Costa walks the line and comes up trumps again. Antonio dines on Payet’s gold star service, whilst Etienne Capoue is defying all the laws of physics to climb to the top of the FPL player rankings. Here’s what we’ve learned from the Gameweek so far…
Costa’s tightrope act is winning us over…
Four goals, three bookings and, arguably, in all three cases he’s been fortunate to stay on the pitch.
Owning Diego Costa is never dull. In fact, we’re very much back on the rollercoaster of his debut season, where his indiscretions on the pitch are sprinkled with goals as he bashes and bullies defences and tests the patience of men in black.
Costa’s stock is unmistakably on the rise as the only player to have returned points across all four Gameweeks so far. But his ill-discipline could yet be an issue.
It’s a Stamford Bridge clash with Liverpool next – a fixture which regularly tests Costa’s ability to remain on the pitch. Pick up a yellow in that and already the striker will be a single card from a one-match ban.
Those who plan to get rid for Sergio Aguero’s return won’t care too much about that – they’ll just be calling in on Friday’s cauldron wondering if an early bath is more likely than an early goal.
De Bruyne may just find a way…
Tucked inside by Pep Guardiola, we expected Kevin De Bruyne to perhaps struggle to offer a supply line for goals and assists.
Saturday’s 13-point haul offered emphatic evidence that this may not be the case, as De Bruyne won a midfield battle and orchestrated City’s victory at Old Trafford.
The 10.5 price tag remains a major obstacle.
In the current landscape and with Sergio Aguero surely to return to our squads around Gameweek 6, the prospect of De Bruyne significantly increasing his 6.1% ownership look slim.
He may well be confined to being a pricey differential, which is all set to punish us on a regular basis.
Sane can eat Sterling’s minutes…
Raheem Sterling’s prospects as an FPL asset remain that much stronger than De Bruyne, despite his anonymous display in City’s 2-1 derby victory.
With fewer touches than any other City starter, the winger followed up his 15-point haul against West Ham with a disappointingly flat display, which ultimately ended prematurely as Pep Guardiola hooked him for new signing Leroy Sane.
The German will now be hovering over Sterling’s pitch time – leaving his owners nervously watching the clock and City’s touchline for movement. Not a pleasant scenario.
Still, those owners will be holding tight ahead of the Gameweek 5 Etihad meeting with Bournemouth, in hope that Sterling can again sparkle and provide points early enough to hold off Sane’s claims from the bench.
Antonio is an offer that can’t be refused…
Four goals in as many matches has elevated Michail Antonio to a new status as an FPL asset.
Now priced at 7.1 after enjoying an influx of owners overnight, Antonio is killing off interest in Dimitri Payet, despite the Frenchman’s laudable flourishes.
As we mentioned in Saturday’s members article, it seemed likely that Payet will end up feeding Antonio’s with opportunities – thus denting his own FPL prospects – and that’s exactly how it panned out in the home defeat to Watford.
Payet supplied Antonio and the winger provided the goals and earned the points. For all the rabona touches, it is Antonio at the top of our shopping lists and, given the fixtures to come, his continued ascent looks likely.
Collins is teetering…
Watford’s extraordinary comeback against the Hammers seems set to spark an inquest from Slaven Bilic.
James Collins, and maybe even goalkeeper Adrian, seem likely to come under particular scrutiny.
At 4.6, Collins has so far provided an optimum route into the West Ham backline ahead of improving fixtures.
But now he looks decidedly vulnerable, as FPL managers question the merits of Bilic’s backline, even with their kind schedule.
Capoue is a phenomenon…
This is all getting a bit silly. Etienne Capoue is now the top ranked player in the FPL.
It’s a scenario that nobody could have foreseen, and one that surely can’t be maintained.
For now, Capoue goes on hoovering up new owners – only Middlesbrough’s Alvaro Negredo has seen more total transfers in this season and that’s a lead that he’s unlikely to hold for too much longer.
The question now is whether we can begin to trust Capoue with a start as our fourth midfielder.
More than 269,000 owners benched him against West Ham – the thought of doing the same for a home fixture with Manchester United is now challenging.
We didn’t expect Capoue to provide us with a problem – his role was one of back-up in the George Boyd mould.
But, like Boyd, he’s getting ideas above his station and is providing a weekly punch in the guts for those who refuse to show faith.
Holebas could be an option…no really…
Strangely, Watford could be awash with future options ahead of a much improved run of opponents.
Odion Ighalo has broken the driest of spells with a goal and assist against the Hammers, whilst Troy Deeney remains the more likely target up front.
Roberto Pereyra is also worth monitoring.
But it’s surely wing-back Jose Holebas which is the most bizarre addition to that list.
The Greek got on the scoresheet at the London Stadium and is providing a convincing case with his underlying statistics so far.
The Watford defence has far from convinced but their schedule may change that. If so, Holebas may well grow as a go-to defensive option in the sought-after 4.5 bracket.
The power is shifting in the Liverpool midfield…
Liverpool shelled out on private flights to get Philippe Coutinho back to take on Leicester City, only for Jurgen Klopp to bench his playmaker.
In his absence, the Reds produced arguably their most convincing 90 minutes so far – rolling the Foxes over with Roberto Firmino claiming a brace and 15 points.
Widely fancied as Klopp’s favourite at the start of the campaign, Coutinho’s Gameweek 1 returns had taken a chunk from Firmino’s ownership. Saturday’s returns may well switch that scenario.
Coutinho is now shedding owners having blanked in three consecutive Gameweeks. He will need to provide another spectacular intervention at Stamford Bridge on Friday night to halt that trend.
The smart money is now heading back Firmino’s way, with Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana also tempting investment over Coutinho’s erratic long-range threat.
Mahrez has timed his decline rather well…
Let’s face it, we could do without another heavy-hitter adding to the midfield mix.
The bewildering choice is testing our decision-making, even without Riyad Mahrez adding his brand of brilliance to the mix.
Like Coutinho, FPL owners are currently flooding from Mahrez – he lost another 15,000 in the last 24 hours and only Aguero has suffered more sales heading into Friday’s deadline.
It remains to be seen when Mahrez will re-enter the race. Like De Bruyne and Payet, inevitably there will be a time when we will covet them above all others.
Sanchez & Ozil need to produce to hold off Cazorla claims…
It seems unlikely that Santi Cazorla can hold off Mesut Ozil and, in particular, Alexis Sanchez, in the mid-term.
To this point the Spaniard has relied on penalties to gain an advantage and, as we’ve seen this season with double the number of spot-kicks so far, they are a viable and valuable source of points.
But Sanchez and Ozil now have to find a response in the Gameweek 5 trip to Hull if they are to dispel Cazorla’s claims.
The kind 7.6 price tag presents a convincing argument and, unless the Gunners’ duo can justify their valuations with another away day haul, both will suffer a major fallout ahead of Aguero’s Gameweek 6 return, as Cazorla threatens to flourish as a mid-price alternative.
