Dugout Discussion

Jota and Firmino both start as Jesus returns for Man City’s clash with Liverpool

The Premier League winners and runners-up in each of the last two seasons clash at the Etihad this afternoon.

Manchester City v Liverpool gets underway at 16:30 GMT.

Debate has raged this week over whether Diogo Jota (£6.4m) or Roberto Firmino (£9.2m) would get the nod to join Mohamed Salah (£12.4m) and Sadio Mane (£12.0m) in the Liverpool attack but, in the end, both players start for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Barring any curveball formation choices, the Reds’ boss seems to have opted for a similar 4-2-3-1 set-up that he trialled in the Gameweek 6 win over Sheffield United.

Klopp has made two changes from last Saturday’s win over West Ham, with Jota replacing Curtis Jones (£4.4m) in one of those alterations.

Joel Matip (£5.4m) is in for Nat Phillips (£4.0m) at centre-half in the other.

Pep Guardiola has also made a brace of changes from Gameweek 7.

Gabriel Jesus (£9.3m) is back to lead the line, with the Brazilian making his first Premier League appearance since the opening weekend of the season.

Ilkay Gundogan (£5.4m) also returns to the heart of the City midfield, with Riyad Mahrez (£8.3m) and Bernardo Silva (£7.4m) making way.

There is again no place in the hosts’ starting XI for Phil Foden (£6.6m), who hasn’t started a league match since Gameweek 5.

It’s not often that we can say that the majority of City assets are differentials in FPL but that is the case at present, with Kevin De Bruyne (£11.5m) the only member of Guardiola’s squad who boasts a double-digit ownership.

They are even less popular within the top 10k, with Kyle Walker (£6.1m) – who sits in 8.15% of these squads – the most-selected option.

Salah is by some distance the most-owned player in this fixture, both within the top 10k (65.34%) and overall (46.9%).


Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Gundogan, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Torres, Sterling, Jesus.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Jota, Firmino, Mané, Salah.

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1,570 Comments Post a Comment
  1. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Shoooooot FFS

  2. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Excellent from Matip

  3. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Mane so good, hope he can do more

    1. Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      I thought you were a City fan?

  4. Egg noodle
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Sterling Foden in my XI. Robbo on the bench. FML

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

    Son against this defence next GW will be fun... captain material.

    1. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Yup, those gaps in behind with balls from Kane De Bruyne

  6. S.Kuqi
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Son -> Bruno(c) for free

    Yay/ Nay?

    1. Ha.
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      You’re sandwiched between to pro-Spurs comments

      1. Ha.
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        *two

    2. Nanoelektronicar
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Looking at the game vs WBA today, I don't think it will be walk in the park for United. That being said, in low scoring affair, Bruno can haul, goal and/or assist practically guaranties him three bonus points.

  7. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Keeping Kane is more appealing now

  8. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Selfish from sterling

  9. Hattrick Harry
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Sterling and scoring is difficult in same sentence

  10. Neevesy
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Pretty much gaurenteed Foden coming on right?

    1. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Yeah

  11. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Sterling is hilariously overrated. Technique like Diana Ross taking that penalty in the 94 World Cup opening ceremony.

    1. Nimby
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He's a million times better than you to be fair.

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

        I've already scored in this game mate.

    2. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Good positioning. Probably the best in the premier league at finding the right spot for a tap in

      Terrible technique and hardly ever takes on his man though

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

        Yeah his movement is fantastic that's why he scores a lot of tap ins. Always finds the perfect space for the cut back.

      2. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        The weird thing is he used to take them on

    3. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Haha great simile!

    4. Pep bites Kun
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      🙂 Harsh in the extreme. Diana hadn't warmed up

  12. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    How’s my gorgeous Trent looking?

    1. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Slightly

    2. Utopsis
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He actually looks more offensive today than he has most games this season

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Good stuff

  13. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Raheem the dream lol... more like Raheem the meme

  14. Baines on Toast...
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Backing city has done huge damage to my season already. I will not be doing it again this season.

    1. Baines on Toast...
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      They literally don’t create any chances.

  15. dark91
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Apart from pace, can someone explain why is Sterling a popular football player?
    Man can't finish and has awful decision making and passing

    1. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Check fpl history for a start... Then find some others with similar history and see if they are rubbish too.

    2. Je suis le chat
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Game intelligence and balance, the opposite of Walker.

      1. Utopsis
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        + Balance, great shout!

    3. Utopsis
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Electric pace, great feet, and his finishing has vastly improved. Still struggles with decision making though.

      1. dark91
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        His finishing was sooo bad and improved noe to maybe acceptable. Don't forget the amount of tap ins he scored vs the number of decent chances he misses

        1. Utopsis
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Yeah agreed - He can certainly improve his finishing, he just needs a masterclass from Son.

  16. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    David Silva such a big miss for this Man City team. But a lot of these players aren't as good as they were 3 seasons ago because of age/injury. Aguero, Walker, Gundogan, Fernandinho all regressed compared to how good they were. The 'youngsters' such as Bernardo, Rodri, Foden, Jesus just have not been able to reach those old guys levels.

    1. Nimby
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He scores 20+ goals every season in all comps. He's obviously one of the best players in the league and in Europe.

  17. Joyce1998
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    I've had an all right week

    McCarthy
    Taa, Ctaylor, Justin
    Salah(c), Sterling, Bruno, Klich
    Jimmy, Wilson, Dcl

    Steer, Alzate, Saiss, Mitchell

  18. Kodap
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Obviously waiting on this game..

    But how does Trent & Son > James & Fernandes for free sound?

    Would leave me 1.2m in the bank to upgrade Fernandes to KDB/Sterling once they start firing?

    1. S.Kuqi
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Sounds good to me

  19. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    OMG jesus

    1. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Demba can I have OMG Trent please next?

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        *Bemba even

  20. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Jesus. Some goal

  21. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Lovely goal.

    Jesus G
    KDB A

  22. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Great goal

  23. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Damn!!! Trent cleanie gone 🙁

    1. Utopsis
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      A clean sheet was always unlikely in this one tbf

  24. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Sexy goal by Jesus

  25. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    KDB assist?

    1. _Ninja_
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Yes

  26. Egg noodle
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Foden assist from the bench by any chance?

  27. Ógie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Lovely KDB assist 🙂

  28. Tasty Jerk
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Lovely, overpriced Liverpool defenders clean sheet wiped

  29. Hattrick Harry
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    TAA defense LOL

    1. Tasty Jerk
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      But seriously? people still have TAA/Robertson? wow.

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Check fixtures

  30. TorresMagic™
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    BTTS as expected.