The Digest – Gameweek 11

Arouna Kone is the star of the show in Everton’s 6-2 thrashing of Sunderland. Liverpool heap more misery on Jose Mourinho at the Bridge, whilst United’s struggles in the final third continue ahead of some fine upcoming fixtures.

The Player

It’s fair to say that Arouna Kone stole under the radar as Fantasy managers assessed Everton’s chief protagonists ahead of their excellent run of fixtures.

Having failed to start a league match since Gameweek 6, the Ivorian was transferred out by over 17,000 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers for Sunday’s clash against Sunderland and resultantly dropped to just 4.8 in price.

Kone’s hat-trick and assist helped him earn a 20-point haul against Sam Allardyce’s side and surely places him in the driving seat for yet another start as the Toffees roll up to West Ham this weekend.

Encouragingly for Roberto Martinez, Kone has racked up five goals and three assists in just 586 minutes – that fares very well when compared with Romelu Lukaku’s six goals and four assists over 984 minutes. Indeed, despite being stationed on the flank, only four forwards with 500+ minutes under their belts have scored at a quicker pace than Kone’s 117.2 minutes per goal this term.

As evidenced by a goal and assist against Watford in Gameweek 1, Kone’s threat may prove a potent weapon when the Toffees look to go on the offensive. Let’s not forget that Everton played all of last season’s top eight teams in the first ten fixtures and it may be that Martinez has overlooked the Ivorian due to a run of tougher match-ups.

As the schedule begins to ease, Lukaku’s security of pitch time as the lone striker is not in question and the Belgian will understandably earn the bulk of Fantasy interest. With Martinez looking to take advantage of the upcoming fixtures, though, there’s a chance that Kone may yet throw his hat into the ring as a viable cheap forward if his manager rewards him for Sunday’s showing with a run of starts.

The Team

A 3-1 win over Chelsea earned Liverpool their first three points under Jurgen Klopp as the German’s “Gegenpressing” philosophy starts to make an impact.

The weekend victory maintained the Reds’ unbeaten start since Klopp was appointed – all the more impressive given that they have also faced Spurs and Southampton prior to their head-to-head with Jose Mourinho’s men.

Crucially for Fantasy managers, the Merseysiders look to have some in-form options right across the board. Philippe Coutinho’s double indicates he’s rediscovered the swagger that brought him a Player of the Year nomination last time out, whilst Roberto Firmino has now started each of the last two in all competitions and could be pivotal to their progress under the new manager.

Christian Benteke needed less than half an hour off the bench to bully the Chelsea backline into submission, grabbing a goal and assist to add to his strike against the Saints in the previous Gameweek. In two appearances under Klopp, he’s already bettered his output under Brendan Rodgers.

At the back, the Reds will be bolstered by the fact they’ve conceded just twice, given those aforementioned fixtures. Again, Klopp’s tactics will be key to how we assess the Liverpool rearguard and his penchant for attacking full-backs has seen Alberto Moreno fire six attempts in three fixtures with the German at the helm – more than any other defender.

With his side still eight points off the summit, Klopp may have laughed of title talk and played down expectations but there’s no doubt that the upcoming fixtures will turn many a Fantasy managers’ head. Over the next six Gameweeks, home encounters with Palace, Swansea and West Brom, allied with trips to Newcastle and Watford, look set to give the Merseysiders the perfect platform to continue their ascent up the table.

The Talking Point

It turns out that United’s 3-0 win over Everton in Gameweek 9 was something of a false dawn.

Having seen his side lose by a similar scoreline at Arsenal in the previous Gameweek, Louis van Gaal’s decision to move Anthony Martial wide left and shift Wayne Rooney up front again had looked inspired as the Red Devils ran riot at Goodison.

Since then, though, United have failed to score in the subsequent two league outings, drawing blanks against City and Palace, with Martial’s initial impact quickly waning due to his manager’s tactical switch. The young Frenchman, having looked so promising as a Fantasy option, has now earned more transfers out than any other player this Gameweek – that’s despite the fact that United are poised for some excellent upcoming fixtures.

The Martial exodus says everything about the Old Trafford outfit’s decline as a source of attacking options. Over the last four Gameweeks, the Red Devils sit bottom for attempts on goal, with 30 – put into perspective, the likes of Leicester, Man City, West Ham, Arsenal and Spurs have registered more than double that tally over the same period.

Perhaps, as the Dutchman suggests, it’s no more than a temporary blip but the underlying numbers do not bode well for those still holding United attackers. Nonetheless, those superb fixtures cannot be ignored and it may well be that the Red Devils’ defence – with four clean sheets in the last five – will be the main beneficiaries of the Dutchman’s philosophy over the coming weeks.