Dugout Discussion

Sterling benched as Guardiola subjects Man City to heavy rotation

Pep Guardiola has struck perhaps the cruellest rotation blow of 2019/20 as he benched a swathe of Manchester City assets for an appealing home match against Bournemouth.

Raheem Sterling (£11.8m), Kevin De Bruyne (£10.8m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.6m) were all among those selected to watch the initial proceedings among the substitutes.

That could prove a particularly disastrous development among the top 10,000 Fantasy Premier League managers with roughly 20% of them handing Sterling the armband for Gameweek 36+ and just over 10% opting for De Bruyne.

Gabriel Jesus (£9.8m) and Phil Foden (£5.5m) are among the fortunate souls to survive Guardiola’s infamous rotation policy, both named in the front-three alongside Bernardo Silva (£7.6m).

There will be plenty of attention on David Silva (£7.3m) who scored 17 points in his last home match against Newcastle.

The points potential for all Manchester City attackers has certainly taken a boost from the Bournemouth line-up, which features left-back Lloyd Kelly (£4.4m) filling in at centre-back again, this time alongside Steve Cook (£5.0m).

Meanwhile, not even Aymeric Laporte (£6.3m) could escape Guardiola’s roulette, selected on the bench to allow John Stones (£5.3m) and Nicolas Otamendi (£4.8m) to start together at centre-back.

Manchester City were not the only team to shuffle the pack for Gameweek 36+ with Wolves also making some alterations to key personnel.

Matt Doherty (£6.5m) has dropped to the bench, which means a start at right wing-back for Adama Traoré (£5.6m).

The FPL midfielder’s drop back to a deeper role has left a space open in the front-three, where Daniel Podence (£4.9m) joins Diogo Jota (£6.0m) and Raúl Jiménez (£8.1m).

Wolves face a Burnley side which still features Erik Pieters (£4.2m) in midfield and Jay Rodriguez (£5.7m) up-front with Chris Wood (£6.1m).

Finally, Spurs are in action at Newcastle, with their key Fantasy assets all in place, even Serge Aurier (£5.1m) whose family have faced a difficult week.

The right-back is joined in the team by Son Heung-min (£9.6m) and Harry Kane (£10.9m) while Newcastle go with a 4-2-3-1 formation in support of Dwight Gayle (£5.0m).

Full Line-ups

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

Wolves XI: Patrício; Saïss, Coady, Boly; Vinagre, Neves, Moutinho, Traoré; D Jota, Jiménez, Podence.

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Mendy, Otamendi, Stones, Walker; Fernandinho, Gündogan, D Silva; Foden, Jesus, B Silva.

Bournemouth XI: Ramsdale; Rico, L Kelly, S Cook, Stacey; J King, Billing, Lerma, Gosling, Stanislas; Solanke.

Newcastle United XI: Dúbravka; Yedlin, Fernández, Schär, Krafth; Shelvey, Bentaleb; Ritchie, Almirón, Saint-Maximin; Gayle.

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris; B Davies, Sánchez, Alderweireld, Aurier; Winks, Sissoko; Son, Lo Celso, Moura; Kane.

2,336 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I really really need a Salah blank..

    1. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      And a Martínez Cleanie would be lovely.

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

      ... and a TAA blank, and a Bruno blank

  2. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    10 points from 4 including captain 🙁

  3. Boomerang V
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Is Greenwood definitely out?

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

      Doubt so no

    2. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Not looking good. Apparently swelling on the ankle Romeu chopped down.

  4. SB007
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    ML leader does cap KDB vc Sterling.

    All of a sudden triple captain Pulisic looking alright.

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

    Wish city had held the clean sheet

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

    Salah & TAA are due hauls aren’t they?

    1. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      TAA. Salah can wait a week. 😉

    2. The Ejiptian King
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I got rid of TAA, haul incoming.

      1. have you seen cyan
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        My spidey sense is tingling for a TAA haul. Early FK goal and an assist

      2. Mingo
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Me too, last week for Azpi. It was a calculated gamble but super risky. A Salah hattrick with no TAA involvement in a 3-1 win would be delightful!

    3. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      last time I got rid of TAA was the Leicester game, 24 points

  7. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Hehe. Last gw Boly on bench, did not get the points. This week I am getting the points from bench and it is no surprise that the cs was lost on 90+6.

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

    Are the stupid 5 subs making teams all weird and conceding more late?

    1. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Maybe. Like an international friendly. The A side are good. The second string aren’t quite so.

    2. Pep bites Kun
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Which teams? Working for some, not working for others. What's your observation?

  9. Digital-Real
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Burnley one annoying team. Just p*ss off!

  10. Zimo
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Will kane be available for Leicester u think? What's the injury? Was watching the City-Bournemouth match

    1. Van der Faart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      He walked off fine. Think he was just winded.

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

        Oh cool nice. Thanks

    2. Benjustjamin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      yeh should be, took a heavyish rib hit heading the ball into the net, walked off fine

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

    Selling Jimmy was a mistake. DCL to haul now that I sold him

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

    I own treble wolves defence. The heartbreak of losing those points last minute against Sheffield United made me wise up and bench Patricio and Saiss this time though. I’ll take Dohertys points and run.

    1. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      It has been good for so long

    2. Lilac Breasted Roller
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      a penalty save would have been such a massive points swing

    3. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      treble of any team is too much

  13. Zimo
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Want spurs and sheffield to beat leicester

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

      Computer says No

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

    DSilva and Alonso in for KDB and Lescelles worked out, but VC Dilva still hurts

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

      Ugh i captained pulisic and vc silva too.

  15. Rover
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    7 from 4 players is not acceptable for a City game against Bournemouth

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      8 from 4 inc Sterling C, shite!

    2. elchilangles
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      they were lucky to get 3 points!

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

        Lol

  16. SmackMyBilicUp
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Probably the most frustrating game of football I've had to endure with sterling as my captain.

    And there was people last night thinking captaining pulisic was a failure.

    1. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Not as bad as having 3 Son(TC) points a few weeks back. Lessons for next season

      1. SmackMyBilicUp
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Does make me feel slightly better. Thank you.

  17. Boomerang V
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Sterling C was massively damaging but owning Dilva, Doherty and Jimenez are still giving me a green arrow

  18. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Ederson and Otamendi owner 🙁 🙁 🙁

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

      how about Kane?

  19. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Anyone considering Stanislas to replace Pulisic?

  20. Nightf0x
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Martinez
    Taa sais long (taylor lascels)
    Kdb mane bruno sterling (puli)
    Jimi rash greenwod

    Which?
    A) grenwod mane -4 to ings/wilson martial
    B) jimi to ings
    C) taylor (if injury is bad) to pieters/bardsley
    D) taa greenwod -4 to pieters/bardsley ings/wilson

  21. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Rock n Roll "Hurricane" on the last gws is an FPL rule

  22. Lilac Breasted Roller
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Well, those were a bit underwhelming 'easy haul games' vs norwich and bournemouth. Bournemouth put up a lot bigger fight than expected.
    Happy with Vardy->Jesus I suppose, as long as Vardy blanks.

    Jiminez shows just how reliable he is. Definitely no longer considering getting him out, as tempting as other pastures like ings might look

    1. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      2 weeks ago everyone was selling him...

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

    Just can't get a captaincy decision right since lockdown!

    1. elchilangles
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I haven't been able to get one right since GW1!

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

    Changed Kane and d.silva to Jesus and martial two mins before deadline on free hit. This game can be very cruel

    1. Pep bites Kun
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      What was your reasoning? If you had decided on Kane & Silva, what was the criteria for such a rapid change of tactic?

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

        He told me his free hit team and I bottled it

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

    Was all set on Foden captain all week but bottled it last minute and went to Fernandes.

    Given how this season is going it’s very likely Fernandes is sent off tomorrow. Sorry In advance owners

  26. Mr Arsenal
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Refereeing and Man United.

    Football’s greatest love story.