Dugout Discussion
8 January 2026 582 comments
FPL Marc FPL Marc
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Gameweek 21 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) concludes at the Emirates Stadium, where Liverpool must face Arsenal without Hugo Ekitike (£9.0m)

It’s a huge clash between the league’s leaders and reigning champions.

TEAM NEWS

For the second successive match, Ekitike hasn’t made Liverpool’s squad because of a hamstring issue. Get your autosubs ready!

Arne Slot’s only change from the weekend brings in Jeremie Frimpong (£5.7m) for Curtis Jones (£5.4m), allowing Florian Wirtz (£8.2m) to keep starting.

Whereas tonight’s hosts have made two alterations to the victorious XI versus Bournemouth. Bukayo Saka (£10.2m) and Leandro Trossard (£6.9m) replace Noni Madueke (£6.8m) and Gabriel Martinelli (£6.8m), who join the likes of Eberechi Eze (£7.3m) and Mikel Merino (£5.7m) on a strong bench.

Arsenal are still without Riccardo Calafiori (£5.6m), as the Reds don’t have Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) or Alexander Isak (£10.3m).

LINE-UPS

Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard

Subs: Kepa, White, Lewis-Skelly, Eze, Norgaard, Madueke, Merino, Jesus, Martinelli  

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Wirtz, Gakpo

Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha, Jones, Chiesa 


price change predictions

FPL Marc Broadcaster, writer and overthinker. Hoping that ‘differential potential’ will catch on.

582 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. FantasyTony
    • 8 Years
    2 days, 12 mins ago

    Saka should have looked up

  2. Iceball
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    2 days, 12 mins ago

    Terrible week, 25 with Saka Raya Gabriel Szobo VVD, doubt I can survive with gray arrow...

  3. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    2 days, 10 mins ago

    Saka is scaring me

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      2 days, 5 mins ago

      And yet he still won’t haul 🙁

  4. Warbling Wendy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    2 days, 9 mins ago

    Gary Neville sucks

  5. Jafooli
    • 13 Years
    2 days, 9 mins ago

    What GW does Arsenal's bottle job start?

    Fear we may not see it this season...

    1. Jafooli
      • 13 Years
      2 days, 6 mins ago

      ...one way traffic, so far..

    2. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      2 days, 5 mins ago

      Just a matter of time

  6. WVA
    • 9 Years
    2 days, 7 mins ago

    How are Arsenal not 3 up already against such a woeful defence?

    1. Supersonic_
      • 4 Years
      2 days, 6 mins ago

      Why the hell did i shift saka

    2. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      2 days, 4 mins ago

      They have a striker from Hungary

      1. Fifa las vegas
        • 13 Years
        2 days ago

        Do they?

  7. F4L
    • 11 Years
    2 days, 3 mins ago

    saliba fortunate

  8. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    2 days, 3 mins ago

    Raya is a clown

    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      2 days ago

      Eh? Hardly his fault

      1. x.jim.x
        • 11 Years
        1 day, 23 hours ago

        Should have shouted

  9. Jafooli
    • 13 Years
    2 days, 3 mins ago

    Bradley bar....

  10. Royal5
    • 14 Years
    2 days, 2 mins ago

    I claim a Raya save for that

  11. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    2 days, 2 mins ago

    Liverpool string together 25 passes, and about 6 times it ends up back with VvD

  12. MetallicaJack93
    • 2 Years
    2 days, 1 min ago

    Anyone worse than 3.8 mil overall rank right now? Made the top 1% last year...

    1. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      2 days ago

      Maybe you over achieved last season?

      1. MetallicaJack93
        • 2 Years
        1 day, 23 hours ago

        Haha just hoping to do better than this, had 500k rank before

        1. Royal5
          • 14 Years
          1 day, 23 hours ago

          I’m around 600k and usually finish minimum top 100k tough season and a lot of luck

          1. Royal5
            • 14 Years
            1 day, 23 hours ago

            Still time at least

    2. Abaddon
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      2 days ago

      Only halfway yet 🙂

    3. AIRMILES
      • 14 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      I was at 4m two weeks ago. Up to 2.7m now. Mind you, it's many years since my top 10k finishes. I claim bad luck, but I don't invest the time I used to.

      1. MetallicaJack93
        • 2 Years
        1 day, 23 hours ago

        Thanks guys, it seems a very up and down season compared to the last couple

    4. Zalk
      • 14 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Not that bad but it has been the worst season I've ever played. In the first 14 GW's my best GWR was 1.8m.
      Just variance I guess, but it has also been a weird season.

  13. Warbling Wendy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    2 days ago

    'pool keep the ball for a few minutes, Arteta instantly tells his troops to drop in deep and psychologically move to a small mentality - then Liverpool his the bar. Arsenal are weak at the core

  14. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Anyone not own an Arsenal def or Raya?

    1. Bigbars
      • 15 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      me, i missed the boat then being stubborn by not biting

    2. Hooky
      • 10 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Few Spurs fans probably

    3. Bigbars
      • 15 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Do you ? I prefer rice in my diet

  15. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Saka limping

  16. Warbling Wendy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Saka with a sore toe, moving gingerly

  17. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    This has got 0 - 0 written all over the top left corner..

  18. WVA
    • 9 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    VVD on my bench to outscore my triple Arsenal?

  19. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Frimpong down, ankle turn

  20. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Handbags

    1. Hooky
      • 10 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      But no gladrags

  21. Royal5
    • 14 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Ping Pong injured

  22. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Pathetic from Frimpong. He will be back running in 30 seconds

    1. Brosstan
      • 11 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Ok it actually looked painful

      1. Bigbars
        • 15 Years
        1 day, 23 hours ago

        On first look it did, especially on slow down, but he wouldnt run it off so easily if it had been contact... i smell something fishy with his action there. And the oscar goes to...

      2. Freshy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        1 day, 23 hours ago

        That was close to completely folding over

  23. Supersonic_
    • 4 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Rice look like he'll get another 17 pointer? Asking for a friend

    1. Kaneyonero
      • 9 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Not looking likely based on proceedings so far

    2. Make United Great Again
      • 13 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Definitely not tonight

    3. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      He's certainly involved

  24. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Ars have striker who’s never in the box for the tap ins

    1. NZREDS
      • 12 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      This.

    2. F4L
      • 11 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      need havertz back

    3. keefy59
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      To think they released Kane when he was 9

  25. WVA
    • 9 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    DCL rising tonight! Definitely the player I want to bring in most. Take the risk?

    Verbruggen
    Gab Tim VVD Guehi
    Rice BrunoG Wilson
    Haaland Thiago DCL
    Dub Foden Cunha Chalobah

    Might have to bench boost!?

  26. Make United Great Again
    • 13 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Gyokeres is pretty average isn’t he. Hasn’t impressed at all since joining.

    1. Utopsis
      • 5 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Jesus will start getting a run soon I think

      1. Make United Great Again
        • 13 Years
        1 day, 23 hours ago

        Yep

    2. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Great at holding up and distribution.
      He has not showed ARS any talent for being a threat in the box

      1. Make United Great Again
        • 13 Years
        1 day, 23 hours ago

        Definitely was bought for his goals. Havertz can do the hold up & link up better. Will eventually drop to the bench

  27. Make United Great Again
    • 13 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Arsenal set piece will clearly win this

  28. WVA
    • 9 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Foden dropping FFS

    1. AIRMILES
      • 14 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Wolves at home in two weeks. Not the time to sell.

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        1 day, 23 hours ago

        Wolves improving

        1. AIRMILES
          • 14 Years
          1 day, 23 hours ago

          Which is good to see, but I'd still keep Foden for that match.

      2. WVA
        • 9 Years
        1 day, 23 hours ago

        He will likely be benched for that game especially if Semenyo comes in

        1. AIRMILES
          • 14 Years
          1 day, 23 hours ago

          That's a very good point.

    2. Bigbars
      • 15 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Foden to Wilson may be the play now ? That's what I'm thinking after these Foden no shows.

    3. Make United Great Again
      • 13 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Can’t wait to sell. His purple patch is over

  29. F4L
    • 11 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    argh so close for saka

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Well blocked tbf

      By Kerkez

      1. Utopsis
        • 5 Years
        1 day, 23 hours ago

        Yeah that was dogged defending

  30. NZREDS
    • 12 Years
    1 day, 23 hours ago

    Need more of those rice shots.

    1. Jafooli
      • 13 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Sushi?

    2. Royal5
      • 14 Years
      1 day, 23 hours ago

      Sake ftw