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

    KDB and Jesus getting ready to warm up

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

    Jesus and Kev coming on by the look of things

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

    Feck here come KDB which means no dice on Cantwell coming in! 🙁

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

    Kev & Jesus coming on

  5. SHOOTER MCGINN
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    I love Pukki

    1. Regin
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      So do i!!! I will also support Finland to reach the euro 2020!

    2. Pedersen
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Gotta have a man crush! 😀

  6. Regin
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Jesus and kdb coming on for d Silva and gundogan

  7. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Up to over 50 for the week plus one to play 🙂

    1. ‘Tis the Season
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      No one likes an over achiever.

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Lol

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

    Oh no here comes superman!

  9. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Aguero about to be pulled? Crazy.

  10. 3 A
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    At least I only bench Cantwell and play Pukki.

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

    If Jesus comes on for Raz...

  12. MITHRRANDIRR
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Man City putting the chances on a plate for Pukki. What a calamity Otamendi is.

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

    teemu pukki baby

    teemu pukki oooooh

  14. FPLtfs
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Never benching Pukki again 🙁

  15. Vlad Tepes
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Dont sub Sterling please

  16. Lukakuna
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Fair play to anyone who played Pukki and Cantwell

    1. Lukakuna
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      o/

      1. fgdu
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        right here bro

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

        You should know in FPL you can't assist yourself

  17. Sharkytect
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Everyone already has Pukki, right?

  18. Ted Bovis
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Benched Pukki for Walker Peters.who didnt play, back of the net!!!

  19. Captain_Shirokov
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    I hate to be that guy, but I really can't understand the logic behind benching Pukki.

    1. fusen
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      I very nearly did and it's basically the gamble that if Pukki blanks, a lot of teams have a blanked player so it could work out if you have someone else with a slight chance of getting points.

      1. fusen
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        it obviously massively backfires in this complete freak game where he gets a goal and assist again City...

  20. DR0GBA
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Aguero pls stay on

  21. 007 [RoboKlopp]
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Come on Raz!!

  22. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    of course i benched Pukkim like why, just why!!!!

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

    Not owning any Norwich player this season is a nightmare

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

    Who is with me on this?

    A Norwich win would be the biggest upset in Prem League history. A newly promoted team throttling the defending champions!

    Am I right?

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

      nah, leicester winning the league is way bigger

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

        I mean for just one match, not a whole season.

    2. DR0GBA
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      in history? what?

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

        Look up

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

    Having a pukie party here.

    Benched pukki

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

    Sterling > Son?

  27. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pukki party is still on

  28. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Remember people arguing with me for stating playing Lundy over Pukki was rediculous.

    1. WVA
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Nope? I played Pukki over Lundy

    2. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      I aways start the forward.

      Might lose a cs occasionally but usually pays off.

    3. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      A lot didn't

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

      Same here Pump!!

    5. MikeBravo
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yeah i remember, and decided that was good advice

      1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Every couple of seasons I post one bit of good advice. I'm glad you were on it mate 😉

  29. have you seen cyan
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Dilva flop 🙁

    1. Skalla
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yep took out Buendia for him oops but atleast Pukki came in.

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

      So disappointing

  30. MOZIL
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Lamela or Ceballos??