Dugout Discussion
10 May 2025 309 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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There’s one more Premier League match to come today: Bournemouth v Aston Villa.

Kick-off on the south coast is at 17:30 BST.

There are three changes for the hosts, one of which sees Antoine Semenyo return to the starting XI.

After Semenyo’s surprise demotion to the bench in Gameweek 35, this time it’s the turn of Justin Kluivert to drop down to the substitutes.

Julian Araujo also makes way as Adam Smith and Alex Scott are reinstated to the line-up.

Dango Ouattara is, of course, absent with a groin issue. He’s not expected to feature again this season.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery goes one better than Andoni Iraola, making four changes.

There are two alterations in defence as Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne come in for the benched Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen.

In midfield, Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey start in place of Youri Tielemans and John McGinn.

LINE-UPS

Bournemouth XI: Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Adams, Cook; Tavernier, Scott, Semenyo, Evanilson.

Subs: Dennis, Senesi, Brooks, Kluivert, Soler, Jebbison, Araujo, Hill, Winterburn.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Onana, Kamara; Ramsey, Asensio, Rogers, Watkins.

Subs: Olsen, Disasi, Barkley, McGinn, Torres, Garcia, Malen, Maatsen, Bailey.

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309 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Ze_Austin
    • 7 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    Who will be Villa's starting LB next season?

    1. JBG
      • 7 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Rashford

    2. FPL Scoop
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Kinda hope it’ll be Maatsen but might need to see some Digne decline (or Ian stepping up big time in pre season) for that

  2. Drizzle
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 2 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    Unexpected Verbruggen return.

    (a decent prog rock album title that)

    1. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
      • 9 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Ot even a band name

    2. Philosopher's Stones
      • 5 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Track #1: Welbeck two weeks too late

      1. BobbyDoesNotLook
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        Mainstream single: Welcome back Welbeck

    3. BobbyDoesNotLook
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      This feels like a lottery win 😀 also had Kepa differential on FH couple of weeks back and lost the mega haul on last minute.

  3. Philosopher's Stones
    • 5 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    So Marmoush -> Haaland for a hit was basically a -3.

    1. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
      • 9 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      So Marmoush to Haaland for a hit was basically silly

      1. Utopsis
        • 5 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        Stop being such a hindsight warrior

        1. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
          • 9 Years
          7 months, 19 days ago

          Check all of my posts from the past two days. My constant question was "what had Haaland done before he got injured for people to take hits to get him now".

          1. Bushwhacker
            • 6 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            He was playing alongside DeBruyne against Southampton.

            1. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
              • 9 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              A DeBruyne who has been brilliant all season?

              1. Bushwhacker
                • 6 Years
                7 months, 19 days ago

                Lately form and all that … that you think someone believes you thought Southampton City would be nil nil is beyond bizarre

            2. x.jim.x
              • 11 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              That was probably the issue - he should have been playing in front of him

          2. Utopsis
            • 5 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            I didn't make the move myself either for the same reason you outline, but you can't say it was silly.

            A in-form City (results-wise) against one of the worst Premier League sides in history - a striker who on his day is the best in the world.

            City all to play for, Sou nothing but pride.

            It made sense, it just turned out as we expected. But I don't tjnk think it was silly.

        2. TheBiffas
          • 5 Years
          7 months, 19 days ago

          Nah. This was just objectively bad.

          1. Utopsis
            • 5 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            See above

      2. Sun Jihai
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        Don't think obvious in hindsight if you knew Haaland was starting and Marmoush benched vs. Soton
        Could have easily been 9 vs. 1 points if he scored one point

      3. Scapegoat Salah
        • 9 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        Not really, because in my team to afford it I had to downgrade a mid to Schade so it paid off lol

    2. JBG
      • 7 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      This season, more than often, doing nothing has paid off more than doing the "obvious"

      1. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        TBF, most seasons, doing nothing ends up better over the long run than taking hits consistently chasing last week’s points!

        1. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
          • 9 Years
          7 months, 19 days ago

          This

          1. SM001
            • 9 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            Dark side of the goon

        2. LosBlancos
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          7 months, 19 days ago

          Haaland scored many points last gw right

        3. Bushwhacker
          • 6 Years
          7 months, 19 days ago

          Of course, its a game of luck hence why dead teams still end up in the top 10k.

  4. Bagpuss
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    Emery going for a win or a draw here?

    1. David Parkinson
      • 3 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Maybe a loss.

    2. noissimbus
      • 3 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Big win and CS ideally.

  5. The Suspended One
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    9 pointer from flekken great start for BB

    1. JBG
      • 7 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Was going to bring him in, but since Marmoush was benched, taking Moush out allowed me to bring in Sels(who will probably fail to keep a CS).

    2. _Ninja_
      • 15 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Pickfords on your bench though so you'd have Flekken even without the BB!

  6. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 11 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    14 PTS in 2 games for am pep....really not great....

  7. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    Ruben Dias moaning non stop about Southampton in his interview...

    1. Utopsis
      • 5 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      He is an absolute disgrace. How does he expect them to play? Making excuses for an abject performance, pathetic

      1. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        Like most of us, he probably wanted them to roll over and get their tummies tickled!

        1. Utopsis
          • 5 Years
          7 months, 19 days ago

          Lost all respect for him

    2. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
      • 9 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Moaning because Southampton didn't let them win. Hahaha. This is disgraceful.

    3. Goro Majima
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Captained Haaland.

  8. KeanosMagic
    • 3 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    KDB to Palmer in 37?

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Aye

    2. Atimis
      • 9 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Rather Isak to Watkins

    3. Utopsis
      • 5 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Wish I didn't have pep, feels like my transfer is going on him

  9. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    Looking forward to watching how many times Watkins gets offside, how many big chances he misses and what minute does the manager work out how crap he is before he hauls him off

  10. TheBiffas
    • 5 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    One good thing to come of today is that Marmoush cannot get benched again.

    1. tiger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Pep says 'hold my Sangria'

    2. Atimis
      • 9 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Yeah, let him play the final and bench vs Bou

  11. Jordan.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    volume straight off at bournemouth,who lets that bloke with the drum in,absolute stupid noise,christ imagine standing near that for 2 hours.....

    1. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      It’s one of the mascots who does it

      1. noissimbus
        • 3 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        Shouldn't have let him in tbh.

    2. Zalk
      • 14 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Yeah, I've stopped watching Palace games because of their drums. Vuvuzela flashbacks...

  12. Atimis
    • 9 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    Is there a chance Trippier starts? Have him on my BB.

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Gillespie benched him. Doesn't bode well but maybe just didn't think they'd get a clean sheet lol.

  13. WVA
    • 9 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    Rogers hattrick please

  14. x.jim.x
    • 11 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    "They don't even try anything. They just sit and they don't even want to win the game. They just want to be there. It's not good for the show. It's not good for themselves. It's not good for anyone."

    Wow, Ruben Dias sounds like he'd fit right in with the rest of the cry-babies on here.

    1. Andy_Social
      • 13 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      Maybe we should bung an oil state and 115 crimes at them and let them get on with it.

    2. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      I guess what he’s saying is that because they’ve been heavily beat many times this season, they usually try to play some form of football and not just sitting back, so he’s probably frustrated and wondering why they then would revert to playing negatively today against them, especially when it’s now way too late and they have nothing to play for.

      1. Zalk
        • 14 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        He should blame Pep's tactics

        1. x.jim.x
          • 11 Years
          7 months, 19 days ago

          He should blame bums like Foden who still gets plaudits for some reason, despite having a worse season than most of these players Dias is whinging about.

      2. x.jim.x
        • 11 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        Crying to the press that the other team won't roll over for you is pathetic, especially when you're a billion pound oil club.

        Saying they have "nothing to play for" is also untrue, as no team wants to be labelled "the worst ever."

        1. Scapegoat Salah
          • 9 Years
          7 months, 19 days ago

          I get that, but if you had seen them roll over for virtually every other opponent yet when they play you they actually defend and play negatively is going to frustrate

          1. x.jim.x
            • 11 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            They haven't rolled over for anyone, they've just been bad because their squad is bad.

            1. Scapegoat Salah
              • 9 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              They parked the bus today, most previous matches they haven’t

              1. x.jim.x
                • 11 Years
                7 months, 19 days ago

                That doesn't mean they rolled over in every other match. They played really well at Old Trafford and should have won, for example. Of course they're going to approach a match against City differently to one against Ipswich.

                1. Scapegoat Salah
                  • 9 Years
                  7 months, 19 days ago

                  I know, I’m just saying I can understand Dias’ frustration

    3. MikeS
      • 11 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      He should be stripped of his 3 bonus

      1. Goro Majima
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        No, have to draw the line there!

      2. Andy_Social
        • 13 Years
        7 months, 19 days ago

        Steady on, he's my best asset this GW!

  15. LarkyTown
    • 14 Years
    7 months, 19 days ago

    After weeks of planning, I absolutely smashed my Bench Boost with 5

    And I took a -4 this week to add the finishing touches so effectively 1

    And if Trippier ends up not playing effectively zero

    1. have you seen cyan
      • 6 Years
      7 months, 19 days ago

      congrats

    2. Punned It
        7 months, 19 days ago

        There's no point in planning a BB, is my conclusion. I like the chaps who've been going on about playing it GW1.

        1. have you seen cyan
          • 6 Years
          7 months, 19 days ago

          Yea GW1 next season for sure. I still have mine now, and will use it 38. I played in GW1 like 6 times, 5 times I had a stormer with it. Only once it flopped.

          1. Punned It
              7 months, 19 days ago

              Inspiring, I'm sold for next season!

              1. have you seen cyan
                • 6 Years
                7 months, 19 days ago

                It depends on pre-season a lot tbh. You need a fairly decent mid-table team to have good form in pre-season, someone like Brighton, or West Ham. Then get a triple up of them. I was close to boosting this season, but I didn't like the teams / players. I forget now, but it was looking like I would have had triple Fulham, double NFO, Barco, and Quansah. I was so close to doing it, but then I remember I looked at my team one night and said a Fulham triple is madness and cancelled it, luckily I did because Barco and Quansah were total flops, and a triple up on Fulham was way too much.

                The way I view bench boost in game week 1 is:
                - Its out the way, don't need to worry about it later
                - If boost in GW1 does well, you will have a nice rank at the start
                - Although you will have loads of cheaper players to facilitate the boost, you basically have more tickets for the raffle, more chances of picking the right players. In the following weeks, just sell any which you got wrong and if you didn't get them wrong, then you might get good price rises. You also have good bench flexibility in the following weeks.

                Downside is that you will likely have to wc around gw5/6 regardless if it did good or bad as you probably have too much cash on your bench. If it did really bad and some premiums you ignored are hauling, then you might need to wildcard even sooner.

                Hopefully I play it next season, but as I said, it totally depends on who is in form in pre-season and if I can afford them.

                1. Punned It
                    7 months, 19 days ago

                    Cheers a bunch for your insights!

                  • Punned It
                      7 months, 19 days ago

                      I always WC way early, so that's just a bonus, I guess.

          2. The Mandalorian
            • 13 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            KDB was horrific today.

            His corners ballooned in the air like they'd been hit with a 9 iron.

            1. have you seen cyan
              • 6 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              He is trying to impress Pep

              1. The Mandalorian
                • 13 Years
                7 months, 19 days ago

                More like Rory McIlroy

                1. have you seen cyan
                  • 6 Years
                  7 months, 19 days ago

                  lol

          3. WVA
            • 9 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            0-0 confirmed

          4. have you seen cyan
            • 6 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            No chance of a Kerkez goal is there?

            1. WVA
              • 9 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              Own goal

          5. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 10 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            Let me know when offside Watkins touches the ball....

          6. It’s gonna Ben Mee
            • 12 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            That cross to the far goal post that City tries time and time again feels pretty stale.

            1. Nightcrawler
              • 6 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              City as team have become so stale.

              Really poor Vs wolves and villa too. Emery bottled it with his overly defensive tactics.

              Bournemouth look good. Wouldn't surprise me if city don't win that either

          7. have you seen cyan
            • 6 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            This season I must have picked differential caps probably about 10 times. I don't think a single one of my differential captains worked out, some of course scored, but they always got beaten by some other popular captain pick. Even when I captained Mbeumo for 28 points, Salah then matched him point for point. Its not like I pick stupid players, its always a good player with a great fixture, but they somehow blank or get outscored.

            I don't get it. At some point I guess its not bad luck anymore and there is something flawed in my decision making process. But this week though, was it a bad idea to cap Haaland? I don't think so, but in hindsight it was apparently.

            Next season I guess I have to go with the boring cap every single week because its clearly not worth going against the grain with captaincy.

            1. AC/DC AFC
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 10 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              Well, he hadn't played for weeks and weeks

            2. Scapegoat Salah
              • 9 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              It’s all luck, and it combines on both ends I’ve noticed.
              If I get a lucky call right everything goes my way.

              But as soon as I have a bad week with a call going wrong everything goes wrong and it continues.
              There’s a theory I read up on it wrt gambling/betting, it is a real phenomenon, unfortunately there’s nothing you can do about it and ultimately it is luck, the trick is change to change your luck which I have somewhat managed to do this season with some intriguing tactics.
              Risky though

          8. Vazza
            • 5 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            Don’t like Villa’s all white kits

            1. tbos83
              • 5 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              Aston Vanilla

          9. Gazzpfc
            • 9 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            What a day put Cunha in for a hit 0

            Assistant manager pep fail

            Benched konsa

            1. Utopsis
              • 5 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              5 points not a fail, but was expecting more too ngl

          10. AC/DC AFC
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 10 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            Well, it's plainly obvious why football is a winter sport.

          11. CoracAld2831
            • 4 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            Just seen that Haaland blanked. Oh well, it was worth a shot at least.

            Good decision, bad outcome.

            At least both him & KDB played full minutes which means they won't probably start in the cup final and both play vs BOU?

            1. El Presidente
              • 6 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              They won't start the FA Cup final? Really?

              1. x.jim.x
                • 11 Years
                7 months, 19 days ago

                Read the next 5 words

            2. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
              • 9 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              Cup final is rhe most important game for them this season.

          12. bialk
            • 16 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            Where is playing Rogers - RB?

          13. Feanor
            • 16 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            Martinez the muppet ran 50 meters just to get a yellow card for dissent.

          14. FPL Scoop
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            COME ON VILLA!

          15. Scapegoat Salah
            • 9 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            Of course Watkins scores when I sold him to Haaland

            1. FPL Scoop
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 8 Years
              7 months, 19 days ago

              That was a bit silly!

              1. Scapegoat Salah
                • 9 Years
                7 months, 19 days ago

                Not really, I watched Watkins last week and he was woeful

          16. tbos83
            • 5 Years
            7 months, 19 days ago

            Watkins g