Scout Notes – Gameweek 4 – Sunday

Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis grab a goal apiece as Swansea’s superb start to the season continues with a home win over United. Juan Mata fires the visitors in front, courtesy of a Luke Shaw assist as Louis van Gaal’s men concede for the first time this term. Elsewhere, Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane both serve up double-figure hauls as Southampton cruise past Norwich at St Mary’s.

Ayew Steers Swans to Victory

Even without the injured Jefferson Montero, the Swans are terrorising defences with their irrepressible blend of power, pace and creative flair. The Welsh club started out in a 4-2-3-1 set-up but switched to a 4-1-2-1-2 midfield diamond after Mata’s goal in an attempt to build momentum. Garry Monk’s decision to swap out Wayne Routledge for Ki Sung-yeung was soon vindicated when the Swans equalised four minutes later. He later revealed that he enacted the change to contend with Man United’s strength in the centre of the park:

“They were causing us problems centrally. I changed it with four midfielders inside and that allowed us to get into the game.”

Andre Ayew restored parity with his second goal in three outings, before executing a divine through ball with the outside of his foot to play Bafetimbi Gomis in for the winner. Pitched at 7.1, the former Marseille man has emerged as a top pick in the mid-priced bracket and now ranks joint-second – alongside Yaya Toure – for total score (31) among midfielders this term.

Gomis caused problems for the visitors’ defence all afternoon and his perseverance paid off after 66 minutes, when he netted for the fourth match in succession. The French hit man has now bagged nine goals in his previous ten matches for the Swans, filling the void left upon Wilfried Bony’s departure with aplomb. Five favourable fixtures in the next six (wat, EVE, TOT, STO, avl) should serve as further encouragement for non-owners to consider the 7.3-priced striker for their squads, with both Gomis and Ayew now scoring against United and Chelsea in the first four matches.

Having threatened to trouble the scoreboard in the preceding Gameweeks, Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.4) got off the mark with an assist. Ayew is clearly the current choice option among Swansea’s midfielders, yet the Iceland international’s excellent performances could well engender stronger points returns in the near future.

Mata Strike Not Enough for United

Having not conceded prior to their trip to the Liberty Stadium, Manchester United succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Garry Monk’s effervescent Swansea side.

Wayne Rooney failed to build upon his midweek hat-trick and instead squandered the Red Devils’ best chances, causing further consternation for his 24% ownership. For just the second time in his career, the English frontman has drawn a blank in ten consecutive league ties, with his current barren spell lasting 864 minutes. In light of his absence of form and Man United’s unforgiving schedule (LIV, sou, SUN, ars, eve, MCI), Rooney’s ownership will doubtless plummet over the international break.

Juan Mata kept his points tally ticking over with his first goal of the season. Having earned an assist and maximum bonus in his side’s previous away encounter, the 8.5-priced Spaniard now sits on 21 points – put into perspective, that’s the combined tally of Rooney and Memphis Depay, who have managed ten and 11 points respectively.

Luke Shaw grabbed the assist for Mata’s goal, marking the fourth straight week he’s accrued six or more points. The Red Devils’ rearguard has furnished us with steady supply of returns in these early stages, yet those reserves could dry up ahead of their tricky road clashes in the next five Gameweeks.

Tadic Double Sinks Canaries

Southampton took full advantage of Steven Whittaker’s sending off to record a 3-0 victory over Norwich City. Dusan Tadic (6.9) stole the headlines with a four-minute brace in the second-half, leading to an impressive 16-points haul. The Serbian missed out last Gameweek due to fatigue that was later ascribed to abnormal blood tests, yet he showed no signs of tiring during a dominant display at St Mary’s Stadium. Although an in-form Tadic serves an enticing differential, a tough trio of fixtures from Gameweek 6 (MUN, SWA, che) tempers our enthusiasm.

Graziano Pelle (8.0) opened the scoring with his second goal of the campaign, before claiming an assist for one of Tadic’s strikes. The Italy international clearly favours playing on home turf – having netted 12 of his 14 goals in the south coast – which puts a different spin on his immediate prospects considering Saints’ upcoming match-ups at St Mary’s.

Sadio Mane (7.8) delivered his first attacking returns of the season, notching a brace of assists for the first time in the league. Over 100,000 Fantasy managers transferred out the Senegalese winger over the past two weeks, meaning only a 4% ownership profited from his upturn in form – the Senegal international also earned a couple of bonus points to return 11 points.

Having opted for a 3-4-1-2 in the previous couple of matches across all competitions, the Saints reverted to a 4-2-3-1 for the Canaries’ visit. Ronald Koeman’s outfit showcased greater resolve than during the opening two Gameweeks, conceding just one shot on target, and, having registered successive clean sheets for the first time since February, they’ll be handed decent odds to make it three, given that they face off against West Bromwich Albion’s tepid attack next time out.

Ten-Man Norwich Swept Aside

Norwich’s unchanged side were unable to compete with Southampton in the wake of Steven Whittaker’s sending off, eventually falling to their second defeat of the season. Remarkably, this was only the second time that the Canaries have lost on the road in their previous 15 outings under manager Alex Neil, highlighting their strength away from Carrow Road.

The Norfolk outfit clash horns with fellow promoted side Bournemouth at home next Gameweek, before Whittaker returns for a trip to Liverpool. Investors in the likes of Nathan Redmond (5.6) will be buoyed by the fact that the Cherries are yet to earn a shut-out this term and shipped three goals in their last away tie.