FA Cup Scout Notes – Fourth Round – Sunday

Oscar hits a hat-trick and Eden Hazard breaks his goalless streak as Chelsea thrash MK Dons to set up an FA Cup Fifth Round clash with Man City. Elsewhere, Ross Barkley grabs another cup goal and Aaron Lennon weighs in with a goal and assist as Everton breeze past Carlisle.

Oscar treble eases Blues through

Chelsea put on a dominant attacking display as they ran out 5-1 victors over Milton Keynes Dons. Oscar scooped the match ball with a hat-trick, while Eden Hazard netted his first goal in 29 outings from the penalty spot and claimed an assist. Oscar piques our interest as a differential route into the Blues’ resurgent offense ahead of a trip to Watford, but Hazard remains a peripheral concern in light of his dreadful form.

After the match, Guus Hiddink boosted the Brazilian’s Fantasy potential by confirming he is the club’s number one for penalties:

“We have a hierarchy of penalty takers, with Oscar first, but they gave it to him (Hazard) and it’s good he scored. He’s coming back now after a long absence and he needs the rhythm of these games. He played more than an hour and it’s important for the upcoming multitude of games.’

Passed fit following the knee issue he sustained against Arsenal, Diego Costa earned an assist during his 57-minute stint. Willian joined the action in the 64^th minute but suffered a late knock, rendering him a doubt for the Hornets encounter, according to Hiddink:

“I was worried a bit, someone stepped on his foot, but I asked him and he said it is no big worries. But we have to see in the upcoming time because we are playing a lot of games and I hope he will recover in two days.”

Meanwhile, Pedro was afforded a second-half cameo on his return from illness. On the rotation front, Kurt Zouma dropped out for Gary Cahill, and Cesar Azpilicueta was usurped by Baba Rahman.

Rounding off the key contributors to Chelsea’s triumph, Burkina Faso international Bertrand Traore etched his name onto the scoresheet. Elsewhere, Cesc Fabregas and Ruben Loftus-Cheek bagged an assist apiece.

Barkley strikes again in Toffees victory

Everton coasted through to the fifth round – booking a trip to Bournemouth – courtesy of a 3-0 win at Carlisle. The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Gerard Deulofeu were unused substitutes, but Ross Barkley was named among the starters and went on to net the Toffees’ third goal. The 7.3-priced midfielder hasn’t scored in a league since Gameweek 14 but, having notched in the midweek Capital One Cup loss to City, now boasts two goals in as many cup outings over the past week, augmenting his appeal at a time when Everton’s schedule looks promising (NEW, sto, WBA). That being said, their blank in Gameweek 27 deters investment in any of their Fantasy assets.

After Kevin Mirallas failed a late fitness test because of a knee knock, Aaron Lennon and Steven Pienaar were tasked with providing the width. The former grabbed a goal and assist, boosting his chances of more league starts. Arouna Kone – who’s fallen down the pecking order and played in just three of the Merseysiders’ previous four league ties – notched the other goal, while Leon Osman and Bryan Oviedo popped up with assists.