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. jdp219
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    My word. As it stands, should have captained Pukki. Whodathunk?

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

    Mahrez coming on

  3. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Can’t wait to WC now 🙂

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

      Well but who will you get? This gw has hardly been any learnings

      1. RAFA THE GAFFA
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        MANE!!!
        City can’t defend, Pool Always concede! Cantwell looks good! Kun is a must over Sterling. Son I’d like! Abraham is great at 7.2! Have you been watching??

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

      Same here - my team is a shamble

  4. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Mahrez coming on. Uh oh...

  5. SADIO SANÉ
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    I riskily did Trossard, Martial, Wilson -> KDB, D.Silva (and Ayew) -8 expecting a bloodbath; I could have just played Cantwell who is outscoring all of them 😀

  6. Fred54
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    #YNWA.OurYear trending on twitter yet?

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

    Wrong captain yet again between Raz and Mo then?

    1. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Still got time

  8. Pompel
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Keeping triple City attack ASK for Watford, then need to make the difficult decision whether to ship Sterling or Aguero. KDB stays unless he loses both legs.

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

      The only upside of having triple City attack at the moment is at least I don't have any of their defenders.

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

        So much this

  9. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pep throwing the kitchen sink. Mahrez on

    1. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yeah he really is a wishy-washy player??

  10. ZeBestee
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Bernardo Off

  11. mille
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Benched Pukki for Lundstram. Anyone else this genius?

    1. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      played Puki, but benched Cantwell for Lund

  12. Kun Tozser
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    TC massive fail 🙁

  13. Stef rocks
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Sterling (c) epic fail so far 2 weeks in a row 🙁

    I think it is Already time of ditching him for Son?

    What do you think?

  14. Drogba Legend
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Who would be your must-haves on a WC?

    1. FISSH
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Trent or Robbo
      Mane or salah
      Pukki

      1. Drogba Legend
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Which City attackers? Son? Arsenal players? Chelsea players? All the top teams have good fixtures.

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

        Sterling? After one game..fickle lot.

        1. Drogba Legend
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          It is either Sterling/Aguero + KDB for me.

    2. HNI
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      just dont this gw. will again get batter like this gw wc did. get some trends then act

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

    Mahrez meant to be coming on for Bernardo according to Sky. Sterling gets a reprieve.

  16. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    247,188 managers transferred OUT Teemu Pukki for Gameweek 5

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

    B.Silva saves the day with that yellow card 🙂

    1. DandyDon
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      YES

    2. Party time
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Hahaha

      • ZeBestee
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Not until Sterling does something.

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

      Bugger off Sterling, useless

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

      Good it's not Sterling changed it to Bilva
      Wow come on now

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

      Bernado off

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

      Mahrez kdb sterling kun Jesus all on the field

      Norwich to score 4

    7. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Sterling has been utterly useless !

      Literally every time I see him he’s just been walking around not even making an attempt to make any runs, zero hunger all game!

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

        Nearly always plays like this. Burst of pace whilst looking uninterested is how he gets space

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

      Norwich are playing awesome football. Great side

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

        Playing like city last year....

    9. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Lmao, sub hasn't even happened yet

    10. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Any info on Abrahams knock?

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

      Why are Norwich looking for a fourth? Jokes.

      1. Depldax
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        No jokes tonight with that result 🙂

    12. Mumble Pie
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Deserves to come off ! Shocker from Sterling

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

      Mahrez on
      Bernardo off

      1. Fred54
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        OH NO, NOT RAHEEM1111

        Oh hang on...

    14. Herman Toothrot
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Sterling just hoping to dribble the ball into the box?

    15. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Kane + Maddison -> Mane + Tammy (-4)?

      Just not feeling that Kane is doing enough to get in goalscoring positions so far this yr

      1. Differentiator
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Alternative is Son + Firmino