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. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    The marking from Palace in City's second goal was dreadful.

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

    Any chance Maddison or mane get benched? Asking for a mate who benched jimi

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

      Very slim

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

      No. Both will play

    3. Party time
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Just tell him
        "Fuhgeddaboudit"

      • St Pauli Walnuts
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        My 'mate' is wondering if Mane or Salah will be benched, with Traore 10 pointer waiting in the wings. He was smart enough to play Jimi at least though!

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

      This season man, never known more of a joke of a season ever. It’s over, and the sooner it ends, the damn better.

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

        Everyone who’s having a bad season says that.. it’s a game, who cares? In June, fpl is done and it will be your last worry.

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

          True, but when you haven’t caught one good GW, just one, it grinds. Absolutely hate the game, and totally luck based. No skill involved what so ever.

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

            Then don’t play it.

    5. Regin
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Now I feel like a fool getting in Sidibe instead of holgate 2'weeks ago

      1. sunzip14
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Same

      2. Firminooooo
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        I had to go for Holgate so I could afford Aguero.

        1. The 12th Man
          • 10 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          Sometimes forced moves because of budget constraint is a god send.

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

      Brutal week. What’s LMS looking like?

      1. Van der Faart
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        12 is safety according to LiveFPL

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

          Thanks. Maybe still breathing but going to be close

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

      From 400k to nearly 100k
      2 great weeks from king kun cap

      1. Van der Faart
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        12 safety so far

        1. Van der Faart
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          Reply fail

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

        K

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

      when you see your rival has Fleck and Grealish

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

      Before I forget
      A massive thanks again to Harry Kane for getting injured.
      You were the inspiration and funding behind my Kun C Transfer 2 weeks ago.

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

        You still had to do it - think there were about 5 Kane sells to everyone Kun purchase ... think people were distracted planning for the dgw

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

          True
          Also I sold Vardy a few weeks back.
          Been hiding every week since

        2. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          Yeah and he was hardly inform before he got injured. Punt paid off, I never saw him exploding like this.

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

            Yep
            Saw an explosion but nothing of this nature

    10. Fozzyb34r
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Benched Grealish for Cantwell
      Sold Diop for Dunk
      Sold Jiminez for Maupay

      I love this game

      1. St Pauli Walnuts
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Apart from the middle one, I would have said they were bad moves without hindsight.

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

      He won't, but my god I hope Martial misses out tomorrow.

      1. Sun Jihai
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Can't see that happening lol

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

      If I wasn’t moving players to get Salah in then Kane -> aguero would have happened.

      Such fine margins

    13. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Baps final?

    14. Catastrophe
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Madness to do Rashford, Ings & Traore -> Aguero, DCL & Dendoncker (sub)? Kneejerky but leaves 0.0 ITB.

      Or Rashford & Vardy -> Aguero & Jimi/DCL...

      ...or ignore Aguero for now!?

      Cheers

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

        When Kun will be rotated to feck again when CL starts? Bad idea imo

    15. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      7 from 3 including C Kevin de blank......

      Traoré 10 points sitting first on bench.

      8 to play tomorrow.

      Dropped 200k ouch

      1. The 12th Man
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        31 from 6

    16. CMJC
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Wish I hadn’t of relied on Ancelotti and his Holgate “rest” comment : (

    17. Ze_Austin
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Gazz current highest scorer

      Just that kinda GW 😀

    18. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      13 from 6

      Captain still to play 😎

    19. Iwantmorepointsthanks
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Grealish first on my bench

    20. fplking14
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Lunstram + Jimmy > Deeney + Robertson worked horribly for me so far lol.

    21. Netters2018
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Worst week ever 15 pts and sold jiminez.....massive red arrow incoming