Dugout Discussion

Sterling and Laporte benched as Guardiola rings changes

Raheem Sterling (£11.5m) has been benched for the third time this season as Pep Guardiola rang the changes for Manchester City’s trip to Watford.

That will be of huge frustration to those who have signed him off the back of his recent incredible form.

However, the England international was not the only important player left on the bench by Guardiola with ever-present Aymeric Laporte (£6.1m) named there for the first time this season.

Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m) and Vincent Kompany (£5.2m) were the two that came in for them.

Elsewhere in the side there was a return for Kyle Walker (£6.5m) and Fabian Delph (£5.3m) at full-back and David Silva (£8.7m) in midfield.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus (£10.1m) and Leroy Sané (£9.4m) kept their places in the attacking line.

Opponents Watford made just one change to the side that lost to Leicester with the suspended Etienne Capoue (£5.1m) replaced by Nathaniel Chalobah (£4.5m).

In the earlier kick-offs David Brooks (£5.1m) returned to the Bournemouth side while Laurent Depoitre (£5.2m) replaced the suspended Steve Mounié (£5.8m) for Huddersfield.

Crystal Palace named an unchanged side from the one which beat Burnley while Glenn Murray (£6.7m) came back in for Brighton.

Finally, Fabian Balbuena (£4.4m) was named on the bench for West Ham while Felipe Anderson (£7.1m) and Marko Arnautovic (£7.2m) both start.

The Line-Ups

Bournemouth XI: Begovic; Daniels, Aké, S Cook, Francis; Fraser, Lerma, L Cook, Brooks; King, Wilson

Huddersfield XI: Lossl, Kongolo, Billing, Zanka, Schindler, Hogg, Hadergjonaj, Durm, Mooy, Pritchard, Depoitre.

Brighton XI: Ryan; Montoya, Duffy, Dunk, Bernardo; March, Pröpper, Bissouma, Izquierdo; Groß; Murray.

Crystal Palace XI: Hennessey; Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt; McArthur, Kouyaté, Milivojevic, Meyer; Townsend, Zaha.

West Ham XI: Fabianski; Antonio, Diop, Ogbonna, Masuaku; Snodgrass, Rice, Noble, Felipe Anderson; Chicharito, Arnautovic.

Cardiff City XI: Etheridge; Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett; Gunnarsson; Camarasa, Ralls, Arter, Hoilett; Paterson.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Kompany, Stones, Delph, Fernandinho, D. Silva, B. Silva, Sane, Mahrez, Jesus.

Watford XI: Foster; Kiko Femenía, Cathcart, Kabasele, Holebas; Doucouré, Chalobah; Hughes, Pereyra; Deeney, Success.

Become a Member and access our data

Memberships for the 2018/19 campaign are now available for the price of just £15.

Join now to get the following:

  • Plot your transfer strategies using the fully interactive Season Ticker.
  • Get projections for every Premier League player provided by the Rate My Team statistical model.
  • Use Rate My Team throughout the season to guide your selections and transfers.
  • Get access to over 130+ exclusive members articles over the season.
  • Analyse our OPTA-powered statistic tables specifically tailored for Fantasy Football Managers.
  • Use our exclusive tool to build custom stats tables from over 100 OPTA player and team stats.
  • View heatmaps and expected goals data for every player.
  • Use our powerful comparison tool to analyse players head-to-head.

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A FANTASY FOOTBALL SCOUT MEMBER

2,957 Comments Post a Comment
  1. JELLYFISH
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Welcome to my team Wilson. -4 hit looking like an inspired move 🙂

  2. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Is this real life? Fraser, Wilson, Murray

    1. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Fantasy football mate.

      1. Ha.
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        FFS

  3. Albrightondknight
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    I got Wilson VC and Sterling C
    But that City bench has no one on it. Sterling is getting minutes right?

    1. nobwak
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Yep

      1. Albrightondknight
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Sooner rather than later would be good so.

  4. R.C
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    AWB on the bench!!

    1. DV8R
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Coming off for Laporte

  5. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Fraser's start price was 5.5m 😆

    1. Albrightondknight
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Had him GW1 I know 🙂

  6. TheTinman
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Oh man. Rival owns Fraser and Murray

  7. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Wilson VC need Kane to get benched. lol.

  8. RamsayS20
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Such a shame I got rid off Wilson for the city game to get Zaha in for his good fixtures, I still kept Fraser so not that bad..

  9. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Arnie point dodging, again!

  10. De Gea Van Dijk. 10
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Wilson is beast.

  11. MGD
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Well that -4 for Wilson seems to pay off... (will probably field 11 players too, even better)

  12. TAT
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Not easy watching the game as Sané misses…

  13. Wilshere Knowledge
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Optimism lasted 30 mins this GW.

    This season....

  14. F_Ivanovic
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Benched WB correctly but with Sterling and Diangana (lol?) he's almost certainly coming off the bench.

    1. Ha.
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Same

  15. The Mandalorian
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    AWB cs gone but still on for his hat trick

  16. dannyboy25
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Mane better not play tomorrow now!

  17. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Sane misses big chance

  18. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Murray over Wilson a few ago hasn't worked out too well.

  19. BrockLanders
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    DUFFY OFF!!!

    1. Ha.
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      F

    2. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Red?

    3. Zilla
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      wtf

  20. Eat my goal!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Sounds like shooting practice at West Ham v Cardiff

    Shot missed
    Shot blocked
    Shot Saved

  21. TRIPOS TOPPER
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Duffy RC, 3 match ban as well

  22. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    duffy rc

  23. Richd
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Duffy red card ! He punches the ref !

  24. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    DUFFY RED

  25. Burger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Brighton red card

  26. Emiliano Sala
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Stop it please
    Stop the whole game

  27. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Duffy. Hero to zero.

  28. Nomar
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Begovic on for baps at this rate.

  29. fr3d
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Sané looking very dangerous

    1. TAT
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Need a Sané haul!

  30. George Sillett
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Cant Pep see that Sane must be exhausted by now ?