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. DandyDon
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Changed their mind to Bernardo off. Thank god

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

    Bilva subbed. Sterling 90mins

  3. Nomar
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pep captained Razin his FPL team

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

      😆

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

    Bernardo off thank god

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Raz prob get YC now just to really rub it in.

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

        Honestly

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

    I give up on you Sterling

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

    Mods ban the 'Sterling off' people please

    1. el polako
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      I concur.

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

      This.

  7. Sailboats
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Come on Pukki. Score another goal

  8. el polako
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Alle these posts about Sterling being subbed off.
    Wanted to phone my satelite tv supplier and complain about lag.

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

    Raheem................Raheem...............Raheem, Raheem...............you’ll never be my captain again

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

      Two weeks in a row he might let me down...all will be forgiven with a goal though. City need to start shooting though I mean seriously 3 attempts

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

        Close

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

    What a horrible week again

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

    Buendia not taking FKs anymore!

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

    Abraham is flagged... is his injury serious? Thinking of getting him on WC.

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

      Yeah, he's on fire.

      1. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        So was Barnes until I got him.

    2. George Sillett
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Cramp.

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

        Thanks S!

    3. Shuko
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Looked like a cramp.

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

        Thanks S!

  13. Hy liverpool
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Norwich is playing a great football

  14. The Senate
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    So is Van Dijk to Otamendi a bad idea for GW6?

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

      Against a Chelsea team poor at corners, yes

  15. George Sillett
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    It's fair to say that the plan to bring in a City defender has been abandoned.

    1. The Ejiptian King
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      lol, good decision.

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

      Was abandoned the day laporte got injured

    3. MTPockets
        4 years, 6 months ago

        damn right

      • Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        None of the 4 City defenders deserve to play the next game.

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

        Oh yes. May ditch Zinchenko now

    4. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Walker has been terible lately

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

      Over now for Man City. Can't score two goals in 15 mins let alone three goals.

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

      Kane + Maddison ->

      A) Mane + Tammy
      B) Firmino + Son
      C) Don't do any of the above

      1. 007 [RoboKlopp]
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        A

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

      One more from Pukki would be awesome

    8. Peter Ouch
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Have a nice summer, cu in August!

      1. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Al see you then

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

      Pukki will score one more

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

      Maybe captain Mo over Sterling next week then.

      The less obvious choice seems to be winning

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

        Correct, whoever YOU think do not choose them 🙂

      2. Bartowski
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Salah was the obvious choice.

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

        Mo against Chelsea is the obvious choice so you should pick someone else.

      4. Camzy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Mo was the obvious choice

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

        Anybody playing that Chelsea defense is a good shout tbh (unless Kanté is back)

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

        Sorry to say by Mo was by far the obvious choice. Capt hindsight here

    11. Qaiss
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      All you sterling and KDB cappers laughing earlier, where are ya now?!?

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

        I was never laughing. I’m just upset now.

      2. luke
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Went KDB to Mané in the last minute, fine line between smug and tears

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

        Who was laughing? 9 points is decent from Salah, I'd have happily taken that.

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

      Norwich have been superb.. this years Wolves

      1. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Wolves this years Huddersfield?

        1. Celt Abroad
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Norwich this years wolves.

          1. Nomar
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 6 months ago

            Yeah, OP already said that.

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

      Seriously though, regardless of result, RESPECT for Norwich. That is a brave team.

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

        Yeah. Hate it so much for FPL, love it for football really

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

      Kun miss

    15. Stupendous
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Otamendi to who? 5.9m max.

    16. tucaoneo
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      The only positive from this GW is my ML rival used TC on Sterling.

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

        Ouch

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

      Oh dear Sergio

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

      Man City not creating much. Not able to get KdB on the ball.

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

        This is why the double axis with David would have been preferable to jesus on for me.