Dugout Discussion

Saka, Aubameyang return to Arsenal starting XI but Smith Rowe absent from squad

Having been handed breathers in Gameweek 26, both Bukayo Saka (£5.2m) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.3m) return to Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up in Gameweek 27.

Martin Odegaard (£5.9m) is set to take up the No 10 role for the Gunners, with Emile Smith Rowe (£4.3m) absent from the matchday squad after picking up a hip problem during the 3-1 win at Leicester in GW26.

“Emile had some discomfort still in the week, he wasn’t ready. Hopefully it’s not too much. But I think Martin is adapting really well to the team.” – Mikel Arteta speaking ahead of kick off

Hector Bellerin (£5.1m) remains on the bench as Calum Chambers (£4.5m) replaces another absentee in Cedric (£4.6m) at right-back.

Pepe (£7.6m), Alexandre Lacazette (£8.1m) and Mohamed Elneny (£4.2m) also drop out of the Arsenal XI. The latter is replaced in midfield by Thomas Partey (£4.9m).

“We have to rotate. I want to maintain everybody in top form.” – Arteta

Kieran Tierney (£5.2m) continues his injury return by keeping his left-back spot, with both Pablo Mari (£4.4m) and David Luiz (£5.4m) also remaining in defence.

Blank Gameweek 18 and Double Gameweek 19: The key player and team stats

For Burnley, Chris Wood (£6.2m) and Matej Vydra (£4.8m) continue up front in the absence of the injured Ashley Barnes (£6.0m).

Sean Dyche’s steady backline of Charlie Taylor (£4.4m) Ben Mee (£5.1m) James Tarkowski (£5.3m) and Matt Lowton (£4.5m) will once again guard goalkeeper Nick Pope (£5.6m).

Johann Berg Gudmundsson (£5.4m) is back from the treatment table to start at right midfield, while Robbie Brady (£5.0m) is also available from the bench. Jack Cork (£5.0m) misses out with a hamstring injury.

Burnley XI (4-4-2): Pope; Taylor, Mee, Tarkowski, Lowton; McNeil, Westwood, Brownhill, Gudmundsson; Wood, Vydra.

Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tierney, Mari, David Luiz, Chambers; Xhaka, Partey; Willian, Odegaard, Saka; Aubameyang.

635 Comments Post a Comment
  1. CloudSky
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    If they can apparently score with that part, they can defend with it too.

  2. Van der Faart
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Never a penalty

  3. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Mariner are you having a laugh mate !! 🙂

  4. Maarrrr17
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    So what's the card for?

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Overturned.

      1. Maarrrr17
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        Yeah but the yellow after??

        1. ZAMUNDA
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 22 days ago

          An earlier foul at 71'

        2. panda07
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 22 days ago

          He took the yellow out by mistake when he was rescinding the red.

  5. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    VAR doing a great job

  6. EDUARDO DA SILVA
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Are there any dumber refs than english?

  7. Il Capitano
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Quiet cameo from Pieters then

    1. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      😀

  8. Scots Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Just give me my Auba penalty

  9. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    McGregor like shoulder strike

  10. DropkickMurphys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Totally wrong decision. Wasn’t a handball

  11. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    quality defending Erik!

  12. jason_ni
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    1st time in a long time var has been useful for something..

  13. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    With Jota bringing himself in, do we think he takes one of Salah/Mane’s spots or plays in addition to?

    1. BobbyDoesNotLook
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Probably in place for. They all have played huge minutes and UCL still on.

  14. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    VAR works again... Shocker!

    1. jason_ni
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Var in that instance, it works perfectly.

      Its when you are talking mm on offsides, and the decision of when to stop the action to draw the lines(critical to making the decison) and where the lines are drawn are all up to human interpretation, and you can get a different decision between 2 operators is where I have a problem with it. And not even talking about the fps for the video feed.

  15. Royal5
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    VAR works

  16. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    How is there a yellow when there's no pen?

    1. DropkickMurphys
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Soooo stupid lol

    2. Maarrrr17
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      This.
      So if he gets a yellow again, is he off? What the hell is going on.

    3. kennethrhcp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      What?

      1. kennethrhcp
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        There was no yellow?

    4. ZAMUNDA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      The yellow card is for an earlier foul

      1. ivantys
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        Oh I see, makes sense now

    5. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      He pulled up the wrong card

    6. nolard
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Could be for dissent?

    7. BobbyDoesNotLook
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      It was for previous challenge.

    8. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Probably for descent

      1. mojoindojo
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        into madness..

    9. Guba
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      He meant to get the red card out, to show it was rescinded. He got a yellow from previous.

    10. JJO
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      He accidentally showed it
      He meant to show RC is overturned

    11. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Wierd but he was retracting the red card.

  17. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Nowhere to hide for pieters cappers

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      I am here and proud

    2. The Ilfordian
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Captain hindsight! Seemed the obvious choice before the gameweek

    3. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Funny how that nth expression has entered FFS lingo.

    4. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Plenty of places for them to hide considering he never got sent off after all.

      1. Steve The Spud
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        Everywhere to hide !

  18. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Pope pen save incoming

  19. nolard
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Correct decision on the red card, but Arsenal should be away here.

  20. BobbyDoesNotLook
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Thank god I got Martinez in and Mccarthy on bench.

  21. seewhyaxe
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    exciting 10-15mins

  22. Guba
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Thank god for VAR here, does show why we need it. Penalty and red card would have been horrendous.

    1. nolard
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      VAR nowhere to be seen on the previous handball in the Burnley box though.

      It is the inconsistency that riles the most.

  23. F_Ivanovic
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Should be happy with Aubameyang's goal but to think what could have been.

    1. kennethrhcp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Like no goal and benched?

  24. Dthinger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    I’m going to regret starting Jorginho instead of Brewster aren’t I?

    1. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      I would regret owning either

      1. Dthinger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        That is a fair point

    2. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      No

    3. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Penalty incoming

  25. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Perfect game for non owners

    1. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      That’s everyone though

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        I’m sure there’s some Pope/Lowton/Saka owners somewhere

    2. FPLtfs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      I brought in Auba this morning. Think a lot did?

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        Great punt, you deserve it

    3. Top Dog
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Other than the goal from one of the most popular Arsenal
      assets!!

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        7.5% ownership

  26. French Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Best league in the world they said.

    Clearly not for refs and VAR - what an absolute joke

    1. Van der Faart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Where has VAR failed today?

      1. Scots Gooner
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        The clear as day handball penalty they said was a 'natural position' despite being extended feet from his body?

        Natural position for a ballet dancer perhaps. Or a tree.

        1. jason_ni
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 22 days ago

          Not sure if you expect footballers to run like they are in river dance?

          1. Scots Gooner
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 22 days ago

            He wasn't running? He was backing off from Pepe in the penalty area, with his arms out wide.

            1. jason_ni
              • 8 Years
              3 years, 22 days ago

              Change run to move then.
              I know you are an arsenal fan, so may be biased, but for me having played football and the lowest level possible, its a natural movement.

              Never mind how close the ball was, he didn't have a chance to react.
              An extra half m away, and he moves his arm to the ball different story.

              1. French Gooner
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 11 Years
                3 years, 22 days ago

                “Me having played football” - mate if you played football you know that’s a pen all day long, at under 12 junior football or final of the World Cup.

                Arm in an unnatural position denying a clear goal scoring opportunity.

                What is done is done, doesn’t change the fact we gave away a goal and missed couple of sitters

              2. Scots Gooner
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 7 Years
                3 years, 22 days ago

                As an Arsenal fan, I could easily be accused of bias. That's a handball. It's not even remotely indefinite.

                Have you watched any football this season? Have you seen the handball calls made via VAR? Have you seen some of the disallowed goals attributed to handball?

                The officials don't even know what a handball is any more. There is no consistency whatsoever.

      2. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        Blatant first penalty vs Pieters

  27. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    If VAR system worked for obvious calls like a minute ago and checked for daylight between attacker and defender on offsides rather than millimetres that would do me.

    1. kennethrhcp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Agreed!

      All the ppl saying we need the technology with all the money at stake can surely see now its ruined the enjoyment

      1. Iwantmorepointsthanks
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        It is not the technology ruining though. It is the people not being able to apply it properly.

        1. jason_ni
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 22 days ago

          There is no way to know the precise moment to pause the action with the fps in use.
          Its all personal opinion. That is an issue when you are talking mm.

          Var can be useful, as in todays non pen, but on alot of offsides it doesn't help itself.

          The whole drawing lines from armpits is another farce.

          1. Iwantmorepointsthanks
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 10 Years
            3 years, 22 days ago

            I still think it is more a question of educating referees better and providing better guidelines, as well as maybe selecting better referees if that is possible.

            You wouldn't blame an x-ray for example if the doctors
            A) don't spot something is wrong
            B) spot something but due to lack of know-how etc. say don't worry, it is nothing

            1. jason_ni
              • 8 Years
              3 years, 22 days ago

              No amount of education will allow for the correct decision on when to pause for every check, its always human decision, and the current camera fps are not up to it, and when you have these mm offsides disallowed, that's a problem.

              1. Iwantmorepointsthanks
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 10 Years
                3 years, 22 days ago

                I see what you mean, but it is still a matter of how to apply available technology. Bring in a challenge system maybe as in other sports (tennis, cricket come to mind).

        2. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 22 days ago

          I agree as VAR is just another ref and on subjective decisions they are no better than going with the original ref. Some decisions on a football pitch are 100pc subjective and should be left to the ref on the pitch to try and apply the laws he should know as part of his job

    2. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      What counts as daylight though? If your arm is stretched out behind you so there is no daylight between it and your opponent, but there is clear daylight between the players' legs or abdomens, would that count as offside or not?

      1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 22 days ago

        Id just use torsos not arms or legs like they do in sprint photo finishes. I just prefer any benefit to go to the attacker

        1. Hulk Smash
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 22 days ago

          Something definitely needs doing though I agree. But I don't trust the authorities to get it right at all.

          1. jason_ni
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 22 days ago

            Torso will still be ambiguous.. go with the feet, at least its easier to pinpoint!

  28. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    Awful start to the gw as a Saka owner.

    1. Van der Faart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      This

    2. The Ilfordian
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Yes, seemed sensible at the time. Good for the BGW though and fixtures beyond (maybe a sneeky one past Spurs

    3. jason_ni
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 22 days ago

      Saka was pretty unlucky.. but that always seem the case for him, owned him a number of weeks, and was always close and no cigar.. el is a different story.

  29. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    WTF just happened in Burnleys penalty box

  30. seewhyaxe
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 22 days ago

    what a chain of events