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. Henning
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    What to do with Jimenez?

    1. drughi
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      I'm shipping for vardy, wolves are done

      1. Henning
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 10 months ago

        Have Vardy and Greenwood. Maby Son and Jimenez to William/Pulisic and Aubameyang?

  2. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Wow, Doherty + Patricio worked out well then.

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Nice

  3. Reg83
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    hopefully mane doesnt come on at all. if so, dcl my first sub

    1. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Same here, but I don't know why you're expecting anything from DCL lol

      1. Reg83
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 10 months ago

        i am not really. hopefully he can surprise. taylor 3rd on my bench!

    2. nerd_is_the_werd
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      I'd rather have 30 minutes of Mane than 90 minutes of DCL.

  4. Babelcopter
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    I’m not having this! City 5 goals and KDB 1 assist. Fecking joke! Belgian fraud.

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Silva and Foden the frauds. Missed sitters from KDB assists.

  5. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    You cannot deny this game is 100% luck surely!?
    I have had the worst possible luck for 90% of this season, been a nightmare.

    1. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      I’d hate to break it to you

    2. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      It is not 100% luck. But I reckon 30% luck. And actually that is quite a lot of luck.

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 10 months ago

        way more than that lol. Probably 90% luck between managers that actually put in effort. Of course compared to absolute droolers its mostly skill

    3. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Luckfantasyfootballhorseshoe.com

    4. Manani
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      not sure what rank you are, but luck for top 50k maybe.

  6. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Early transfer thoughts.

    Salah to Sterling
    Salah to Mahrez
    Save???

    1. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Sterling

  7. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Did Lund to Taylor this week

    Finally a bit of luck!

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Bravo

  8. drughi
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Had egan for the dgw, 3 points then now he is wiping out my CS. NR 1 on my current hate list

  9. JONALDINHO
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Does everyone’s mini league rival have Egan and no wolves defenders?

    1. JabariParkersEyelid
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Apparently.

    2. SuperMane Returns
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Mine has double Wolves defence.

    3. One More Hit
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Yes, I'm 2nd, but third and fourth both played him. Makes a mockery of my double Wolves defence too.

      First played his free hit and obviously got rid of Mane, brought in Pulisic etc

  10. Mweene
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    I need Salah and TAA to go huge tonight and mane something off the bench or my season is over.

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Salah will explode. TAA is kind of irrelevant unless if he is your captain...

  11. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Should be NO BAPs for Pope.

    1. drughi
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      7 points is enough

    2. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      What? What? What a shame

    3. Champions League Varane
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Get in

    4. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

    5. the snazzy viking
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      feels like one of my players has got an assist

      get in

    6. Forza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      :mrgreen:

    7. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      1 Shirley?

  12. Kodap
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    I own Jimmy & Doherty,

    Got 2FT... what do i do?

  13. Pino
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Damn double Wolves defence. Fell from 18k overall to 28k because of single goal.

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      That's why I said if you have only 1 Wolves defender it doesnt matter unless you get attacking return

  14. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    A sea of disappointment and the only player I expected nothing from gets a 12 pointer. Thanks Charlie

    1. badgerboy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      FPL in a nutshell.

  15. FPL Blow-In
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Feel like packing it in after that. Such a sickening punch into the stomach.

    1. TheDragon
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Ye me too - that’s the final straw this season

  16. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    1bp for KDB hopefully 🙂

    1. SuperMane Returns
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Deserves 2 baps for 5 wasted 'assists'

  17. The Ejiptian King
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Foden(C), Mahrez and Jesus, another captain fail to add to the pile, great.

    1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Another day Foden gets a brace there its just unlucky

      1. The Ejiptian King
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 10 months ago

        Yeah I know but it's been happening to me all season, oh well.

  18. Ted Bovis
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Just noticed all Sky pundits wear matching shoes apart from Ashley Cole.

  19. Reg83
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    taylor sitting nicely 3rd on my bench.

    atleast wolves conceded last minute- saiss was 2nd on my bench

  20. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Why do I always play Stevens and bench Egan? 🙂

    1. The Train Driver
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Before last week Egan hadn't scored a goal for 72 games...

      1. Pep Roulette
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 10 months ago

        That's what makes me keep him on the bench! But hasn't worked out well for me! Anyway I'll still play Stevens over him!

      2. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 10 months ago

        Its like waiting for a train then you and your mate both show up

      3. GreennRed
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 10 months ago

        His Dad was well able to find the net 🙂

        https://youtu.be/SNEF0Qq1Vo8

  21. TheDragon
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    That city game 5-0 with no Foden and KDB involvement and wolves double clean sheet gone last minute

    That’s sums up my season.

    Absolutely raging.

    Think I’m done for this year

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      You were done months ago. Got to hope your luck changes in the new season. Do some voodoo or something. Might help

    2. SEXY SOLO SAUCE FOR THE LAS…
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Think KdB got an assist

    3. The Ejiptian King
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Join the club mate.

      1. TheDragon
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 10 months ago

        Another day Foden gets 20 points that game

  22. Somar
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT EAGEN JUST GOT ME A GOAL AND IS ON 15 POINTS. MY GOD!

  23. JJeyy
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Egan into never bench never sell territory

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      The last two weeks yeah, he's got his moments

  24. Tinkermania
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Does anyone think that DASILVA has played his way into the first 11 in games that matter?

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

      I think he may need to be sent out on loan

  25. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Double Wolves defence hurt but atleast I got Egan coming on for Alonso...

  26. shaunyjames
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Egan 1st on bench for 2nd week in a row 🙁

  27. SEXY SOLO SAUCE FOR THE LAS…
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Well, quite happy with that as a non KdB captainer!

  28. michaelington
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Salah benched next week then?

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 10 months ago

      Maybe unless he insists on golden booth 3 times in a row

  29. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    Jimenez and Doherty last chance this week and only that I already made transfers they would be gone!

  30. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 10 months ago

    This EO% concept kind of ruins the fun