Dugout Discussion

Surprise benching for De Bruyne as Sterling and Aguero start

Amid fears of Pep Guardiola rotating members of his front-three for the Gameweek 5 trip to Norwich, he has gone to new levels of pulling the rug from under our feet.

While Sergio Aguero (£12.1m) and Raheem Sterling (£12.3m) both start for Saturday evening’s trip to Carrow Road, it was the presumed nailed-on Kevin de Bruyne (£9.8m) who has fallen foul of ‘Pep Roulette’.

After starting every Premier League match so far this season, the Belgian has dropped to the Manchester City bench, while Guardiola has chosen to deploy a central midfield trio of David Silva (£7.5m), Rodrigo (£5.5m) and Ilkay Gündogan (£5.3m).

While Sterling and Aguero both start this one, their owners may just have one eye on Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m) and Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m) among the substitutes with the Champions League group stages starting midweek.

With options relatively limited in defence, there were no surprises in the back-four named for this encounter.

Ederson (£6.1m) is supported at the back by Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.6m), Nicolas Otamendi (£5.4m), John Stones (£5.4m) and Kyle Walker (£6.0m).

Just as predicted by manager Daniel Farke in his Friday press conference, Norwich do indeed look very short of options in their own defence.

Ben Godfrey (£4.5m) has come through his groin injury picked up on international duty to feature at centre-back alongside defensive midfielder Ibrahim Amadou (£4.5m).

Their inclusion in the side does mean that at the very least, their fit full-backs are not called into central defensive action.

Jamal Lewis (£4.5m) features on the left with Sam Byram (£4.4m) getting his first start for the Canaries on the right.

Meanwhile, both Teemu Pukki (£7.0m) and Todd Cantwell (£4.8m) retain their places in the first team.

Norwich City XI: Krul; Lewis, Godfrey, Amadou, Byram; McLean, Tettey; Cantwell, Stiepermann, Buendía; Pukki.

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Zinchenko, Otamendi, Stones, Walker; D Silva, Gundogan, Rodrigo; Sterling, Aguero, B Silva.

2,005 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Gobigorgohome
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Almost a Pukki goal

  2. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pukki fail

  3. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Rather hoping KdB stays off - susoect the 6 points from AWB on bench is better for me in OR

    🙂

  4. Old Man
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Fare thee well, sweet Last Man Standing. I knew thee well, if not for long.

  5. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pukki scuffs

  6. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    What is happening in this match!

  7. Gobigorgohome
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    PUKIIIIIII

  8. moment
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pukki

  9. CARROW ROAD
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pukki!!!

  10. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pukkiii

  11. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    3-1

  12. adibo
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pukiiiiii

  13. Yank Revolution
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    No Pukki, no party!

  14. Supersonic Marv'
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Partaaaaay!

  15. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Have Abraham, Son, Rashford and Mane but I capped Sterling. Keep getting things wrong over and over... This game is a nightmare

  16. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    teeeeemuuuuuuu lundstraaaam

  17. TorresMagic™
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Crazy!

  18. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    PUKKIIIII

  19. Mr. Grv
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Man city just kill youself

  20. LosBlancos
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Omg Norwich what

  21. Four Hit Wonder
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Right so Pukki is a keeper. Not a player you bench for Lundstram.

  22. Tasty Jerk
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pukki essential, but then we all knew that 😀

  23. TAT
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    OMG PUKKI!

  24. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Norwich, the gift that keeps on giving

  25. 1zverGGadeM
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    PUKKI PARTYY!!!!! YEYYEYYEYEYEYEYYY

    1. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yes?

  26. Pukki Party
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    ^^

  27. SamH123
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    anyone else bench Pukki? I'm expecting just me :-/

    1. Tasty Jerk
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Well there was allot of people talking of benching him earlier this morning (with many of us telling them they are mad) 😀

    2. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Played a defender?

  28. McSauce
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    LFG PUKKI

  29. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    I love Pukki. Screw Sterling, KDB, Zinch!

  30. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    My god the bauld fraud is exposed!!!!

    1. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      *bald even