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. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Sterling's taking the next one 😀

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

      If they want to keep missing then yeah

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

    Lol you can’t make it up can you

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

    Cannot be arsed with this gameweek

    1. Ange Ball
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      can't be arsed with season full stop been nightmare rank.

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

    Oh give me strength

  5. Fer Fuch's Ake
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Surely no more reason to own Gundo as he's off the pens

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

      I bought him at 5.5 and he is nailed in City midfield. That is enough reason for me

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

      Similar stats to sterling and 5.5m

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

    YESS!!! Thank god I benched Gundo for DCL 🙂

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

    Amazing, thanks Gundo

  8. Heisenberg W. W.
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Hahahahahahaha

  9. LewanGOALski
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    played Gundo over DCL.
    played Pope over Martinez.

    F M L

    1. Max City
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Played De gea over Martinez
      Played Antonio over Watkins
      And missed Coufal's clean sheet too

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

    Gundo on the bench...it just gets better

  11. LE CHARO
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Delightful

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

    Not watching. Gundog miss?

    1. Shatner's Bassoon
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Over the bar

    2. Jon Snow
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Skied a penalty

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

      Skied it

  13. Postman Ty
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    AS IF I benched DCL for Sterling and Gundogan.

  14. The Mighty Hippo
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Ederson should take them from now on.

  15. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Horrible penalty.

  16. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Wow. Just wow.
    A German missed a penalty

    1. THFC4LIFE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He’s as German as Ozil

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

        That sounds racist

        1. AzzaroMax99
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Anything can be racist these days.

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

          It does

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

          Well one can be both German and Turkish at the same time, can't they?

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

        Meaning?

        1. THFC4LIFE
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Meaning he was born in Germany but he’s Turkish. Good enough for ya?

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

            No. Why is that relevant to the original post?

  17. moment
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    As a Gundogan & Sterling (but not Son) owner, I really needed that.

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

      Me too, mate! Just brutal.

  18. viciousrumour
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Gundo is such a gem lol

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

    There were people on the WBA vs Spurs thread who were telling me that if Kane was at Man City, Kane would not be on penalties. That Gundogan miss just highlights exactly why Kane would be on penalties.

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

      Nobody said that. Ever.

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

    Soucek red card, Gundo pen miss. Next up is Cancelo own goal.

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

    Playing Gundogan over DCL
    What a stupid decision
    Season over!

  22. potatoace
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Aaaannnd I'm out of the cup.

  23. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Benched Gundo 😎

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

      me too. still hoping for 1-1 because I benched 2 city def

  24. Isco Disco
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Just when I thought my luck couldn't get worse, my player misses a penalty

  25. Weasel Boy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    So who is next on City's list to miss a penalty?

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

    Sterling back on pens?? 🙂 🙂 🙂

  27. Mattymo23
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    So buzzing Gundo missed that.

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

    Gundo rattled by that early challenge, had a shocking 10/15 mins before the pen. Ball keeps bouncing off him.

  29. THFC4LIFE
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Oh ffs Gundogan

  30. djman102
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    So much for benching Gundogen so he would score (City fan).