Dugout Discussion

Guardiola benches Gundogan and Stones for Wolves clash

As expected, Pep Guardiola has struck again, hurting more Fantasy Premier League managers with his latest team selection.

Ilkay Gündogan (£6.2m) is the chief victim this time out, earning a first tactical benching since Gameweek 12, having only missed the second Double Gameweek 24 trip to Everton through injury.

In the German international’s place, Bernardo Silva (£7.4m), Rodri (£5.3m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) form the central-midfield trio tonight.

Meanwhile, John Stones (£5.2m) finds himself among the substitutes for the second time in four matches, Aymeric Laporte (£6.0m) and Ruben Dias (£6.1m) the preferred centre-back partnership against Wolves.

Oleksandr Zinchenko‘s (£5.5m) return to the bench means João Cancelo (£6.2m) is back in the side, operating at left-back while Kyle Walker (£6.1m) staffs the right-hand side of defence.

Raheem Sterling (£11.6m) will share the left flank with Cancelo tonight, selected alongside Gabriel Jesus (£9.2m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.1m) in the front-three.

Opponents Wolves have gone with the same 3-5-2 formation that helped them to victory at the Etihad Stadium last season with Pedro Neto (£5.7m) and Adama Traoré (£6.0m) leading the line.

Leander Dendoncker (£4.6m) moves forward to reclaim the central-midfield berth he is more familiar with so Ki-Jana Hoever (£4.4m) joins Conor Coady (£4.8m) and Romain Saïss (£4.9m) in the back-three.

Manchester City XI (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Laporte, Dias, Walker; B Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Sterling, Jesus, Mahrez.

Wolves XI (3-5-2): Patrício; Saïss, Coady, Hoever; Jonny, Neves, Moutinho, Dendoncker, Semedo; Neto, A Traoré.

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1,549 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Sleeve it out, video ref

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

    My pet hate again. Time keeping is so bad in football.

    VAR stopped the game for nearly 2 mins on top of usual limited stoppages. 1 min added time

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

      Do you really want to see another minute of that?

      1. Steve Chance
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Good point.

    2. Team Bobcat
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      You have a point. Timekeeping should be improved upon for sure

  3. 272MK
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    This is still good result. Might get Gundo on to score a cushion goal

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

    Is this worth -4?

    Barnes Ricardo ➡ Bale Targett

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

      Yes imo

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

      Bale nailed on injury in next couple of weeks.

  5. Scots Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    How can arms be ruled offside when you can't score with your bloody arm?

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

      Shoulder.

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

        Extended shoulder.

      2. Our Tiny Windows
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Half way down a bicep isn’t your shoulder. I call BS

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

      The sleeve is part of you're arm. If you wear long sleeves and tuck them into your gloves, you're allowed to pick up the ball.

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

        Joke jail. The sleeve is part of your body.

        Spelling fail. your*

        If you wear a balaclava, you are officially classified as a goal post.

  6. Digital-Real
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Thankfully it's 1-0 at HT. A larger lead and those City defenders could have been hooked before 60 mins

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

    Stones for Dias at half time would cause a lot of chaos.

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

    I mean, offside is offside but either the rule itself or the application of VAR needs to be looked at. From a realistic viewpoint such things shouldn't really be ruled out...

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

      The application of everything the refs do needed revamping, urgently.

    2. Team Bobcat
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Remember the age ole saying "football is a simple game complicated by fools"

      Never has that been more true than now

  9. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Just judge offside by the feet. It’s so simple, why can’t they see it?

    1. DGW blindness is for Kinnea…
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      That would be feetist

    2. @persecuted_by_mods
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Because it would still have most of the same issues re milimetres in it, when the frame is frozen etc

        But you're right better than shoulder/ armpit Vs foot

      • Rainer
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Time for daylight!

        More goals is a good thing.

        1. No Professionals
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Define daylight

        2. Steve Chance
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          No offsides after sunset? Interesting!

      • HuttonDressedasLahm
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Unfair if you have big feet 🙂

      • Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        What if the feet are in the air?

        1. Wild Rover
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Unlikely to be higher than the armpit

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

            Still need to draw a line to the floor from a dodgy camera angle. Plenty of room for inaccuracy, whether 2 cm from the floor or 200. It's not easy to establish how far off the ground a toe is, and where the ground even it. I can't imagine it would be much easier on average to draw a line from, say, an average of 10cm from the floor compared to an average of 100 cm. And of course, you'd want to be able to account for all eventualities, anyway.

            You also still have some other issues, like when exactly the ball is kicked, and which frame on the video to use to make your judgment, and the level of subjectivity in those decisions, as well as in defining where body parts are (is where does the foot end and ankle begin?).

            I don't think your solution particularly satisfactory, personally.

      • Team Bobcat
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I would like to see no offside from free kicksor corner kicks until ball is cleared into opposing half of the field.

        Also no offside outside the box

    3. DGW blindness is for Kinnea…
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Is there even a safe captain option from City in GW27?

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Ederson

      2. fr3d
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Dias and Gundo

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

        Steady Eddie.

      4. CABAYE4
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Tempted by Dias

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

          I can see him getting benched against Southampton

    4. Gunners in Haaland
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Kane hattrick on Thursday

      1. Eh, just one more thing ...
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yes please ... where can I add my signature to the petition?

    5. Digital-Real
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Another 9-0 defeat coming up for Southampton next week against City?

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

        Take the 3-0 and run.

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

        1-0

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

      Anyone else think the praise Pep gets for "developing" Sterling is laughable? He was legit a better player in 2013/2014 for Liverpool than he is now.

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

        I’d disagree, though he’s definitely worse than the last two seasons
        Doesn’t even seem to have pace anymore

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

          I think the possession obsessive nature of City doesn't suit him like the all out attack of that Pool side due to his limited technical ability. He could be used far more effectively imo than hugging the wing with his back to goal and passing the ball back to midfield constantly.

      2. Jersey Boy
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Behave

      3. Steve Chance
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Lol.

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

        He was not

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

          He was borderline unplayable at times in 2014. Could you pick a game this season where you could say the same ? I'm not dissing his returns potential in a fpl sense, I'm talking about general play.

      5. ZimZalabim
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I think his best season was when city hit 100 points

        when he first started playing on the left and sane on the right he scored a lot that season as well many late winners like vs Bournemouth and saints

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

          Absolutely. Definitely his best season for City and that team was unreal. Sane was a boss

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

            That same season, KDB had 2 goals and 3 assists only.

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

              He has 3 goals this season. Some things don't change..

            2. dogtanion
              • 14 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Pop's treatment of Sane meant he left behind a champions league or two imo. One of the best players in europe ignored and dropped as part of an ego trip. Couldn't happen to a nicer manager

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

                Pep. He's not my father.

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

      Thinking Bruno to Auba(C). Thoughts?

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

        Wouldn’t captain someone playing Burnley away in a 6-pointer.

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

          Ha ha ha!!!!

    8. wulfrunian
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      This year we've seen a lot of goals like Laporte's to be disallowed and it's so frustrating and annoying.I imagine we all agree that this is not football.

      1. The Point About It Is
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        It is football - just not as you know it.

      2. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Go back to old fashioned refs judgement I say, get rid of VAR.
        It creates debate and talking points, boring with VAR now

    9. Feanor
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I'm glad the goal was waived off, but the video official clearly draws the lines to support whatever decision was made on the field. If it was given onside, he would have drawn each line a pixel closer together and/or stopped the footage a millisecond earlier.

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

        Agreed
        The lines weren’t even at the extremities
        Also the ball had left the head already

      2. Steve Chance
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Exactly. Roll the footage a frame either way. Draw the line from the elbow. Draw it from the sleeve. It's a fallacy to suggest these offsides are black and white decisions.

      3. Team Bobcat
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        It is still better than a decision being made in real time with a lot more room for error.

        Think the rjole off side rule needs changing but not sure to what.

        Var technology works. The application of it seems questionable

    10. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Predictions for second half .... how many viewers will fall asleep whiting this bore fest?

      1. Eh, just one more thing ...
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        *watching .... seems my fingers are nodding off already ...

      2. No Professionals
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Don’t understand why it’s boring

        1. Eh, just one more thing ...
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Zero input from Wolves, one sided possession based, not many chances ... think Wolves keeper has had to make one save. More happened in last 2-3 of first half than the rest of the match combined .... zzzzzzz. IMO.

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

        One goal from Raheem.He seems hungry.

        1. OLD Rafiki
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          hungry for blank.

    11. OLD Rafiki
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      only option for city is to have all the 3 diff leaving out forwards nor mid.

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

      Come on SALLLLLLAH!!!!!!!!!

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

        Is he playing right now?

      2. Gunners in Haaland
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Comme ci, comme ci, comme ci, Salllllah

    13. alsybach
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      That last minute miss you salaaah still haunts me.....

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

      1-1 incoming
      No doubt

    15. Digital-Real
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Cancelo bossing the baps

    16. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Kevin De Blanke or Kevin De Boome?

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

        I want Kdb to go off after 60 mins

        Otherwise im worried he is benched vs saints and that the game we need him for

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

      Jeez did anyone captain or TC gundo?

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Camzy

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

          Ouch

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

        My brother TC'd Gundogan.

        In fairness he doesn't play seriously, although has been above me until this GW!

    18. evilfish
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Every time I BB in a DGW, I always expect a haul but it never works out. What a waste of planning. What do you think the best use of the BB chip is? I need to change my strategy.

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

        what would a successful bb look like to you? How many points from the bench?

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

          Anything over 16 points

      2. Scots Gooner
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I'm considering GW1 next season or GW 3/4 before the first international break.

        Get it out the way early and (maybe) get an early headstart

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

          Yeah getting it out of the way early sounds good. Maybe harder to get a strong bench in GW1 when you only have £100m.

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

        I always try to use it where there's doubles, as it just increases the chance of a better score.

        Secondary to that is just where there's good fixtures across the board.

        I honestly wouldn't say there's much more to it than that.

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

          I try to wait til I have a decent team value so the bench players are better.

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

        gw 1
        ala space cadet

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

      Wolves always score against City

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

      When will we know about Everton and Villa DGW?

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

        When its announced.

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

      Would Kane TCers be happy with 1 more goal from Kane?

      I probably would.

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

        Think its gonna be hard though

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

        6 points or 9 points from the game?

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

          9 would be nice.

      3. Eh, just one more thing ...
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I would to be fair the way it’s gone ... I’d sign up now if you threw in a couple of bonus points.

      4. No Professionals
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yes I’d take 36 points from my triple captain

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

      Needs Gundo

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

      Dias is beautifully nailed. Hope City hold on to that double CS while Stones is benched, huge benefit.

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

        I think dias will miss saints

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

          This

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

          I’ll believe it when I see it, him starting every game he was fully fit for since his arrival gives me great doubt in your words. Heard plenty saying that he’d be benched this week too.

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

            It was one of the four games over these two weeks so now that hes played these two and has United next odds would be that hes benched vs saints who have very little goal threat at the moment and Laporte and Stones can surely handle that.
            He was rested also once in gw24 so I would expect it to happen again vs Saints.

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

          Exactly this

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

        Hope he gets benched shortly

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

        RIP

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

        Jinxed it