Dugout Discussion

Holgate and Sidibe benched as Everton face Palace in Gameweek 26 opener

The first of ten Premier League matches in as many days takes place between Everton and Crystal Palace, with Gameweek 26 getting underway at Goodison Park at 12:30 GMT.

Carlo Ancelotti has delivered a blow to owners of Mason Holgate (£4.5m) and Djibril Sidibe (£5.4m), with both of those defenders only among the substitutes.

That is Holgate’s first benching since Gameweek 9, with the budget Fantasy Premier League asset losing his ever-present record under his new manager.

Michael Keane (£5.2m) and Seamus Coleman (£5.3m) come in at centre-half and right-back respectively, with Bernard (£6.4m) ousting Alex Iwobi (£5.6m) on the left flank.

Ancelotti’s other change is an enforced one, with Morgan Schneiderlin (£4.4m) replacing the suspended Fabian Delph (£5.3m).

Richarlison (£8.1m) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.1m) again form a two-man strike force for the hosts.

Speaking of his line-up changes, Ancelotti said:

We need more of everything. More quality, more intensity, more pressure, more concentration. It’s not easy to pick the line-up but I want everyone to be involved and the players accept my decisions.

The Palace team news is nice and easy to digest, with the Eagles unchanged from their defeat to Sheffield United last weekend.

Martin Kelly (£4.3m), who lost his place to Joel Ward (£4.3m) in Gameweek 25 anyway, is absent with a minor calf injury.

Vicente Guaita (£5.0m) is between the posts again after his clanger against the Blades, with Roy Hodgson saying:

You don’t drop first-choice goalkeepers because they’ve made one mistake – it can happen to anyone. We’re very happy with him and very happy he’s playing today.

Palace are without a clean sheet since Gameweek 16, which is the longest barren streak in the top flight at present.


Everton XI: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne, Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Walcott, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Ward, Tomkins, Cahill, van Aanholt, Milivojevic, McCarthy, McArthur, Zaha, Ayew, Benteke.

1,580 Comments Post a Comment
  1. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    DCL get in

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

    YARSSSSSS

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

    Lol why sub Holgate man ffs.

  4. SHOOTER MCGINN
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Sold DCL a week early. Brilliant.

  5. FPL Pillars
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Palace suck my balls

    1. Bun Rab
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Thats nice of them.

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

    no way richa is still at everton next season

  7. Peter Ouch
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Great start in my WC dumping Dcl haha

    1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Same did not see that coming thought it would be a tight game

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

    Rich 3 baps due to winning goal and DCL 2?

    1. @persecuted_by_mods
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Yup

      • TyroneGAA
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Naw dcl 3

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

      Guess this was the wrong GW to play the WC after all.

      1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Only one game gone bit melodramatic.

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

          Yeah, but it happens every time I play the WC – without exception.

          1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            Sure if you knew that you should never wildcard! 😀

            I got rid of DCL as well overall if you get half decent luck - the wildcard should be an improvement based on the fixtures in the net few game weeks.

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

              I must admit I've briefly considered burning a WC due to my track record with them. But then there's injuries and factors that leaves you with no choice; yet the original team somehow manages to pick up points – sometimes more than the WC one, over a number of GWs.

              I hope it will be an improvement in the long run! Team looks much more solid now at least.

              1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
                • 14 Years
                4 years, 2 months ago

                After looking at how I wildcarded so far - maybe I should have burned the wildcard myself!

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

                  I had to laugh when the double Sheffield U defence conceded and Lundstram came on to score!

                  It's 31 from 5 with the pre-WC team, and 3 from 2 with the WC team now.

    3. Ninja Škrtel
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Have both Richarlson and Lewin. I'm happy.

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

      Guiata is just crap. Might as well leave him for Newcastle home though

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

      Totally loving it yes. only one to own DCL in my ML

    6. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Anyone got Rich and DCL?

      1. Ninja Škrtel
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Yes.

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

      Where’s Bhuna?
      He took out DCL for Long

    8. Kushal
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Best lundstram replacement?
      5.4 budget

      Keeping in mind the blank gw

      1. Crystal Alice
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Ritchie on corners and set pieces

    9. badgerboy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Maupay over DCL 3 weeks ago continues to haunt! 😀

      1. Tsparkes10
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Try it 6 weeks ago lol

        1. badgerboy
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          😀

      2. @persecuted_by_mods
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Aguero hasn't fared much better, hopefully he hammers the hammers

        • Gizzachance
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Maupay had me one assist since I got him, no show last week!
          Not sure on him today either
          Had other fires to put out

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

        DCL misses a sitter

      4. how now brown cow
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        DcL miss

      5. Bun Rab
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        DCL Misses sitter. Ruins Rich A

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

        DCL BIG Miss!

        Christ.

      7. SirStevieG
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        DCL NOOOOOO

      8. Jebiga
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Dcl almost what a sitter 🙂

      9. Chucky
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        DCL big sitter

      10. Am sorry to say again it�…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Dcl misses a sitter, Richarlison looked dangerous all game

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

        there goes baps

        1. IRBOX ⚽
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          3 down to 2 for sure

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

          just one

      12. HD7
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Not sure whether to be happy with DCL now 😀

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

        Still gonna do DCL to Jimenez. Thanks DCL for the points but it's time

        1. HD7
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Yep same move

      14. My heart goes Salalalalah
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        DCL howler right in front

      15. Maddi Son
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Patience being rewarded always feels the best. Selling DCL this week was a knee jerky newbie move.

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

        DCL owners beyond lucky. Done f all all game. That miss at the end just shows his true quality.

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

          agreed

        2. SirStevieG
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Hi non owner

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

          How? He's consistently been one of the top players for shots in the box since Carlo arrived. Also keep in mind that he's only 6m.

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

          Unlucky, he should have scored tbh

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

          yawn

        6. Vlad Tepes
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          He is still got an amazing talent, always at the right place

        7. IRBOX ⚽
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Sucked in for not owning really. So much shite

        8. DandyDon
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          He gets on the end of more chances than many other strikers. same reason I brought in Ings alongside him this week. DCL had a decent run of games, been delivering but will still sell soon, probably to Abraham who also misses half his chances but with better fixtures so no brainer

        9. Old Man
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          He's a jolly good chap, but a bit of a dickhead for a missing a sitter (or so you are all telling me).