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.


GET IN-GAME DATA AT LIVE FPL

Check your own rank and in-play FPL stats on LiveFPL.net every Gameweek

1,193 Comments Post a Comment
  1. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Lateriser wants to post on Twitter tonight so badly

  2. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Yeah... I’m sick of this game

  3. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    How now? A hatty?

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

    Wish I kept Bale 🙁

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

      Didn't know Jose would be fired to be fair

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

        Exactly this.

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

    Aurier 2 assists.. what a bonkers week

  6. Postman Ty
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Bale's finishing is unreal.

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

      Such brilliant technique

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

    Let me just admit it, I hate that bale 2-0 should be son

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

      Yeah it should have been

  8. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    How... honestly how

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

    Deletes team.......

  10. HonestBlatter
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    BALE BALE BALE ...TRAP TRAP TRAP

  11. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Bruno’s midweek performance stopped me from replacing him with Bale

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

    Bale playing is bad for Son

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      and kane

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

      Are you even watching the game

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

    Kane is absolutely seething that Bale has hattricked 😆

  14. Bobby Digital
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Well done Bale owners...

    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Aye well deserved

  15. Bartowski
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Should have capped Bale. Also, should have bought Bale.

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

    If we played shite teams every week bale would be essential.

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

    Anyone knows Bale eo% ?

    1. BRFC1883
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      No

  18. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Get (K)ane on!

  19. R.C
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Imagine not owning and TCing Bale

  20. Tommy J
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Happy days, I had to take a punt to try to make up a 90 point gap and all those above me captained Kane- I captained Bale and I still have my wildcard. Got an outside chance of making up the difference...

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

      Wow big call, good job

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

      You won’t forget this GW in a while! Congrats.

    3. 272MK
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Similar boat here bro!!!!

  21. The Suspended One
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    If they don’t hold this CS....

  22. Do I Not Like Orange
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Any chance Spurs might bring Kane on now?

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

      Nah, rested for Leeds

  23. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    If i was Mason I'd rest Kane now after that Bale 8th hattrick super show...

  24. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    A cool 30k red arrow and counting...

    If only I’d had the cojones to go Bale over Son

  25. Kodap
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Well Son over Bale wasn’t the best choice this week was it

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

      Better than kane

    2. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Is wasn’t really a choice was it..

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

    Kane the new Firmino

  27. Gunners in Haaland
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Where tf is Harry Kane?

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

    Jota to Alli yes or no?

    1. Gunners in Haaland
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      No

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

    Why Jose didn't play him ?

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

      Look at the opposition he has scored against this season.

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

      Didn’t track back enough or too a ‘super star’?

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

      Umm, you watched his performances against real teams this season, right?

  30. 3 A
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    I got Salah, Lingard, Zaha (Best fixture), Siggy, and Greenwood.

    Who to drop to get Bale?

    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      You've missed the party imo

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

      Too late

      1. 3 A
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Still have 4 games