8 days ago

        😉

  25. Rainer
    • 8 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    So the discussion all week will now be selling premium defenders?

    1. Hotdogs for Tea
      • 9 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      Article written already ...

      1. Eden Wizard
        • 6 Years
        6 years, 8 days ago

        Dramatic headline inbound

        1. Rover
          • 8 Years
          6 years, 8 days ago

          "Rise in Sterling value prompts re-evaluation of defence budget"

  26. FPL Daniel
    • 15 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Reeson's strategy and ultimately cheap at the back?

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 15 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      About 5 people know what who are talking about.

      1. Gnu
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        6 years, 8 days ago

        Is it that bad now then?

        1. FPL Daniel
          • 15 Years
          6 years, 8 days ago

          Tell him Gnu 😉

  27. Ha.
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Mendy, VVD, Alonso - 6 points

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 15 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      And more then 20milions spent. Not well spent

  28. Debauchy
    • 11 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    Get AZAAR on fgs

  29. SirStevieG
    • 12 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    HERE COMES EDEN

    1. Ross From Friends
      • 6 Years
      6 years, 8 days ago

      here comes the don!

  30. The Red Devil
    • 9 Years
    6 years, 8 days ago

    RAM-essential