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, 2 months ago

    Lund off

    1. BNMC
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      2 points banked, in case they concede again.

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

      I stupidly played him over Traoré

    3. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Rested for Manchester City...

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

    CMOON Lundy, Grealish, Traore, INGS

    1. Champions League Varane
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Lund off

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

      lol. lund just left

  3. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Mark got rid of Jimmy & Traore this week... for a hit...

    Ouch

    1. Party time
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Mark knows

        1. Yozzer
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Hes been poor this season. Terrible decisions

          1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            At the end of the day we only really make about 50-ish decisions in any FPL season

            Select our GW1 team
            Decide on 38 free transfers
            Choose two wildcard teams
            Choose 3 chip strategies
            Make 0-10 extra transfers for hits

            50 is a pretty tiny sample in the grand scheme of things so it should very possible to have massively bad or massively good luck in a single season or two

            Obviously Mark’s overall record shows his FPL logic is generally sound as a pound - but I personally think his avoidance of Vardy this year was very odd

            1. Yozzer
              • 6 Years
              4 years, 2 months ago

              A good season requires a lot of luck. If you don't have it, it don't matter what you do. His failure to pick Vardy, KDB and his sterling ( C) punts have not been good decisions. Maybe he isn't looking at it 24/7 anymore and it's showing.

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

              Not if you do 100 transfers per season

      • pulpy77
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Who did he bring in?

        1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Sterling, captained him, and Ings

          Sterling goal & it doesn’t look as bad though

      • Yozzer
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        The luckiest player in the game has played all his cards. Downhill from here

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Hooked twice, benching coming for the Lord.

      1. Collie01
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Yeah, his place could be under threat.

    3. Robin Cook
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Haaland in for his first Dortmund game in 59th min with Dortmund trailing 3:1
      He needs 3 mins to score.
      At the end of match he has first hatrick in first game and Dortmund win 3:5. 😮

      1. UTD - HATED, ADORED, BUT NE…
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Pathetic. Hope he enjoys his mickey mouse league.

        1. Mikeharbrw
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Such salt....

        2. Regin
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Lol
          Bundesliga Mickey mouse league?
          U English r so arrogant

          1. UTD - HATED, ADORED, BUT NE…
            • 4 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            I’m American

    4. BNMC
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      @Kaptain Kane I said "DCL DCL DCL" earlier and it worked, so here goes again:

      Grealish Grealish Grealish

      1. Hy liverpool
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Yes please

      2. Amey
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Should have told me earlier when i had Sarr Son playing 😀

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

      Are DCL’s upcoming fixtures good enough?
      NEW wat CRY ars MUN che LIV.

      Even the first 3 aren’t super easy. Not like bou whu for Maupay... 😉

      1. BNMC
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        I'm holding.

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

        Simple switch to Maupay maybe?

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

          Well I’m getting one in for Jim

      3. Colonel Shoe 肝池
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        his form is good enough

      4. Baps hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Everton is better team

    6. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Pukki misses a one on one

      1. The 12th Man
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Aghh

    7. Dr. Agabuse
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Neto Wolves mid 5.0 nailed as a striker and second score in 3weeks

      1. Collie01
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Fixtures though.

      2. @persecuted_by_mods
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Was considering him but fixtures aren't good

        • Ze_Austin
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          ...have you seen the fixtures? Even for Wolves, that's quite the stretch

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

        I binned jimmy and dcl on my wild card lol everyone laugh at me please just laugh

        1. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Hahahahahhaha

          1. TyroneGAA
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            Thank you

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

          They've both been good though?

        3. Colonel Shoe 肝池
          • 12 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          understand jimi but not dcl

          1. TyroneGAA
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            I have aguero Vardy Abraham

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

          We’ve all done similar...

      4. Colonel Shoe 肝池
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        come on sidibe lad score please

        1. Champions League Varane
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          This pleaseeeee

      5. Ze_Austin
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        This is set up nicely for a Vardy haul

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Another hat-trick will do.

        2. Hiddenpaw
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Or Salah

      6. diesel001
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Arsenal feeling the pressure

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

        KDB my lowest scoring player, guess who i captained!

        1. Baps hunter
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Changed C from Vardy to him today...

      8. Bobby Digital
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Pukki 1on1, Ramsdale saved

      9. Gobigorgohome
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        city pen

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

        Ffs Kevin get an assist at least pal

      11. have you seen cyan
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        my bench is beating my team by one point and I have Rico and Zaha on my bench...

      12. Rainer
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Cancelo wins pen

      13. tucaoneo
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Casemiro double. Well done cappers.

      14. Dr. Agabuse
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Almost penalty arsenal. VAR says no. could have gone either way

      15. ZeBestee
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        City pen

      16. bialk
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Kun penalty

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

        Pen city

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

        How’s Maupay looked?

      19. Tasty Jerk
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        VAR again,ffs

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

        Pen City

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

        Va r

      22. Champions League Varane
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        City pen noooo 🙁

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

        No not Aguero anyone but Aguero