Dugout Discussion

Alexander-Arnold starts for Liverpool as £4.0m Leeds defender features

Liverpool come into the first Premier League match of 2020/21 with their strongest key players all involved from the off.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m) has not turned out for the Reds since the end of last season, missing out on pre-season friendlies through injury, but he starts against Leeds United.

While he was not fit enough to go on a summer tour with his club, the right-back did get some game-time in while away on international duty with England.

Naturally, he is joined in the back-four by the usual suspects of Andrew Robertson (£7.0m), Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) and Joe Gomez (£5.5m) while Neco Williams (£4.0m) misses out on a place in the match-day squad entirely.

Mohamed Salah (£12.0m), the second-most-captained player of Gameweek 1, starts on the right-hand side of Liverpool’s front-three, as do Sadio Mané (£12.0m) and Roberto Firmino (£9.5m).

In their first Premier League game for 16 years, Leeds line-up in Marcelo Biela’s favoured 4-1-4-1 formation.

The key Fantasy talking point is a start at centre-back for Pascal Struijk (£4.0m), although it remains unclear how long he will last in the team. The budget defender takes the place of club captain Liam Cooper (£4.5m) who is unexpectedly absent from the squad today.

The Scottish international’s late injury means a centre-back pairing of Struijk and new signing Robin Koch (£4.5m) for Leeds, while Stuart Dallas (£4.5m) and Luke Ayling (£4.5m) are set to staff the full-back positions.

Patrick Bamford (£5.5m) has been trusted with a start at Anfield, keeping new signing Rodrigo Moreno (£6.0m) on the bench while key man Pablo Hernández (£6.0m) is also in from the beginning, joined in midfield by Mateusz Klich (£5.5m), Jack Harrison (£5.5m) and Helder Costa (£5.5m).

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Robertson, van Dijk, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold; Keïta, J Henderson, Wijnaldum; Mané, Firmino, Salah.

Leeds United XI: Meslier; Dallas, Struijk, Koch, Ayling; Phillips; Costa, Hernández, Klich, Harrison; Bamford.

Best players by position:

2,446 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Ginkapo FPL
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Next week when Leeds arent attacking solely down the left side and arent manmarking Mane it may well be a different story. Marathon not a sprint.

    1. Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Really impressed by Ayling's performance. Had Mane in his pocket, and looked threatening going forwards. Seemed to be everywhere...

      1. Garlana
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        I was impressed with the hairstyles, a very stylish team.

    2. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      That’s why I got Rodrigo. Hoping he gets a start and gets off the mark next week.

  2. Podge
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Sterling got an opening day hattie last year then did feck all for about 2 months

    1. Niho992
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      OkKkKkKk

    2. ilikewud
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      You're not wrong

    3. The Mandalorian
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Sterling isn’t called Salah for a reason

    4. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Salah hater?

  3. fauxfatale
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Sorry newbie post. Where can i see the transfers in and out of players and see who is likely to increase in value?

    1. Mighty Banana
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Don't be sorry 🙂

      http://www.fplstatistics.co.uk/

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

    2 - Virgil van Dijk has made two errors leading directly to a goal in his last four Premier League games, more than he registered in his first 154 appearances in the competition (1). Lapse.

    1. @persecuted_by_mods
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Won it all now, can relax

      • Sgt Frank Drebin
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Clearly in decline.

    2. kinghenry14
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      early thoughts for next week? 0.5 itb

      mccarthy
      tierney davies justin
      salah auba son zaha asm
      werner ings

      A) ings -> martial as planned
      B) save FT and then after gw2 ings auba -> bruno kun

      cheers

      1. Podge
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Captain Werner 😉

      2. Totalfootball
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Wow , what score did u get this week ?

        1. kinghenry14
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          65 from 6 including C and bonus

      3. Boywiththesoupdragontattoo
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Nice team, nothing really needs to change so I’d say B. It’s a great plan for getting a top quality differential in Kun, but gives you the chance to get another look at each team / identify fires / see City once etc and switch to someone else if needed.

    3. Threat Level Midnight
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Going no Pool attack don’t I don’t have to feel this way all year. Mane to Bruno and never looking back.

    4. Orbiter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Will the player prices change tonight? Thanks.

      1. King Sheep
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Was gonna ask this too, anyone know when the first player rises/falls will be?

        1. Big boy Bowen
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Google fplstats

        2. Mighty Banana
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          In theory, first opportunity for changes is tonight. 2/3am BST I think

    5. @persecuted_by_mods
        3 years, 6 months ago

        I thought you guys were just joking but it actually seems some are serious

        Salah in decline is a literal fact in fpl points terms, it doesn't mean he can't hit the first season heights again, it doesn't mean he's crap, it doesn't mean he's not good. It just meant year on year his score declined, jeez. That's pretty much all that poster said if I recall correctly, happy to be proven wrong if he went ott and said Salah is crap or something but I don't think he did

        Salah (C)

        1. Sgt Frank Drebin
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          That's the error of drawing any conclusion from small samples (like 3 seasons) 🙂

          1. Manani
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            by that logic, we also can't draw conclusion that Salah is a better FPL pick than Stephens, as we only got a small sample size of 3 seasons

            1. Sgt Frank Drebin
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              In this case you have a sample size of over 100 games. If you draw a conclusion that Salah will score fewer points this season than last because he's got fewer points in 2 consecutive seasons, that reasonig is very flawed imho

        2. Mighty Banana
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Not this again.

      • Sgt Frank Drebin
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        I know it may sound mean, but I want Antonio not to score. Transfered him out in the last minute and I wouldn't stand another 4 goals. Those missed oppurtunities hurt the most...

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

          Meany

        2. @persecuted_by_mods
            3 years, 6 months ago

            I hope they put you away for this

            1. Werkself
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 10 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              🙂

          • Werkself
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 10 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            It's not mean to wish a player doesn't score. It IS mean to hope he gets injured so he doesn't score.

            1. Mighty Banana
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 4 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              This ^

              Instead, cheer for a red card that doesn't result in injury 🙂

              1. Werkself
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 10 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                I hope they miss the team bus.

            2. Sgt Frank Drebin
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              What about scoring an own goal? Or missing a penalty?

              1. Werkself
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 10 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                Negative points. Even better!

          • The Mandalorian
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Bady

        3. Weeb Kakashi
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          No Salah. Although sticking to the strategy.

          McCarthy
          TAA Digne Tierney Ayling
          Auba (C) Havertz Alli
          Werner Martial DCL

          Vinagre 4.5 4.5

          Ings>Martial is the transfer to be made.

          1. @persecuted_by_mods
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Targeting Palace to stop your strikers scoring? 🙂

              1. Weeb Kakashi
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                Thats the worry actually. But i had preplanned it. So wilk likely go with it.

                1. @persecuted_by_mods
                    3 years, 6 months ago

                    I'm just messing, good luck not like Southampton can attack like Utd can. Giving Ings more time myself

              2. DRIZ ✅
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                Ouch

            • Son is Rising
              • 13 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              No United and feeling pretty good for next week. Palace looked organised.

              1. TorresMagic™
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • Has Moderation Rights
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                GK saved them big time.

                1. Weeb Kakashi
                  • 8 Years
                  3 years, 6 months ago

                  Agree. The Adams save was great. Even the Ings one at the end.
                  United also are different quality. Plenty of creativity to open up that Palace defence.

                2. pingissimus
                  • 5 Years
                  3 years, 6 months ago

                  Because he's one of top 6 or so keepers in the Prem. Does it regularly

                  14 cs in last 28 against non top 8. It's something you can plan for

              2. _Ninja_
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 13 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                Palace also won at OT last season

                1. pingissimus
                  • 5 Years
                  3 years, 6 months ago

                  And put 2 past Chelsea at the end of the season 😀

              3. Garlana
                • 9 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                It was easier when they went 1-0 ahead. I still think Utd will smash them, hope others will be thinking this though as hopefully less will go with Martial

            • Pukkipartyy
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Is Rashford worth 2mil over Greenwood?

              1. Mighty Banana
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 4 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                Yes

              2. kinghenry14
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                on pure comparison and without any context i would say yes

                but i find martial for 9.0 better

            • Mighty Banana
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 4 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Carroll gonna haul 😆

            • @persecuted_by_mods
                3 years, 6 months ago

                Interesting to see Mane takes 0 flack for a performance like today, guess everybody always wants to come for the king (Mo)

              • Sgt Frank Drebin
                • 7 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                To think there is such high onwership in a West Ham - Newcastle game... Not gonna lie, I would be very thankfull for a 0-0 draw.

              • Orbiter
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 3 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                Everyone dropping players tonight before man u/man city players prices go up?

                1. Sgt Frank Drebin
                  • 7 Years
                  3 years, 6 months ago

                  I don't think they're going up, tonight, far from it

                  1. Orbiter
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 3 Years
                    3 years, 6 months ago

                    When are the prices going up? any ideas? trying to figure out when to pick up a couple of players.

                    1. Sgt Frank Drebin
                      • 7 Years
                      3 years, 6 months ago

                      Check out this site http://www.fplstatistics.co.uk/

                    2. Harrypottermus
                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                      • 13 Years
                      3 years, 6 months ago

                      The first week always has a lag in order to build up sufficient Transfers In - Transfers Out. You can monitor progress on https://www.fiso.co.uk/crackthecode.php and http://www.fplstatistics.co.uk/

                    3. ManofKent
                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                      • 13 Years
                      3 years, 6 months ago

                      We haven't a clue - sometimes they lock them at start of season.

              • Garlana
                • 9 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                Only having soucek in this game is worrying...yes I'm worried about Newcastle and west ham assets...what a sad life I lead.

                1. Andy_Social
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 6 months ago

                  Yeh, It's nearly 2 am here and I'm really tired. But I've got Soucek and Wilson and I'm 19 points behind (with triple Chelsea at the end, mind)

                  1. Garlana
                    • 9 Years
                    3 years, 6 months ago

                    Went with Che adams and I'm looking myself I couldn't find the extra 0.5 for wilson.He worries me most

                    1. Garlana
                      • 9 Years
                      3 years, 6 months ago

                      Kicking myself*

              • Zladan
                • 6 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                Ings to Martial was the planned transfer.

                Need to assess Mitro situation. Surely he is expected to start next game. This was just a rest from Internationals, right?