Dugout Discussion

Man City stick with false nine in first game without KDB

Raheem Sterling (£11.5m), the in-form Phil Foden (£6.3m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.1m) start in a front three for Manchester City in their first game without the injured Kevin De Bruyne (£11.9m).

Popular budget midfielder Ilkay Gundogan (£5.6m) is part of a midfield three, with Rodri (£5.4m) and Bernardo Silva (£7.4m).

John Stones (£5.1m) and Ruben Dias (£5.9m) hope to continue their impress partnership at centre-back, with Joao Cancelo (£5.8m) and Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.5m) at full-back.

Ederson (£6.0m) continues in goal.

Callum Robinson (£5.4m) is back up front for Sam Allardyce’s West Brom side.

Big Sam will be hoping Matheus Pereira (£5.6m) can continue his good form, alongside Karlan Grant (£5.8m), Robert Snodgrass (£5.7m), Jake Livermore (£4.7m) and Romaine Sawyers (£4.8m) in midfield.

Semi Ajayi (£4.8m) lines-up at centre-back with Dara O’Shea (£4.3m), with Kieran Gibbs (£4.3m) at left-back and Darnell Furlong (£4.5m) at right-back. Sam Johnstone (£4.5m) is in goal.

In the absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang £11.3m), Alexandre Lacazette (£8.3m) starts up-front for Arsenal.

Bukayo Saka (£5.3m), Emile Smith Rowe (£4.5m) and Nicolas Pepe (£7.6m) are supporting Lacazette.

Granit Xhaka (£5.2m) and summer signing Thomas Partey (£4.9m) start in centre midfield.

With Kieran Tierney (£5.4m) missing through injury, Cedric Soares (£4.6m) starts at left-back, opposite Hector Bellerin (£5.1m).

Rob Holding (£4.5m) and David Luiz (£5.4m) line-up at centre back, with Bernd Leno (£5.0m) in goal.

Danny Ings (£8.3m) and Che Adams (£6.0m) are the Saints’ chosen front two, with Theo Walcott (£5.8m) and Stuart Armstrong (£5.5m) out wide.

Set piece specialist James Ward-Prowse (£6.1m) is in central midfield with Ibrahima Diallo (£4.5m).

With both first choice full-backs missing, Yann Valery (4.7m) starts at right-back, with Jake Vokins (£3.9m) at left-back. Jan Bednarek (£4.9m) and Jake Stephens (£4.6m) continue at centre-back. Alex McCarthy (£4.7m) is in goal.

Man City XI: Ederson; Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko; Gundogan, Rodri, Mahrez; Bernardo, Foden, Sterling

West Brom XI: Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, O’Shea, Gibbs; Snodgrass, Sawyers, Livermore, Grant, Pereira; Robinson

Southampton XI: McCarthy; Valery, Stephens, Bednarek, Vokins; Diallo, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Walcott; Ings, Adams

Arsenal XI: Leno; Bellerin, David Luiz Holding, Cedric Soares; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Smith Rowe, Pepe; Lacazette

2,297 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    G Mahrez
    A Sterling

    1. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      those arent 5.5M midfielders....

  2. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Mahrez G
    Sterling A

    Magic.

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Anti-value picks.

  3. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    At least a Sterling A not bad

    1. HD7
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Hopefully Sterling goal in 2nd half

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

    City are unbelievable and wow Sterling did something haha!

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

    Yea Sterling assist!

    1. KAALI_DAAL
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Lol

    2. The 12th Man
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      There’s some points for you.

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

    No Gundo or Cancelo, Soucek first on bench. One of those weeks!

    1. Wolfman180
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Ouch

    2. KAALI_DAAL
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Next GW hopefully it's the opposite mate

  7. Saka_me_sideways
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Having a Man City attacking midfielder for 5.5 feeling like cheating!

    1. A-L
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Very good point. Having a (relatively) nailed Man City AM for 5.5 at that too!

      1. Saka_me_sideways
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        It’s whether he continues in this new role. But going by this I can’t see why pep would change that.

  8. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    OMG STERLING HAUL

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Lol

  9. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Razzzzzzzz

  10. Kellz86
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Needed that Sterling assist

  11. Lucky Z
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Thanks Sterlo. Magic foot.

  12. dark91
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Mahrez g Sterling assist

  13. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    How did WBA manage to come up into the PL!!???

    Think Norwich was better than them.

  14. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    3 City slots not enough

    1. The 12th Man
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Play draft. I have 5 in that.

  15. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    UNFAIR

  16. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Ofc i bought Sterling instead Gundogan and ofc i benched Soucek. F this game

    1. The Train Driver
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Love it when an ABU fails...

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

      Sterling was never that good a pick tbf.

  17. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Gundo Cancelo Sterling let's gooooo!

    1. TomSaints
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Happy days. If only I’d (c) one...

    2. Tempestic
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      not too shabby

    3. Im New Here
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Fair play, enjoy

  18. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Ok at least sterling got something. Just another 15 points to make up for the hit to get rid off soucek

  19. Tempestic
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    KDB holding city back apparently! or maybe wba are just usless

  20. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Gundo, Cancelo, laca! Good first half

  21. WE GO FOR IT
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Sterling Assist! 😀

  22. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Sterling thank the lord.

  23. Scholes Out For Summer
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Is...

    Is City better without KDB???

    1. MikeS
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yes

    2. Sterling Malory
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      *are

      And no, they're not better without the best player in the league.

  24. MikeS
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    I transferred out soucek for gundogan, how should I feel :/?

    1. TomSaints
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Got away with it

      1. MikeS
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        True

    2. Im New Here
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Neutral

    3. Pegboy
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Same. I feel much more comfortable playing Gundo every week than Soucek.

  25. Oggle22
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Come on foden lad get involved aarrrggghh!

    1. bench boost for every gamew…
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I know. But to bf gundo was the one to get. I had chooce og gjetting Stones, gundo or foden last week, went for the priciest one Who gets less points.. Stones and gundo arr nailed so not sure what i was thinking. I guess bad season with low esteem always plays a part, and the fact that foden are capable of huge hauls and you dream of getting that one of the season.

  26. liner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    For once he make a valid pass to someone and there is a goal.

  27. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Feel bad for wba now.

    1. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      City have been fantastic as much as they have been bad.

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

      Theres no motivational speech gonna bring them back

  28. WE GO FOR IT
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Maybe KdB was the problem! 😛

  29. Parsnips
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Hopefully more goals for Man City next half. They are back to their best and it’s great to watch.

  30. Says
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Pep calling Big Sam a genius almost comes across as a troll when the game goes like this