Etienne Capoue continues his remarkable start to the season by helping Watford stun United at Vicarage Road. Scott Dann is amongst the goals again as Andros Townsend torments sorry Stoke in Palace’s romp at Selhurst Park.
Harry Kane bags Spurs’ winner before limping off at home to Sunderland, while Charlie Austin emerges from the bench to fire Southampton to a first win of the season. Here’s the Stock Check on Sunday’s events…
On the Rise
Etienne Capoue
Yet another goal for the Watford midfielder, who continues to lead the Fantasy Premier League player standings with a fourth strike of the season. With the fixtures now in his favour, many will feel that Capoue has done more than enough to claim a spot in our starting XIs.
Roberto Pereyra
The playmaker’s assist for Watford’s second means he has now produced attacking returns in all three league appearances since arriving from Juventus. Certainly, Capoue’s role as the go-to Watford attacker cannot be denied, yet Pereyra is proving a decent differential option in the mid-price bracket.
Daryl Janmaat
The summer signing from Newcastle United got his campaign off the mark with the assist for Capoue’s opener. Janmaat served up 12 assists in two seasons for a struggling Magpies outfit and is clearly enjoying his spot as a right wing-back in Walter Mazzarri’s 3-5-2. Forced off with a shoulder problem, his injury situation needs monitoring.
Troy Deeney
The Hornets captain netted for the second successive Gameweek thanks to a late penalty against United. Deeney’s kind 6.9 price tag and spot-kick duties should keep him ahead of Odion Ighalo as our preferred Watford forward as Mazzarri’s men prepare for a very kind schedule.
Marcus Rashford
Handed a first start of the season by Jose Mourinho, the youngster fired United’s consolation and has two goals in the last three Gameweeks. With few other options out wide impressing, there would be no surprise if he retains his spot for the home match against Leicester City.
Scott Dann
In spite of his lofty 5.5 price tag, the Eagles’ centre-half is already looking worth every penny. Dann’s first-half header was his third of the season in all competitions and with more efforts inside the box than any defender so far, he’s clearly profiting from the rule new change on holding at set-plays.
Andros Townsend
The Palace winger ended a four-match drought in style with a goal and an assist in the 4-0 thrashing of Stoke. With the Eagles looking more dangerous with Christian Benteke as the focal point in attack, Townsend’s supply line and goal threat from out wide means we can’t ignore him as a mid-price option.
Jason Puncheon
A consistent source of creativity for Alan Pardew’s side, the midfielder earned two assists this afternoon. Only Kevin De Bruyne and Dimitri Payet (four apiece) have bettered Puncheon’s three assists this season – incredibly, he’s already matched his haul for 2015/16. With Pardew looking to flood the box with crosses, Puncheon, Townsend and Wilfried Zaha are starting to look like viable options.
Marko Arnautovic
Stoke’s wide man finally opened his account for the campaign by denying Palace a clean sheet with virtually the last kick of the ball. With home encounters against West Brom, Sunderland and Swansea allied with a trip to Hull in the next five, Arnautovic – who has dropped to 7.3 – could kick on if the Potters can muster some form.
Charlie Austin
Despite bagging a midweek Europa League double, the forward dropped to the bench at home to Swansea. Replacing Shane Long early in the second period, Austin needed just 10 minutes off the bench to stake his claim for a regular role. With West Ham, Leicester, City and Chelsea just around the corner in the following five, though, there appears to be far better options in the mid-price bracket.
Cedric Soares
At a price of 5.0, the Portuguese right-back is emerging as the value route into Southampton’s defence. Sitting second amongst defenders for shots on target, Soares collected the maximum bonus in today’s win over Swansea as the Saints registered a first league win – and clean sheet – under Claude Puel. However, the aforementioned fixtures should deter any interest for now.
Kyle Walker
We expected a defensive reshuffle but Mauricio Pochettino sprung a surprise by shifting Jan Vertonghen to left-back and moving Eric Dier to centre-half against the Black Cats. With Kieran Trippier warming the bench, Walker was handed a fifth straight start and earned bonus points for the fourth time in five Gameweeks, cementing his lead at the top of the defender standings.
Harry Kane
With Mousa Dembele back in the starting lineup, Kane continued his remarkable record with the Belgian on board by netting the match-winner. It’s two goals in as many Gameweeks now for the Spurs striker, though there are major concerns over the ankle injury that forced him off after he was pictured leaving the stadium on crutches. He’s set to be assessed tomorrow, though any spell on the sidelines would obviously promote Vincent Janssen – at 7.8 – in our thinking.
Jordan Pickford
The Sunderland number one defied Spurs time and again with a heroic display between the posts. Pickford has racked up 20 saves in just three appearances, averaging a stop quicker than any keeper – at a price of just 4.0, continues to offer excellent value in spite of the Black Cats’ problems.
In Decline
Daley Blind
Culpable for Kevin De Bruyne’s opener in last week’s Manchester derby loss to City, the Dutchman warmed the bench for the first time in the league as Jose Mourinho opted for Chris Smalling alongside Eric Bailly. The manner of today’s defeat may well force Jose to think again, though.
Antonio Valencia
He’d played every minute of the season until today, but the right-back was the first to be sacrificed as United looked for a leveller. Subbed off just after the hour-mark, Valencia’s situation clearly needs monitoring as Mourinho looks for a solution to his side’s slump.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Yes, he was awarded the assist for Rashford’s goal and has only blanked in one of his first five appearances. Nonetheless, United’s alarming run of results and diminishing confidence has set in just as Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero returns to contention.
City are firing on all cylinders as an attacking force, ensuring Aguero’s allure. Meanwhile, both Romelu Lukaku and Diego Costa have strong form and are tempting investment, along with a cast of expensive midfield heavy-hitters.
Arguably, Ibrahimovic needed more than a fortunate assist to keep his stock from suffering.
Erik Pieters
The Dutchman had offered us the cheapest route into Stoke’s defence ahead of some kind fixtures but was surprisingly benched for the trip to Palace as Glen Johnson earned a first start of the season. Back-to-back heavy defeats suggest Mark Hughes may need to reassess his defence if they are to take advantage of some kind upcoming fixtures.
Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen
After starting against Monaco in midweek, the Spurs midfield duo dropped to the bench this afternoon. Lamela owners, in particular, will be reassessing their options – he’s now been fielded as a sub in the last two. Eriksen’s pair of assists at Stoke last week had signalled a return to form but today’s teamsheet served a reminder that rotation can bite hard after European fixtures.
Patrick van Aanholt
Named on the Sunderland teamsheet and then withdrawn late on for “medical reasons” – there are growing reports that there is another side to the left-back’s omission.
Singled out as one of the players exposed by Everton on Monday night, the Dutchman’s starting role could now be in question, just as the Black Cats face back-to-back home encounters.
