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. OPTA FPL
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Salah selfish cost me ML ((

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

    OMG bale

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      NOOO I SOLD
      YES I LOVE IT FOR CHELSEA

  3. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Antonio and Lingard utterly useless wtf

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

    Kane asssit

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

    Rice goal

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

      *Rice bowl

  6. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Bale G
    Kane A

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

    Bale

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

      Disallowed?

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

    Var check

  9. Planet Jo
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Oh no

  10. Elly88 > KTR (Kevin The …
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Chelsea hanging on. Come on Spurs add one more.

  11. Forza Papac
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    BALEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

  12. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Ffs I should’ve captained Kane. Such a troll

  13. Limbo
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Bale G chalked off…?

  14. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Looks like Bale G will be disallowed for handball.

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Damn I was so excited 🙁

  15. 272MK
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    YESSS I NEEDED THAT BALE GOAL!!!!!! EXCTLY WHAT I NEEDED!!!!

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

    Goal given bale

  17. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    goal given

  18. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    No goal stands.

  19. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Leicester have bottled top 4 AGAIN.

  20. KAALI_DAAL
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Chelsea making Top 4.

    Cheap.

  21. Elly88 > KTR (Kevin The …
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Yes Chelsea just but qualifies for CL. LoL @ LEI

  22. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Kane Assist!!!

  23. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    I LOVE TOTTENHAM

  24. Herman Toothrot
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Gareth. You just won me my ML

  25. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Can’t take it. Too much happening.

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

      Brilliant stuff!!

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

    Kane misses a big chance

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

    Newcastle 2nd goal.

  28. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Fornals was the one to get today. 2 Gs, A and CS

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

    Poor Leicester

    1. Not again Shirley
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Well at least they won the cup. That’s a decent consolation.

  30. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    schar pen goal