Dugout Discussion

Aguero and De Bruyne start but Mahrez benched for final Gameweek 26 fixture

The final match of Gameweek 26 is one that should have been contested ten days ago.

Manchester City v West Ham United was the only Premier League fixture to fall victim to Storm Ciara, with the postponed clash at the Etihad swiftly being rearranged for tonight.

This evening’s game brings to an end the longest Gameweek of the season (possibly ever?) and it could be one that has a significant bearing on many Fantasy managers’ overall rank.

Sergio Aguero (£12.1m) is owned by just 30.11% of the top 10,000, with over half of those having handed the armband to the Argentinean striker.

Whatever Kevin De Bruyne (£10.8m) does tonight will be less significant for his owners, with the Belgian’s effective ownership at 98.91%.

Both of those players start this evening.

Riyad Mahrez (£8.6m), the only other player from Pep Guardiola’s side who can boast an ownership of higher than 1% in the top 10k, is only among the substitutes.

Guardiola has made five changes in total from the side that lost 2-0 at Spurs earlier this month, with Aymeric Laporte (£6.3m), Benjamin Mendy (£5.5m), Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m), Bernardo Silva (£7.8m) and David Silva (£7.4m) all returning.

Fernandinho (£5.2m), Ilkay Gundogan (£5.2m) and Mahrez drop to the bench, while Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.2m) is suspended and Raheem Sterling (£11.7m) injured.

Leroy Sane (£9.3m) is not involved in City’s matchday squad despite a return to training.

Interest in West Ham’s FPL assets is more muted, with Robert Snodgrass (£5.2m) the only one of the Hammers’ squad who has an effective ownership of more than 1% among managers in the top 10,000.

Snodgrass keeps his place, with David Moyes making only one change to the West Ham starting XI that drew 3-3 with Brighton and Hove Albion over a fortnight ago: Arthur Masuaku (£4.2m) ousting Sebastien Haller (£6.9m) in what is clearly a signal of Moyes’ intentions this evening.

Felipe Anderson (£6.6m) returns from injury and is among the substitutes, along with new signing Jarrod Bowen (£6.5m).

The reverse fixture of this evening’s game ended 5-0 to City in Gameweek 1, with Sterling bagging a 20-point haul and Mahrez registering a hat-trick of assists.


Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Silva, Bernardo, Jesus, Aguero.

West Ham United XI: Fabianski, Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku, Rice, Noble, Soucek, Snodgrass, Antonio.

1,358 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Bet this ends a frustrating 0-0 in the end!

    1. beric
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Fingers crossed

    2. Whats the Huth
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      If Mahrez doesn’t come on. I’ll take that

  2. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    (As a Kdb capper) I feel like Jesus could be more clinical in his finishing.

    1. jtreble
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Nah, really. 🙂

  3. Eat my goal!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Poor pass

    1. CRAZY TRAIN
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      ...of wind?

  4. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Terrible Kev 🙁

  5. Stoic
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Jesus commiting sins

    1. Je suis le chat
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Hope he wept salty tears!

  6. supperspout
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    40mins left for kun

  7. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Kev in the mood!

    1. CRAZY TRAIN
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      ...said Sharon

  8. Je suis le chat
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Wish I'd a euro for every time a pundit uses the expression "modern day footballer"

    1. Alan The Llama
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      How many euros would you have?

      1. Hulk Smash
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Almost as many as a modern day footballer

      2. supperspout
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Probably less than 1k, crap wish really

      3. Je suis le chat
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        1000 euros just from Graham Souness alone, brilliant player but iffy pundit.

  9. Kevin Twine
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Who’s fav to take pens for city tonight?

    1. IRBOX ⚽
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Kun

    2. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Aguero

    3. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Ederson

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Imo

      2. Kevin Twine
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        I hope he is.

  10. potatoace
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Think Jesus has contacted Sterling's barndooritis

    1. jtreble
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Jesus had it first.

  11. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    That’s a pen!!

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Ogbummer

    2. HamezMace
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Offside, which was incorrectly given, so VAR can’t check the pen?

      Ogbonna had a handful of crotch!

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        He wasn’t offside

      2. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Sorry, misread 🙂

  12. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Kun mounted.

  13. aborg
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Is it me or is Aguero being lethargic to go after the ball in the penalty area?

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

      Yeah, he's looking really off the pace 🙁

      1. aborg
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Damn it....let’s pray for a penalty then

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

          Fingers crossed for you mate

  14. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    8th chance for City in 19 mins

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Kun

  15. Whats the Huth
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    I’m sad Mahrez hasn’t started. He would’ve scored two by now

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      3 I reckon.

  16. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    The poor sides had to cut short their winter break for this!

  17. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Keep the flag down.

    Armpits!

  18. Eat my goal!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Touchy feely

    1. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      I hope he buys him dinner

  19. IRBOX ⚽
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    How has VAR not given a penalty for that!?

    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Offside was given.

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Flag up.

    3. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Ridiculous how that's not given

      1. Hulk Smash
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Replay showed it was not offside

    4. TyroneGAA
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      I know so off side was called it’s ruled wrong and then he was fouled .. that is madness

    5. jtreble
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Yet another VAR failure. Crazy.

      1. jtreble
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Aguero onside.

      2. Ginkapo FPL
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Thats not a VAR failure. Rule failure

        1. jtreble
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Which rule?

      3. Scholes Out For Summer
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        How is that failure on VAR? clearly its on the ref who called the offside wrong...

  20. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Ederson on penalties !

  21. Vlad Tepes
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    How was that not a pen?

    1. HamezMace
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      From what I’m hearing, the offside flag went up, so VAR can’t check the pen.
      Even though he wasn’t offside.

    2. DaniCT
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Greetings Vlad The Impaler

  22. ZeBestee
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    VAR again.

  23. socho
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Sick of VAR.

  24. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    City look like scoring?

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

      Not with jesus getting chances.

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Multiple.

    3. potatoace
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Every 20 seconds

    4. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Yes, but have wasted all their good chances so far.

  25. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Not VARs fault.

    Incompetent officials at it again.

  26. have you seen cyan
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Ogbonna obstructing Kun like h passing through airport security with a toy gun in his, err pants?

    1. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Aguero could report Ogbonna for sexual assault for that...

  27. jtreble
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Who is the VAR referee today?

    1. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Klopp

    2. CRAZY TRAIN
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Zebidee

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

      Jurgeno Klupp.

    4. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Davide Moise

      1. jtreble
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Yikes.

  28. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Why do linesmen in Europe wait to see what happens before flagging but our stick it up straight away?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Egos.

    2. CRAZY TRAIN
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Said the actress to the bishop....

  29. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Heard a rumour that Gameweek 26 might actualy end tonight...is it true?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      It’s been 84 years...

    2. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      When are we gonna get points tho

    3. The Train Driver
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Legend says so, yes...

    4. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Oh it will end alright, all downhill for me do.

  30. I SPEAK ENGELS AND DRINK GI…
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    What is the best attacking trio you would have atm.?

    For me its Vardy-Jimenez-Ings

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Atm Kun Jesus and DCL. This game would have been fun