Dugout Discussion

Mane, Fabinho and Alisson return for Liverpool as Guardiola benches Jesus

The most-anticipated Premier League fixture of the weekend, and perhaps the calendar year so far, sees reigning champions Liverpool take on current league leaders Manchester City.

Kick-off at Anfield is at 16:30 GMT.

A win for City would take them ten points clear of Jurgen Klopp’s side, with the blue half of Manchester also having a game in hand to play on top of that.

Klopp has brought back three of his big guns from illness and injury for this fixture, with Sadio Mane, Alisson and Fabinho returning to the starting XI.

Fabinho will be deployed alongside Jordan Henderson at centre-half, with the Liverpool boss resisting the urge to hand a first start to new recruits Ozan Kabak or Ben Davies – the latter of whom doesn’t even make the matchday squad.

Along with the three returning players above, Curtis Jones is recalled to the hosts’ line-up.

Xherdan Shaqiri, James Milner, Nat Phillips and Caoimhin Kelleher are the men to make way.

Guardiola has made two changes to his City line-up as Oleksandr Zinchenko and Phil Foden start in place of the benched Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus.

The form book points to City in this fixture, with the visitors on a nine-match winning run in the top flight.

Guardiola’s troops have recorded 11 shut-outs in their last 13 matches, too.

Liverpool have won only two of their last eight Premier League games, meanwhile, with many of their key FPL assets in poor form.

Andrew Robertson is on his longest barren run without an attacking return since his debut season at Anfield, while Mohamed Salah – who is still the division’s top goalscorer, lest we forget – hasn’t found the net on Merseyside since Gameweek 13.


Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Henderson, Robertson, Thiago, Wijnaldum, Jones, Salah, Firmino, Mane.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Joao Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Gundogan, Mahrez, Sterling, Foden.

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2,350 Comments Post a Comment
  1. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Looking forward to this game!

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

    Only a Salah, Stones and Cancello hat trick each will do...

  3. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Badly need something from gundo here

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

      Gundo and Cancelo points needed.

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

      No 1 knows. Expect Bilva goals

    3. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      The smart ones benched Gundo

      1. Steve The Spud
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        You spelt dcl wrong

      2. @persecuted_by_mods
          3 years, 1 month ago

          I changed it last second because gundo has pens 😛

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

      Kane or Salah on WC?

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

      James Justin could successfully run a parish council meeting at this point.

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

        As clerk or chairman?

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

          He would know the difference for sure.

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

        He has the authority!!

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

        Read the BPS rules. READ AND UNDERSTAND THEM!!!!

        1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Wow

          Chill out this game isn’t important

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

            Eh? It's a joke based on the parish council meeting video.

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

          😀

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

      So, inform Kane with tough fixtures or out of form Vardy with easier fixtures?

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

        I have Son and was thinking of going with Vardy. I had him for a run of games until he got injured.

    7. HARLEY
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Come one salah

      1. Dennis System
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        You only had 3 words to type

    8. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Klopp persisting with Hendo at CB is a joke

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

        Hasn’t really got much choice... Eventually they will get him back in the middle

    9. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Played Barnes & Foden first on the bench.
      Foden playing false 9 going to be a huge gaff!

    10. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Another top 6 borefest ?

      1. Egg noodle
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Such is the trend, yes

    11. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Can goddamn Gundo score a penalty today please

    12. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Ederson doing an Ederson as usual

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

      Should be a card for Thiago.

    14. nerd_is_the_werd
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Score predictions?

      I reckon it'll be Liverpool 3 - 1 Man City

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

        Mane brace, and a couple of assists from Salah + TAA would be great.

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

        Throw in a Sterling / Gundogan goal as well.

    15. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Gundo ankle twist

    16. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Thiago....

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

      Thiago is a hatchet man.

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

      Ffs

    19. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Thiago killing many fpl plans

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

      What a dirty tackle by Thiago

    21. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Thiago got YC immunity again?

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

        He got booked

        1. The Senate
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          shows how much attention I'm paying aha

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

        He was given yellow

    22. Kodap
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      If gundogan goes off injured I don’t think my week could get much worse

      1. SHOOTER MCGINN
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Same. I thought it was bad enough already

    23. Dog and Fox
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Benched DCL for Gundo....

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

        This

    24. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Sub Gundo off don’t risk it Pep!

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

      F off Thiago

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

        He's trying to take one for the team by making city toothless without Gundo.

    26. MoSalad
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Come on Gundo run it off

    27. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Thiago laying the marker down in midfield

      Ref should see that

      1. diesel001
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        You see there the issue with Thiago. He is a top passer and creative, but he does not have the tackling ability of Milner, Henderson, Wijnaldum etc. What makes the Liverpool midfield so good was not their creativity, but that they would win the ball back quickly and cleanly.

    28. Ady87
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Long may Thiago play in this Liverpool team!

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

        Hahahaha

    29. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      wheres the red card? oh, right they are playing at pool

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

        Where's Mike Dean? Both ankles injured according to Jose

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

      Thiago has been such a let down

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

        This