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. Garfield1001
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Otamendi better come on. Dont want those with lucky bench points - I was prepared to bench Otamendi for Lundstram.

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

      Keep dreaming

      1. Garfield1001
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        I will love it if he does

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

      He won't come on

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

    Pep experimenting will eventually lead to his demise

    Why bench Mendy and Cancelo when they were playing so well.? completely interrupted city dynamics

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

      He's the boss

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

        Trying to be too clever for his own sake

    2. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      He's still rouletting with a diminshed squad depth, never learns

  3. Cilly Bonnolly
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Chances Otamendi stays where he is? Better the longer the game goes on like this I suppose. Got Rico first sub. Again.

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

      Mahrez, Foden, Jesus, Cancelo, Mendy all likely ahead on the subs order

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

    Saint maximam misses another sitter, one on one

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

      It's not a sitter if it's Saint Maximum

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

    Vardy and Laca in for Kun and Connolly for free, anyone?

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

      vardy yes, laca nooooo

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

        why?

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

          You don’t know what Arsenal are like i take it. Trust me, just don’t do it.

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

      Lol here comes that x forward in for Laca post (just because he scored.)

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

        assisted actually

    3. Arteta
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      So you basically just want to make a switch from Pep to Unai roulette?

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

    shelvey hits the bar

    1. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Feel like doing the same.

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

    Mark is writing the 2nd version of ‘Wasting Your Wildcard’ - it’s all part of his plan.

    He knows!

    1. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      A wildcard is for life not for xmas

  8. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    TAA lucky to avoid yellow

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

    Chances of Mendy getting subbed on in this game?

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

      Needing a goal means higher.

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

      Should get a few minutes.

    3. Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I would say quite high unfortunately.

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

    Brighton sub:

    Webster off
    Duffy on

    After 30 mins so no CS chance for Duffy.

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

      Remember people TC’d Duffy 😆

      1. Pukki Blinders
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Captain was painful enough

    1. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Thanks captain hindsight!

    2. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Lol maybe next time

  11. Chirsbom
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Not playing Lundy or Rico by this time is like not getting on AWB or Doherty last season.

  12. HD7
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    2FT, 0.2 ITB

    VVD Haller to Lundstram Vardy before priced out ?

    2FT, 0.2 ITB

    VVD Haller to Lundstram Vardy before priced out ?

    Pope
    TAA VVD Ota
    Sterling Mount KDB Yarmo
    Abraham Auba Haller

    Subs: Button, Rico, Dendonker, Guilbert

  13. lilmessipran
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    So much for the Trent's, Robbos , sterling and kdbs , the only one scoring points for me is king lundstorm

  14. Bubbles1985
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    What are my best options to ditch Haller with?! 7.4m

  15. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Mane yellow dive

  16. Kaiser123
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Cancelo..please stay on the bench!

  17. Tasty Jerk
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Mane Dive, YC

  18. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Anyone knows how is Jimmy playing?

  19. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Diving mane. Yc.

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

    Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

  21. Marvin Moon
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    I bet if all of these VAR offside calls were reviewed with a camera with high enough frames per second to verify the exact moment the ball was touched, they'd find most of them were wrong.

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

    mane yellow for diving, clear penalty denied

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

    Mane booked for not being English.

    1. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Was referee english?

  24. fusen
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    If Trent blanks this week then there is every chance he'll also blank next week (at least won't be getting a clean sheet). He'll then have scored

    3,2,1,2(?), 2(?)

    Is that good enough for 7.2 million?

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

      Obviously not

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

    useless mane cheers

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

    Pathetic from Mane lmao

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

    mane booked but was clipped and should be penalty

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

      Clipped my ass...

    2. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Va r

    3. Tasty Jerk
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      lol no way. Blatant dive.

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

    Lol Mane... booked for diving.

  29. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    oh dear Mane