Scout Notes – Firmino Delivers Again

Liverpool’s key Fantasy assets are in fine form as Swansea City are dismissed at Anfield, but while Chelsea mastermind another victory and clean sheet, their biggest name remains on the wane.

A ‘power five’ midfield has been much discussed, and embraced by many, over the past few Gameweeks.

But those who have stuck by the notion that forwards can still deliver the requisite bang for the bucks can look back on the last few days with a certain satisfaction.

Roberto Firmino (8.9) has proved a particularly shrewd investment, the Liverpool striker scoring twice in the 5-0 humbling of Swansea City for his third consecutive double-digit haul.

More than 244,000 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers had made him Gameweek 20’s most purchased player and a further 69,000+ have taken him top of Gameweek 21’s transfers-in as well.

That’s hardly surprising when the Brazilian is on a run of six goals, two assists and 11 bonus points from his last five starts.

A visit from a leaky Leicester City defence on Saturday is up next, although Burnley away and Man City at Anfield follow and rotation remains a factor.

But for now, Firmino has built an almost unshakeable claim for his place alongside Harry Kane in Fantasy forward lines.

Reds points plentiful

Firmino might have been the star attraction but it was his compatriot, Philippe Coutinho, who ran the show.

Injuries and wistful glances in the direction of Barcelona have led the Brazilian to miss seven matches this season.

And yet he’s still become the seventh midfielder to breach the 100-point barrier, with a goal, assist and two bonus points bringing in a tally of 13 yesterday.

Coutinho has now scored in three successive matches, and four times in his last five starts, although investment has remained slow and steady and he’s still only found in 13.2% of FPL squads.

Much of the reason for that has been the game-leading form of Mohamed Salah, who kept things ticking over with a pair of assists against Swansea.

His nine-point return was just about enough for the 1.1 million (20.2%) managers who handed him the captaincy – that number included 31 of the top 100 FPL bosses – despite the Egyptian failing to find the net for only the third time in the last nine matches.

Both Salah and Firmino were subbed off just after the hour-mark with the match done and dusted, suggesting the pair will feature in the Leicester fixture.

The 26,000+ who have made Coutinho the fifth most transferred-in player of Gameweek 21 might be more concerned to note that their man played the full 90 against Swansea. He’s also started five of the last six.

However, while Sadio Mane was benched, Jurgen Klopp appears to have calmed his rotation in attacking areas. The Swansea fixture looked a potential hotspot for both Firmino and Coutinho in particular, but the Liverpool boss made it clear that his priority was selecting his strongest side.

“We have to be as good as possible, as strong as possible, tonight and then we will see. A lot of things can happen, but it’s not allowed to think about Leicester or Burnley.”

Changes in defence continue at pace, however, with Trent Alexander-Arnold perhaps unfortunate not to get more opportunities.

The young full-back was handed only his seventh start of the campaign and promptly produced his best haul, a first Premier League goal, clean sheet and two bonus adding up to 14 points.

Not that that will likely save him from being replaced by Joe Gomez at the weekend, with security of starts to be found on the other flank and in the form of Andrew Robertson, who played his sixth straight match in the ongoing absence of Alberto Moreno. The Scot is set to continue over the next two matches at least, with Klopp confirming Moreno’s absence into 2018.

Joel Matip’s return after five matches out with injury meant Dejan Lovren dropped to the bench as Ragnar Klavan – available for just 4.4 – made his fifth straight start and ninth appearance over the last 11 Gameweeks.

The Reds defence have now kept nine clean sheets over the season, with seven arriving at Anfield. Only Chelsea and Manchester United have bettered that figure with ten.

Warning signs for Hazard owners

Patience is a luxury that Fantasy managers can ill afford when it comes to midfielders taking up 10.8 of their budget.

And it’s starting to wear rather thin where Eden Hazard is concerned.

The Belgian blanked once again in Chelsea’s workmanlike 2-0 win over Brighton, meaning he’s managed just one assist in five matches now.

That’s a worrying statistic when there are a number of other midfielders – and now forwards – outperforming Hazard with alarming ease.

Factor in assets such as Son Heung-min and Marko Arnautovic, who offer the prospect of a double Gameweek 22 at a far more budget-friendly price, and it’s clear that Hazard is now very vulnerable.

He did have four attempts, two of which came in the box, against Brighton and his withdrawal after 72 minutes suggest he’ll start on Saturday at home to a generous Stoke City defence.

But the trend for sales involving Hazard – he lost more than 120,000 managers over the last two Gameweeks and 34,000+ have made him the third most transferred-out ahead of this weekend – looks highly likely to continue. He suffered his first price drop of the season overnight with traffic heading to Coutinho and Jesse Lingard in particular.

Another to be withdrawn early yesterday, albeit in a happier frame of mind, was striker Alvaro Morata.

The Spaniard notched for only the second time in six appearances, a run which has seen his ownership more than halved.

Morata scored a hat-trick at Stoke earlier this season. That and the Blues’ schedule (ars LEI bha BOU wat WBA) should prompt renewed interest in the forward, particularly as a one-week replacement for Harry Kane.

Defenders find attacking returns

There are no major worries where Chelsea’s defenders are concerned.

Cesar Azpilicueta produced his sixth assist of the season – all of which have led to Morata goals – and added clean sheet points and maximum bonus for a third double-digit haul of the campaign.

His 12-pointer was bettered by Marcos Alonso, who brought in 14 points thanks to a second goal in three Gameweeks.

The wing-back now has five strikes this season and has produced three 14-point performances, two of which have come in his last three matches.

Alonso was signed by more than 93,000 for the Brighton match and a further 31,000+ have made him the fourth most popular pick of Gameweek 21.

He’s certainly delivering, averaging a superb 10 points per match over the last four Gameweeks.

Chelsea are now level with Man United on ten clean sheets for the season, but the 6.5% who were hoping to reap the resultant benefits from Andreas Christensen were left bereft as their man missed out through illness, allowing Gary Cahill to earn a recall.