Dugout Discussion

Son back in Mourinho’s starting XI but Bale only a substitute for Spurs v United

Son Heung-min (£9.4m) returns to the Tottenham Hotspur starting XI this afternoon but Gareth Bale (£9.2m) once again has to content himself with a place among the substitutes.

Manchester United are the visitors to north London, where the action gets under way at 16:30 BST.

Son is one of three players recalled to Jose Mourinho’s side, with the other two changes occuring in defence.

Eric Dier (£4.6m) and Serge Aurier (£5.2m) are brought into the back four as Davinson Sanchez (£5.2m), Japhet Tanganga (£4.9m) and Carlos Vinicius make way.

Manchester United make three changes from the side that beat Granada 2-0 on Thursday night but compared to Gameweek 31, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting XI shows just one tweak.

Scott McTominay (£4.9m) is recalled, with Mason Greenwood (£7.0m) dropping to the bench.

That means that David de Gea (£5.3m) is once again only among the substitutes, with Dean Henderson (£5.2m) lining up between the posts.


Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris, Reguilon, Aurier, Rodon, Dier, Hojbjerg, Lo Celso, Ndombele, Moura, Son, Kane

Manchester United XI: Henderson, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Pogba, Fred, McTominay, Fernandes, Rashford, Cavani


GAMEWEEK 31 SO FAR…

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The phenomenal form of Kelechi Iheanacho (£5.9m) and Jesse Lingard (£6.4m) continued at the London Stadium, with both players bagging braces in West Ham United’s 3-2 win over Leicester City.

The pair are joint-top of the Premier League’s goalscoring table from Gameweek 22 onwards, which marked the start of both of their extended runs in their respective sides.

The in-demand pair were among the top three most-bought players of Gameweek 31 and rewarded their new and existing owners with double-digit hauls; this was Lingard’s fifth such return in nine West Ham appearances.

Also among the points was the injured Michail Antonio‘s (£6.6m) replacement, Jarrod Bowen (£5.9m), who teed up Lingard’s second goal and then scored what turned out to be the match-winner when converting Tomas Soucek‘s (£5.3m) pass.

It was a poor afternoon for owners of the defenders on show, with West Ham almost letting a three-goal lead slip yet again.

It’s one clean sheet in seven for the Hammers, one in eight for Leicester.

Vladimir Coufal (£4.6m) and Ricardo Pereira (£5.9m) at least partly compensated with assists but Aaron Cresswell (£5.9m) limped off with a hamstring injury, with his substitution marking the first time he has missed Premier League minutes this season.

James Maddison (£7.2m) and Ayoze Perez (£6.0m) were missing altogether from the visitors’ squad but their absences are thought to be for disciplinary reasons rather than injury-related.

1,340 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Pukki Blinders
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Yellow card for that? Where’s Rodon’s card for diving? Pathetic ref

  2. Isco Disco
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Sonnyyyyyyyyy Get In!!!
    Need more from my differentialS

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

      Differential? 42% ownership

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

    Players I sold on my WC, FML!

    Salah
    Son
    Watkins
    Bamford
    Dallas

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

      That was always asking for trouble.
      Son has a DGW, Salah has the fixtures, Dallas is Dallas.
      Watkins and Bamford fine but you must of gone ultra differential

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

        He just makes consistent calls.

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

        Haha love these captain hindsight post's!
        Son is coming in for Sterling who was a better option this week as I have Kane and Lloris but not City.
        Of course Salah was a risk but pool have been awful at home, he scored a lucky tap in and Bruno is better value so I went Jota TAA.
        Everyone sold Dallas, awful fixtures and playing the best defence/team in the league, no-one could have predicted that result let alone him scoring two!
        Watkins and Bamford awful fixtures so went Iheanacho and DCL so we'll see whether it pays off which I think it will.

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

          Sterling was a better option than Son THIS week but I don't think that's a good enough reason to have him on your WC because it's not by a signficant amount. Sterling wasn't a good enough one week punt because he's done nothing to show this season he's capable of a mega haul so having Son and not banking a transfer for next week was IMO the better option.

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

            Easy to say that now, City Leeds should have been a goal fest, not to mention Leeds going down to 10, how Sterling hasn't returned is a miracle! Agree banking transfer would have been nice but like most really fancied that City fixture to be the one. Pool were poor again at home and have been all year

    2. Mr. Chimes
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Any good come from selling City assets? I sold points too but also cancelo stones and gundo, who all blanked, so maybe you’ve got something like that

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

        I swapped Gundo for Torres.

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

        Sold Gundog Cancelo and Stones on my WC but one week punted on Sterling and got unlucky.

    3. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      More about who replaced them.

    4. Saka Rice
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Selling salah and Son was always a bad call imo

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

      You have Son who just scored and are at live rank of 40-45k.

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

        (fail reply to Fudgy)

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

      all except salah for me, I feel your pain

    7. beric
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Dallas
      Coufal
      Bamford
      Lingard
      Havertz

      All sold by me this week 😎

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

        At least you got good price of that pack

  4. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I would love a Shaw Goal and assist to make up for missing Dallas points

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

    My one-week punt on WC of Son to Sterling was a disaster!

    Trent, Lingard, Iheanacho all well and good but my ML rival has an almost identical WC and kept Son. FFS!

  6. Mr. Chimes
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Son really should take his skills to the theater

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

    Bruno is playing?

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

    Son is disgusting

  9. sunzip14
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Sold Son losing 0.2 value to punt on Sterling(C) on WC. Sold Son on1st WC in the reverse fixture as well 🙁

    1. Saka Rice
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Unfortunate but can only ble yourself

      1. Saka Rice
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Blame*

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

    Refs totally lost control.

    Mourinho dark arts masterclass

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

      United are such a petulant team its a good tactic. Maguire should be booked for his little outburst there too.

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

    I think Bruno could axe someone in the head and not get booked

  12. R.C
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    The league is a joke

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

    Two of the most disgraceful cheating teams in the league

    Have to feel sorry for the ref

  14. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Could be in for a completely binary back line at this rate - provided 11 counts of course 😉

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

      2, 2, 2 here

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

      3

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

    This ref is shite.

  16. Saka Rice
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    If Son scores another goal all were gonna hear next week is "Son or Kane captain?"

    1. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      DGW, it’s already down to those two...

      1. Saka Rice
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        The point I was trying to make was that it was going to unanimously be Kane captain out of those two and now there will be doubts

        1. The Suspended One
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Kane will still be over 200, but true, more Son cappers now

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

    Cavani wastes bruno assist

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

    1 week punt over Son punished as always

    It’s not a season for imagination

    1. Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yep this season is brutal for trying to think outside the box.

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

      And you need him back asap.

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

        Well ye I was obviously getting him in for GW32 but on WC seemed a good chance for some upsizing chasing of a 1 week city punt over Son

    3. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Not a season to chase easy foxtures*

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

    Wildcarders looking good

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

      Depends if you went template

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

        Template has been really good

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

          Don't rub it in

          1. Saka Rice
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            so good...its a template for a reason people aren't stupid

    2. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Are they tho?

      1. Saka Rice
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Obviously...ihenacho lingard Son TAA

        1. The Suspended One
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Had 3 of 4 no WC
          What about Jota, Kane, Bruno, chelsea Def, Vardy, Neto, and all the other rubbish?

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

      Well...sold Son to Sterling, Dallas to Rudiger, Coufal to Masuaku, Martinez to Mendy...

      1. The Suspended One
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Lots of this, I suspect

  20. Squib
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Best 8.5 defender combo excluding Rudiger and Coufal?

    1. A-L
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Nat Phillips + Holding

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

        Have to drop Jota for Phillips. How nailed is Holding?

        1. A-L
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Wait and see if he starts but I think very nailed because he's right-sided and the other 2 options are both left sided. Or could just bottom out with a 3.9 defender and Coufal

          1. A-L
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Oh didn't see above

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

            Will check it out tonight cheers

  21. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Can't catch a break this year

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

      Fudgy man you say this every week. Your literally above the average for this week and have a decent OR.

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

      Lol ; aren’t you in the top 50k? Absurd luck.

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

      You have Son who just scored and are at live rank of 40-45k.

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

      Your OR is great. What you on about?

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

        One of the luckiest people on here and biggest whiner. Apparently why people love him..

        1. The Suspended One
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          They do?

          1. The Suspended One
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            I think people feel guilty for the 100 upvotes on the post that asked him to go away

    5. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Except for all the breaks you’ve caught. Oh wait, those are skill, right?

      Sorry. I forget.

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

      You are above top 10K average which is good in my book

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

    Which would you prioritise with a FT for next week?

    A: Raphinha to Lingard
    B: Antonio to Ihenacho

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

      B

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

      Ihenacho because Antonio gametime in question.

      But both for a hit.

    3. dabber7
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Possibly consider the hit?

      Leicester play WBA and West Ham play Newcastle.

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

      Thanks all. The hit’s pretty tempting...

  23. Naby K8a
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    That disallowed Cavani goal is the first time a referee has given a decision against Manchester United in 34 years (since 1987).

    1. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Hahahaha!

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

    Touch on Son's right cheek and he uses his left hand to hold his face to the right of his nose.

    He knows he's lost the ball and goes down the side he was tickled!!

    Joker...

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

      I hope someone gives him an actual reason to go down in the 2nd half.. Cheat.

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

      Can’t do that. End of.

    3. Postman Ty
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Didn't see a comment about Rashford doing the exact same thing. Or Fernandes claiming en elbow when someone put an arm across his chest.

      1. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Correct on both counts....even Roy Keene said Rashford did the same thing as Son 5 mins earlier......football gone though when any of these decisions are a foul.......and dont get me started on the rubbish 2 x offside VAR decisions from yesterday

  25. thegaffer82
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Think it’s time for a re-structure of my side & I’m tempted to spend a -8 now to get my team back to something I’m happy with...

    How does this sound?

    Auba, Gundo & Bamford > Salah, Linz & Vydra (8th attacker and perma bench)

    1. @persecuted_by_mods
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Can you afford without the Bamford move?

        1. thegaffer82
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Nope. All that leaves me with 0.2 ITB

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

        Vydra -> Watkins or Nacho or no mullah?

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

      Nearly went Sterling or Maddison over Son for a 1 week punt. Bullet dodged!

    3. Chandler Bing
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Is Son looking better than Kane FPL wise? Still unsure who to TC next GW. Leaning towards the Korean.

      1. @persecuted_by_mods
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Usually does in big games with more space to run behind into

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

          Kane clever flick created that goal. Kane is still an elite option.

        • Bushwhacker
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Nah.

        • GreennRed
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          No.

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

        “The games gone”

        When a decision goes against Man United. They should be the last team complaining about refereeing decisions.

        1. A. PRISE
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          You are absolutely right but that was still a wrong decision

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

          Utd fan here we've had the rub of the green all season and the last hard to conplain if one debatable call goes against us

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

            Standing ovation from the crowd.

        3. @persecuted_by_mods
            3 years, 1 month ago

            That gets said week in week out, you're just specifically biased against them to the point you don't want them to complain against bad decisions

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

              Yes because of the numerous, numerous bad decisions they’ve had in their favour.

              1. @persecuted_by_mods
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  I don't support them, like most big teams they get more but enough has gone against too. People just are irrational when it comes to them, their fans are blind and biased and the people that don't like them are also blind and biased

              2. Postman Ty
                • 9 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                7/9 of their penalties in the league this season have been absolute crap, feel free to look them all up. What are you saying now?

                1. @persecuted_by_mods
                    3 years, 1 month ago

                    In your opinion

                    1. Postman Ty
                      • 9 Years
                      3 years, 1 month ago

                      Go look at them and tell me any of them aren't at best debatable. They range from extremely soft to clear dives and most of them have been called out by every pundit I've heard in the post games. I can appreciate a 50/50 decision but most of these have really rubbed me the wrong way and it seems to be almost every penalty decision ending in their favour.

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

                Yes 100%

                It’s almost as if some people think two wrongs don’t make a right

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

              Son is so good he rose from the dead to score. If Var doesn't change next year I'm done with football. 4 ridiculous decisions this week again. They've had their year with their toy, making it all about them. Sick of it

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

                You can’t slap someone in the face. It wasn’t malicious, its not a card, it IS a foul.

                1. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 8 Years
                  3 years, 1 month ago

                  Son also can't grab him, that's a foul...play advantage

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

                    He didn’t though. He tried and missed. McTominay didn’t.

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

                      And you STILL can’t whack someone in the face.

                      1. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
                        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                        • 8 Years
                        3 years, 1 month ago

                        then why didn't he get a YC

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

                        nonsense...his face could've been anywhere, he was flicking him off him and son went down like he was shot. there are arms going everywhere in this match but a slo-mo replay makes it look worse, just ask guy ritchie. Unless McTominay is a closet ninja, that is no way a deliberate slap in the face

              2. Postman Ty
                • 9 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Did you watch football before VAR? Every match had a joke of a decision in it.

            3. A. PRISE
              • 3 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Are the 3 bonus points for Son attributed to his acting skills?