Dugout Discussion

Alexander-Arnold ill and Torres benched as Klopp and Guardiola ring the changes

There are four Premier League matches kicking off simultaneously at 15:00 BST this afternoon, with Liverpool and Manchester City both in action on home soil.

Crystal Palace and Southampton are the visitors to Anfield and the Etihad, with Burnley v Arsenal and Norwich City v Watford the other two games taking place.

Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have both rotated heavily from their midweek UEFA Champions League fixtures, with some damaging omissions from a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) perspective.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is ill and Andrew Robertson is benched, with James Milner and Kostas Tsimikas getting the nod at full-back. Ibrahima Konate is also in for Joel Matip at centre-half.

There are six changes in all for Liverpool from their win over AC Milan on Wednesday, with Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane back in the side following midweek benchings.

Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah keep their places in attack, with the Reds’ opponents, Crystal Palace, unchanged following the 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola makes five changes from the side that hammered RB Leipzig, with Kyle Walker, Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling coming into the side.

Kevin De Bruyne, Ferran Torres and Riyad Mahrez are benched, with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Rodri not in the squad.

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl makes three alterations from the team that drew 0-0 with West Ham last weekend, with Kyle Walker-Peters, Jan Bednarek and Che Adams in for Romain Perraud, Mohamed Salisu and Moussa Djenepo.

Sean Dyche keeps faith with the same Burnley XI that lost 3-1 at Everton on Monday evening.

Both of Mikel Arteta’s two changes are in midfield, with Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey in for Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Aaron Ramsdale again lines up between the posts.

Norwich hand full debuts to three summer signings: central midfielder Mathias Normann, centre-back Ozan Kabak and forward Joshua Sargent.

Billy Gilmour and Milot Rashica also come in as Daniel Farke makes five changes from the 1-0 defeat by Arsenal.

Lukas Rupp, Andrew Omobamidele, Pierre Lees-Melou and Christos Tzolis drop to the bench and Kieran Dowell misses out.

Daniel Bachmann is only on the bench for Watford, so budget FPL goalkeeper Ben Foster gets a start between the posts.

Xisco Munoz has made four alterations in all from the Hornets’ 2-0 loss by Wolves, with Kiko Femenía, Tom Cleverley and Craig Cathcart promoted to the starting XI.

Jeremy Ngakia and Peter Etebo are benched and Francisco Sierralta is out.

GAMEWEEK 5 LINE-UPS

Burnley XI: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Gudmundsson, Westwood, Brownhill, McNeill, Wood, Barnes

Subs: Hennessey, Cork, Lennon, Rodriguez, Cornet, Collins, Pieters, Bardsley, Vydra

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Odegaard, Saka, Aubameyang

Subs: Leno, Lacazette, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Soares, Tavares, Mari, Sambi Lokonga, Martinelli


Liverpool XI: Alisson, Fabinho, Van Dijk, Konate, Thiago, Milner, Mane, Salah, Henderson, Jota, Tsimikas.

Subs: Kelleher, Keita, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Minamino, Robertson, Origi, Phillips.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Ward, Mitchell, Guehi, Kouyate, Ayew, Zaha, Anderson, McArthur, Benteke, Gallagher.

Subs: Butland, Milivojevic, Tomkins, Olise, Hughes, Clyne, Edouard, Kelly, Riedewald.


Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Sterling, Gundogan, Jesus, Grealish, Bernardo, Fernandinho, Cancelo.

Subs: Carson, De Bruyne, Torres, Mahrez, Foden, Mbete, Palmer, Lavia, Wilson-Esbrand

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Stephens, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Adams, Redmond, Livramento, Elyounoussi, Bednarek.

Subs: Forster, Lyanco, Perraud, Broja, Djenepo, Salisu, Tella, Diallo, Valery.


Watford: Foster, Rose, Ekong, King, Cleverley, Cathcart, Sissoko, Femenia, Sarr, Dennis, Kucka.

Subs: Bachmann, Ngakia, Etebo, Louza, Masina, Sema, Fletcher, Kabasele, Hernandez.

Norwich City XI: Krul, Aarons, Hanley, Gilmour, Kabak, Normann, Rashica, Williams, Pukki, McLean, Sargent.

Subs: Gunn, Gibson, Rupp, Cantwell, Tzolis, Lees-Melou, Giannoulis, Idah, Omobamidele.

ENTER FANTASY5’s FREE-TO-PLAY £10K GAME BEFORE KICK-OFF

1,535 Comments Post a Comment
  1. jam
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Really confident with my TAA & Matip Liverpool defence double up this week...

    1. hueycho
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      Stay positive son

    2. Ze_Austin
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      No attacking returns, sadly, but at least they can't possibly concede

    3. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      Damn lol

    4. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      Shame there’s no delete team button on FPL. If there was the “total players” would take a massive hit 😆

      1. Zimo
        • 5 Years
        2 years, 7 months ago

        There is. Your account just closes

        1. FPL Pillars
          • 7 Years
          2 years, 7 months ago

          No there’s not, I would have used it otherwise last season 🙂

          1. Zimo
            • 5 Years
            2 years, 7 months ago

            U can delete your entire account. With all your gameweek history gone too.

            1. Piggs Boson
              • 12 Years
              2 years, 7 months ago

              Yep can confirm. I did it last season when I quit FPL forever.

    5. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      Look on the bright side, at least you were not confident enough to captain TAA and VC Matip!

  2. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Fully expect zaha to score today.

  3. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Milner fouling Zaha already 😀

  4. FPL_Crisis
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    It’s the kind of gameweek that Mane scores a brace. Also loves facing Palace

    1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      Commentator on premier sports just after saying that.

      1. FPL_Crisis
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        2 years, 7 months ago

        Heard me all the way from Sydney, impressive

        1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
          • 14 Years
          2 years, 7 months ago

          Just added more detail Mane has scored 8 games in a row v Palace.

          1. FPL_Crisis
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            2 years, 7 months ago

            Had to be. Make it 9!

            1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
              • 14 Years
              2 years, 7 months ago

              Haha

  5. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Only Jesus can save me now.

    1. Fish up a tree
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      God help you,

    2. Drexl Spivey
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      NHS shrink will no doubt have a look first.

  6. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Alisson off the line...

  7. Scotty Dog
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    So Brighton, arsenal, man u clean sheets & Liverpool to concede shouldn't be too difficult should it

  8. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Liverpool all over the place without the defensive stalwart Trent...

  9. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Palace have hit the post twice already.

  10. Ginkapo FPL
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    So I do need to think about where Tsimi is on my bench then

  11. Tasty Jerk
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Come on Palace! Get amongst them!

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      They are.

      It's end to end already.

  12. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Palace hit both posts either side of a corner.

  13. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Palace all over Liverpool.

  14. Lingard’s Shin Guards
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    palace causing pool a lot of trouble already lol

  15. Postman Ty
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Really enjoying Gallagher taking 100% of the set pieces.

  16. Tasty Jerk
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Liverpool rough housing our players, have a word ref 😀

  17. Ginkapo FPL
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Trent Essential

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      Stupid comment

    2. Harry the Hack
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      where's our mate Maximus stupidus

      1. Ginkapo FPL
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 7 months ago

        Indeed

    3. Mozumbus
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      I was also one of those suggesting him as essential, a proxy to a nailed firing mf/f. Would need another such absence to change the view.

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 7 months ago

        He's ill.

        Hardly predictable.

        1. Harry the Hack
          • 14 Years
          2 years, 7 months ago

          People get ill. Hardly essential.

  18. Amartey Partey
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Gallagher for Torres is the easiest transfer I will ever make.

  19. Lingard’s Shin Guards
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    why is this so shambolic

  20. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Jota misses from Tsimikas pass...

    1. Lingard’s Shin Guards
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      takes real skill to put that out for a corner from the position he was in

  21. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Why have I got Jota?

  22. TheDragon
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Any chance of a Brownhill hattrick?

  23. mo 10 years on FFS? Join my…
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Apologies for asking but where can I watch the liverpool game? Reddit not working for me. I fing hate living in England sometimes.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      On Twitter

      1. mo 10 years on FFS? Join my…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 7 months ago

        i cant sign up to that. any other options? Pleeeease?!

    2. Scotty Dog
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      Hesgoal

  24. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Captained Jota.

    I deserve a haul for not being a sheep.

  25. Gunneryank
    • 2 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Arsenal with nice build up play with Tierney in the box twice already.

  26. Eh, just one more thing ...
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Okay … who’s scoring the first goal from the 3pm games … and in what minute?

    Jota … 19 minutes …

    1. Fish up a tree
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      You got him then

      1. Eh, just one more thing ...
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 7 months ago

        Hope springs eternal …. But he’ll need two more misses before he is allowed a goal ….

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

      Sterling 21st minute

    3. TheDragon
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      Brownhill - 17 mins

  27. Tasty Jerk
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Where is the YC for Tiago? Oh we playing at Anfield.

  28. Bobby Digital
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Let's go Salah, do something!

    1. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      (S)ALAH HERE!!!

  29. jackruet
    • 2 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    Palace please score so that tsimi Doesn't get cs. And jota brace please with salah blank.

  30. Gunneryank
    • 2 Years
    2 years, 7 months ago

    I thought all the Tsimikas owners thinking he would start were being silly. I'd like to formally apologize!

    Casuals must be so confused lol.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      Me too.

    2. BENOIT
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 7 months ago

      It was desperation for the most part, just happened to get lucky.