Dugout Discussion

Mahrez and Jesus benched as Guardiola rotation strikes again

Pep Guardiola has frustrated Fantasy Premier League managers once again by leaving Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m) and Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m) on the bench.

That move sees Raheem Sterling (£11.8m) and Bernardo Silva (£7.8m) come back into the side for the visit of Crystal Palace.

There is better news for owners of Kevin de Bruyne (£10.7m) and Sergio Aguero (£11.8m) who both keep their places from the win at Aston Villa.

Owners of Martin Kelly (£4.4m) have some reasons to be encouraged, even if they are benching him for the Eagles’ trip to the Etihad Stadium.

Despite Joel Ward‘s (£4.3m) return to fitness, the budget defender starts at right-back while Cenk Tosun (£5.7m) is set to make his Palace debut, named up-front alongside Jordan Ayew (£5.0m).

It is Moise Kean (£6.4m) who replaces the injured Richarlison (£8.1m) for Everton, while Djibril Sidibé (£5.4m) is benched in favour of Seamus Coleman (£5.3m).

Jack Grealish (£6.5m) looks set for another outing as a centre-forward for Aston Villa as Dean Smith lines up in a 3-4-3 formation, with the midfielder at the apex.

There is a return for Matt Targett (£4.4m), who looks to operating as a left wing-back in front of a back-three.

Opponents Brighton have gone with a front-three of Leandro Trossard (£5.8m), Neal Maupay (£5.9m) and Aaron Connolly (£4.4m).

Despite suggestions of rotation at Southampton, Danny Ings (£6.9m) holds onto his starting berth against Wolves.

Mikel Arteta is forced into a change at the back for Arsenal, Sokratis Papastathopoulos (£4.9m) out with illness. That sees Shkodran Mustafi (£5.2m) replace him at centre-back.

Meanwhile, Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£4.6m) holds onto his right-back berth although Hector Bellerín (£5.4m) is back on the bench.

Gabriel Martinelli (£4.5m) comes in for the suspended Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£10.7m).

Opponents Sheffield United are without David McGoldrick (£5.4m) who has suffered a minor foot injury, which means Lys Mousset (£4.7m) and Oli McBurnie (£5.7m) lead the line, supported by key midfielder John Lundstram (£5.1m).

Norwich have handed an immediate debut to new signing Duda (£5.0m) while there are starts in their attack for Todd Cantwell (£4.9m) and Teemu Pukki (£6.5m).

Bournemouth have lined-up in a 4-3-3 formation with Ryan Fraser (£6.9m) and Harry Wilson (£5.9m) either side of Callum Wilson (£7.4m).

Arsenal XI: Leno; Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, D Luiz, Saka; Torreira, Xhaka, Ozil; Pepe, Martinelli, Lacazette.

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

Brighton XI: Ryan; Alzate, Dunk, Webster, Bernardo; Mooy, Stephens, Propper; Trossard, Maupay, Connolly.

Aston Villa XI: Reina; Konsa, Mings, Hause; Guilbert, Drinkwater, Nakamba, Targett; Trezeguet, Grealish, El Ghazi

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Mendy, Fernandinho, Stones, Cancelo; D Silva, de Bruyne, Gundogan; Sterling, Aguero, B Silva

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita; Riedewald, Cahill, Tomkins, Kelly; Zaha, Kouyaté, McCarthy, McArthur; Ayew, Tosun.

Norwich XI: Krul; Byram, Zimmermann, Godfrey, Aarons; Tettey, McLean; Duda, Cantwell, Buendía; Pukki.

Bournemouth XI: Ramsdale; Rico, Aké, S Cook, A Smith; Billing, Gosling, Lerma; Fraser, C Wilson, H Wilson.

Southampton XI: McCarthy; Bertrand, Bednarek, J Stephens, Cédric; Redmond, Ward-Prowse, Højbjerg, Armstrong; S Long, Ings.

Wolves XI: Patrício; Saïss, Coady, Dendoncker; Jonny, Neves, Moutinho, Doherty; Neto, Jiménez, Traoré.

West Ham XI: Randolph; Cresswell, Diop, Ogbonna, Zabaleta; Rice, Noble; Snodgrass, Lanzini, Fornals; Haller.

Everton XI: Pickford; Digne, Holgate, Mina, Coleman; Bernard, Delph, T Davies, Walcott; Kean, Calvert-Lewin

2,126 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Dr. Agabuse
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Saka is having a huge game

  2. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Cant even remember last time any of my players scored...

  3. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Wolves goal

    1. _Ninja_
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Neto g traore a

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

    Haaland hattrick

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

      Wow

  5. BNMC
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Haland would have been an FPL gem.

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

    Neto G

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

    Pedro Neto!

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

    Great, McCarthy. Not even Jimenez

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

    Erland hatick now, wow

  10. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Traore assist

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      NOOOOOO. Benched.

      1. Fred54
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        ????

  11. Chandler Bing
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Haaland 20 minute hattrick in his Dortmund debut. OFF THE BENCH!

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

      Stuff of legends

  12. Collie01
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Jimmy assist?

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

      Traore A

      1. Collie01
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Thanks

  13. jimmyabs1987
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Ok Aguero, please score now

  14. Camzy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    They have to drop Sterling. He's utterly useless. Why would they drop an in-form Mahrez for him?

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

      Pep thinks he knows best and loves Sterling.

    2. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Agree.

      Pep losing the plot

    3. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Pep doesn’t know who is in form?

  15. Gobigorgohome
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Traore assit?

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

      Should be

  16. WVA
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    FFS McCarthy clean sheet gone

    1. Colonel Shoe 肝池
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      🙁 typical

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

      the gw that just keeps giving

  17. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Need an Ings brace to save my season

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

      Dont wish injury on a player, even if you don’t own.

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

    Haaland is only on loan from United to Dortmund, right?

    1. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Correct

  19. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Jimmy and Ings not playing?

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

      Hahahahahahah

    2. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Would have been better off...

  20. dshv
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Guys Help

    Jimenez and rico for DCL and VAN. DIJK ??

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

      Yes

  21. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Played Stephens over Holgate 🙁

  22. Zilla
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Haaland was subbed on at 56, hattrick by 79.

  23. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Jimmy and McCarthy owner RIP

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

      Same here..

    2. WVA
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      This

  24. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Tosun close

  25. WVA
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    The more casual you are in this game the better

  26. El-Kloppico
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Tosun wagon about to leave

    1. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Wait
      I’m packing now

  27. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Benched Traore for grealy... score now yah muppet...

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

      This!!

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

    We got Man City on the ropes, come on lads.

    1. Dr. Agabuse
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      you always do at the etihad

  29. aborg
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    ....and that’s why I did not bring in McCarthy for Ramsdale for a hit this GW !

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

      not did I - brought him in for Gazza the previous gw

  30. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Damn, a Traore in for bonus too. Painful benching.

    1. Dr. Agabuse
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      oua