Dugout Discussion

Sane benched but Aguero and Sterling start in City’s first DGW fixture

The first of two Manchester City matches in Double Gameweek 25 kicks off at 16:30 GMT this afternoon, with Arsenal the visitors to the Etihad.

Leroy Sane (£9.8m) has been benched for only the second time in 13 Gameweeks, though Raheem Sterling (£11.3m), Sergio Aguero (£11.4m), David Silva (£8.5m), Bernardo Silva (£7.6m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£9.7m) all start.

Danilo (£5.1m), John Stones (£5.2m), Riyad Mahrez (£8.3m) and Gabriel Jesus (£10.0m) are among the substitutes for the hosts.

Sane was the second-most-popular triple captaincy choice of this Gameweek, with 26,429 Fantasy managers using this chip on the German winger.

Aguero and Sterling were the first and third-most-popular choices for the triple captaincy this weekend.

City still have Everton to face at Goodison Park on Wednesday, of course.

Pep Guardiola’s formation is still to be determined, with City’s line-up missing an orthodox left-back and seemingly set to use Bernardo in a wide role.

Alexandre Lacazette (£9.3m) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.2m) are once again paired up front for Arsenal today, with Unai Emery reverting to a wing-back system for the trip to Eastlands.

Mesut Ozil (£8.0m) is joined by Denis Suarez (£6.5m) on the away bench, with Laurent Koscielny (£5.4m) returning from injury in defence.

Granit Xhaka (£5.3m) misses out with a slight groin problem.

Manchester City XI (4-3-3, tbc): Ederson, Walker, Laporte, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Silva, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero.

Arsenal XI (3-4-3): Leno, Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Torreira, Lichtsteiner, Iwobi, Lacazette, Aubameyang.

2,738 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Can TAA just get better already? He’s my ideal Alonso replacement.

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      He's been chilling on my bench for three GW

  2. shearer9
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    The sun always rises around 7am, but Son will rise come 1am.

    1. Brehmeren
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      That's why I just sold Sterling and Kamara for Son and Jiminez! Feels right and wrong at the same time.

  3. Osman
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Is it too late to get Pogba? Not owning kind of a strain given his high ownership?

    1. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Not at all. Had a pricedrop suprisingly this week as well.

      1. Osman
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers

    2. BIG TONES
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Get him in, high ownership, keeps on scoring, good fixtures. He was 8.5 by the time I got him, but it had to be done.

      1. Osman
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Thanks

  4. Karan14
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Fab
    Robbo • TAA • Doherty
    Salah • Hazard • Sane • Pogba • Jota
    Rashford • Jimènez

    (Button / Digne / Awb / Kamara)
    2 FTs

    A) Hazard ➡️ Son
    B) Hazard & Kamara ➡️ Auba & Puncheon
    C) Hazard, Sane & Kamara ➡️ Auba, Son & Puncheon (-4)

    Appreciate your thoughts! 🙂

    1. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I'd go C!

      1. Karan14
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers!

    2. THFC4LIFE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I like C will be doing something similar

      1. Karan14
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Not ideal selling Sane before those fixtures but someone has to be sacrificed.

    3. Ajaxeeding
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      C

  5. Dybala10
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    My heart goes out to anyone who TC Sané. I feel deflated from just (C). Rank has doubled tonight as well. Absolute nightmare. Almost deserve it for trusting Pep.

    1. KingOllie
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I TC'd. Was 2k OR this morning, not going to even look until after wednesdays game, that handball goal was just salt in an open wound

      1. Royal5
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Did'nt touch his hand actually.

        1. KingOllie
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          https://m.imgur.com/gallery/fVTyML2

          How about his arm?

          1. Royal5
            • 12 Years
            5 years, 1 month ago

            Link doesn't work. I thought it was a clear handball until i saw the video angle from behind. Actually goes off the side of his chest.

        2. Brehmeren
          • 13 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          It very clearly did touch his arm. But the ref had no chance of seeing it from behind

          1. Brehmeren
            • 13 Years
            5 years, 1 month ago

            Still think the linesman should've got it though

    2. The 5% Team
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Really thought he would get some minutes today

    3. elchilangles
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      FFS reckoned he was the most likely to play 2 matches too!

  6. KingOllie
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    What hurts more than Kun getting a hattrick.

    Is that Sane was the most logical choice, backed by stats and chance of having most minutes. This was evident as he was highest captained by the good players in top10k.

    Luck > Logic

    1. piquiblanco
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      The season has 38 gameweeks in it. Plenty of time for the law of big numbers to start working.

      If you make logical choices every week, logic > luck.

      1. KingOllie
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        I agree, but a lucky/unlucky triple captain chip can cancel out weeks and weeks of making good transfers and planning

      2. Camino Aleatorio
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Well, no. Some dudes just TC at the right place and time. Kane vs Cardiff produced 1 point and this site was hyping that as the Kane Show.

        You just gotta get lucky

    2. F_Ivanovic
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Aguero turns up late in the season and in big games and was the most fresh because of playing less minutes. I think he was slightly more logical but both were good choices just v ul for Sane owners (and C/TC even more so) that he got rested this game.

      1. KingOllie
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        If you take just the Arsenal game as a solo gwk i can agree Kun was a more logical choice. But as its a DGW i think Sane defo edges it with the info we had before the game

        1. poolgazza
          • 13 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          Pep saying Mendy was available for selection put me off Sane. He doesn't play them together very often.

    3. JOELIO8701
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      An outcome that has a likelihood of 80% is not 100%. It’s not a guarantee. Good decision making over 38 gameweeks will probably pay off though. Take the rough with the smooth

  7. DR0GBA
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    How do these transfers sound? Or hold City players for Chelsea?

    Fabianski
    AWB Digne Kola Robertson (Luiz)
    Salah Sane Sterling Pogba Richarlison
    Rashford (Ings, Kamara)

    Sane, Sterling, Kamara > Son, Jota, Auba (-4)

    A) Yes
    B) No

    1. KingOllie
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Yes

  8. andrewe63
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    There's a lot of love for Son at the moment, quite rightly, me included as I fully intended to draft him in along with Auba.

    I now ponder after reflecting on his recent efforts both here and in the Asian cup.

    He was visibly exhausted after yesterday's exertions and with a game at home next Sunday against Leicester preceding a Champions League tie against Dortmund three days later isn't there a possibility that Pocc will reduce his minutes or even rest him for the Leicester game?

    Alli and Kane are out until March so the last thing Pocc needs is for Son to completely burn out before Dortmund? He needs a performance for the home match to stay in the tie. I'd be very tempted to rest him next sunday, play him against dortmund and then let him fully rest until his next game ten days later.

    Anyone agree or disagree?

    1. F_Ivanovic
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Poch will value the league game over the CL tie. He'll only start to care more about CL if Spurs get through to the quarters. So I think Son is safe from rotation.

    2. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I guess there is a decent rest until the Leicester game and the league is still very important with Poch not able to rely on likes of Moura alone to deliver. So my guess is he plays but could come off early if they are 2+ goals ahead due to the factors above. I'm not even sure that happens as I reckon it will be a tough game based on the last performances of each team.

  9. tafrère
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Quick post about "strategies" in the game. Remember when Jonty asked top FPL managers what was their key to success and what strategy did they use on their best seasons ?

    Always thought it was weird to try to find a method to success in FPL, I thought it was impossible to identify. Because imo there wasn't one method but multiples methods that could work or don't work, based mostly on luck. I thought saying that fpl managers make their own luck was stupid, because the only thing you can do in this game is put players on your team and hope THEY make your luck.

    But now I know better. You just have to play your own game. Check all the stats, collect all the data, do all the planning, and then play your own game like if you were a 6-years old playing alone in his room, forget about the game in itself and its competition.

    That's the main reason top managers like Az or Jay are having a nightmare season. Az is litteraly not playing his game this campaign, he's playing THE game, he has the same method as last year (top 1k) but don't apply it the same way because the game dictates all his moves. When you start playing with too much consideration of ranks, ownerships, etc. you usually regret it, because it's like a giant useless data that makes you blind and makes you focus on the wrong part of the game. A part that just can not help your team on future Gameweeks.

    Of course I still think you need method and luck to do well, but we don't give enough credit to the mentality, the state of mind, and while methods and luck are unpredictable and changing, the state of mind to do well in a fantasy game looks fairly settled. I guess then we should all work on it ; it makes the game much more human in my mind than I thought it was, and therefore more fun.

  10. Pilgrim62
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Kolasinac was subbed for Suarez. Any concerns that he will loose his spot in starting 11 ?

  11. BARIO MALOTELLI
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Kdb to son for free ? No brainer
    Will son price rise .?cheerz

    1. Samwise
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      no

    2. Samwise
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      surely someone else

  12. Samwise
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Is Hayden good?

  13. Rohirrims
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Good week with a 60k rank jump and Salah, VvD, Aguero, Sterling still to play.

    For my next transfer I could drop either Aguero for Auba or Alonso for Kola or do both. Trouble is with Brooks, Ings and Camarasa out wont have any bench for next 2 gameweeks.

  14. TheFunkPhe-Gundogan
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Huge mixed bag for me.
    Have BOTH Sané and Aguero,,,,but sold Hazard to get Sané for DGW and make him Captain. !#%*?

    Never thought Pep rolls out Aguero for 90 after a short week. Gotta hope Leroy destroys Everton.

    BUT....Pogba was a doubt and he gave me 8. Llorente got a late 4 without starting, and Lindelof got a surprising BP. And CP got a clean sheet for AWB and Guaita.

    Opinions mates?? Me thinks I am pretty lucky all things considered.

    1. TheFunkPhe-Gundogan
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Pogba 7- correction

  15. Sotamendi84
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 days ago

    Which combo do you prefer?

    kepa
    Schlupp lindelof ****
    Raheem pogba haz ****
    Kun **** ****

    A) luiz dilva rash bats
    B) dunk dilva higu bats
    C) dunk bilvq higu rash