Ten goals, two hat-tricks and a big bag of mixed fortunes for the English sides on an eventful second night of Champions League action. Here are the notes from an eventful evening in Europe…
Arsenal 6 Ludogorets Razgrad 0
Mesut Ozil (9.5) might have reined in the assists this season, but the German’s 7.7% of FPL owners won’t care if he can continue a new-found taste for goals.
Ozil hit the first hat-trick of his career in the demolition of Ludogorets. He’s also scored three in the league, pointing to a man, and a team, in a very good place at present.
Speaking post-match, Arsene Wenger talked up the playmaker’s goal threat.
“He looks like he’s got a taste to score goals because he runs in behind more. Before, he only liked coming to the ball and providing, but we want him to be a provider and a scorer. It looks like he’s slowly moving towards that better balance.”
Wenger made four changes from the side that beat Swansea City at the weekend, with David Ospina (4.8) given his now standard Euro night in goal, Kieran Gibbs in at left back for Nacho Monreal (6.0), fit-again Francis Coquelin (4.3) replacing Granit Xhaka (5.3) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (5.8) preferred to Alex Iwobi (5.8).
The in-form duo of Alexis Sanchez (11.3) and Theo Walcott (7.9) also scored, as did Oxlade-Chamberlain. Two assists came from substitute Lucas Perez (8.0), while Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santi Cazorla (7.5) and that man Ozil also chipped in – his first assist in ten appearances this season.
Cazorla was the first to be substituted on the night, with Wenger revealing:
“He (Cazorla) got a kick, and I took him off as quickly as possible. He got a kick on the back of his Achilles tendon. In my view, he was limping a little bit so I didn’t want to take a gamble.
Walcott and Sanchez – the current top two in this week’s Captain Poll – were also replaced in the second period, which bodes well for their freshness this weekend. Wenger explained his decision to withdraw the Chilean on 73 minutes:
“I just wanted to give him a breather. He looks alright physically.”
The opposition might have been lacking, but Arsenal currently offer Fantasy talent across the pitch, with five clean sheets and 19 goals scored in their last six matches in all competitions.
They face Middlesbrough at home followed by Sunderland away next.
Arsenal XI: Ospina, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Cazorla (Elneny 57), Walcott (Lucas 62), Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez (Iwobi 72).
Subs not used: Cech, Gabriel, Monreal, Xhaka.
Barcelona 4 Manchester City 0
Pep Guardiola’s return to the Nou Camp couldn’t have gone much worse, although the emphatic scoreline spoke little of City’s performance and much about a disastrous piece of goalkeeping by Claudio Bravo (5.5).
The man brought in for his ability to play the ball out from the back ended up being sent off for handball outside the area after passing straight to Luis Suarez when the match was still poised at 1-0.
City’s ten men then capitulated, with Lionel Messi grabbing a hat-trick as Barca ruthlessly punished individual errors by the visitors.
From a Fantasy perspective, the match itself was perhaps overshadowed by Guardiola’s decision to leave Sergio Aguero (13.1) on the bench.
His 44.8% ownership will be relieved to hear it was merely a tactical choice – the City coach deciding to pack the midfield – rather than any concerns over his fitness.
“He (Aguero) didn’t warm up but it was okay – I wanted one more midfield player in that position and that was the reason why he didn’t start. I spoke with him and he was good. The decision was made this afternoon. So we are disappointed tonight, but we knew from the beginning it would be a tough group – now we have to focus on Southampton.”
Despite that re-assurance, the mere fact that Guardiola felt he was able to start without Aguero puts a different perspective on matters at the Etihad.
Aguero has hardly been seen as a rotation risk but, having benched him for the last two outings; the City boss has clearly made a statement that casts new doubt on Aguero’s security. It also fired up unwanted speculation about the relationship between the striker and his manager.
Guardiola has more immediate concerns, with Pablo Zabaleta (4.8) sustaining a foot injury. Already deprived of Bacary Sagna (5.4), potentially until mid-November, his side’s defensive fragility won’t be improved by losing another experienced full back.
City trialled a three-man defence in the 1-1 draw with Everton. Unless Zabaleta’s injury is a minor one, Guardiola might have to choose between continuing with that experiment or blooding inexperienced full-back Pablo Maffeo (4.5) against Southampton.
Man City XI: Bravo, Zabaleta (Clichy 57), Stones, Otamendi, Kolarov, Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Nolito (Caballero 57), Gundogan (Aguero 79), Sterling.
Subs not used: Fernando, Maffeo, Sane, Navas.
