Dugout Discussion

Bamford, Bale, Aguero and Forster on the bench for Gameweek 38 matches

Patrick Bamford is on the Leeds bench for their Gameweek 38 meeting with West Bromwich Albion.

Ahead of facing the Premier League worst defence this season, Marcelo Bielsa’s number-one forward was the most-bought player for the final round of matches.

But the Leeds boss has taken the return of Leeds fans to a home top-flight game for 17 years to offer farewell starts to Gaetano Berardi and Pablo Hernandez.

The latter starts at number 10, pushing Rodrigo into Bamford’s centre-forward berth with Raphinha and Jack Harrison on the flanks of what appears to be a 3-3-3-1 formation.

As promised, Kiko Casilla starts in goal ahead of Illan Meslier while Fantasy favourite Stuart Dallas keeps his place on the right-hand side of Leeds’ second bank of three.

Ryan Mason’s two alterations are both at the back, with Matt Doherty and Davinson Sanchez in for Japhet Tanganga and Eric Dier.

Gareth Bale is benched again.

If Sergio Aguero is to sign off his Manchester City Premier League career with a goal, he will have to do it from the bench where he is named alongside Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres.

Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden appear to be either side of Gabriel Jesus while Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne look set for slightly deeper midfield roles.

Liverpool are as to be expected with Diogo Jota only fit enough for a bench role and Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah either side of Roberto Firmino in the front-three.

Crystal Palace have opted for a more robust set-up than their usual 4-4-2 set-up in what appears to be a 4-3-3 system featuring Cheikhou Kouyate, Jairo Riedewald and James McCarthy protecting a back-four of Tyrick Mitchell, James Tomkins, Gary Cahill and Joel Ward.

David Moyes has made two changes to the West Ham United side that beat West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.

Lukasz Fabianski has passed a late fitness test on a knee injury and replaces Darren Randolph between the posts, while Jarrod Bowen comes in for Said Benrahma down the right flank.

Southampton make five alterations to the team beaten by Leeds United in Gameweek 37.

The return of Danny Ings to the starting XI is the headline news, with Ibrahima Diallo, Nathan Redmond, Takumi Minamino and Jan Bednarek also recalled.

Alex McCarthy keeps his place, with Fraser Forster only along the substitutes.

The injured Che Adams misses out, with Oriol Romeu back on the bench after three months out.

Moussa Djenepo, Theo Walcott, Nathan Tella and Jack Stephens make way.

Dean Smith has named an unchanged team, with Jack Grealish handed another start.

There’s only one tweak to Thomas Tuchel’s line-up, with the injured N’Golo Kante replaced by Mateo Kovacic.

The fit-again Kai Havertz has to make do with a place on the bench.

Arsenal have made two changes to the side that won 3-1 at Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka are back in midfield, with Mohamed Elneny and Bukayo Saka dropped.

Brighton also make a pair of alterations.

Lewis Dunk and Leandro Trossard start, with the injured Danny Welbeck and the benched Steven Alzate missing out.

Martin Dubravka, Joe Willock and Allan Saint-Maximin are deemed fit to start for Newcastle, with Sean Longstaff in for the injured Joelinton the only change that Steve Bruce has made.

Alphonse Areola, Mario Lemina and Harrison Reed make way from Scott Parker’s first XI, with Marek Rodak, Kenny Tete and Josh Onomah brought into the fold.

Burnley are in 4-5-1 for their trip toSheffield United, featuring Chris Wood as a lone centre-forward. Ben Mee and Nick Pope both miss out due to injury, replaced by Will Norris and Jimmy Dunne.

As expected, Manchester United are heavily rotated for Gameweek 38. Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are on the bench but Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani are all absent.

Gameweek 38 Line-ups

Arsenal XI: Leno, Chambers, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Xhaka, Partey, Ødegaard, Pepe, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Sánchez, White, Webster, Dunk, Burn, Jahanbakhsh, Groß, Bissouma, Trossard, Moder, Mac Allister.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Hause, McGinn, Nakamba, Grealish, Traore, El Ghazi, Watkins.

Chelsea XI: Mendy, James, Rudiger, Silva, Azpilicueta, Chilwell, Jorginho, Kovacic, Mount, Werner, Pulisic.

Fulham XI: Rodak, Tete, Ream, Adarabioyo, Bryan, Anguissa, Onomah, Cavaleiro, Carvalho, Lookman, De Cordova-Reid.

Newcastle United XI: Dubravka, Krafth, Fernandez, Dummett, Murphy, Willock, S Longstaff, Shelvey, Ritchie, Almiron, Saint-Maximin.

Leeds United XI: Casilla; Berardi, Cooper, Ayling; Alioski, K Phillips, Dallas; Harrison, Hernández, Raphinha; Rodrigo.

West Bromwich Albion XI: Johnstone; Bartley, Ajayi, O’Shea; C Townsend, Gallagher, Yokuslu, Maitland-Niles, Furlong; M Phillips; Robinson.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel, Thomas, Fofana, Soyuncu, Castagne, Ndidi, Tielemans, Maddison, Albrighton, Vardy, Iheanacho.

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris, Doherty, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Winks, Alli, Kane, Son, Bergwijn.

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Robertson, N Phillips, R Williams, Alexander-Arnold; Thiago, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Mané, Firmino, Salah.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita; Mitchell, Tomkins, Cahill, J Ward; McCarthy, Riedewald, Kouyaté; Zaha, Ayew, Townsend.

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Zinchenko, Stones, Dias, Walker; Mahrez, Fernandinho, De Bruyne; Foden, Jesus, Sterling.

Everton XI: Pickford; Digne, Godfrey, Keane, Holgate; Doucouré, T Davies, Allan; Sigurdsson; Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.

Sheffield United XI: Ramsdale; Robinson, Egan, Basham; Stevens, Fleck, Norwood, Osborn, Baldock; Jebbison, McGoldrick.

Burnley XI: Norris; C Taylor, Dunne, Tarkowski, Lowton; McNeil, Cork, Westwood, Brownhill, Gudmundsson; Wood.

West Ham United XI: Fabianski, Coufal, Dawson, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Bowen, Lingard, Fornals, Antonio.

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Salisu, Diallo, Armstrong, Minamino, Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Ings.

Wolverhampton Wanderers XI: Patrício; Saïss, Coady, Boly; Aït-Nouri, Neves, Moutinho, Dendoncker, Semedo; F Silva, A Traoré.

Manchester United XI: D Henderson; Telles, Bailly, Tuanzebe, B Williams; Matic, van de Beek; D James, Mata, A Diallo; Elanga.

2,075 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Podge
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Jesus goal

    1. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Being subbed at half-time so needs to keep them coming

  2. sunzip14
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Who wins?

    A) Robertson, Cresswel, Nacho
    B) Phillips, Holding, Mahrez + 8 points

    1. Podge
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      B

  3. Milk, 1 Šuker
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Barely 15 mins and KDB goal and assist!

  4. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    OMG jesus

  5. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Yay Mahrez! Closing my 42 point deficit

  6. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Man City second goal?

    1. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Jesus

  7. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    City explodes

  8. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    who else (c) elanga?

  9. inSane in the ManeKane
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Jesus g kdb a

  10. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    2 to City

  11. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Yes rival has Patricio.

  12. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    No one got City Boys because of Pep rotation

  13. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    KDB assist

  14. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Pen Leicester

  15. FantasyHero
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Kdb goal and assist.
    That was a good transfer I made Bruno to kdb

    1. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Well played

  16. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Pen Vardy

  17. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Vardy party

  18. dark91
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Palace could have been 2 up already

  19. BobB
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Forget Wembley, City will tear Chelsea a new one next week

  20. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Nacho ?

  21. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Wish I had KDB

  22. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Jesus!

  23. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    So KdB was the one. Pep rotate them all at half time please! Get Torres on

  24. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Ah I said I wouldn’t be annoyed. But I was so close to KDB (c) but went Aguero

  25. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Vardy time

  26. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Vardy win the pen?

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Yep

  27. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Get Kun on for KDB quick!

  28. Londongeezaa
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    The only guy in my ML who still has KDB, still has Justin and Lamptey in defence 🙂

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

    Everton is utter shait