Dugout Discussion

Sterling benched as De Bruyne, Mahrez and Foden lead Man City attack

Pep Guardiola continues to ruffle the feathers of Fantasy managers as he named Raheem Sterling (£11.7m) on the bench for Manchester City’s Gameweek 34+ meeting with Newcastle.

The England international has been in decent form since the restart, returning double-figure hauls in both of his starts at the Etihad Stadium in that time.

But his 16.3% ownership will have to settle for, at most, an appearance off the bench tonight, where he has been selected alongside Kyle Walker (£5.6m).

Sterling’s place in the team has been taken by Phil Foden (£5.4m), snapped up by over 140,000 managers for Gameweek 34+ having averaged 11.3 points per game at home since the Premier League came back.

His backers will certainly be excited by the prospect of Foden playing in the front-three alongside Gabriel Jesus (£9.6m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.6m), support in midfield by the Gameweek’s most popular captain: Kevin De Bruyne (£10.8m).

However, Newcastle will certainly do their best to put their bodies on the line as Steve Bruce has gone with a very defensive-looking 5-4-1 formation.

It features Matt Ritchie (£5.3m) and Valentino Lazaro (£5.3m) on the flanks of midfield supported by fellow defenders Danny Rose (£5.3m) and DeAndre Yedlin (£4.4m) behind them in the full-back roles.

Still, they may find it hard to ask too many questions on the counter-attack with Miguel Almirón (£ 5.8m) on the bench and Allan Saint-Maximin (£5.5m) sidelined with a knock.

Sheffield United will be in good spirits as they host Wolves, with Jack O’Connell (£4.5m) finally back in the starting line-up for the first time since Gameweek 29.

Chris Wilder also has John Lundstram (£4.6m) at his disposal, recovering from his shoulder injury ahead of schedule to sit on the Blades’ bench.

Wolves come to Bramall Lane in the familiar 3-4-3 formation, featuring Diogo Jota (£6.1m) and Adama Traoré (£5.7m) either side of Raúl Jiménez (£8.3m), Leander Dendoncker (£4.4m) dropping to the bench.

West Ham are another team with key reinforcements arriving just in time for Gameweek 34+ as Sébastien Haller (£6.8m) has been deemed fit enough for a place on the substitutes’ bench.

Michail Antonio (£6.9m) retains his starting centre-forward berth for now, but it will be interesting to see what impact Haller will have from this point onwards.

The mid-price midfielder, with three attacking returns in his last two matches, is supported by an attacking midfield of Andriy Yarmolenko (£5.2m), Pablo Fornals (£6.0m) and Jarrod Bowen (£6.4m).

Still without Ben Mee (£5.0m), Burnley hand another start to Kevin Long (£4.3m) alongside James Tarkowski (£5.2m).

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Zinchenko, Stones, Otamendi, Cancelo; Rodrigo, De Bruyne, D Silva; Foden, Jesus, Mahrez.

Newcastle United XI: Dúbravka; Rose, Fernández, Schär, Krafth, Yedlin; Ritchie, Bentaleb, Shelvey, Lazaro; Joelinton.

Sheffield United XI: D Henderson; O’Connell, Egan, Basham; Stevens, Osborn, Norwood, Berge, Baldock; McBurnie, Sharp.

Wolves XI: Patrício; Saiss, Coady, Boly; Jonny, Neves, Moutinho, Doherty; D Jota, Jiménez, Traoré.

West Ham United XI: Fabianski; Cresswell, Ogbonna, Diop, Fredericks; Rice, Soucek; Yarmolenko, Fornals, Bowen; Antonio.

Burnley XI: Pope; C Taylor, Tarkowski, K Long, Bardsley; Pieters, Westwood, Brownhill, McNeil; Vydra, Rodriguez.

1,975 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Royal5
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Lol nice one Egan 🙂

  2. El-Kloppico
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Patricio over Pope making tears flow now

  3. LikeItLoveIt
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Noooo double wolves defence

    1. FreddyP3
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Same:(

      1. LikeItLoveIt
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Can't believe that

    2. Dybala10
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Glad I watched that heap of trash!

  4. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Started boly and Doherty

    Cruel

    1. Big_Andy_GAWA
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Saiss and Doherty here. I am gutted.

      1. LikeItLoveIt
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Yep me too

  5. Dacra
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Played Pat, benched Pope.

    Huzzah..

  6. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Wolves defence EO 95%
    So don't worry too much Doherty owners

    1. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      In top 10k?

    2. FPL Blow-In
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      What about Doherty, Saiss and Patricio?

    3. FreddyP3
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      And us with double up...

  7. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Egan again you have got to be kidding me! First on my bench like last week and also wipes out Wolves clean sheet. I really hate this game sometimes

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      It’s a joke, you don’t know this yet?

      1. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        It's unreal isn't it what can happen sometimes. Egan got sent off for me when I had him in my team. Then I stick him first on the bench and he gets 11 and 15 and and I don't get his points. Unreal.

  8. FPL Blow-In
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I knew it was too good to be true. 30 seconds from over 20 points. Bloody Jonny you useless git.

  9. Strchld
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    KdB, Foden, Mahrez, Jimi and double Wolves defence. Not happy at all..........

    1. Tempestic
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      At least mahrez scored...

  10. denial
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Saka O'connell Taylor bench

    1. Cowboy John
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Saka, Holgate, Taylor.
      Might give you a run for your money!

  11. faux_C
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Wolves concede! Finally something gone right this week.

    1. Niho992
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Well done mate !

      1. Pep Roulette
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Cheers mate!

    2. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Now you know what you should have been looking for

      1. Pep Roulette
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Hahaha I didn't think Sterling would come on from the bench!

  12. sunzip14
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Taylor first on bench 🙁

  13. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Wow, happy I benched Boly now

  14. JONALDINHO
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Martinez
    Trent • Doherty • Digne
    Salah • KDB • Bruno • Son
    Rashford • Jimmy • Greenwood

    Salah > Sterling the move?

    1. FreddyP3
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Jimmy to vardy

      1. JONALDINHO
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Don’t have the money

        1. FreddyP3
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          son to pulisic/willian -4

  15. Athletic Nasherbo
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Egan you beauty!

  16. Limbo
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    ML rival had double Wolves. I had Taylor. MWHAhaha.

  17. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    And now celebration time.
    Eagaaaaaan you beauty juhuuuuuuu.

    That is one hell of a good bench boost!!!

    Eagan and Hendo on the bench.

    Juhuuuuu

    Juhuuuuuu

    1. Limbo
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Yahoo?

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Oh dear

  18. teddypicker
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Chris Wilder said after last game Egan should have 10 goals this season and he's going for it...

  19. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    KdB(c) and double Wolves defence.

    Season ending stuff

    1. FPL Blow-In
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      *treble wolves defence

  20. krzys
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Double Wolves cleanie gone in the last minute.

    Patricio over Pope on wildcard was a disaster.

    1. Baps hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      We had bad timing 🙁

  21. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Boly & Swaiss Clean sheets gone in 93rd minute

    That was sheer cruelty 🙁

  22. Mattymo23
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    That Egan goal has cost me a 20 point swing with my rival

  23. TheDragon
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    See you next season

  24. SHOWSTOPPERRR
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Will kdb gets any bonus?

  25. Sgt. Schultz
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Egan 1st on bench with Basham playing. Same last week as well. Darn this Game!

  26. jimmyabs1987
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Why is everyone raving about pope MoTM but he isn’t even in BAPS!?

  27. jason_ni
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Gut wrenching.. ffs..
    Ml leader has Egan, I have double wolves def.
    He also has sterling who somehow managed to sneak a haul in 30 mins.

  28. Enzo the Baker
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    John Egan you beauty. 2 games 2 goals

  29. teneighty
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Triple Wolves with Patricio, Boly and Jimi not feeling great tonight.