Dugout Discussion

Pogba back in attacking midfield as Matic returns

Paul Pogba (£8.9m) owners will be delighted to see Nemanja Matic (£5.0m) back in the side for Manchester United.

The Serbian international has missed the last three Premier League matches with injury, which forced Pogba to sit deeper than usual.

Matic’s return should allow the Frenchman to play a more advanced role in midfield once again, against an Arsenal defence with just one clean sheet in the last six Gameweeks.

Also of note is the fact that defender Diogo Dalot (£5.3m) has been named in front three once again.

He played there against Crystal Palace and Southampton, lining up on the right of Romelu Lukaku (£10.8m) at the Emirates Stadium today.

Marcus Rashford (£7.6m) also keeps his place although we will have to wait and see whether he plays centrally alongside Lukaku or out on the left flank.

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has named both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£10.8m) and Alexandre Lacazette (£9.4m) in the starting line-up for the first time since Gameweek 25.

He has also gone with a back-three of Sokratis Papastathopoulos (£5.1m), Laurent Koscielny (£5.4m) and Nacho Monreal (£5.4m) while Sead Kolasinac (£5.0m) and Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£4.4m) occupy the wing-back spots.

Arsenal XI: Leno; Sokratis, Koscielny, Monreal; Maitland-Niles, Ramsey, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Özil; Lacazette, Aubameyang.

Manchester United XI: De Gea; Young, Smalling, Lindelöf; Diogo Dalot, Fred, Matic, Shaw; Pogba; Lukaku, Rashford.

1,439 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Laca composure

  2. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Man U all over the shop!

  3. Debauchy
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    C'mon Laca need to score those fella

  4. Hulk Smash
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Which defender would you get in for GWs 31 and 33 if money was no object?

    Already got TAA, Robertson and Digne.

    1. GREEN IS GOOD
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Luiz, Azpi, VVD

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

    Retrospective ban for Laca dive?

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Nah - there was contact.

      1. bored by december
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        nowhere near enough for him to throw himself on the floor. can't agree with that, hardly brushed him

    2. Debauchy
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Nope was some contact

    3. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Not a chance. I doubt VARwould have even overruled it due to contact

      1. bored by december
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        you're allowed to make contact with another player lol

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

          So?

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

        The television commentator’s VAR here is calling it a Laca YC.

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

          ... for simulation.

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

      Doubtful, still an appalling cheat by Laca though.

    5. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Goes down a bit easily but fine to give it.

  6. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Why are there fans running onto the pitch now?

  7. bored by december
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    How is that a pen?

    1. Party time
        5 years, 1 month ago

        No var buddy

      • Debauchy
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Nice

      • Pinturicchio10
          5 years, 1 month ago

          Foul in the box

      • ZeBestee
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        Son 》 Hazard for -4?

        Or play Yedlin and hope he starts?

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

          Yedlin should start, he was dropped Vs Burnley and West Ham because they are pretty slow up top but against Everton he came back in and should keep his place Vs Bournemouth.

      • Party time
          5 years, 1 month ago

          Late to the party however SuperMané(C) Returns

        • denial
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          What a grade A troll auba is

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

            Needs a grealish on him for ruining my season the last month

        • Differentiator
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          Lacazette does dive around a lot, yet doesn't seem to have a reputation yet

        • g40steve
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          Another plum on the pitch?

        • FPL DONKEY
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          Pogba please score one. Just one mind

          1. Party time
              5 years, 1 month ago

              A yellow card to that

              1. FPL DONKEY
                • 6 Years
                5 years, 1 month ago

          2. Hazz
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 6 Years
            5 years, 1 month ago

            Ole WAS at the wheel, but Alonso has taken over.

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

            Mark enjoying the Kola points.

            1. MTPockets
                5 years, 1 month ago

                Vicarious thrill?

            2. Hect.OR 98th
              • 14 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Lacazatte ticking along nicely since I got him a few weeks ago. Keep meaning to sell him but always have other priorities.

            3. g40steve
              • 6 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Pog YC

              1. Hazz
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 6 Years
                5 years, 1 month ago

                kill me

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

              Pogba yc

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

              Oh great Pogba yellow

            6. Danstoke82
              • 9 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Pogba Booked. Another crap GW from him.

            7. g40steve
              • 6 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              £350k off to play video games

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

              I could kick a balloon and still score against DDG!

              Come on Man U get rid of that Clean Arse!

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

                Why would you kick a balloon

            9. circusmonkey
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 13 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Why is ozil getting clapped?

              1. Debauchy
                • 11 Years
                5 years, 1 month ago

                Why not

            10. Stay Back
              • 5 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Pogbooked

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

              Safety score currently 46

              1. Christina.
                • 14 Years
                5 years, 1 month ago

                you should get durex to sponsor your tournie.

            12. Sandy Ravage
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Son + Sterling + Connolly > Mane + Hazard + Rice/ Diop

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

              Commented about needing a Hazard goal earlier seconds before it happened so let's try again.

              Pogba goal would be lovely right now.

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

                Pogba hatty would be spectacular

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

                OMG...

              3. Stay Back
                • 5 Years
                5 years, 1 month ago

                Arsenal... clean sheet... what could go wrong eh? 😛

            14. KingOfLuck
              • 7 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Question, do you get an added ft for the week after your free hit? So will you have 2 ft after the free hit, no matter if you stand on 1 or 2 the GW when you play the card? (Not sure if I make sense)

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

                1 regardless

                1. Merlin the Wraith
                  • 7 Years
                  5 years, 1 month ago

                  Can we stick a 'refer to the rules' box on the home page instead of that annoying 'cookies banner'? Aaaaaargh!

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

                  Thanks! So no point in saving.

            15. Not again Shirley
              • 7 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Wow Sterling (captain) has scored 66 per cent of my teams total score this week!

            16. McSauce
              • 14 Years
              5 years, 1 month ago

              Did Kolosanic just puke after that tackle??

              1. Rust Cohle
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 6 Years
                5 years, 1 month ago

                Looked like it

              2. The Ejiptian King
                • 5 Years
                5 years, 1 month ago

                Joining me.

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

                yes