Dugout Discussion

Aguero, De Bruyne start for Man City as Sterling, Cancelo on bench for Double Gameweek 26 opener

Sergio Aguero (£10.3m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) both start for Manchester City in their first Double Gameweek 26 fixture at home to West Ham.

Aguero makes his first appearance in a City starting XI since Gameweek 6 – in the reverse fixture against the Hammers – while De Bruyne made his full injury return by starting in the 1-0 win at Arsenal in Gameweek 25.

Ferran Torres (£6.9m) is another longer-term absentee making an injury comeback, which means a host of FPL assets find themselves on Pep Guardiola’s bench.

Raheem Sterling (£11.6m), Gabriel Jesus (£9.2m), Phil Foden (£6.1m) and Bernardo Silva (£7.4m) are all out of the XI, as is Joao Cancelo (£6.1m).

Rodri (£5.3m) is also on benchwarming duty as Fernandinho (£5.4m) earns a second consecutive league start, anchoring a midfield three also featuring De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan (£6.2m).

Aymeric Laporte (£6.0m) drops out of the starting line-up after beginning in the Champions League, as FPL managers’ favoured duo of Ruben Dias (£6.1m) and John Stones (£5.2m) are flanked in defence by Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.5m) and Kyle Walker (£6.1m).

On his rotated side, Guardiola told BT Sport ahead of kick off:

Many games, we have two days recovery. We have a fantastic squad. Everyone deserves to play, all doing incredibly well, fresh legs and a very good mentality.

On West Ham, the Man City boss added:

Looks like they will play five at the back, previous seasons they did it as well, we knew it. They can do normal shape but they’ve done five at back at Old Trafford. The ideas are the same, good runners up front, two incredible holding midfielders. We try to impose our game.

Fabianski is absent for the Irons

Lukasz Fabianski (£5.0m) is the big name missing from West Ham’s starting line-up, with the Poland keeper ruled out due to a training-ground injury.

“Unfortunately one of the players just stood on Lukasz’s arm yesterday (in training). It’s swollen up, he’s just not been able to extend his arm. It’s a real blow, he’s been in really good form.” – David Moyes

Ireland international Darren Randolph (£4.3m) is between the sticks for the Hammers, behind a back five of Ben Johnson (£3.9m), Aaron Cresswell (£5.8m), Craig Dawson (£4.5m), Issa Diop (£4.3m) and Vladimir Coufal (£4.7m).

Declan Rice (£4.7m) and Tomas Soucek (£5.3m) will hope to add to the spoiling effect of Moyes’ five-man defence, behind a front three of Jesse Lingard (£5.9m), Pablo Fornals (£5.9m) and Michail Antonio (£6.5m).

Manchester City XI (4-3-3): Ederson; Zinchenko, Dias, Stones, Walker; Gundogan, Fernandinho, De Bruyne; Torres, Aguero, Mahrez.

West Ham United XI (5-2-2-1): Randolph; Johnson, Cresswell, Dawson, Diop, Coufal; Rice, Soucek; Fornals, Lingard; Antonio.

1,312 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Davros
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Yes stonesy!!!

    1. Random Name
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      *Sir Stones

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

    KDB fail 🙁

    1. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      what? assist and bonus not enough for you?? greed is not a good look

  3. Hulk Smash
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I sold Antonio for a hit but owning both Dias and Stones helps take the edge off a bit!

  4. COLLIN QUANER
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Would love a Gundo goal to add to my brilliant start to the game week (Stones + Dias owner)

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Me too, would be dreamy

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

    Dias and Gundogan and still red arrow. Stones killed me again.

    1. Random Name
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Dw you're still better off than the people with Cancel0

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

      Oh ffs me2. Have Cancelo also but...

    3. @persecuted_by_mods
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Bit early to be looking at arrows

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

        He Stoned you again.

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

        Did you take a hit? I’m on a green arrow with Dias and Gungogan

      • AF90
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Cancelo, Sterling & Gundogan owner plus Antonio on bench, could be worse

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

      Id u have Cancelo and No stones/dias

      Ive got 6 words for ya!

      1. Hulk Smash
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Is the first one 'nowhere'?

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

          No, Absolutely

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

        ‘You don’t have Stones or Dias’?

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

        What about if they own De Bruyne though?

    5. School of Poch
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Somebody in my mini league TC Dias, some move!

    6. jammie26
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Never used the fpl rank site, where do i find my fpl ID?

      1. Ajax Hamsterdam
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Check your points and Id will be in url

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

        https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/4714760/history

        Is it you? The number is your FPL ID

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

        Go to your points page on FPL, then you'll find your id in the URL after /entry/

      4. jammie26
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Thanks all

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

      Great start, cancelo ster gundo
      Fair play to the Dias an stones owners

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

      Stones and Dias scoring while conceding and Cancelo on the bench is all the proof you need that this game is 90% luck.

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

        Luck evens out over the season. Remember during the last double Cancelo missed a game. The following week he got 17 pts.

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

          Luck doesn't even - its random, some are more lucky than others.

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

        When you talk about this match, yes 90% luck but when you talk about whole Gameweeks 50% luck, and when you talk about a full season, it's 30% luck imo

        Persistence, picking players for the long run, short run at the right time, not all luck

      3. Hulk Smash
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        You win some you lose some though. I was on the Dias and Stones double up very early and no doubt both scoring in the same week is lucky.

        But Dias has been due for a long time without returning and Stones has been dangerous all season. I also sold Antonio for a hit and he's returned against the best defence in the country. Is that bad luck alongside the good?

      4. RamaJama
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Well, stats says Cancelo is the one of the 3 to be benched more often. But more likely for attacking returns when he play. So all preferential, luck/skill 50/50

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

      Antonio needs to be subbed off

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

      Ederson
      Cancelo Dias Stones Laporte
      Bilva Rodri KDB
      Foden Gundo Sterling

      Gundo False 9. City’s best XI imo

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

      A whu goal would cost stones owners 4 points here

      1. Salah’s Sonnet
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Blaspbemy!

    12. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      KDB not taking anymore corners?

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

        He not doing anything anymore,just sideways passes

        1. Scholes Out For Summer
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          yeah seeing the game out

    13. JJO
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      What tf are you doing Kdb?
      Why playing like this?

      1. Scholes Out For Summer
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        top BAPs from his passes

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

      Man City still attacking? Foden involved?

    15. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I get the feeling Gundo is desperate to attack every time he has the ball but the rest of the team are content to run the clock down and keep the ball.

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

      Antonio off, unlucky owners....

    17. michael_mac11
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Jesus is a terrible player and that winey face!!

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

      KDB 3 baps 😎

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

        All those sideways passes paying off.

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

        My recommendation 😉

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

          💡

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

            😛

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

        Bring back man in the stands.

      4. Bartowski
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Winning goals baps?

    19. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Kdb creeping up in the bonus points

    20. Jindaljain
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Cancelo or sterling coming in?

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

        Coming in for some grief.....yes

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

        Rodri coming in

      3. Danno - Emre Canada
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Rodri

    21. Captain_Shirokov
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      John's stones have really dropped this year.

    22. GOTHAM City F.C.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Managers who took a hit to bring in KDB already paid off.

      1. Collie01
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Depends who they transferred out.

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

      BPS manipulation imminent.

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

        Bruno max baps?

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

      Anyone else TCd Son?

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

        I did yeah.

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

          Good on you

      2. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        o/

    25. Catastrophe
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Get out the BAPs Kevin!

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

        Behave

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

      Rodri on for Gundo

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

        Rested for Wolves 😉

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

      Didn't expect I'd be praying for another Ederson save, but this game never ceases to surprise.

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

      Gundo cappers nowhere to hide