Dugout Discussion

Salah and Jota start together as Klopp benches Mané against Aston Villa

Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) and Diogo Jota (£7.0m) start together for Liverpool as they host Aston Villa in Gameweek 31.

The two players contributed to the Reds’ impressive finish against Arsenal in Gameweek 30 and were both inside the top-five most-bought players for the most recent round of action.

Sadio Mané (£11.8m) is the man to make way this afternoon, dropping to the bench for the second time in four Premier League matches.

That means Jota starts on the left-hand side of Liverpool’s front-three, spearheaded by Roberto Firmino (£9.0m).

Curtis Jones (£4.4m) misses out as a precaution which means Georginio Wijnaldum (£5.3m), James Milner (£5.3m) and Fabinho (£5.4m) are the midfield trio today.

Nathaniel Phillips‘ (£4.1m) stock remains high, earning his fifth Premier League start from a possible six alongside Ozan Kabak (£5.0m).

There is also plenty of revived interest in Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.4m) this afternoon.

Having produced 33 points across his last five matches, the Liverpool right-back was purchased by 190,000+ managers ahead of the Gameweek 31, the most new owners for any defender this week.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are still without Jack Grealish (£7.5m) who recently suffered a setback on his return from a shin injury.

Bertrand Traoré (£5.9m) and Trézéguet (£5.2m) provide the width either side of Ollie Watkins (£6.5m) while Marvelous Nakamba (£4.3m) and Douglas Luiz (£4.8m) both feature in midfield with John McGinn (£5.5m).

Gameweek 31 Line-ups

Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Robertson, Kabak, N Phillips, Alexander-Arnold; Wijnaldum, Milner, Fabinho; Jota, Firmino, Salah.

Aston Villa XI (4-2-3-1): Martínez; Targett, Mings, Konsa, Cash; D Luiz, Nakamba; Trézéguet, McGinn, B Traoré; Watkins.

Gameweek 31 so far…

Fantasy Premier League managers who swerved from their Leeds assets found their Gameweek 31 win at Manchester City hard to watch.

Stuart Dallas (£5.1m) was the second-most benched player for the latest round of action but bagged a brace at the Etihad Stadium.

To add insult to that decision, Patrick Bamford (£6.6m), the third-most sold Fantasy asset ahead of Gameweek 31, provided the assist for his opener.

From a Manchester City perspective, this match was all about Pep Guardiola once again.

Kevin De Bruyne (£12.0m), Rúben Dias (£6.2m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.2m) were all unused substitutes while Ilkay Gündogan (£6.0m) and Phil Foden (£6.0m) both emerged from the bench for one-point cameos.

Ferran Torres (£6.9m) and Bernardo Silva (£7.4m) got the only attacking returns of the afternoon.

Provisional bonus points

  • 3 – Stuart Dallas
  • 2 – Bernardo Silva
  • 1 – Oleksandr Zinchenko

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1,221 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Not great as a Cancelo, Gundogan and Mahrez owner

  2. jammie26
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Alonso out, is this correct?

    1. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      ?

    2. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Someone was saying yesterday that some of the Chelsea staff had taken Alonso out of their FPL teams. There is some twitter account that tracks moves from people associated / employed by the PL clubs.

      1. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        This is true, but it was Tier 3 insiders with lots of transfers (wildcards?)

        Might mean nothing.

  3. Reggie Nainggolan
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    What the chances of Rudigar and Shaw starting?

    Rival has Dallas whilst mines on the bench

    1. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Both will .

    2. Hangman Page
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      What’s the point of worrying about it? If it’s gonna happen it’ll happen.

  4. Mr. O'Connell
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Twice this season I've wildcarded out a 17 point haul away at Man City. Wildcards are the devil.

    1. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      But would you have actually played either. I doubt it.

  5. hueycho
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Ouch for Sterling, Gundo cappers...

    1. Brehmeren
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Surely no one capped Gundo

      1. nothing_else_Mata
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        I did...

  6. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Southgate will still pick Sterling ahead of Foden, Grealish and Rashford for the England team.

    1. Evil Greg
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      And Sancho!

    2. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Mmm. The very reason we won’t win.

  7. A. PRISE
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Nathaniel Philips to score and shake the world

    1. Naby K8a
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      GOAL. 1st minute and it's Ollie Watkins who gives Aston Villa the lead. Plenty of time for the Reds to get back into this

      1. Brehmeren
        • 13 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Would love that

      2. A. PRISE
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        I have no problem with that, as long as Philips scores

  8. Evil Greg
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    At least nodody actually played Dallas!

    1. MrZ
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Some play him in my ML

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Couple dead or struggling teams in mine

  9. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    I need shaw Azpi or Coufal to get injured in a freak accident in the next few hours. Not badly injured. Just enough to rule them out this weekend.

    1. Kane and Ablett
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Perhaps a mild stomach bug for Shaw having eaten one too many bhajis last night ....that’s who I need to miss out... or Rudiger

  10. Naby K8a
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    "DALLAS BEATS THE BUYERS CLUB" Take a bow Peter Drury

  11. Sterling Archer
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Dallas in for Diaz!!! What position was dallas? Will he get a position change next season?

    1. Evil Greg
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Not necessarily, depends if he finishes the season at full back or not.

    2. Brehmeren
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      He should

    3. Hangman Page
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Yes I expect him to be a 6.0 midfielder.

  12. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    You just have to love Bielsa

    "It's very difficult to win games like today. I think we deserved it but the fair thing would have been for City to win it because they had the dominance and the chances."

    1. Nanoelektronicar
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      He's just winding Pep up 🙂

    2. Kane and Ablett
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      A wind up master

      1. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Scarcely

        This is the man who instructed his side to give away a goal to promotion rivals.

  13. Mr. O'Connell
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    7m GW rank on WC1 this season. Aiming for 8m GW rank second time around. Ideal start with Sterling (c) and no Salah. Fingers crossed for Salah hattrick.

  14. Forever In Our Shadow
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Milner on pens then. Oh dear Salah cappers.

    1. Nanoelektronicar
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Salah racing for boot and is like a spoiled child, he'll take it.

  15. threeputt
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    If Kdb had played and matched Dallas tally today I guess headline could have been: 'De Bruyne does Dallas'

    1. Hangman Page
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Sounds like a movie with a lot of grunting in it.

    2. EL TANO
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Very good. I’ve mentioned this before but I still think the best team name I’ve seen on this site (many years ago) was Diaby Does Gallas...gold

  16. The 12th Man
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Watkins hat trick would be funny today.

    1. threeputt
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      he's first on my bench but was tempted to play after remembering what happened in the reverse fixture

    2. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Any points more than 2 would help

    3. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      More chance of me getting one.

  17. El Presidente
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    You have to respect the PL. Today Pep didn't and payed the price. That starting line-up was ridiculous and the league is not won yet.

  18. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    A goal of 4 from Jota would be nice

    1. Burger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I'd rather he scored all 4 tbh.

  19. Forever In Our Shadow
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Eeeerrrrr buuut eeeeerrr buuuut. Jog in Carra. Makes Andy Townsend sound good and he is sheite

  20. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Jota injured?

    1. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Stretcher

    2. Burger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      If by injured, you mean about to score a hattie, then yes.

    3. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Nice try.

    4. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      All clear

  21. JBG
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Ffs Salah not scored yet.

    1. OLD Rafiki
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      lol the game just started.

      1. Salah’s Sonnet
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        It’s half an hour in.....

  22. wulfrunian
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Torres you beauty!

    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Sub optimal broadband?

      1. wulfrunian
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Something like that! 🙂

  23. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Gundogan, Mahrez and Dcl to Fodder(Burke), Lingard and Kane -4 with 2ft’s?

    1. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Meh

    2. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Imagine at least one of Gundogan/Mahrez plays the next match after that performance, but those are decent moves especially given Kane's DGW.

      Smith-Rowe over Burke if you have an extra 0.1m

  24. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Come on Mo, dont be glued to the touchline!

    1. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Wish he was glued to the bench soon for Mane. 😉

  25. OLD Rafiki
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    clearly this was clearly not the week for WC. smh.

    1. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Clearly.

  26. Gizzachance
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Big match for the w/c? Mo jota taa

  27. Cali
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Forgot to activate my wildcard. Bamford and Dallas 2nd and 3rd on the bench...This will either end really badly or really well depending on who will all play this week.

    1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      When you say “forgot to activate”, do you mean “forgot to make any transfers and play my wildcard at all”?

      Because those are very different things 🙂

  28. Bushwhacker
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    VAR not in play at Anfield then

  29. Christina.
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Only upside of this place on matchday is it led to Nirvana.
    So much bitterness.

  30. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    That TAA touch 😆