Dugout Discussion

Saka starts for Arsenal as Aubameyang returns on the bench

Arsenal’s personnel crisis already appears to be easing following Mikel Arteta’s latest team-sheet.

Ahead of a trip to Wolves, Bukayo Saka (£5.4m) returns to the Gunners’ attacking-midfield trio following his Gameweek 21 absence.

The versatile budget option looks to be on the left-hand side of that though, with Nicolas Pépé (£7.6m) featuring on the right-hand side.

But Saka is not the only key returnee for Arsenal, who welcome Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.3m) back to the matchday squad on their bench.

The Gabonese international has been away dealing with personal issues recently but is finally available again.

If he is to feature at all tonight, it will be as a substitute, the same detail handed to Martin Ødegaard (£6.0m) and Gabriel Martinelli (£4.9m).

Wolves look to be in a back-three once again with yet another start for Max Kilman (£4.0m) alongside Conor Coady (£4.8m) and Willy Boly (£5.4m).

It is a 3-4-3 formation that features Pedro Neto (£5.8m) as a left wing-back allowing Nelson Semedo (£5.3m) to return to the right-hand side.

Willian José (£7.0m) earns his second successive Premier League start at the apex of Wolves’ front-three while Daniel Podence (£5.3m) and Adama Traoré (£6.0m) are set to provide the width.

Sam Allardyce hands a first start to his new forward Mbaye Diagne (£6.0m) alongside Callum Robinson (£5.4m) while Matheus Pereira (£5.6m) is on the flanks of midfield again.

And Sheffield United line-up exactly as expected with Billy Sharp (£5.5m) and David McGoldrick (£5.2m) chosen to lead the 3-5-2 line tonight.

Gameweek 22 Starting Line-ups

Sheffield Utd XI (3-5-2): Ramsdale; Ampadu, Egan, Basham; Bogle, Fleck, Norwood, Lundstram, Baldock; Sharp, McGoldrick.

West Bromwich Albion XI (4-4-1-1): Johnstone; C Townsend, Ajayi, Bartley, O’Shea; M Pereira, Snodgrass, Livermore, M Phillips; Diagne; C Robinson.

Wolves XI (3-4-3): Patrício; Kilman, Coady, Boly; Neto, Moutinho, Neves, Semedo; Podence, Willian, A Traoré.

Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Cedric, Holding, D Luiz, Bellerín; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Smith Rowe, Pépé; Lacazette.

GET IN-GAME DATA AT LIVE FPL

Check your own rank and in-play FPL stats on LiveFPL.net every Gameweek

1,150 Comments Post a Comment
  1. MIDIMAN2010
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Palace fixtures look next over the next 6/7.
    Tempted by Zaha /Eze punt.
    Anyone else?

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Nope.

    2. Captain Vantastic™
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Nope.

    3. Dannyb
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Brought Zaha in this week, I'm sure I will be rage transferring him out within the next few.

    4. @persecuted_by_mods
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yeah zaha for sure

      • panda07
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Was very tempted to do Son to Zaha this week.

      • Tonyawesome69
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Not for me

      • pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Check Zaha points per minute compared to KdB 🙂

        1. R.C
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          What are they?

        2. R.C
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          And I just realised Zaha is not OOP anymore

    5. @persecuted_by_mods
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Wolves are so crap that in both scenarios had arsenal just let them score and kept the player on the pitch I still think they'd easily have won 3 or 4-2

        1. Bushwhacker
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          They were very poor for 45 minutes.

          1. Pariße
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            They were poor for the 2nd 45 minutes too, considering they let Arsenal create chances with two players down.

      • Ibralicious
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Even the recorded crowd singing "You're sacked in the morning." 😀

        Love to see it. Need to make an All or Nothing Docummetnary on Arsenal for all the banter behind the scenes, would shatter viewership records

        1. Dannyb
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Hosted be DT

          1. Deulofail
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Please no

          2. @persecuted_by_mods
              3 years, 1 month ago

              He's only human after all

          3. Debauchy
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            What tf you talking about , no clue

            1. Ibralicious
              • 9 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Sorry for offending your club. Been a long, rough few years for Arsenal supporters :/

              1. STEP rOVERS
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 6 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Wenger back in!

                1. Party time
                    3 years, 1 month ago

                    Lampard is available

            2. Pariße
              • 9 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              You have a strange thought process. Before you started with the Arteta out rant over several pages, your opening sentence was: Can't really blame Arteta for that.

              1. Ibralicious
                • 9 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Well, what can I say. You are getting my live, unfiltered, ever-changing reaction to watching this collapse unfold 😀

          4. Tsparkes10
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Get in the blades 🙂 starting Johnstone worked

            1. Botman and Robben
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Masterclass.

            2. Boxwoods
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 6 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Worked an absolute treat. Congrats to you and your Blades!

          5. Botman and Robben
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            West Brom -34 GD. Wowza!

            1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
              • 10 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Son C next week

          6. fedolefan
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Wow Runnarsson is trash

          7. threeputt
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Been wondering where Smith Rowe was, just spotted him lol

            1. threeputt
              • 14 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              perhaps not, I thought he was in goal !

            2. Pompel
              • 10 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Was hesitant selling him, was the right call it turns out

          8. Sun Jihai
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Sheff Utd now level with Derby's PL points record 🙂

          9. Heiro
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Thoughts on Chelsea?
            If Tammy starts again, he might be s good punt fit s few weeks. Decent fixtures...

            1. Sun Jihai
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 12 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              I'm most interested in the defenders

            2. Whazza
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Rotation nation
              Rudiger looks crazy value if he keeps playing

            3. WE GO FOR IT
              • 8 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Would prefer a defender. James/Chilwell/Alonso would be gold but I doubt any of them is nailed. Rudiger might and I might just take a punt on him next week. Mendy if you want a GK who is not Martinez. Attackers are just not worth it atm imo. Anyone could start!

              1. Heiro
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Yeh I'm just trying to get away from the Calvert Lewin/Watkins/Antonio/Bamford wagon and try to get a headstart on a player.

          10. Digital-Real
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Johnstone to who?
            a) martinez
            b) mendy
            c) mcCarthy

            1. Botman and Robben
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              a

            2. Sid1891
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 6 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              A

            3. Party time
                3 years, 1 month ago

                A

              • WE GO FOR IT
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Martinez is the set and forget option. Mendy could be a decent punt.

              • rubberdignerapids
                • 4 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                B depending on the eyetest on the next game for me

            4. TRIPOS TOPPER
              • 6 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Are all the pundits going to say what a great job Arteta is doing? Could be as low as 12th by tomorrow

              1. Bushwhacker
                • 4 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Like OGS they had a run of luck . . . and it just ran out.

                1. Deulofail
                  • 8 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  Lol they were doing well before Luiz was sent off.

                2. Pariße
                  • 9 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  That's one way to put it. They do look good but unprecedented misfortune kicked in for 45 minutes today.

              2. Deulofail
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                The league table is still highly variable week to week

              3. Party time
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  Arteta is not the Messiah

                  Just a gel hair fraud

                • fedolefan
                  • 9 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  He probably would have been sacked. That third rate Chelsea team managed to concede 3 goals to them when they were on the ropes and that kept him in the job.

              4. deathcabofdevil
                • 10 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Wolves time-wasting 11v9 really shows their standards. Surprised they've been top-flight till now.

                1. Bushwhacker
                  • 4 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  Low in confidence ; need the points ; haven't recovered from losing their three best players.

                  1. deathcabofdevil
                    • 10 Years
                    3 years, 1 month ago

                    So just cheat and get the three points ?
                    The way they surround the referees like beggars at every opportunity.

              5. Duke Silver ☑
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 9 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                😆 the Arsenal keeper doesn't know what's going on

              6. Sun Jihai
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Feel like I escaped as a non-Saka owner tonight!

                1. Chrisitis
                  • 12 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  Leeds soon coming up

                  1. Sun Jihai
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 12 Years
                    3 years, 1 month ago

                    Might be back in my team by then 🙂

              7. Whazza
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 11 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Arsenal back to being... Well... Arsenal 😆

                1. Debauchy
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  And ? can you offer something more substantive

                  1. Whazza
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 11 Years
                    3 years, 1 month ago

                    I don't think I'm allowed to say that word on here

                2. deathcabofdevil
                  • 10 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  Would still be a notch above the club you support.

                  1. Whazza
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 11 Years
                    3 years, 1 month ago

                    Nice one mate, really hurt

              8. deathcabofdevil
                • 10 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Moutinho celebrating winning 11v9 as if he won the WC final. Elite mentality.

                1. Bushwhacker
                  • 4 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  3 points vital. Why the hate?

                  1. Ibralicious
                    • 9 Years
                    3 years, 1 month ago

                    Arsenal supporters mightily triggered by Arteta atm it seems 😀

                    1. Debauchy
                      • 11 Years
                      3 years, 1 month ago

                      If we lose against Sheffield United I will be triggered until then keep trying mate

                    2. deathcabofdevil
                      • 10 Years
                      3 years, 1 month ago

                      Bit rich coming from a Man Utd fan ? How many trophyless years so far again ?

                      1. STEP rOVERS
                        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                        • 6 Years
                        3 years, 1 month ago

                        Toxic. Are you 5?

              9. Tasty Jerk
                • 11 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Arsenal - wow cant even beat Wolves

                1. Debauchy
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  kids being kids

              10. wulfrunian
                • 7 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Huge wins.

              11. Mr. O'Connell
                • 11 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Rob Holding is still a god to me

                1. Threat Level Midnight
                  • 5 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  All time Grav

              12. @persecuted_by_mods
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  Level of British punditry

                  *Referee explains it's a red because Luiz didn't attempt to play the ball*

                  Hoddle and Rio "defenders are gonna think they're better off smashing into the attacker"

                  ????!!?????

                  1. Deulofail
                    • 8 Years
                    3 years, 1 month ago

                    They choose the wrong footballers to be pundits. There's a slim number woth the intelligence to understand and communicate about football tbf

                    1. @persecuted_by_mods
                        3 years, 1 month ago

                        True true, they're not all terrible and not always but makes me laugh how they've played and managed at the elite level and can't grasp the basics sometimes

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

                      I think the point they were trying to make was that if Luiz thought he couldn’t win the ball he still should clear the player out but make it look like he attempted the ball and just take a yellow.

                      I agree though, the majority of the pundits are idiots and don’t understand the rules anymore.

                      1. @persecuted_by_mods
                          3 years, 1 month ago

                          Yeah I get what they're saying, it's just a really dumb point because it would still be a penalty lol, surely first option is always try to get the ball cleanly, if that goes wrong then obviously that's the better option than blatantly fouling someone- aka the rule is good and should work, barring luiz level iq

                          1. Paqueta Rice
                            • 3 Years
                            3 years, 1 month ago

                            Yes I agree. From a defending point of view, the best option would be to play the ball if you have a chance of winning it. Next best would be to head towards the goal for the off chance you can clear from line or the ball come backs off the post etc. Keeper could still make a save too. Rio and Hoddle run me the wrong way.

                    3. Deulofail
                      • 8 Years
                      3 years, 1 month ago

                      Lol Rio is confused by the rules so doesn't want them to change because it would be confusing

                    4. ivantys
                      • 3 Years
                      3 years, 1 month ago

                      It seemed like both sides agreed to the 2-1 scoreline after the second red. Totally looked like a training match afterwards.

                    5. TheDragon
                      • 5 Years
                      3 years, 1 month ago

                      Johnstone owners happy with their haul?

                      You’d have take. 2 points before the game surely...?

                      1. wulfrunian
                        • 7 Years
                        3 years, 1 month ago

                        With his 2 points i have a 10k rise from 108k to 98k.

                    6. AIRMILES
                      • 12 Years
                      3 years, 1 month ago

                      Did anyone field any players in those matches?

                      1. Podge
                        • 13 Years
                        3 years, 1 month ago

                        Not a one

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

                        Nope. Just Zaha to come for me.

                      3. Heiro
                        • 14 Years
                        3 years, 1 month ago

                        A large % played Holding including me

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

                          Who could have predicted
                          Luiz getting sent off (oh alright, quite possibly)
                          Leno getting sent off?
                          Holding not a bad shout this week in theory, just not in practice.

                    7. Whazza
                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                      • 11 Years
                      3 years, 1 month ago

                      What a great signing Pepe turned out to be for 70M

                      1. Deulofail
                        • 8 Years
                        3 years, 1 month ago

                        Had a good first half. His best half in the PL perhaps. Get with the correct narrative mate

                        1. Whazza
                          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                          • 11 Years
                          3 years, 1 month ago

                          Agree! Love the the occasional wonder goal

                      2. Heiro
                        • 14 Years
                        3 years, 1 month ago

                        Better value than Danny Drinkwater, torres, falcao twice. He scored a decent goal today.

                        1. Whazza
                          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                          • 11 Years
                          3 years, 1 month ago

                          Very nice goal indeed, would be really happy with him if I was an Arsenal fan

                          1. Heiro
                            • 14 Years
                            3 years, 1 month ago

                            Def not really happy with him but maybe he's a slow starter. Also arsenal are hardly s good side at the moment. Scraping results and I'm an Arsenal fan.

                            1. Whazza
                              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                              • 11 Years
                              3 years, 1 month ago

                              Maybe one day he will carry Arsenal to silverware

                    8. Digital-Real
                      • 7 Years
                      3 years, 1 month ago

                      FPL aren't seriously going to give Lacca that assist? took 3 touches from Wolves players after he passed it to Pepe

                    9. mezza
                      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                      • 9 Years
                      3 years, 1 month ago

                      May do Salah -> Son this week given the respective fixtures. Don't think I can risk going without Son(c) against that WBA team.

                      1. Paqueta Rice
                        • 3 Years
                        3 years, 1 month ago

                        Must must win game for pool though?

                      2. @persecuted_by_mods
                          3 years, 1 month ago

                          Son didn't do too much Vs this team earlier in the season, I'm sure he played

                      3. A. PRISE
                        • 3 Years
                        3 years, 1 month ago

                        Saka owner here... what in the actual fook?

                        1. @persecuted_by_mods
                            3 years, 1 month ago

                            Wasn't his day, but long term be happy you own him

                            1. A. PRISE
                              • 3 Years
                              3 years, 1 month ago

                              I know man, I am just bummed that he hit the post in the first minute. He is an exceptional player.

                          • Paqueta Rice
                            • 3 Years
                            3 years, 1 month ago

                            He looked good

                        2. Debauchy
                          • 11 Years
                          3 years, 1 month ago

                          So what take it on the chin true supporters never waver , FGS Arsenal supporters know where we are at We have no illusions.

                        3. Whazza
                          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                          • 11 Years
                          3 years, 1 month ago

                          Who would have thought Aston Villa(!) would have more points than Arsenal with three games in hand season 🙂