Dugout Discussion

Lacazette and Luiz benched as budget FPL forward Martinelli gets first start

The final match of Gameweek 16 takes place this evening, as West Ham United take on managerless Arsenal.

Kick-off at the London Stadium is at 20:00 GMT.

Interim boss Freddie Ljungberg takes charge of the Gunners for the third time and has made a big call with his team selection, dropping Alexandre Lacazette (£9.3m) and David Luiz (£5.8m) to the bench.

Nicolas Pepe (£9.1m) and Calum Chambers (£4.4m) come into the side, as does Kieran Tierney (£5.4m) at left-back.

Budget Fantasy Premier League forward Gabriel Martinelli (£4.5m) is handed his first-ever start in the English top flight, meanwhile.

Sead Kolasinac (£5.2m) and Joe Willock (£4.9m) are also cut from the starting XI, with the latter failing to make the matchday squad.

Hector Bellerin (£5.4m) was injured in the warm-up, meanwhile, so Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£4.6m) comes in at right-back.

The West Ham United team news is far more straightforward: Manuel Pellegrini’s only change sees the fit-again Michail Antonio (£6.9m) replace Sebastien Haller (£7.0m) in attack.

Robert Snodgrass (£5.2m) recovers from a minor knock to start, while there is no place for Andriy Yarmolenko (£5.6m) even among the substitutes.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£10.9m) is by some distance the most-selected player on show this evening and the only FPL asset from either side who can boast a double-digit ownership.

The Gabon international sits in more than one in five Fantasy squads and in 8.59% of the teams who were in the top 10,000 at the point of the Gameweek 16 deadline.

Aubameyang has scored 50 FPL points on the road this season, compared to just 39 at the Emirates – and has played one fewer away fixture.

FPL’s cheapest playing goalkeeper, David Martin (£4.0m), gets his third straight start for the hosts.

Martin has already banked one clean sheet, three save points and two bonus points in his two appearances so far.


West Ham United XI: Martin, Fredericks, Ogbonna, Balbuena, Cresswell, Rice, Noble, Snodgrass, Fornals, Anderson, Antonio.

Arsenal XI: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Chambers, Sokratis, Tierney, Torreira, Xhaka, Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli, Aubameyang.

1,065 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Arse Craic
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Xhaka playing centre half?

  2. Zinedine Kilbane
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Just read the rules and the wildcard needs to be used prior to game week 20 ie before Sat 28 Dec at 11.30.
    Had been planning on using this just before 31st Dec as i stupidly assumed it was before the end of year.

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      GW20 is the last chance to use it correct?

      1. Zinedine Kilbane
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        The Wildcard chip can be used twice a season, once in the first half of the season (before Sat 28 Dec 11:30) and once in the second half of the season.

        So yes- needs used prior to game week 20

        1. Bobby Digital
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          Good GW to WC, its only 2 days long.

    2. Clintymints
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Wc activated

    3. HashAttack
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Probably better than letting people use their wildcard in the alcoholic fog of new years eve

      1. Clintymints
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Alcoholic fog sometimes works

  3. Barbarians
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Arsenal look like solid mid table team

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Arsenal are anything but solid.

    2. JustPark
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Next Leeds? Pretty sure I heard that on AFTV.

  4. Bobby Digital
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Tielemans to whom only for one GW? Got 1.7m itb. Thinking Maddison or Mount?

    1. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Mads

  5. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Pepe down injured.

    1. Clintymints
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Shocked- Pikachu.gif

  6. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Tonio getting closer.

  7. el polako
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Proper tackle.

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Roy Keane school of tackling 😉

  8. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Pepe broken

    1. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Was he working before?

      1. Salah’s Sonnet
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Haha!!

      2. g40steve
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        🙂

  9. JustPark
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    How the heck Ozil missed that

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Lazy. Should learn to levitate.

    2. Clintymints
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Ozil

    3. No Professionals
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Offside anyway

  10. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Pepe thinking:

    “Why didn’t I just stay in France and take penalties all year 🙁 “

  11. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    No Haller and Yarmo benefiting Arsenal for sure.

  12. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    West Ham goal

  13. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Ogbona G

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      AMN OG?

  14. ‘Tis the Season
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    GO ON YOU HAMMERS!!

  15. Clintymints
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Arsenal defense

    😆

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

    Wenger in.

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Benitez or Simeone in more like

  17. Party time
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Ogbonna's spouse must love his head

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

      That goal sums up the quality of this game.

    • Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Ogb oh noooo

    • Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      BOOM

      #WengerBackIn

      1. It’s gonna Ben Mee
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        He will boss the Championship

      2. Barbarians
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Dont think that would change anything. Arsenal is a minefield.

    • JustPark
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      KDB(c)?

      1. No Professionals
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Not for me.

        Mane or vardy unless you're chasing. Maybe salah if you still have him.

    • Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      That goal increases Laca's chances of coming on early.

      1. Jack Burton
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Hopefully

      2. potatoace
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Yeah, that and Pepe just being given the last rites too....oh no wait he isn't dying, he was just pretending.

    • Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Really Brave defending from AMN

      Turned his back on the ball

      1. el polako
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        All bravery in Arsenal team is with Kolasinac, rest of them just a bunch of spineless kids.

      2. Oven Glover
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Fraternising with the enemy... Shame on you, Syd. Shame.

        1. Syd.
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          Are you using that glove for a Christmas present

          1. Oven Glover
            • 8 Years
            4 years, 3 months ago

            Let’s just say that I’m using it. Now.

            1. Syd.
              • 14 Years
              4 years, 3 months ago

              😯

      3. JustPark
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        And Xhaka.

    • Wilshere Knowledge
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Xhaka pulled out.

      He’s an utter disgrace.

      1. Clintymints
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Gota take one for the team

    • nerd_is_the_werd
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      own goal?

      1. diesel001
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        No

      2. Syd.
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        No

        Initial shot was on target

    • It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Five measly points from getting relegated. Will Arsenal stay up?

    • g40steve
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      VAR farce again, why are we waiting?

    • Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Xhaka at fault as always

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

      Revising for test tomorrow but just came to lol.

      Lacazette to save the day

      1. No Professionals
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Revising is for neeeeeeerds

    • Pariße
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      nothing wrong wih that goal