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

    I absolutely hate you Aguero

  2. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    rank plummets

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

    Guiata owners in tears

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

    Guaita 🙁

    1. Champions League Varane
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      We were so close

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

        Yeah damn it

  5. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    ...and there goes my gameweek down the drain

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

    Palace CS was never gonna stand, just get a goal Ings!

  7. Drop Dead Tsimikas
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Of course Fleck scores.

  8. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Cheers Merson 😀

  9. Party time
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Kdb get the winner!!!

    • Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      What even is this week

    • TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Fleck ball in goal hole for the Sheffield Warriors

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

      Should’ve been Lund

    • diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Norwich the only team to keep a CS so far in the 15.00 KOs

      1. Champions League Varane
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        And of course Hanley doesn’t play

        1. HonestBlatter
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          There he is...

    • beric
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Who said they got in fleck and aguero?

      Looking good now!

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Me. But I benched Fleck

      2. Drop Dead Tsimikas
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        One of two. Was considering Fleck for the longest time but just HAD to triple up on City with Mahrez.

    • BNMC
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      That Aguero goal dropped me 80k places.

    • Gobigorgohome
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      fleckkkk

    • Ady87
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      That Aguero goal and my Mahrez(c) is going to really hurt in my ML. Fml.

    • Effe
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Norwich the only CS left in all these 3pm kick offs

    • Bubz
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Kun cant be very highly owned in the top 10k? Whys everyone upset he scored

      1. kraftwerker
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Guaita owners?

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

        a fair few will have got him in off the back of his hatty.....its a tad annoying

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

          Even more annoying is that they got him cause they had Kane so all luck!

      3. FC Hakkebøf
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Because I picked the wrong between him and Sterling

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

        ML rival ranked 1800 exactly brought him in last week and captained him and again this week

      5. Yank Revolution
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        He had a lot of transfers in this week

    • Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Norwich the only clean sheet. Loooool

    • Drop Dead Tsimikas
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Right, well, at least that's not an entire week w@nked for me.

      1. FPL Blow-In
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        That can lead to blindness

    • SB8
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Clean sheets for everyone!

      1. FPL Blow-In
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Not for the post above

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

        Just 10 man Norwich.

        Shows how bad Bournemouth are lately

        1. InSaneMan-e
          • 10 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          They have been bad but they've been playing with 10 men longer....

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

      Of course Jimi Aguero and Grealish score, i mean why not

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

      For Fleck sake.

    • Maddi Son
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Wow finally did something right this week.... I hope.

      Vardy & Martial > Aguero(c) & Grealish

      Dire season so had to try something.

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

        Until Vardy plays...

      2. InSaneMan-e
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Surely have to see how Vardy does.

        1. Maddi Son
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          Lucky I wrote "I hope" in my comment then isn't it.

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

      Why did I bench fleck over Martial

      1. FPL Blow-In
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        He has not even played yet lad

      2. Hotdogs for Tea
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        because Martial is a better FPL asset ?

    • farmerfat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Hello darkness my old friend.....

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

      Aguerrrooooo C

    • Chucky
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      KDB and Ings involvement needed to save my season..

      1. FPL Blow-In
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Everyone has them anyway

    • Chenku╰☆╮
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      It's all over. Season finished