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. mattk lfc
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Glad I benched him hahaha

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

    LOL

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

    Class from Sterling

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

      Would’ve been better had he tried to score.

  4. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Wow

  5. CRO KLOPP
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    OMG miss

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

    One of the worst pens ever

  7. TorresMagic™
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Wow! 🙁

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

    Gundo WTF

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

    OMG what was that

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

    Thank god I own Gundogan!

  11. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Knew he was missing as soon as I seen that run up. Bottlers.

  12. Pukki Party
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Haha

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

    That’s gundo off pens

    Useless pick now

    1. Boly Would
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Gundogone

  14. Tcheco
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Sterling owner still happy with the miss

  15. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Soucek red card and now Gundo miss. I'm done.

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

      Everyone owns Gundo

  16. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Benched DCL for Gundagon.

    Lovely.

    1. Cilly Bonnolly
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Benched him and played Gundogan and Soucek.

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

      Ouch, i did the reverse of this funny enough (luckily)

  17. BeaversWithAttitude
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Ouch... there goes my goal and assist, lol.

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

    Gundo and souceck owners unite o/

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

      Lol. You have to laugh especially with DCL first on my bench

  19. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    HAHAHAHAHA

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

    This gameweek getting worse by the second

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

    This week keeps on giving

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

      Exactly, Wilson, Gundo... etc

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

    Pep spewing in the dugout

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

    You could tell from the camera angle they used he was missing

  24. Meinhoff
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Phew benched Gundo thank fck

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

      Ha that's an awful awful decision

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

    Centre mid and centre back, what do you expect?

    Sterling diving again though.

    AWFUL PENALTY

  26. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Nowhere to hide for Gundogan owners

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

      link your team mate so we can see your "expertise"

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

        Im getting him in this week

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

          ok

          keep taking the meds

  27. 2999 - Lady of Legend
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Perfect! Gundo miss 🙂

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

    Screw you Gundogan. Screw you.

    1. George Sillett
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      You never made a mistake I take it ?

  29. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Of course he misses, didn't expect anything else this season...

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

    Crazy Gundo miss PK