Dugout Discussion
25 May 2025 1310 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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It’s the final day of the Premier League season, with all 10 Premier League fixtures kicking off at the same time (4pm BST):

starts Isak

It’s difficult to know where to begin with the team news given the numerous talking points across the country.

But let’s do so at St James’ Park, where Alexander Isak starts for the Magpies after recovering from injury.

His recall at the expense of Callum Wilson is Eddie Howe’s only alteration, but the Newcastle United boss does at least have the fit-again Kieran Trippier among the substitutes.

Everton bring in Charly Alcaraz, Jack Harrison, Ashley Young and Michael Keane, with Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dwight McNeil dropping to the bench and injured duo Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman missing out as expected.

It’s teamsheet carnage at St Mary’s, with five changes apiece.

William Saliba is absent, while Myles Lewis-Skelly, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard are demoted to substitute duty.

In come Kieran Tierney, Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri. 

Riccardo Calafiori is unexpectedly absent.

Ross Stewart, Yukinari Sugawara, Charlie Taylor, Lesley Ugochukwu and Jay Robinson are the new faces in the hosts’ starting XI.

Jack Stephens, Tyler Dibling and Taylor Harwood-Bellis are all injured, while James Bree and Joe Aribo are benched.

There are unexpected absences at the Amex, too, as Danny Welbeck and Pervis Estupinan miss out.

Jack Hinshelwood and Igor Julio take their places.

Ange Postecoglou makes just three changes from the starting XI that beat Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Mathys Tel, Archie Gray and Kevin Danso come into the team, with Sergio Romero, Yves Bissouma and Richarlison dropping out. The first two are injured.

The pre-deadline rumours were true about a Kevin De Bruyne benching, with Jeremy Doku coming in to replace him.

Nico Gonzalez for the suspended Mateo Kovacic is Pep Guardiola’s only other alteration.

Fulham boss Marco Silva meanwhile brings in Jorge CuencaTom CairneyAndreas Pereira and Harry Wilson for Calvin BasseySander BergeEmile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi.

Liverpool and Crystal Palace both pretty much go full strength at Anfield.

For the hosts, Virgil van DijkAndrew RobertsonCurtis Jones and Luis Diaz get the nod over Jarrell QuansahKostas TsimikasHarvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa

Trent Alexander-Arnold also starts on the bench.

As for Crystal Palace, four changes see Tyrick MitchellDaichi KamadaEberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta come in for Joel WardBen ChilwellRomain Esse and Eddie Nketiah.

At the City Ground, Forest are unchanged for their crunch match against Chelsea.

The Blues bring in Jadon Sancho for Tyrique George in their only alteration.

Brentford also name the same starting XI but Wolves make six changes, going back to pretty much full strength after some midweek experimentation.

Jose Sa, Matt Doherty, Nelson Semedo, Joao Gomes, Matheus Cunha and Marshall Munetsi all come in as Jorgen Strand Larsen (who had been a doubt for this game), Rodrigo Gomes, Pablo Sarabia and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde drop to the bench.

Dan Bentley and Nasser Djiga miss out altogether.

Another unchanged side are Aston Villa, whose opponents Manchester United side bring in Altay BayindirAyden Heaven and Victor Lindelof for Andre OnanaLeny Yoro and Luke Shaw.

Youri Tielemans is only fit enough for a place on the bench for the Villans.

Andoni Iraola makes three changes to his Bournemouth line-up. 

Marcos SenesiAdam Smith and David Brooks come in, with Dean Huijsen and Julian Araujo benched and Lewis Cook suspended.

As for Leicester City, three alterations see Victor KristiansenOliver Skipp and Patson Daka replace the absent Wilfred NdidiBilal El Khannouss and Jamie Vardy.

Kieran McKenna names two changes for Ipswich Town’s final match before the drop: Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead come in for Jack Clarke and Julio Enciso, who is missing from the matchday squad.

Graham Potter makes five tweaks from Gameweek 37, with Lukasz FabianskiKonstantinos MavropanosOllie ScarlesEdson Alvarez and Niclas Fullkrug replacing Alphonse AreolaAaron CresswellVladimir CoufalGuido Rodriguez and Mohammed Kudus.

LINE-UPS

Bournemouth XI: Arrizabalaga, Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez, Adams, Brooks, Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo, Evanilson.

Subs: Dennis, Huijsen, Soler, Araujo, Hill, Scott, Winterburn, Jebbison, Silcott-Duberry.

Leicester City XI: Stolarczyk, Justin, Coady, Faes, Kristiansen, Skipp, Soumaré, McAteer, Ayew, Thomas, Daka.

Subs: Iversen, Okoli, Pereira, Aluko, Golding, Buonanotte, Monga, Braybrooke, Evans.


Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson, Lukić, Cairney, Traoré, Pereira, Wilson, Jiménez.

Subs: Benda, Bassey, Berge, King, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe, Vinícius, Iwobi, Willian.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, González, Gündoğan, Silva, Marmoush, Doku, Haaland.

Subs: Ortega, Aké, Lewis, Rodri, De Bruyne, Echeverri, Foden, O’Reilly, Savinho.


Ipswich Town XI: Palmer, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy, Cajuste, Hutchinson, Chaplin, Broadhead, Hirst.

Subs: Walton, Woolfenden, Burgess, Boniface, Taylor, Szmodics, Luongo, Delap, Clarke.

West Ham United XI: Fabianski, Todibo, Kilman, Mavropanos, Wan-Bissaka, Álvarez, Souček, Ward-Prowse, Scarles, Bowen, Füllkrug.

Subs: Areola, Cresswell, Coufal, Paquetá, Rodríguez, Irving, Kudus, Guilherme, Ings.


Liverpool XI: Alisson, Bradley, Konaté, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Díaz.

Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Endo, Elliott, Núñez, Jota.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Lerma, Muñoz, Hughes, Kamada, Mitchell, Sarr, Eze, Mateta.

Subs: Turner, Ward, Kporha, Esse, Devenny, Nketiah, França.


Manchester United XI: Bayındır, Lindelöf, Maguire, Heaven, Mazraoui, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu, Diallo, Mount, Højlund.

Subs: Heaton, Dalot, Evans, Fredricson, Eriksen, Ugarte, Mainoo, Collyer, Obi-Martin.

Aston Villa XI: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Onana, Rogers, Asensio, McGinn, Watkins.

Subs: Olsen, Mings, Digne, Garcia, Barkley, Tielemans, Bailey, Ramsey, Malen


Newcastle United XI: Pope, Schär, Botman, Burn, Murphy, Guimarães, Tonali, Livramento, Barnes, Gordon, Isak.

Subs: Dúbravka, Trippier, Lascelles, Krafth, Willock, Longstaff, Miley, Wilson, Osula.

Everton XI: Pickford, Young, O’Brien, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, Harrison, Alcaraz, Ndiaye, Beto.

Subs: Virgínia, Begović, Patterson, Welch, Doucouré, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin, Chermiti, Broja.


Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Milenković, Murillo, Williams, Sangaré, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Domínguez, Wood.

Subs: Miguel, Morato, Toffolo, Boly, Yates, Danilo, Hudson-Odoi, Silva, Sosa.

Chelsea XI: Sánchez, James, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernández, Madueke, Palmer, Sancho, Neto.

Subs: Jörgensen, Badiashile, Chalobah, Gusto, Acheampong, Dewsbury-Hall, Lavia, George, Guiu.


Southampton XI: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Wood, Taylor, Welington, Downes, Ugochukwu, Fernandes, Robinson, Sulemana, Stewart.

Subs: McCarthy, Manning, Bree, Kayi Sanda, Moore, Aribo, Smallbone, Archer, Onuachu.

Arsenal XI: Raya, Partey, White, Kiwior, Tierney, Merino, Rice, Zinchenko, Nwaneri, Sterling, Martinelli.

Subs: Neto, Ødegaard, Jorginho, Henry-Francis, Lewis-Skelly, Saka, Trossard, Havertz, Kabia.


Tottenham Hotspur XI: Vicario, Porro, Danso, van de Ven, Udogie, Gray, Bentancur, Sarr, Johnson, Solanke, Tel.

Subs: Kinsky, Spence, Davies, Bissouma, Olusesi, Richarlison, Odobert, Moore, Ajayi.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Verbruggen, Hinshelwood, Webster, van Hecke, Igor, Baleba, Ayari, Wieffer, Gruda, Adingra, Minteh.

Subs: Rushworth, Dunk, Cashin, Veltman, Milner, Mitoma, Gomez, O’Riley, Howell.


Wolverhampton Wanderers XI: Sá, Doherty, Agbadou, Gomes, Semedo, Gomes, André, Aït-Nouri, Munetsi, Cunha, Guedes.

Subs: King, Bueno, Lima, Sarabia, Bellegarde, Larsen, Hee-chan, Gomes, Mane

Brentford XI: Flekken, Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter, Nørgaard, Yarmoliuk, Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade, Wissa.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Henry, Pinnock, Ajer, Jensen, Konak, Thiago, Nunes.



  1. Urban Cowboy.
    • 14 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Honestly thought my Diaz punt would have paid off.

    1. diesel001
      • 9 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Liverpool been on the beach for a while. With hindsight, no Liverpool was the play for the last 7/8 GWs of the season.

    2. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Not with the ref today ; tbf he was close to hauling

    3. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Just unlucky today tbh

  2. Feanor
    • 16 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Shame Isak showed up. Would have got Sarr off the bench.

  3. Jafooli
    • 13 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Any chance the top 500k OR cheated, will be disqualified and I can still win FPL?

    1. lilmessipran
      • 13 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Nope, but you can try and win the club world cup fantasy game

    2. potatoace
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Well I cheated, so that's one down

    3. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      They were luckier than you ; that’s sort of cheating

  4. andymck
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    So close to hitting 10 top 100k finishes in a row but went from 89k to 106k, wasn’t to me! At least I didn’t throw my money league.

    1. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      A rare top 50k finish for me but nowhere near top of my money league 🙁 Think I might need to drop down a division!

  5. Bleh
    • 9 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Omg I missed the deadline and still won my ML! The excuses the other guy is coming out with now hahaha - Arsenal fan inside and out!

  6. shaunyjames
    • 13 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Snuck into top 60k and few hundred won in mini league, happy days

  7. Sun God Nika
    • 5 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Managed to win my last league against TCers !

  8. Jafooli
    • 13 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    FPL need to work in some ‘Rage’ chips for next season - reverse transfers, switch captain, sack manager etc…

    1. Debauchy
      • 12 Years
      6 months, 21 days ago

      They should have taken you over Mark Jaf, FPL management are a joke.

  9. bso
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Let down by all front three Wissa, Watkins and Isak. Not brilliant but ok with finishing 313K.
    All the best next year fellas!

  10. denial
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Are all the bonus points sorted and confirmed?

    1. Eightball
      • 5 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Not sure. I am currently 10,091 so hopeing for a random point from somewhere haha. Welbeck not being in the squad, Evanilson getting nothing, Arsenal losing the clean sheet. A little bit annoying!

  11. Qaiss
    • 9 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    So, mentioned before but went Saka over Bowen in GW33 which I was so hesitant to do and it’s cost me 44 points

    I finished 15k… what could’ve been, gutted

    1. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Ouch, that’s rough. I brought him in on WC a couple of weeks earlier and he cost me plenty in benched points (Murphy’s 15 come to mind), but I never really considered Bowen at the time… so a bit easier to accept! Still, great rank, well played on your season!

  12. nanxun
    • 4 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    My front 3 got 5 pts.

    Midfield 4 got 57 pts. (including bonus pts.)

    Def (incl gk) got 16 pts.

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Worst humble brag yet, requires math!

  13. _Ninja_
    • 15 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Kerkez Mbuemo and Bowen on my Bench.

    I knew my actual BB would only get about 5 points so i done it make me feel better.

    Hope they get rid of that chip.

  14. have you seen cyan
    • 6 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    I know its early, but thoughts on this GW1 team please:

    Raya
    Gvard - Frimpong - Munoz
    Sala - Palmer - Rogers - Mbeumo
    Cunha - Wissa - Isak

    1. Herger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Looks good but I prefer Gyokeres to Cunha for Utd attack

      1. have you seen cyan
        • 6 Years
        6 months, 22 days ago

        🙂

        Good season mate?

        1. Herger
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 4 Years
          6 months, 22 days ago

          Just glad it’s over! How about you?

          1. have you seen cyan
            • 6 Years
            6 months, 22 days ago

            Same lol.

    2. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      F**king hell 😆

    3. _Ninja_
      • 15 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Why punish yourself so soon? Have a kitkat

    4. Boz
      • 13 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Must be a cheap bench....

    5. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Give it a rest?

    6. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Wouldn't go Palmer with UCL!

    7. Captain Beefheart
      • 12 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      You cannot be serious

    8. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      No Wirtz?

  15. Feanor
    • 16 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    29,419. Pretty happy to sneak into the top 30K with all the 50/50s I’ve got wrong this season.

    1. Silecro
      • 8 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Congrats man!

  16. The 12th Man
    • 12 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Nail biting stuff.
    Salah goal securing a new PB 4.3k rank.

    Tailed off in the final month from 1k and got close to not beating my 5.6k goal .

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      How do you set a goal for a game of luck? Congrats though!

      1. The 12th Man
        • 12 Years
        6 months, 22 days ago

        My goal at the start of a season is always to beat my best ever rank.
        5.6k has stood since Leicester won the league.
        Lots of luck, I agree. Not taking as many hits has helped me too.

    2. Boz
      • 13 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Great stuff! Onto the top 1k next season!

      1. The 12th Man
        • 12 Years
        6 months, 22 days ago

        Thank Boz.

  17. BIGREDDOG
    • 8 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Captaining Saka cost me about 300 quid

    1. BIGREDDOG
      • 8 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Went from 2nd in cash league to 5th

  18. Stimps
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Goodbye cruel season

    1. BIGREDDOG
      • 8 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      This bro

  19. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 9 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Rank 1,198 🙂

    ML won with 84 entrants all paying £20 each, so £1,680 pocketed 🙂

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 8 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      congrats

    2. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Noice

    3. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 13 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Nice

    4. The 12th Man
      • 12 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Well done

    5. Boz
      • 13 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Mega season!

    6. iFash@FPL
      • 1 Year
      6 months, 21 days ago

      Congratulations!
      Will Saka & ESR share in the bounty? 😉

  20. Original Sin
    • 11 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    68 points all out. Ended up with 40k Rank. Quite happy with it

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Quite? Congrats great fortune is upon you

    2. Silecro
      • 8 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Nice, congrats 🙂

  21. lilmessipran
    • 13 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Pretty happy to sneak into the top 164,421 with all the 50/50s I've got wrong this season.

  22. djman102
    • 16 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Bowen(C) gets me 69 points to just make it into...the top 300K. :p

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Awesome final day captain.

  23. ClassiX
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Now...what to do for the next 82 days...??

    1. el polako
      • 8 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Clair Obscure Expedition 33

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 6 Years
        6 months, 22 days ago

        Seconded. And Blue Prince

  24. Boz
    • 13 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Finished at 45k, best rank for 7 years. Definitely getting harder to push onto the top 10k. Sarr over Eze on GW30 WC was a killer.

    See you all in 2 months!

    1. Silecro
      • 8 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Congrats man, great rank!

  25. Silecro
    • 8 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    First forray into top 10k, finished with 6k OR. Extremely happy since my previous best finish was 35k, and Im playing for 8 years

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Brilliant rank, especially these days!

      1. Silecro
        • 8 Years
        6 months, 22 days ago

        Thanks man! Also ideal day as a fellow Chelsea supporter. Was a bit conflicted in supporting Villa (3x players) and Chelsea 😀 but happy with how that came out also

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          6 months, 21 days ago

          I was so nervous watching our game. Didn't enjoy the feeling or the football!

          After we drew to Ipswich wrote our chances of UCL off.

          5 wins in the last 6, after that Did the job when it mattered.

    2. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Massif

    3. The 12th Man
      • 12 Years
      6 months, 22 days ago

      Congratulations

      1. Silecro
        • 8 Years
        6 months, 22 days ago

        Thanks!

    4. iFash@FPL
      • 1 Year
      6 months, 21 days ago

      Awesome!

  26. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Mini-league came down to the last 10 minutes.

    Salah (C) vs. Evanilson (C)

    If they had capped Salah they'd have beaten me by one point.

    KDB to Bowen at 14:29 saves me.

    Blimey that was uncomfortable :mrgreen:

    1. iFash@FPL
      • 1 Year
      6 months, 21 days ago

      Congratulations!

  27. GC123
    • 4 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    1 Salah goal away from winning my ML. Damn you Gravenberch!

  28. Super-Anders
    • 12 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    Semenyo kinda the only GW38 pick doing anything it seems? Besides Bowen, Salah and Mbuemo that everyone has. My FH without Semenyo was bang on average and I got passed by a guy in my ML that had to play Sarr.

  29. Stevecat
    • 11 Years
    6 months, 22 days ago

    2nd by 2 points ffs. Lesson learnt. Play your tripple captain in a double game week. I chanced week 36 being a double and it wasn’t and then I made the disastrous choice of evanilson. Beaten by someone getting 80 points on a bench boost to my 46. I need a beer.

  30. iFash@FPL
    • 1 Year
    6 months, 21 days ago

    Top 280k overall. I was in the top 15k at a time. 🙁

    Early WC to bring in Saka & Palmer (FOMO) cost me.

    We go again next season by God’s grace. 🙂