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

    Disappointed about the result as a hammers fan ...which means we did well, playing this way European cups next season.

    1. Fulchester's New Centr…
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      The team Man Utd could have been

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

    3bp's for Stones when the winning goal bps gets added.

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

      Nope

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

      It’s added in play

    3. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Already added

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

        oh FFS!

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

      Added the second he scored.

    5. Fulchester's New Centr…
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Please

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

      Gets added 'in game' now. There might be some deductions to come though.

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

        How do you know for sure that they get added in game now? It doesn't say anything about this in the FPL rules page.

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

      Oo

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

    KdB 3 BAPs softens the blow of having no Dias or Stones a bit....

    Over to you Pereira!!

  4. seewhyaxe
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    So no appearance from Cancelo and Raz

    Guaranteed starters next?

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

      Nothing is guaranteed

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

      You’d think.

      Both play a lottt of games recently though, maybe an extra rest before the derby.

      I’d expect both will start but Pep...

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

      i'd think so. Didn't hear Torres do a huge amount. Mahrez has started 3 now which means he'll probably be on the bench for the next three despite doing welll again!

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

    Hopefully Dunk up next at WBA can score like Stones did. Bit of a random one in my team as he's the only player playing once this week but he has a decent game 29 at home to Newcastle. Anyone else go for the Dunk?

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

      benched veltman on WC

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

      Got Sanchez on WC to use him in BGW.

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

        Sanchez a good shout actually, good wk33 game too. Not sure why i went Meslier ahead of him as my Back up keeper apart from i haven't had as much time on this WC as I would have liked!

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

      Yeah. Plenty who WC'd last week for BB this week with no FH remaining went for him. Fingers crossed.

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

      Yes on my bench boost

  6. Roy Hudd
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Oh how I've missed KDB beating everyone on BPS by producing one cross...

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

      probably most passes by anyone in the game

  7. CrouchDown
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Predicted lineup vs Wolves?

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

      Ederson will play

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

      Cancelo, Ederson, Dias and KdB will start.

      The rest no idea!

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

        Nope Dias won't start

    3. Hy liverpool
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Ederson
      Cancelo Stones Laporte Zinchenko
      Rodri
      KDB Bilva
      Foden Jesus sterling

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

      Which players you interested in?

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

    Broke into top 5k at least for now.

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

      Top 29K here

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

      Top 1000K here

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

    KdB, Cancelo and Gundogan owner.

    Rank drop or increase in that game?

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

      Drop

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

        🙁

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

      Depends on your rank. Top 10k average is 7.7 after that game.

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

        Ah ok on 10 if Kev gets 3 bonus!

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

    should have gone with Digne instead of sheep pick Gundog... 22 from 3 with 23 players still left.. will take it.. 😀

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

      Why not both Gundo & Digne? Easily affordable?

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

        would have been for a 4point hit...

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

      Complaining. Then bragging. Then acting modest.

      Congrats. You just acted like a typical FFS member.

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

        😛

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

      Chucky back in the mix 😎

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

        jafooliii... 😀 top 1m dream back on 😎

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

          I’ve gone from OR 2m > 50k in 14 GWs

          In heaven.....

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

            nice... where should I sign up for your Patreon ? 😛

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

              I’m now an FPL Super Influencer on Twitter:

              https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56209253 - Twitter has announced plans for a new "super follow" feature which will enable account holders to charge for exclusive additional content....

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

    Right

    I am NOT spending 2 hours watching West Brom Brighton

    Back for Leeds Villa

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

      Same

    2. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      This. Get some fresh air in the sun.

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

      Fire up the BBQ and enjoy the sunshine.

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

    We’ll have to wait and see what Gundogans performance is like next game but if his positioning has changed he’s going to have to go

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

      Easy swap to Jlings for GW29 I'm thinking

      1. FantasyClub
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 29 days ago

        Precisely what I was thinking. I was very hesitant in letting go of Lingard and Antonio but they’ll be coming back in very soon. Definitely by GW 29

  13. Tambling5
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Well I watched that, and only then looked at bonus points. Can someone seriously explain to me how he got the three bonus points. I thought it was meant to be objectively calculated.

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

      passing bps

      1. Tambling5
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Why doesn't Jorginho get that number of points when he makes more passes than that sometimes.

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

    12 with 24 still left to play

    LOVE to see it oh yes i do but WE MOVE!

  15. Crouching Tiger
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    So umm.. looks like Gundogan's honeymoon is over now that KDB and Aguero are back. Too bad, enjoyed his returns and low price.

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

    Gundo is negatively affected by KDB. The play becomes much less intricate and much more about Hollywood passes.

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

      Agree w u, kdb is jus hogging the ball but somehow gun still playing quite advanced

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

        Cancelo Might be the bigger casualty though

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

      For sure. Kdb is a tv highlights player not rhe real deal like gund

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

        Yea and getting 3bps for playing sub quality game

    3. Saka Punch
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Interesting point

  17. tokara
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    If kdb is given 3bps for an assist + completed passes, surely there are other midfielders will also be awarded the same; like grealish? But fact is there are none.

    This game is fixed.

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

      Grealish has to play to get those kind of points...

    2. Maeki2
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Kdb wasnt good, he sure did perform that pass but he also lost the ball too much

    3. Saka Punch
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Na Grealish has got 3 for an assist a couple of times

  18. Z
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    3 players 22pts....not bad for start

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

      pretty poor really

  19. Party time
      3 years, 1 month ago

      When Dias scored it became personal for Stones

    • Party time
        3 years, 1 month ago

        What a boring match wba vs bha

      • AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Going to be the Baggies day?

        I fancied their chances.

      • DandyDon
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Stressed dunk owner