Dugout Discussion

Alli and Bale return to Spurs XI as Kane is widely backed with Gameweek 34 captaincy

Amid the chaos caused by the postponement of Manchester United v Liverpool, it’s easy to forget that there is another Premier League match still to come on Sunday evening.

Tottenham Hotspur v Sheffield United gets underway in north London at 19:15 BST.

It’s a significant match from a Fantasy Premier League perspective, too, with Harry Kane (£11.9m) widely backed with the armband.

Over 2.3 million FPL managers overall have captained the England international in Gameweek 34, with 88.62% of the top 10,000 doing likewise (see below).

Kane’s ‘effective ownership’ among this leading group is in excess of 181% as a result.

He and Son Heung-min (£9.6m) were among the top three most-bought players of Gameweek 34 ahead of last Friday’s deadline, attracting a combined c. 590,000 transfers in.

Any lingering concerns about the premium FPL forward’s fitness were assuaged by interim Spurs boss Ryan Mason in his pre-match press conference and Kane indeed starts this evening.

There are only two changes to the Lilywhites’ line-up from Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

Gareth Bale (£9.1m) and the long-overlooked Dele Alli (£7.4m) return to the starting XI, with Harry Winks (£5.1m) and Lucas Moura (£6.7m) making way.

Mason said of his team selection ahead of kick-off:

[Dele] had an excellent training week. The boys have been bright all week but I felt that Dele stood out and had to reward him for that.

Lucas missed training all week, only joined the squad yesterday. Gareth produced a moment for us against Southampton, he was unlucky at the weekend not to get the nod; he’s also had a good training week so we felt it was right to bring him back in.

As for Sheffield United, Paul Heckingbottom has made just the one alteration from the side that defeated Brighton and Hove Albion 1-0 last weekend.

The fit-again Chris Basham (£4.6m) starts ahead of Kean Bryan (£3.9m), who is absent from the matchday squad altogether.

Sander Berge (£4.9m) is also back from injury after a lengthy absence but is only among the substitutes.

LINE-UPS

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Lo Celso, Son, Alli, Bale, Kane.

Sheffield United XI: Ramsdale, Baldock, Basham, Egan, Bogle, Fleck, Norwood, Stevens, Osborn, McGoldrick, Brewster.


SUNDAY’S OTHER GAMEWEEK 34 ACTION

A match that had very little impact on the upper echelons of Fantasy Premier League went the way of the visitors at St James’ Park.

Thanks to a combination of injuries, rotation and general disinterest in either side, not a single player on show had an effective ownership of greater than 0.27% in the top 10k.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.3m) was back in the starting XI after a spell out with malaria and continued his fine individual record against a listless and potentially ‘on the beach’ Newcastle United, scoring one and fortuitously assisting another en route to a first double-digit haul since Gameweek 24.

A third of his 12 attacking returns this season have come against the Magpies.

Budget FPL midfielder Gabriel Martinelli (£4.9m) set up the Gabon international’s goal, with the even-cheaper Mohamed Elneny (£4.2m) scoring the opener following an Aubameyang miscue.

Bernd Leno (£5.0m), Bukayo Saka (£5.1m), Emile Smith Rowe (£4.2m) and Rob Holding (£4.3m) were all either unused substitutes or not involved as Arteta once again ran wild with the rotation with one eye on Europe.

Arsenal were again without Kieran Tierney (£5.2m) and Alexandre Lacazette (£8.4m), with Arteta offering a pessimistic update ahead of kick-off.


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1,193 Comments Post a Comment
  1. tbos83
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    This gw is shaping up to be the biggest washout of the season - and it wasn't even covid that caused it

    1. FPL price manipulators are …
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      People can't be trusted. Put them back in lockdown

    2. zotter
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Probably did cause it indirectly .....

      1. tbos83
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Fair point

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

    Time to bring back talk of GW39?

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      It won't happen

  3. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Kane looks like decided to leave

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I don't blame him to be fair

    2. Qaiss
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Where to

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

        United I would guess.

        1. Qaiss
          • 8 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Ahh man united. Wonder if their fans will still protest the way they have if they make that signing..

        2. Utopsis
          • 4 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Glazers have no money to spend on Kane

      2. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Chelsea or City

        1. Qaiss
          • 8 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          No way Levy sells to Chelsea.

    3. el polako
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Thing is with Mbpabbe and Haaland on the market he will not be the hottest target among CF's combine this with Levy's likely high demands I may turn out that no club will be ready to invest heavily in glass ankled 28 years old.

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

        Exactly. It will only be a team who don’t have the appeal to get those two. Which is united

      2. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        It's Levy fault definitely. He sold Bale and Modric so he is a seller at right price in his head

      3. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Mbapppe will stay and Harland to real is done deal

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

        Mbappe isn’t on the market. Haaland is going to City. Kane will stay.

    4. Tinkermania
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      If the top 2 in England, Spain, Italy or Germany thought he was as good the English press make him, he would have left many years ago. No one major wants him. He isn't all that.

      1. Guru Mediation
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Epic fishing

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

          Haaland, Mbappe, Lewandowski, Neymar are top forwards. They win trophies. They don't wait for a penalty. They run at defenders. They score goals. They assist every season. They don't wait until Mourino asks them to work hard. Even Aguero at the moment would be sought more.

      2. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        I disagree he is amazing he has to leave to win silverware

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

          The is a reason he is still at Spurs 😉

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

    Boring half over

  5. Party time
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Aurier you beast!!

    • Gross Blank Point
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Bought Bale in and captained him, had 12 points from 5 before today, a real pleasant turn around.

      1. Qaiss
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        You deserve it if you captained him, good differential

        1. Gross Blank Point
          • 3 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Cheers, I've no Kane or Son because of their blank the other week, so it could still easily go wrong, but its that stage of the season where risks are needed for any movement.

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

        Same. Shipped Salah for him.

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

        Nice punt. Well done.

      4. Utopsis
        • 4 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Well done champ

    • JJeyy
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Twitter rumour that United game could be on for 3pm tomorrow, hope so

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Link ?

      2. Oggle22
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Don't see why it can't be not like they have work or ewt just get it played

        1. FPL Daniel
          • 14 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          United play Roma

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

            Three days is enough break. Same as a Tuesday ucl game and team plays Saturday which is normal

          2. JJeyy
            • 8 Years
            2 years, 11 months ago

            And? City have 3 days after palace till PSG. Same for United if played tomorrow

            1. FPL Daniel
              • 14 Years
              2 years, 11 months ago

              City aren't whining

      3. David
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Betfair have it listed as 3pm tomorrow.

        1. Egg noodle
          • 14 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Wow

      4. Aster
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Certainly hope so

      5. Aster
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        -

    • FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Rashford or Greenwood who is better pick for the double?

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

        Money no object rashford only for certainty of starts

        1. FPL Daniel
          • 14 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          But is he fit ? Is he in form ?

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

            Depends on where he plays, but we can scout him before final decision.

          2. zotter
            • 14 Years
            2 years, 11 months ago

            Think so re fitness.

    • The Polymath
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Two Police officers injured. Mob rule gets game postponed. Sad day. Discuss.

      1. Dr Van Nostrand
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Mob rule beats billionaire buffoons

      2. FPL price manipulators are …
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Let's go back to the 1970's. Isn't that what Brexiteers wanted.

        1. Patio Kev
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Moronic comment - what has Man Utd fans protesting got to do with Brexit ?

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

        United to be docked enough points to finish 5th. And well deserved. Gary Neville fined with incitement and jailed.

        1. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Of course you would say 5th LOL

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

            West Ham deserve it more.

      4. Scholes Out For Summer
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Select few ruining a good idea behind the protest. Always some stupid idiots ruining it for the rest of the fans

      5. Qaiss
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Our police are some of the softest in the world.

        With all these anti-police protests in the last year, people completely forget they are people too. It’s disgusting.

        1. Dr Van Nostrand
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          They're not anti-police protests what are you new? They're protesting police discrimination which exists in spades.

          1. Qaiss
            • 8 Years
            2 years, 11 months ago

            There have been a lot of ‘anti-bill’ protests in the last year in the UK with police getting injured, burning police cars, etc.

            1. Dr Van Nostrand
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 8 Years
              2 years, 11 months ago

              The draconian bill they are protesting is not anti-police it's anti-authoritarianism.

              Far more people have been injured by your supposed 'soft' police than protesters injuring police btw.

            2. Traction Engine Foot
              • 6 Years
              2 years, 11 months ago

              If you mean the ones in Bristol, don't forget the police said officers were injured and then mysteriously retracted that statement a few days later. Don't believe everything you read.

      6. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        for all we know, the TRUE United fans were outside, protesting peacefully. maybe the "thugs" that went inside OT were actually Pool supporters who were afraid of seeing them lose and falling further out of the top 4

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

          Nonsense. Utd fan here and its time we acknowledge a fraction of our supporters are thugs!

          1. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            2 years, 11 months ago

            all united supporters are choirboys

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

            To be fair they left early for their trains back to London.

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

            C'mon, not this one too ffs!!!!!

      7. Patio Kev
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Agreed - I think there is a right to peaceful protest but this was a mob that broke into the ground. That crossed the line.

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

      I don't get why my draft team keeps out scoring my actual team every week.

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

        Maybe it's better?

    • Patio Kev
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      What it could look like:

      West Brom v Liverpool 6pm Thurs 13 May

      Man Utd v Liverpool to then take the place of the West Beom v Liverpool game at 4.30pm on Sunday 16th May.

      That would give Liverpool a DGW35 with fixtures against Soton and WBA, that would be massive.

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

        Pipe dream if it happens tomorrow at 3

    • Utopsis
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Bruno finally gets his rest

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

        I thought he’s been resting the last five gameweeks according to my team.

    • OPTA FPL
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Kane EO anyone?
      I have both but captain nacho, should I expect a Kane blank?
      rank 40k

      1. Eh, just one more thing ...
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        173%

    • Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Red Card coming up

    • Weak Become Heros
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Thats a red!

    • Baps hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I have feeling that I will hate transfer Kane out today. If he can't score vs Shu, he isn't going to do anything against Leeds. Watkins and Vardy could easily get double the pts he is likely to get.

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

        That's not how football works

    • Pat Bonner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Fleck could be off here

      1. Pat Bonner
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        VAR saying it’s fine!

    • Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      brewster off

    • Weak Become Heros
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I think he knows what he is doing there.

    • _Ninja_
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Naughty from fleck

    • Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      That is downright disgusting. Clearly intended.

      1. Pat Bonner
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        VAR really is waste of time when you see some of the decisions

        1. Twisted Saltergater
          • 14 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          I’m at a loss as to how they’ve ducked that decision.

    • Scots Gooner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      No sign of apology or remorse there.

      Should have seen red.

      1. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        if the foul had been against Son, he would have been off

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

        Yes there was. He went up to him and patted him on the head.

        I agree though should have been a red.

    • ChippyT
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      That's a red, he's looking straight down at him.

      1. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        His foot accelerated too.

    • Nimby
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I can't believe you can get a red card for clearing a ball but not for stamping on someone's head. The game has gone absolutely insane. I hate the people running it.

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

        Ridiculous

    • Vazza
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Which GW to FH?

      1. Pat Bonner
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Next week

    • BeaversWithAttitude
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      OMG, that looked so painful!

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

        Dude got his face raked like a pile of leaves

    • @persecuted_by_mods
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Out of all the reds var has given, this is the one they don't give ffs

        1. Egg noodle
          • 14 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Got to laugh really

      • SH1M1
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Refs in this country are an absolute joke

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

          They are so inconsistent it's unbelievable.

      • Abraham & Cheese
        • 5 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        How the hell was that not a red card? Is VAR high?

      • how now brown cow
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        How is that not a red card?

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

          Right? Where's Mike Dean when you need him?