Dugout Discussion

Vestergaard returns as Minamino makes Southampton debut

Southampton take to the field at Newcastle with some welcome boosts following their 9-0 defeat to Manchester United.

Fresh from a horrendous defensive display, their most important centre-back, Jannik Vestergaard (£4.7m) is finally back in the starting line-up for the first time since Gameweek 14.

The Danish international has struggled with a knee problem during the winter and is sure to improve the Saints’ defensive prospects as he features alongside Jan Bednarek (£4.9m), whose one-match ban was overturned midweek.

Vestergaard’s return sees Jack Stephens (£4.6m) push out to the right-back berth where Southampton have had some problems this season. Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.7m) is still not fit enough to be involved today.

But defence is not the only area where Ralph Hasenhüttl has been handed good news as Takumi Minamino (£6.0m) is ready to feature for the first time since leaving Anfield on loan in the transfer window.

He is stationed on the flanks of midfield, with Nathan Redmond (£6.4m) on the other side, in support of centre-forward pairing Danny Ings (£8.4m) and Che Adams (£5.8m).

Newcastle’s own January loanee Joe Willock (£4.7m) also makes his Premier League debut for his new club, his arrival allowing Steve Bruce to go for a more adventurous shape than usual.

Willock sits in a number 10 role with Allan Saint-Maximin (£5.1m) and Miguel Almirón (£5.6m) either side of him in a 4-2-3-1 fronted by Callum Wilson (£6.8m).

The Magpies are somewhat short at the back though. Midfielder Isaac Hayden (£4.7m) starts alongside Fabian Schär (£4.9m) at centre-back.

Double Gameweek planners will have their eyes on the other 3pm match today as Burnley host Brighton.

As expected, the Clarets are in 4-4-2 formation with key Fantasy targets Nick Pope (£5.5m), Ben Mee (£5.0m), James Tarkowski (£5.3m) and Matt Lowton (£4.4m) all involved.

Charlie Taylor (£4.4m) is still not fit enough for a return and neither is Chris Wood (£6.2m), both players absent from today’s match-day squad, which means Erik Pieters (£4.3m) is at left-back again and Ashley Barnes (£6.0m) is paired up-front with Matej Vydra (£4.8m).

On a run of four successive clean sheets, Brighton are in 3-4-2-1 today with Dan Burn (£4.2m) and Joël Veltman (£4.3m) in the left and right wing-back roles respectively following Solly March‘s (£5.0m) injury at Anfield.

Gameweek 23 Starting Line-ups

Burnley XI (4-4-2): Pope; Pieters, Mee, Tarkowski, Lowton; Gudmundsson, Cork, Westwood, McNeil; Vydra, A Barnes.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI (3-4-1-2): R Sánchez; Webster, Dunk, White; Burn, Bissouma, Groß, Veltman; Mac Allister; Maupay, Connolly.

Newcastle United XI (4-2-3-1): Darlow; Lewis, Schär, Hayden, Manquillo; Shelvey, Hendrick; Saint-Maximin, Willock, Almirón; Wilson.

Southampton XI (4-4-2): A McCarthy; Bertrand, Vestergaard, Bednarek, J Stephens; Minamino, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Redmond; Ings, Adams.

GET IN-GAME DATA AT LIVE FPL

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

1,274 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Is there a chance Martinez sneaks the 3 BAPs

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

      On what basis would he, if you think there's a chance?

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

        There has been the odd late adjustment after games have finished on a given day

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

          The Bruno West Hak cameo springs to mind when Pogba got an extra BPS and overtook him

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

            *West Ham

      2. Jafooli
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Winning save baps still to be added....

    2. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Deserves them, best player on the pitch once again.....

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

      Members area has him still being 1 behind Watkins

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

        Cheers mate

  2. Dybala10
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Benched Martinez and Watkins for Pope and Grealish.

    Not the greatest start...

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

    That grealish booking took me from dropping 10k to going up 20k! Small margins

  4. Roy Hudd
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Martinez owners some of the luckiest in the game. Undeserved points.

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

      😀

    2. grumpyman
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Love this. More crying please.

    3. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      As a Villa fan I will agree our goal has live a charmed life, but team that defends well and has an awesome keeper often results in CSs.

    4. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Those tears taste so good mmm

    5. El Presidente
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Why??? He has been the best keeper in the league... mind blowing is Martinez owners deciding to bench him...

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

      Haha

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

      Got to love that Watkins jam

    8. MrZ
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      LOL

    9. Ozzy smith
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Lol

  5. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Can someone tell me what was the incident where Emi grabbed Laca's jersey?

    1. Here's Tom with the We…
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Someone, please??

    2. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Laca was pretending to be a football and was running into the net.....

    3. Tommy J
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      57 minutes, corner to Arsenal-swung across, Martinez holding Laca. Laca leaning in to Martinez. 6 of one and half dozen of the other. Foul went to keeper, Laca came off.

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

    Nice to be on the good side of Martinez for once!

  7. Spg76
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Got Martinez in for Johnstone. Great signing! My worst signings of the season so far were Harry Maguire, Sam Johnstone and Tielemans. Maguire and Tielemans don’t seem so bad now. Early on they were rubbish!!!

  8. The Red Devil
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Saints with a back 3 or bednarek at RB?

    1. leeboy104
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Stephens RB it seems.

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

    Martinez 58% owned but 33% EO in the top 10k.

    1. Joey Tribbiani
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      😮
      great news

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Some of the professionals must have benched him this GW.

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

        The patreon I pay $50 each month for bespoke FPL advice suggested I bench him.....

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

          Get the lawyers on the blower!

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

            They were the ones who recommended him to me.....

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

              😛

        2. AC/DC AFC
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Well you get what you pay for in the information society or is the knowledge economy?

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

          You 50$ to someone that gives out FPL advice? And that's the advice you get? Ask for a full refund.

    3. El Presidente
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Casuals

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

    May have to bring in a Burnley defender rather than Pope next GW so I don't have to bench Emi!

    1. Mighty Wings
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      The answer is BB

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

        Agree. In current situation, BB in gw24 is not worse than in gw26 (based on that predicted fixtures)

    2. Iwantmorepointsthanks
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Mee or Tark?

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

        I was interested in Taylor but the lineup today doesn't read well.

        1. Here's Tom with the We…
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Might as well just get Lowton.

        2. Iwantmorepointsthanks
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          I see.

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

        Flip coin, choose one and Pope.

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

      I may bring both & bench emi.
      Emi sometimes look vulnerable, just look at last gw. I played him over McCarthy due to arsenal, so glad it payed off.

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

    Willian after 3 assists in GW1:

    Aight imma head out.

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

    Damn, I knew I should have played Targett over Cancelo. I’m trying to stick with the clean sheet odds more this season, but they were too low for Villa today

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

      The greatest trick Arteta ever pulled was convincing the world that Arsenal could attack.

  13. The Ilfordian
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Useless fact while we're waiting for the next match; the three lowest GW top scorers have been from Everton: Keane in GW 18 with 11 points, DCL in GW9 with 13 points; Holgate GW13 with 14 points

    1. Supersonic Marv'
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Every packet of crisps goes out of date on a Saturday.

      1. The Ilfordian
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        What??!!! Is that true?

        1. Supersonic Marv'
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Sure is. In the UK at least. Go and find any random bag of crisps and check it out.

  14. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Hey Moyesy, feel free to give Soucek a full rest today. Watkins waiting first sub 🙁

  15. Fred54
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Benching Martinez wasn't the issue.

    It was thinking Arsenal were good and would actually score!

  16. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Resigned to the fact that no matter who I play at this point I’m just gonna be stuck with 9pts at first sub, unable to come on

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

      I've had a crap bench all season so this never happens to me, wonder if it is actually better to have a stronger bench and miss out on so many points?

      1. Top Lad Dakes.
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Not for your sanity lol.

        I’ve only had a good bench post-BB19, meaning too strong a front 8. Need to rectify soon. Before that I similarly just had one playing sub + Mitchell

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

    Pope 10 pointer to beat Martinez 9?

    1. aleksaa2
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yes, but next gw

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

        Next week, Pope will get 20+ pts

        1. aleksaa2
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          I hope so, I'm thinking of captaining him

    2. _Ninja_
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      You know Maupay is going to score.

      1. Here's Tom with the We…
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Then we’ll get a whole thread on owners, rather having a ft than an extra point.

  18. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Why on earth is Watkins getting 3 BAPS for messing up another finish that luckily deflected in while Martinez played a worldy?

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

      Watkins was actually very good.

      1. ‘Tis the Season
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        He deserved them

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

      Watkins jam is resembling early season Bamford peak jam

    3. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Watkins showed exactly why owning and selling him were viable options.

  19. Bobby Digital
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Let's go Wilson!

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

      Boooooo

  20. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Fellow Martinez nin owners its okay

    WE MOVE!

    1. Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Down the rankings?

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

        Love to see it!

      2. El Presidente
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Ah ah ah

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

      You almost spelt nine right.

  21. mgilbert86
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    those who benched aston villa defender/martinez not the worst call, their expected goals conceded were around worst in the league last 4

    Plus arsenal looked good until RC against wolves

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

      I benched Martinez, but until I know what Pope gets I ain’t whinging n whining yet.. even if Pope gets 2 it was still the right decision beforehand, so hey ho eh..

  22. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Need a miracle from Pope now.....

    1. The Ilfordian
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He should be fine. He’s already blessed Mee

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

      I wouldn’t say a miracle. It’s not nailed but a cleanie n bonus is quite likely tbh.

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

    Vestegaard at RB looks like a good option

    1. leeboy104
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Should be Stephens RB.

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

        I checked google and livescore both show him at RB though. If he can assist and still go up for corner he's such a good option lol.

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

    Martinez 9 points - benched by 43% of owners
    Targett 7 points - benched by 78% of owners
    Watkins 9 points - benched by 27% of owners
    Grealish 2 points - benched by 0% of owners

    1. Party time
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Nicee

      • Fred54
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Stones G, Gundo A would be huge this GW. Plenty benched both.

      • Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Sweet

      • Jafooli
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        😮 😆

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

        Bonus chart: Soucek GW points vs. % of players benching him: https://i.imgur.com/d3e4wdJ.png
        Blank incoming 😀

      • El Presidente
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I doubt it's 0%... in one of my ML 2 benched him..

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

          This is top 10k statistics

    2. Pep Roulette
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      BB this week? Probably TC in GW26.

      Martinez Targett Raphinha Coufal

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

        Do it

      2. WVA
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Strong

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

        BB in gw24 is very tempting

        I even think it is better than gw26

      4. Pep Roulette
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers fam

    3. Stranger Mings
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Jack grealish isn’t now banned for next game is he?

      1. aleksaa2
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        No, he isn't

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

        No. The threshold was up to 10 yc

      3. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        No

      4. Rainer
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        No.

        Only up to and including the 19th league game.

        1. Stranger Mings
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Ok cheers all phew!

    4. DGW Sane TC Fail....
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      First error of the season picked Antonio as captain and didn't save it ..Sterling from last week as captain. not the best 🙁

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Sterling brace?

        1. DGW Sane TC Fail....
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          His record verses Liverpool is poor ..***goes to see Zambian witch doctor*****

      2. Warby84
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        No one else to blame

    5. WVA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Would you BB with Martinez Bamford Dallas Coufal?

      Pope
      Cancelo Stones Mee
      Salah Bruno Son Grealish Gundogan
      DCL Antonio

      1. leeboy104
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I'm not and I have pretty much the same squad. Not liking Leeds' fixture enough.

      2. Mighty Wings
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yes probably

    6. money face bandwagon
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      7 points from targett off the bench for taylor

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

      Anyone fancy a Minamino the punt?

      1. Fred54
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        That's not very nice, he's new.