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. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Had all the time and room in the world

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

    This Pepe kid looks amazing.

    How much did they pay for him?

    1. Wilshere Knowledge
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Only 5 Dan James’!

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

      1/4 Neymar

    3. Mo Salah No Mane
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      1 van dijk

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

    Pepessential.

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

    Imagine paying just 70m for the French Arjen Robben 😮

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

    West Ham are absolutely rubbish, still beat us of course.

  6. FPL Blow-In
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Jeez this arsenal team is good if he worried owning city players next week

  7. HonestBlatter
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Auba one more

    1. Bielsa's Blue Bucket
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      One more assist?

    2. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      THANKS...just want I needed

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

    Hammers cant be trusted to do anything can they?

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

      Glad I benched Diop.

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

      Lose?

  9. Mo Salah No Mane
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Finally Pepe comes good again. Was given way too much space.

  10. Forza Papac
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    That will do hs confidence the world of good

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

      Auba G Pepe A

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

    plz Noble score 😀

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

    Arise Sir Pepe!!!

  13. Bielsa's Blue Bucket
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Thanks for the parting gift Auba you absolute bell end

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

    Pepe in shock.

    He's taken that shot 1,000 times, its never ended up there.

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

      Stunned!

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

    STUNNED

  16. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Arsenal players essential.

  17. JoePavs
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    So anybody got a plan for GW18 ? I'm sure most of You got up to 3 Liverpool assets

    1. Tommy Tynans Left Shin Pad
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Not if its planned carefully!

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

      Yeah everyone has up to 3 liverpool

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

    West Ham with their classic turn up vs Chelsea/Spurs performance before turning to sh*t again

  19. Pariße
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    This guy can shoot but he’s had 50 of those this season and 49 of them went 3m above the crossbar.

  20. Milk, 1 Šuker
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Auba yes boy!!!!

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

    OMG Auba

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

    Auba G
    Pepe A

  23. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    well that escalated quickly...

  24. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    What happened to my Martin clean sheet?!

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

      Whoops

      1. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 4 months ago

        Come on, pen save

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

    Good team this Arsenal side. Really good.

  26. Arteta
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    The real Pépé unleashed!

  27. Zilla
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    West Ham bottlers

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

      Proper bottlers.

  28. HonestBlatter
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    AUBA HAUL! KEEP

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

      Lol

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

    UGH absolutely hate Auba..

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

      Me too, can’t stand him

    2. Tommy Tynans Left Shin Pad
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      Always trolled me! Don't bother with him anymore

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

    Had to be him didn’t it, just had to be