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

    Lovely finish, very poor by West Ham to have not been further ahead.

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

    Should’ve been Laca’s goal ;(

  3. IRBOX ⚽
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    OMG Martenelli

    1. MSTRKRFTSMN
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Yes 🙂

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

    Freddie's at the wheel

    1. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Freddie got fingered

      1. teneighty
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        Look Daddy, I'm a farmer!

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

    Phew!

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

    Genius from Ljungberg. Martinelli start and Kolasinac sub. Haters gonna hate.

    1. Maddi Son
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      He even predicted Tierney getting injured for Kolasinac to replace him. Genius

      1. tutankamun
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        And Bellerin before that... Kola wasn’t even on the bench

  7. TRIPOS TOPPER
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Very little impact on rank from this game barring Auba involvement

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

      Auba Top 10K EO only about 10% I think

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

    The steel & backbone of this Arsenal team - wow!

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

    AFTV cancelled tonight, Robbie in tears

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

    come on west ham get that winner

    1. Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      This. COYH

      Arsenal don't deserve to be drawing.

  11. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Can't wait for Ramsey to het back from his loan

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

      LOL

  12. Naby K8a
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Would take Martinelli at Liverpool as our yearly relegation side signing.

    1. MSTRKRFTSMN
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Reminds me of Suarez

    2. Dr Dream
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Actually...he’d fit....

  13. Jullepuu
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    This is the perfect score. Blow the whistle already ref!

  14. Dr Dream
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Changes nothing.

    The bench mark is Liverpool and Leicester right now....They’re on it from the moment the kick off right through to the final whistle. Fantastic.

    This “It’s a different Arsenal now” is just rubbish...there shouldn’t be two Arsenal’s in one game.

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

      Who are you arguing with?

      1. Now I'm Panicking
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        Netley

        1. Dr Dream
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 4 months ago

          Never heard of him. Who is he?

    2. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Hallo Cpt. Obv!

      Tbf though, Liverpool have had plenty of drab games this season. Picking up in the final 20 mins. Only recently looked consistently world class again.

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

        The sign of a champion isn't it, getting points when playing ordinarily

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

          Or the sign of playing West Ham.

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

            And that as well

  15. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Should've been Tierney assist ;(

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

      Laca G for Dakes.
      Tierney A for you.

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

        Savage lol

      2. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        Thanks Rainer. We appreciate the FFPL points

  16. ZeBestee
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Martinelli would make a brilliant career if he keeps on developing, shame he plays in this Arsenal team.

    1. Don Kloppeone
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Snap see below lol

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

        Yup, real shame.

        1. Don Kloppeone
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 4 months ago

          My in-laws are all massive gooners. They just moan non-stop atm. Pretty sad to see

  17. Don Kloppeone
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Great talent this Martinelli. Shame he plays for the back end of a horse’s rear end of the PL world

  18. Fantasy Gold
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Never doubted Freddie for a second.

    Give the man a 6 year contract.

  19. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Im 3rd in ML. Guy in second has Martinelli lol

    1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Coming in for Mane

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

      The guy 4th in mine has him coming in for Mane.

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

    Arsenal giving the ball to WHU?

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

    Pepe, what a player!

  22. Pras (FPL)
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Omg Pepe

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

    Pepe G
    Auba A

  24. Now I'm Panicking
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    OMG Pepe

  25. ZeBestee
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Pepe G Auba A

  26. IRBOX ⚽
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    OMG Pepe

  27. Party time
      4 years, 4 months ago

      PEPE WOW

    • UpAndAway
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Pepe peach!!!

    • Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Oh come on Hammers...

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

      Oooo I hate Aubameyang in FPL

      1. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        Why? He is irrelevant.

        1. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 4 months ago

          Ops... He heard me.

      2. IRBOX ⚽
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        You seem to hate everybody and anybody who scores points that you don’t own.