Dugout Discussion

Nketiah straight back in Arsenal team after suspension

Eddie Nketiah (£4.3m) makes an immediate return to the Arsenal team following his Gameweek 34+ suspension.

The young striker last a matter of minutes in the 1-1 draw with Leicester, in which he was sent off shortly after taking to the field as a substitute.

With that three-match ban out of the way, Mikel Arteta has thrown him back into the side for his first Premier League appearance since then.

Nketiah is joined in the attack by Arsenal’s key attackers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£10.9m) and Alexandre Lacazette (£9.2m), who start together again for the first time since the Gameweek 35+ defeat at Spurs.

As has become usual, Arteta has lined his troops up in 3-4-3 formation, Bukayo Saka (£4.7m) and Cédric Soares (£4.8m) providing the width as wing-backs on this occasion.

Aston Villa line-up in their customary 4-3-3 formation, Jack Grealish (£5.9m) and Trézéguet (£5.2m) flanking Mbwana Samatta (£5.1m) in attack.

With Watford losing heavily against Manchester City, Dean Smith’s men may have half an eye on goal difference, as they currently share the same figure (-27) with the Hornets and are three points adrift of safety.

Aston Villa XI: Reina; Targett, Mings, Konsa, Elmohamady; Hourihane, D Luiz, McGinn; Grealish, Samatta, Trézéguet.

Arsenal XI: Martínez; Kolasinac, D Luiz, Holding; Saka, Torreira, Ceballos, Cédric; Aubameyang, Lacazette, Nketiah.

1,311 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Will J 256
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Robbo and martial or Van Dijk and Fernandes?

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

      Fernandes has a 84% chance of winning or scoring a penalty.

      1. The 12th Man
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Rashford’s turn

    2. Duffy Dunk
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      1st

  2. Syd.
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Oh my

    He needs to be scoring those

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Definitely. That was game over and goodnight Watford if he scored.

  3. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Cue Arsenal goal... 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..

    1. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      This is why I'm not watching, following text updates online. Less stress.

      1. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        sorry to be wishing for a Nketiah goal. I'd rather Villa stay up, tbh.

  4. Amey
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    What a run by Grealish

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

    About my tenth FH draft but I do like this :
    Martinez
    Pieters long diop
    Salah kdb sterling dilva bruno
    Ings kane

    Also considering
    Salah Bruno diop to
    Mane martial 5.0 def (maybe Dawson?)

  6. JustPark
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Tbf, a bit tight angle to score from there on left foot.

  7. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    😮

  8. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    You have to be kidding me

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

      Sickner 🙁

      1. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        fine margins, mate

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

    So close! Woo-wee! C'mon, Villa!

    1. MYNAMEISBigtopmark.sman
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      It's nice to avoid relegation by 1 point gained unfairly huh

      1. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Eh?

        1. MYNAMEISBigtopmark.sman
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          You didn't see the goal they conceded in their goalless draw to the blades then?

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

            and there have been no bad decisions against us this season... try the point we lost with wrong call away at palace earlier in season when we scored for a start

            1. MYNAMEISBigtopmark.sman
              • 6 Years
              3 years, 8 months ago

              There are 'normal' bad decisions that happen to everyone and are part if the game. Your example is a case in point.

              Then there are the 'this has never happened before' bad decisions like the one I mentioned where goal line technology clearly failed for the first time since it was brought in.

              If that keeps you up, you should be ashamed. Clearly you wont be because you consider it fine in the context of bad decisions. Bias blinds us.

              I have no skin in the game. As a pool fan I give Rocks about Watford, villa and Bourne mouth. Honestly don't care who is relegated but I can objectively say that if you stay up by 1 point that is gross injustice and I would sue the premier league if I got relegated because of that debacle.

              I honestly hope you win your last game and Watford lose just so that blatant cheating by the premier league to keep villa up is not the reason you stay up but rather because you are the better team, which I think you are.

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

                I'm not even a Villa fan, but sorry your post is just nonsense. Why should they feel ashamed about it? How is it different than any other decision given by the referee?

                Just because it is a mistake that you don't come across often doesn't make it more unfair compared to other bad referee decisions. There have been plenty of clearly bad decisions on offsides (VAR system is not 100% time-sensitive on when the ball is kicked), penalties and red cards, all decisions that directly affect the outcomes of the games. The mistake in Villa Shef Utd match wasn't any different to those.

                1. MYNAMEISBigtopmark.sman
                  • 6 Years
                  3 years, 8 months ago

                  Asking questions that are clearly answered in the original post does not lead to good discussion but I will try my best.

                  Incorrect offsides decisions have been part of the game since its inception.

                  Incorrect goal line decisions have also been around but there is a key difference. The linesman must still make a call about offside that VAR checks. Yes VAR might be getting it wrong but the human component is still trying to get it right as best he can with the naked eye. Mistakes will happen.

                  Goal line technology has never been proven wrong before the villa game. The human eye did not even try to make a decision which is why the ref just kept pointing at his watch despite everyone including the villa keeper knowing the ball had crossed the line. Ref did you see the ball cross the line? It looked that way but my watch didn't go off so it couldn't have. My watch is never wrong.

                  Now if the ref was allowed to make his own call and then goal line technology checks it as with var and a mistake still happened then there would be congruency in your comparison.

                  However ref and linesman ignored what they saw in favour of previously infallible technology. This had never happened before! To say that it doesn't happen often is to misrepresent the facts in favour of your argument.

                  What happened in the villa game was a first and to claim otherwise is just dishonest.

                  They should be ashamed because they dont deserve to stay up. If they stay up by more than a point then fair enough. It made no difference. But if another club gets relegated because ofwhat happened in that match then I think they have every right to fight against an unprecedented mistake and the beneficiary of that mistake should keep quiet and hope for the best. Celebrating gross human error because it benefits you is shameful.

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

                    Just because it is a type of mistake that hasn't happened before doesn't make it more unfair than any of the other incorrect decisions. The source of the error doesn't make a difference. (although some offside decisions are misled by the system as well as referees are more inclined not give offside as they depend on the VAR).

                    However you try to phrase it, in its essence, it isn't any different from a decision that go against you because of an incompetent or a biased referee. Human error being part of the game since its inception doesn't make human error more acceptable compared to system error. In fact you could argue that system error is more acceptable as there is no subconscious bias built into the system unlike the human mind and there is a higher randomness factor in system error.

                    Just looking into the effort you put into your previous post, I'd suggest to agree to disagree on this point. I already have all the information I need to have an informed opinion on the matter as I'm sure you do as well. Feel free to reply if you want to but just trying to save you time on this as we obviously have completely opposite views on it.

                    1. MYNAMEISBigtopmark.sman
                      • 6 Years
                      3 years, 8 months ago

                      Ok. I get that I am not going to sway you and to be fair, you make some decent arguments.

                      However i choose to respond because i enjoy discussions not because i can convert the 'man across the table'

                      Subconscious bias could be argued to be worse than random system error. I accept that.

                      However in practice this does not appear to be so. VAR has been and continues to be vilified for every perceived incorrect decision because of the expectations involved. When you deal with humans, you expect some form of human error. We know we are not perfect and are prone to mistakes and so though we dont like it when humans get it wrong we can at least understand how it happened. This makes the outcome more acceptable.

                      The reason why I disagree with you is because the expectations for accuracy are raised when the computer makes the decision especially if the technology has been 100% accurate so far. VAR has been ranted over far more than poor referees because we expect more from VAR.

                      Another difference between VAR and goal line technology is that the latter has a proven track record and so the expectation for accuracy is even higher.

                      I would argue that most people would be far more incensed at falling foul to goal line technology than VAR or poor refreeing because we have come to expect poor refreeing and even poor VAR usage.

                      In 9000 games Hawkeye GLT had worked perfectly. That's 810 000 minutes of football. Who knows how long before the next error or if there will even be one.

                      Lastly I suppose what hurts more is that scoring goals is the hardest thing to do in the game. So when it gets incorrectly chalked off it is infuriating. I am still angry about Lampards goal at the world cup. I am still angry about Tottenham's disallowed goal when Roy carrol basically dived into the back of the net to get the ball out.

                      But as you say we are not going to see eye to eye on this one. But if you say you feel the same about all incorrect decisions then I can only raise an eyebrow. Some hurt more than others for me and I dont think I am alone.

      2. Duffy Dunk
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Sharp blade

        1. FOO FIGHTER
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Cat fight

  10. Danstoke82
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I need to get in Sterling + Kane for GW38 but how do I fit them? Was planning Dilva as well but a -8 seems a bit much considering I’m chasing in my ML.

    What to do here to get Sterling and Kane?

    Pope
    TAA Doherty Kiko (oh dear)
    Salah KDB Martial Fernandes
    Jesus Ings Greenwood

    Subs: Button Holgate Lascelles Hayden

    1FT £3.5ITB

  11. keefy59
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    If Villa had just one decent striker 10-12 goals they wouldn't be where they are now

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Wesley?

  12. Syd.
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Those goal posts at Villa Park are magical

  13. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    "Should really be scoring", as Nketiah out jumps Mings :/

  14. Amey
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Reina almost did a DDG 😀

  15. Nomar
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Wow!

    Football gods on Villa's side?

    1. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      They have been the far better team.

  16. BeaversWithAttitude
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Grealish like a bad rash... all over the Gunners!

    1. syke63
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Gunnereahea?

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

        Lmao. Eat your heart out, COVID-19!

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

    come on Villa!!

  18. Postman Ty
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    COVID: social distance and wear masks, don't touch your mouth.
    Reina: kisses football after a save.

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

      Lol, right? Where's his travel-size bottle of Purell? Tisk, tisk!

  19. yalala
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Arsenal are terrible

  20. Warby84
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Come on Villa, send those dirty hornets down..

  21. bigdip
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    TC choices:
    A) KDB
    B) Jesus
    C) Dilva
    D) Mane
    E) Salah
    F) Kane

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

      Salah

    2. Duffy Dunk
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      E

    3. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      got to be between Dilva, Salah, Kane

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

      G Sterling, got to be best choice?

      1. Fred54
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        G Sterling, nice Easter egg.

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

      David Silva

  22. Burger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Has the Auba GW38+ bagonwheel derailed then?

    1. Duffy Dunk
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Nah still one of the best picks

    2. JabariParkersEyelid
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Nah Watford are much worse, will still be keeping.

      For me casts more doubt on Antonio.

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

        Good stuff lads.

    3. Homer21
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Same as GW 37 bandwagon - currently derailling!

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

        Can always count on arsenal to disappoint 😆

  23. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    The person on the sound effects is having a 9/10 game.

    1. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Lol

  24. Homer21
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Somebody please tell me auba is imminent?

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

      Imminent 2 points

      1. FOO FIGHTER
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Ha ha

  25. Fred54
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Time just seems to have ground to a halt.

    UTV

  26. waltzingmatildas
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    A) kdb and diop
    B) martial and vvd

    1. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      B by quite some distance.

  27. bigdip
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    DDG (Martin)
    Bardsley VVD Pieters (Kiko, Lascelles)
    Mane KDB WILLIAN Bruno
    JESUS Greenwood Kane (Triple Captain)

    A) Mane -> Salah (-4 hit) (Triple Captain Salah)
    B) Willian & Mane -> Dilva & Salah (-8 hit) (Triple Captain Salah)
    C) Willian & Jesus -> Barnes/ & Auba (- 8 hit) (Triple Captain Auba)

  28. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Hooooooold.

    1. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Reminds me of the scene from Braveheart.

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

    Davies such a poor buy

  30. El Magico5
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Vardy >

    A) Kane
    B) Auba

    Going to captain either of them. Cant trust pep with sterling

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

      a

    2. Wild Card this!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      A