Dugout Discussion

Liverpool front three reunite for Manchester United test

Liverpool’s first-choice front three reunite for their first Premier League start together since Gameweek 14 today.

Mohamed Salah (£13.0m), Roberto Firmino (£9.2m) and Sadio Mané (£9.6m) are named in the most advanced roles in a 4-3-3 formation for the Reds as they host Manchester United.

Interestingly, Nathaniel Clyne (£4.6m) gets his first Premier League start since May 2017 and will almost certainly earn a place on the radars of many Fantasy managers given the current injury problems in defence at Anfield.

James Milner (£5.6m) is ruled out of the match with a muscle problem, with Jurgen Klopp selecting Georginio Wijnaldum (£5.5m), Naby Keita (£7.2m) and Fabinho (£5.5m) in central midfield.

“(Milner) felt his muscle a little bit so we cannot take the risk.” – Jurgen Klopp

Meanwhile, Paul Pogba (£7.8m) is left on the bench once again for Manchester United, with Jose Mourinho refusing to address the subject in his pre-match press conference.

He was also reticent to divulge what formation the Red Devils were playing too, giving just a one-word answer when asked if he had gone for a back-four or back-five at Anfield.

“No.” – Jose Mourinho

Continuing the theme of Mourinho keeping his cards close to his chest, no fewer than four of the defenders named in the starting line-up had yellow or red flags attached to them heading into Gameweek 17, including Victor Lindelöf (£4.8m) who returns after a three Gameweek absence.

Chris Smalling (£5.7m) was named in the side but had to pull out with an injury in the warm-up and was replaced by Eric Bailly (£5.0m).

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Robertson, Lovren, van Dijk, Clyne; Wijnaldum, Keita, Fabinho; Firmino, Salah, Mané.

Manchester United XI: De Gea; Darmian, Bailly, Lindelöf, Dalot; Lingard, Herrera, Matic, Young; Lukaku, Rashford.

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

1,562 Comments Post a Comment
  1. BigBillyBass
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Whoever gave that as a Salah assist at FPL towers needs sacking

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Agree million times!!! Blind FPL towers???

    2. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Looked like he touched it to me, non owner

      1. Werkself
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        More like it touched him than he touched it. 🙂

  2. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Did Fellaini just pull Fabinho’s hair?

    1. tm245
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      He misses his own locks.

    2. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Had a full handful

  3. the snazzy viking
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Mark owns Salah

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Of course he does

    2. Norfolk&Chance
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Yay! He's great!

    3. Numb
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Nice

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

    Nearly corner flag by fellani.
    Great to able to bring a guy like that on at half time.

  5. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Now - that's what I call a differential! 😉

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

      Nice one

    2. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Well played 😀

    3. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Lucky fecker

    4. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Shaq? Boom. Well done Doos. Congrats

    5. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Nice

      1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Thanks, guys. 😀

    6. Ginkapo FPL
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      hehe. I sold him this week 🙁

      1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Aaargggh. 🙂

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

      So lucky

    8. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Lol

    9. Norfolk&Chance
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Legend

    10. BON
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      What's your OR though lol?

      1. Ginkapo FPL
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        More importantly, who do we respect, you or Doos?

  6. Top 210 Club
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    SalahGate

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

    PPP

    Poor
    Paul
    Pogba

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

    Salah non owners crying

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

      Not as much as I was crying last week!

    2. the snazzy viking
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      yeah I'm crying in my room right now for a player I don't own getting 3 points

    3. Norfolk&Chance
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Of joy

    4. FDMS All Starz
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      13 mil for just an assist, I’d take that...oh and I sold him this week after the batty for sterling before you bring the Hatty in

      1. Epic Fail
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        After the batty? 😮

  9. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Incredible it was given as a Salah assist

    Trigger happy FPL delighted to award it to salah

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      I mean comeee oooooonnn he was running like lost lamb and they are giving him the assist

  10. Numb
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Is Salah slight touch enough for an assist even if Shaqiri is not the intended destination?

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

      He touched it so it’s an assist

      1. Ross From Friends
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Nope.
        @OfficialFPL
        Goal - SHAQIRI
        Assist - tbc

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

      Yes.

    3. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      A touch is a touch when it comes to assists.

      1. Numb
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        I thought so

      2. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        No way. No way. Absolutely no way

        1. Epic Fail
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          😀

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

    Salah was the last Liverpool player to touch the ball before Shaqiri.

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Was he though? Did he step over it?

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

        Hit his ankle.

    2. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Didn't look like it touched him to me?

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Come on stop it. Pts given for nothing. Nothing!!!

    3. Ross From Friends
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      You paid 13M and now are begging for an imaginary assist.

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        It was imaginary, that I agree

      2. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        😆 😆 😆

      3. THFC4LIFE
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        I paid 12.8 actually

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

    You know the games rigged when Salah gets assists for not even touching the ball! Haha farce this game

    1. MTPockets
        5 years, 3 months ago

        I'll take it as compensation for Sane

      • Ross From Friends
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        @OfficialFPL
        Goal - SHAQIRI
        Assist - tbc

        it won't stand

      • Typo
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Like the Kane goal?

    2. glufs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Salah intended to assist

      1. Forza
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        And Kane intended to score a hat-trick, but we won't necessarily get the points.

    3. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Idk when tf to wildcard... guess we see midweek.

      1. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Better burn ur wc loll.Likely to end in trouble.Just change the subs and be done with it

    4. King Sheep
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Cue Mourinho saying Utd were hard done by with deflected goals etc

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

        Would he be wrong

        1. King Sheep
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          Considering they have been awful and could be 4 or 5 down, yes, he would be wrong, no man born from his mother would say otherwise!

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

            Two deflected goals beat them thats it at the end of the day bro

            1. Rojo's Modern Life
              • 13 Years
              5 years, 3 months ago

              Yes, nothing to worry about at United. Sure...

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

                Thats not what i said... is it ?

            2. King Sheep
              • 7 Years
              5 years, 3 months ago

              No, they were beaten soundly by a superior team at the end of the day, did you watch the match?

              I've not looked at the stats but from what I watched it was all Liverpool, they were moving and shaking like champions do, United got bodied bro!

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

                Imagine using a word like “bodied” when talking about the epl 🙂

                1. King Sheep
                  • 7 Years
                  5 years, 3 months ago

                  Go and watch the game, just heard Keane say that Liverpool had 36 shots! lulz

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

                    I did, shits aren’t everything though if they were then Southampton would be fourth in the table

                    1. FPL DONKEY
                      • 6 Years
                      5 years, 3 months ago

                      True that.. just ask Vardy..

                      1. King Sheep
                        • 7 Years
                        5 years, 3 months ago

                        Fair play to the UTD players, they came to Anfield and found themselves surrounded, they tried to hold firm but fell to the pressure and persistence.
                        Robertson was immense.

                        1. Where has all the rum gone?
                          • 5 Years
                          5 years, 3 months ago

                          Right....

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

      No way the assist stands.

    6. Les Bleus
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      How can people not see that Salah touched it? It came off of him. Like it or not, those are the FPL assists

      1. Rojo's Modern Life
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Salty. Did not affect the direction of the ball. No assist.

    7. bigwig
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Didn't Salah take the shot and Shaq struck the rebound, making it Salah's assist

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        No

      2. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        No.

        Firmino passed and Salah hopped over it to get out of the way. What we can't tell yet is if that 'hop' accidentally touched the ball.

      3. Nemes1s
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Nothing like that remotely happened.

    8. tm245
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Misery Incorporated, that United bench.

    9. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      FPL site is drunk.

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

        It touched his ankle, TM.

        1. Dynamic Duos
          • 10 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          No it didn't

        2. Ross From Friends
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          No it did not

      2. Syd.
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        They’re having their Christmas party today

        1. TorresMagic™
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 14 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          Very likely.

      3. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        I approve. 😉

    10. Sasquatch Slayer
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      If Salah gets that assist then Mane should get the previous one

    11. Olivier Bernards watch
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      if a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it, is it a salah assist?

      1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Obviously. 😆

    12. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Its about time we get some transparency on who makes these assist decisions. They shouldnt be allowed to play FPL.

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        It's Mark

        1. Syd.
          • 14 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          No it’s not

          It’s just some incompetent idiot

    13. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Still awaiting my sane assist

      Salah assist given instantly 😆

    14. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Is Salah is given that assist then Pogba should be given an assist for Lingard's goal for boosting his morale with dressing room dancing.

      1. Les Bleus
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        10/10 for effort

    15. Wizard of Ozil
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      That was a KANE assist...Are you lot blind!!!!!

    16. WVA
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      This game is pure luck

    17. Regin
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Salah definitely did not touch the balk. Clear assist by firmino. That's 8 bogus points for Salah owners now. Wth? Last week offside, now this fluke assist!!

      1. Typo
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        You gonna count offside goals as fpl fault?

    18. KGFC
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Problems with Utd:

      1. Jose's continuous ranting and whining
      2. Players' attitude - Pogba, Sanchez, Kaku
      3. Woodward with the moolah

      Wow... just sacking Jose won't solve everything. Overhaul needed!

      1. Now I'm Panicking
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        4. Bell-end fans

        1. KGFC
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          So you are Citeh or Pool? Seem to be pretty interested to troll MU posts.

          1. Now I'm Panicking
            • 9 Years
            5 years, 3 months ago

            Wrong again.

            1. KGFC
              • 7 Years
              5 years, 3 months ago

              Then Sh*tampton?? 😀

              1. Now I'm Panicking
                • 9 Years
                5 years, 3 months ago

                My local team. Not a team supported now by delusional glory hunters from 20 years ago.

      2. Dr Van Nostrand
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        1. Hire a decent manager you haven't had one since Fergie
        2. That is all