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

    Stones and souceck > foden and mee?

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

      Souček's red is being appealed, and given Dean was the only person who thought it should stand I imagine it'llbe out by morning

    2. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Hahaha, I’m just looking at that exact move. Fixtures look a bit trickier for clean sheets and might be the sort of opposition to go at City a bit more.

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

        What’s your thoughts on it Miguel? Going to go for it? Not sure I actually want souceck going forward

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

        I think they could run riot at spurs personally

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

          I might well do it just to get rid of the weekly Soucek heartbreak

  2. dark91
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    How is TAA without a yellow card in this game?!!

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

      Because he’s done nothing of note?

      1. dark91
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Kicking Ederson, kicking Jesus towards the end of the game when he passed the ball with his heel?

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

      How is Mane?! Cost me £300!

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

    Man City not had a single corner this game - usual!

  4. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    How many scarves in pep wearing?

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

    Chilwell blank would be very painful for me now

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

    Started Soucek
    Benched Stones (who could come on for Alonso) and benched Robbo.

    Genius? Slightly...

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

    Congrats Bazbestos for captaining Foden!

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

      Yes! He was mugged off by people here. I'm glad he stuck with it.

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

      Class

      1. S.Kuqi
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        That should be hulked

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

    Can't wait for everyone to buy Chilwell again & Alonso starts the next match.

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

      I've started chillwell this gw, but he's gone for me.

      Don't want a 6mill rotation risk def.

      Burnley defender incoming.

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

        Yep, definitely time to get rid.

    2. Scrumper
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I gave up guessing and bought both!

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

        LOL nice one!

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

      I was giving him last chance before moving him out for burnley defender

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

    I must be one of the few here still with chilwell....

    Boy do I need points from him....started him ahead of coufal...

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

    anything De Gea can do, Alisson can do better...

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

    It’s been so frenetic that I’ve forgotten; wasn’t it 0-0 at half time and everyone was cursing their Dias benching?

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

    City by 20 points?

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

    32 points from Foden captain is delicious.

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

      Lovely punt!

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

      It's like bitcoins.
      Only the desperate ones gamble...

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

        I'm not bitter, just saying that gambles won't work in the majority of the time. Good to see that they have in this case though.

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

        Give him credit . And btw there are a lot of non desperate gamblers. You've got this badly wrong.

        1. Guru Mediation
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Yeah, and I wouldn't buy into the notion that Bitcoin is a desperate gamble either. Just a really weird post

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

      Very pleased for you

    4. Party time
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Well done

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

        Nice one

      • S.Kuqi
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Well done

      • OverTinker
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Well Done

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

      Deluded Liverpool fans starting to realise they had a once in a lifetime lucky season? Maybe your grandkids might experience it again 🙂

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

      Gundogan edging ahead on the bps - assume the -6 for penalty miss is already deducted live...

    7. Jet5605
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Gundo edging ahead on the BAPS. Now on 45

      1. Jet5605
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Foden draws level

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

      Gundo TC next week is very tempting.

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

        Will he stay on pens ?

        Tempted too

    9. Rolls-Royce
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Why play your best midfielder in defense? Isn't it obvious that Liverpool improve massively whenever Hendo plays in the midfield?

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

      That’s the league over

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

        Yep. Battle for CL spots might be close though.

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

      Okay... a bad GW
      Leeds to nil is what I need now, and likely Chelsea losing too... Alioski to score a brace = mega-winning. Or not playing at all for a 10 point sub.

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

      Chelsea squad so much depth. Pulisic and Havertz can't even make the squad.

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

      What a GW this is turning out to be

    14. FPL ElasticO
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      It seems that the PL crown in returning to Manchester, where it belongs..... Adios Liverpool "Better Luck Next Time" or "Better Luck in another 30 years"

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

      Transfer target:

      Sterling, Foden, or Kane?

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

        MC players first given DGW

    16. Alisson WondHaaland
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Chilwell starts, reward the owners!!

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

        More benchpoints incomming for me.

    17. The Tinkerman
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Martinez, Stones, Soucek > Pope, Lowton, Gundo (-4)?

      McC, Martinez
      Stones, Cancelo, Justin, Coufal, Ayling
      Salah, Bruno, Son, Sterling, Soucek
      Bamford, Watkins, Brewster

      Have 0.1m ITB after that move, hoping to make it to midweek.

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

        Not bad idea

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

        Dbl Burnley what can go wrong

        1. The Tinkerman
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Absolutely nothing 😀

          I will likely WC25 to get Kane and sort out the deadwood before the doubles anyway.

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

      Still annoyed how it took them more time VARring Sterlings goal than Salahs dive

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

      Just realised if Bamford were to not play I’d get DCL and my rival would get Robertson. Now what would be an acceptable way to wish for him not to feature? 😆

      1. @persecuted_by_mods
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Madrid come in for him and he starts negotiations asap

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

            That’ll work!

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

          Similar
          If Bamford off i get DcL and through the cup
          Wishful thinking

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

            Good luck.

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

        Liverpool (1.31) 1-4 (3.52) Man City

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

        Great move - Foden to Soucek, instead of Gundo who I first thought of.