Dugout Discussion

King, Son and Doherty benched as Gameweek 9 continues

Fantasy Premier League managers who took the cheaper route into Bournemouth’s attack for Gameweek 9 were left disappointed on Saturday afternoon.

Ahead of a plum home clash with an out-of-form Norwich City side, Josh King (£6.3m) has been named on the bench – after picking up 100,000+ new owners this week.

The Norwegian international has largely operated from the left-flank of midfield in a 4-4-2 system this season but Ryan Fraser (£7.1m) reclaims his berth for a first start since Gameweek 4.

This news is potentially massive for those who possess Callum Wilson (£8.0m) this weekend as King’s absence might see the England centre-forward take over penalty kick duties for Gameweek 9.

Meanwhile, Lewis Cook (£5.0m) and Adam Smith (£4.3m) return to the starting line-up for Bournemouth.

Opponents Norwich look to have altered their system after running into a poor patch of form in 4-2-3-1 before the international break.

Marco Stiepermann (£5.4m) drops to the bench to potentially facilitate a 4-1-4-1 formation with Alex Tettey (£4.5m) at the base of midfield.

Meanwhile, Kenny McLean (£4.9m) and Moritz Leitner (£4.5m) take up the central roles in the main midfield quartet, flanked by Todd Cantwell (£4.9m) and Emi Buendía (£6.0m).

Naturally, Teemu Pukki (£7.1m) retains his place up-front.

Also causing Fantasy managers frustration on Saturday afternoon is Son Heung-min (£9.8m) who finds himself on the Spurs bench for a favourable home meeting with Watford.

Mauricio Pochettino has handed a recall to Dele Alli (£8.4m) and Lucas Moura (£7.1m) in support of centre-forward Harry Kane (£10.9m).

Meanwhile, Watford go for a back-three for the second match in a row as Quique Sanchez Flores tries a 3-5-2 formation which features Roberto Pereyra (£5.7m) in a strike pairing with Danny Welbeck (£5.9m).

Suggestions of a return to FPL viability for Matt Doherty (£6.0m) were quashed by a second successive benching.

Adama Traoré (£5.1m) gets a second start in a row in place of the Irish international.

Aston Villa line-up as expected for the visit of Brighton, with John McGinn (£5.9m) in the central midfield trio and Jack Grealish (£5.9m) in the front-three.

Meanwhile, Graham Potter’s men are led in attack by Aaron Connolly (£4.5m) and Neal Maupay (£6.0m), while Pascal Groß (£6.4m) and Aaron Mooy (£4.8m) provide the width.

After missing the last four Premier League matches with injury, Leandro Trossard (£5.8m) has been named on the Brighton bench.

Chelsea line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Newcastle, with Fikayo Tomori (£4.7m) alongside Kurt Zouma (£4.7m) in defence.

Mason Mount (£6.8m) and Tammy Abraham (£7.7m) come into Gameweek 9 both owned by more than 35% of Fantasy managers.

It will be interesting to see how the Chelsea attack fares against Newcastle’s back-five, as Steve Bruce goes for the usual 5-3-2 system.

Both Longstaff brothers feature in midfield while Miguel Almirón (£5.8m) continues to be used out of position in the front-two.

Jay Rodriguez (£5.7m) comes in for the injured Ashley Barnes (£6.4m) as Burnley travel to face Leicester.

The Foxes are led by Jamie Vardy (£9.0m) while James Maddison (£7.2m) looks set for a central role in the 4-1-4-1 system.

The Starting XIs

Aston Villa XI: Heaton; Targett, Mings, Engels, Guilbert; McGinn, Hourihane, Nakamba; El Ghazi, Wesley, Grealish.

Brighton XI: Ryan; Burn, Webster, Dunk, Montoya; Groß, Pröpper, D Stephens, Mooy; Connolly, Maupay.

Bournemouth XI: Ramsdale; Rico, Ake, S Cook, Smith; Fraser, Billing, L Cook, H Wilson; Solanke, C Wilson.

Norwich XI: Krul; Lewis, Godfrey, Amadou, Aarons; Tettey; Cantwell, McLean, Leitner, Buendía; Pukki.

Chelsea XI: Kepa; Alonso, Zouma, Tomori, Azpilicueta; Jorginho, Barkley; Hudson-Odoi, Mount, Willian; Abraham.

Newcastle XI: Dubravka; Willems, Clark, Lascelles, Schär, Yedlin; Saint-Maximin, M Longstaff, S Longstaff; Almirón, Joelinton.

Leicester XI: Schmeichel; Chilwell, Söyüncü, Evans, R Pereira; Ndidi; Barnes, Pérez, Maddison, Tielemans; Vardy.

Burnley XI: Pope; Pieters, Mee, Tarkowski, Lowton; McNeil, Westwood, Hendrick, Brady; Rodriguez, Wood.

Spurs XI: Gazzaniga; Rose, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Aurier; Winks, Sissoko; Moura, Alli; Kane

Watford XI: Foster; Kabasele, Dawson, Cathcart; Holebas, Chalobah, Cleverley, Doucouré, Janmaat; Welbeck, Pereyra.

Wolves XI: Patrício; Boly, Coady, Bennett; Jonny, Neves, Moutinho, Dendoncker, Traoré; Cutrone, Jiménez.

Southampton XI: Gunn; Bertrand, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Valery; Ward-Prowse, Højbjerg, Romeu; Redmond, Ings.

1,961 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Another week for the casuals... Aguero and Sterling to punish badly.

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Sterling cap heree

      1. Fudgy
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Id do anything to take it off Tammy and put it on Raheem

    2. Markus
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      That's not casual. That's picking the best players from consistently the best team from the last 3 seasons

    3. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Lol, why wouldn't you captain a Man City player? Each time they gave lost in the league they have normally gone big in the next game e.g. Lost against Norwich, scored 8 in the next game

  2. FOO FIGHTER
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    So Salah flagged and my cap.

    Vardy my vice cap.

    Am I screwed?

    1. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Your team must be bad if those were your best captaincy options this week

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Good sign so far if your captain isn’t playing now.

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

      Did you take anymore hits?

    4. HamezMace
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Doubt it. Expect Salah to play.

  3. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Free kick for Chelsea from a dangerous position. Mount was fouled.

  4. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Willy into the wall.

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

      Gloryhole?

      1. Catastrophe
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        😀

      2. Jafooli
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        😮 😆

      3. Rainer
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        😛

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

    Only benched Rico for Soy a minute before the deadline. I never get these things right.

    1. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      If you own Soy why would you not play him at home to Burnely?

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

        Rico vs Norwich was equally tempting.

      2. Ozzy smith
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Burnley have scored in every game bar Liverpool this season.

      3. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Because Leicester dont do clean sheets

  6. Miguel Sanchez
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Bournemouth Norwich game very flat so far

    1. HamezMace
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      As a Rico owner, without Wilson or Pukki, I’m pleased to hear this.

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

    are there any players worth having?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Digne essential

    2. Podge
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Wood apparently

    3. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      KDB only

    4. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Chris Wood and the Duke

    5. Baps hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Wood?

    6. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Roberto

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

        😀

  8. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    spurs sitting behind the ball now, trying to get it to half time without conceding another

  9. Differential C (Mark)
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    I used to love Gunn's sweeper keeper habits, but now its just a liability and annoying.

  10. Stoic
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Son on at 45 surely ?

    1. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Confirmed.

    2. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      he rarely makes early subs, earliest son would be on is like 63 or something (more likely 73 when its too late)

  11. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Sterling was the right captain after all 🙂

    1. Catastrophe
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I guess we will see how many points he has after 33 mins 🙂 providing he is not on the bench!

  12. FOO FIGHTER
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Wilson and Tammy cappers...

  13. Catastrophe
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Abraham goal required.

  14. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Neves injured

    1. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Never

  15. Jimmy Boy
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Heaton and Soyuncu CSs out the window, Abraham (c) yet to deliver. What are the FPL gods gonna throw at me next?

  16. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    I've ruined the Chelsea assets. They look very laboured.

  17. rnrd
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    CHO probably the best player so far for the blues

    1. BremerHB
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Yep. Looked good so far!

  18. Eat my goal!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Mooy red

    1. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Heaton assist?

  19. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Brighton RC

  20. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    I remember there was a gameweek a few seasons ago where no team kept a clean sheet. It was goals galore and it was amazing. I miss those days.

  21. Penang Sandman
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    What a game. Cleverly captain for one side, Alli's the attacker for the other side

  22. Hy liverpool
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Bemba Da omg xxxx coming any time soon ?
    C'mon mate

  23. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Is Vardy not playing?

  24. derdourily
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Mooy RC

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Lets gooo McGinn punish them!!!

  25. Pedram
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Tammy non existent in the first half.

  26. L'Aeroplanino
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Mooy Red

  27. Catastrophe
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Pope CS would be a joy of the unexpected variety

    1. DeathoftheParty
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Hahaha this!

  28. yakirh
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Weird GW

  29. DeathoftheParty
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    3 o'clock kick offs on a Saturday are the woooooorst.

  30. L'Aeroplanino
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    CHO baller