McFadden shines again. Larsson limps off. Newcastle stop the rot with an Owen goal. Here’s my notes on last night’s game.
Birmingham 1 Newcastle 1
Team Lineups
McCleish swapped Zarete and McFadden as expected but were otherwise unchanged. Jerome was fit and back on the bench.
Keegan brought Barton back into his midfield as expected with N’Zogbia dropping to the bench. Milner was out injured so Geremi got a start in midfield while Duff was dropped from the sixteen – Martins took his place out wide. Up front Viduka came in to partner Owen with Smith benched.
Notes and Form
McFadden caught the eye again here with his fourth goal in 5 games for Birmingham. He also walked away with the 3 FPL bonus and has earned 7 bonus points overall in those last 5 games. He and, to a lesser extent, Forssell, are likely have plenty of interest from fantasy managers leading up to the weekend. Their fixtures certainly offer some potential. It’s a trip to Reading next, followed by a home game with City, a trip to Wigan and a home game with Everton. They all look like games that certainly McFadden will profit from – particularly in the FPL game where he is firmly established as a bonus point darling.
The other point of interest is the injury to Larsson. He has suffered medial ligament damage to his knee and was subbed at half-time. He’ll have scans today but it’s expected that he’ll be sidelined for a good few weeks as a result. Larsson has proved a popular buy for fantasy managers, particularly in the FPL where he is very modestly price. A period of absence will see many of the 100,000+ managers getting rid with Pienaar, a ready-made replacement, likely to profit as a result.
There’s little to say on Newcastle. It was an improved second-half performance and the likes of Martins, Viduka and Owen could yet end the season with a decent haul of points. Games against Fulham, Spurs, Reading and Portsmouth could offer potential but it’s unlikely any fantasy managers will be tempted at this point.
Injuries and Suspensions
Larsson suffered an injury towards the end of the first half and was subbed af half-time. As I’ve mentioned, he’ll have scans on his knee injury later today.