Dugout Discussion

Aguero, De Bruyne and Sterling start as Mendy and Cancelo are benched

Six Premier League matches get underway at 15:00 GMT today, with Liverpool and Manchester City among the dozen teams in action.

Sergio Aguero (£12.1m) has been named in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI for the first time in the league since Gameweek 8.

Just shy of 300,000 Fantasy managers sold the Argentina international in the lead-up to Gameweek 11.

Raheem Sterling (£12.1m), Kevin De Bruyne (£10.2m) and David Silva (£7.7m) also start.

Nicolas Otamendi (£5.4m), Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m), Benjamin Mendy (£6.0m) and Joao Cancelo (£5.3m) are the victims of Guardiola’s rotation roulette, however, with all four benched.

The Saints have made three changes from last Friday’s hammering by Leicester, with a switch of goalkeepers among the alterations.

Mohamed Salah (£12.4m) is fit to start and joins Roberto Firmino (£9.5m) and Sadio Mane (£11.9m) in a familiar-looking front three.

The Reds’ back four is unchanged, too.

Fabinho (£5.5m), who is on four yellow cards, is benched, with perhaps one eye on next weekend’s clash with Manchester City.

Jack Grealish (£5.9m) has not recovered a calf injury and misses out, with Anwar El Ghazi (£5.5m) replacing him.

Unai Emery has recalled Mesut Ozil (£7.2m) to his starting XI for the first time in the Premier League since Gameweek 5.

Nicolas Pepe (£9.3m) makes way for the German, while Granit Xhaka (£5.3m) is excluded from the matchday squad as expected.

Nuno Espirito Santo sticks with the side that started Wolves’ 1-1 draw at Newcastle last Sunday.

Todd Cantwell (£4.8m) has been benched for the first time this season, with Onel Hernandez (£5.3m) taking his place.

Graham Potter has named the same 11 players who started against Everton last Saturday, meanwhile.

West Ham are also unchanged from last weekend, while Steve Bruce recalls Isaac Hayden (£4.4m) and Jonjo Shelvey (£5.0m) for the Longstaff brothers.

There is only one change to the starting XIs at Bramall Lane, with Lys Mousset (£4.9m) replacing Callum Robinson (£5.3m) for the hosts.

Chris Wood (£6.2m) misses out again for Burnley.

Arsenal XI: Leno, Chambers, Papastathopoulos, Luiz, Tierney, Guendouzi, Torreira, Ozil, Ceballos, Lacazette, Aubameyang.

Wolves XI: Patricio, Dendoncker, Coady, Saiss, Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Jonny, Traore, Jimenez, Jota.

Aston Villa XI: Heaton, Guilbert, Engels, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Nakamba, Douglas Luiz, El Ghazi, Trezeguet, Wesley.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Salah, Firmino, Mané.

Brighton XI: Ryan, Montoya, Webster, Dunk, Burn, Gross, Pröpper, Stephens, Alzate, Maupay, Connolly.

Norwich XI: Krul, Lewis, Godfrey, Tettey, Aarons, Trybull, Buendia, McLean, Stiepermann, Hernández, Pukki.

Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Fernandinho, Angelino, Gundogan, Silva, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero.

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Valery, Bednarek, Stephens, Vestergaard, Hojbjerg, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Armstrong, Ings, Redmond.

Sheffield United XI: Henderson, Basham, O’Connell, Egan, Baldock, Fleck, Lundstram, Norwood, Stevens, McGoldrick, Mousset.

Burnley XI: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters, Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Rodriguez, Barnes.

West Ham XI: Roberto, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Cresswell, Rice, Yarmolenko, Noble, Snodgrass, Felipe Anderson, Haller.

Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Yedlin, Fernandez, Lascelles, Clark, Willems, Almiron, Hayden, Shelvey, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton.

2,302 Comments Post a Comment
  1. sunzip14
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Only 1 other player from my ML has Aguero, but not captained him. Come on (A)gueroooo!

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

    Owners must be hoping pep doesn't repeat Watford and make a tonne of defensive switches before 60. What a week that was.

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

      he will after Kun's first half hatty and a screamer from KDB puts em 4-0 at HT 😉

      1. Qaiss
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        you dream far too much

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

    After his goal vs Norwich and brace in midweek, would people rate Rashford as the 3rd or 4th best player in the world?

    1. sunzip14
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Better than Ronaldo, because he has scored 50 Utd goals faster than him!

    2. Arse Craic
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      haha

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

      Cone back next month when he will score again

  4. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Oh Danny Boy, the points the points are calling..

    1. ChelseaGuy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Ings?

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Yep

        1. ChelseaGuy
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          Hope he scores! Fellow owner

    2. DantheManinaPan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I hope so 😀

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

    Just know Salah will haul now with Sterling doing nothing. Made Salah -> Sterling because I cant stand the stress of having someone carrying an injury in my team

    1. Qaiss
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Feeling sorry for yourself all the time over a game is not fun. It's a game.

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

    Lots of games on soon, hopefully lots of goals!

    ...and CS where needed ofc

  7. ZeBestee
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Want Aguero to destroy the PL record of number of goals by player in a single game. 6.

  8. GOTHAM City F.C.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    How many points will the following get:
    1. Sterling
    2. Kun
    3. KDB

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

      2
      2
      1

      1. GOTHAM City F.C.
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Epic

    2. ZeBestee
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      8
      17
      13

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

      Yeah I think you’re right
      1, 2 and 3

    4. HurriKane
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      -1
      0
      1

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

      3
      6
      8

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

      3
      2
      3

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

    Awb what an effort to stop Wilson

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

    Rico 3th Bench... Should have known

    1. HurriKane
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Rico and Lundy are fpl legends already. Never bench never captain

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

        Lundy 1st bench... Incoming.

    2. The Pesci challenge
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Yep same, always the way

    3. DantheManinaPan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      THREETH! What a word

  11. HurriKane
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    No Mendy means Big blow for Sterling Captainers right?

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

      Angelino will provide width.

      1. HurriKane
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Cant see anything special in him. He's kindda similar to zinchenko?

    2. ZeBestee
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      He scored a hatrick against Hammers with no Mendy.

      1. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        with Jesus helping to provide width instead

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

      Means he might be a bit wider rather than direct.

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

      Sterling hasn’t scored any goals without Mendy in the side!

      1. Qaiss
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        lol

      2. JustPark
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Sorry?

      3. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        GW 1/2/3/7 ?

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

          Most of last season?

    5. Stef rocks
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Nahh Angelino is more of a Mendy type of player than Zinchenko type

  12. Stef rocks
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    I am scared a little bit after selling Auba for Vardy and seeing their squad today. Anybody else seeing Auba haul with Laca Ceballos Ozil Toreira Tierney?

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

      Auba can haul against anyone. Lets see how Ozil will improve the team.

    2. Monkey Hanger
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Hope not. I did the same, plus brought Mendy in for a hit.

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

    Southampton will surprise the football world again.
    This time 10

  14. CroatianHammer
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Okay, I moved out AWB for Mendy, so aside from a 0.1 bump I might not benefit. Robertson the first defensive sub, Rico my second, and he could be on 7...

    Sterling (C) though...let's go!!!!

    1. ChelseaGuy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Andrew Robertson?

    2. DantheManinaPan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      You benched Robertson against Villa!? Absolute lunacy

      1. Stef rocks
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        This - madness!

        1. CroatianHammer
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          You think I should have benched Mendy at home instead?

        2. CroatianHammer
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          Because in the game I'm looking at I'd rather not have Robertson come on because I don't see LFC keeping a clean sheet. Which is why I benched him. TAA can get better attacking returns.

  15. shirtless
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Lumdstram and Dendoncker auto-subbing lol.

  16. JustPark
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    On the bright side, started Rico.

  17. The_Fish
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Martial no longer essential?

  18. WWF
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Lol Pep you sly dog

  19. BigCoupes
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Rico first off the bench. What are the chances Mendy doesn’t feature?

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      High

  20. Murder On Zidanesfloor
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Mark...oh dear

    1. JustPark
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      High risk, high reward?

  21. The Sociologist
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    How long do we think Saïss keeps his place in the Wolves defence for?

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

      Who cares - until they are out of Europe they should be considered a no go zone!

      1. The Sociologist
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Absence of Boly also off-putting too...

  22. ChelseaGuy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Southampton has Djenepo and Boufal as sub

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

    El Ghazi close

  24. Monkey Hanger
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    McGinn to score first in pm's.

    1. Monkey Hanger
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      3pm's. 🙂

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

    I believe, Sergio Aguero.

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

    Sterling c fail

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

      Never scored with Mendy not on the pitch I’ve heard.

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      And the day is complete lol

    3. ChelseaGuy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      KDB vc fail

  27. Whats the Mata?
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Who would y'all drop among KDB and Sterling to accommodate Mane?

    1. Burger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Need all 3....

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

      KDB

    3. Kun Tozser
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I’m ditching Sterling, too much value tied up in KDB

    4. ChelseaGuy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Sterling. Just cause KDB is still great value and I got him in early and he's supposedly immune to price drops.

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

      Sterling since it’s a straight swap

      But it’s not an easy decision- one I’ve been mulling over for quite some time

      More likely to downgrade to D Silva and bring in robbo

  28. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Saints time-wasting already

  29. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Let's go Firmino. I want brace at least

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

    Kun header wide. It's coming.