Manchester United win 4-2 at Watford, but that fails to prevent doubts growing over their star striker and newly-fragile defence.
Ashley Young’s return to Vicarage Road proved to be a night to remember, both personally and for his 1.3% of Fantasy Premier League backers.
The former Watford man scored twice to continue a remarkable burst of short-term form.
He has now started the last ten matches for Man United. Most of those have come at left-back, but he was used as a wing-back last night as Marcos Rojo was drafted into a three-man defence.
Young has two goals and as many assists from the last three Gameweeks, with the decision to downgrade his winner against Brighton to a Lewis Dunk own goal depriving him of even more points.
His appeal is clearly compromised by his midfielder status in FPL, as are upcoming matches away at Arsenal and home to Man City.
But 29 points from the last three Gameweeks is a huge haul, whichever way you look at it, and more than 28,000 managers agree. They have moved since last night’s tally to make Young the top transfer target in the market.
Young’s second goal on Tuesday, a sweetly struck free-kick, came courtesy of a foul on Paul Pogba. The assist means that the Frenchman has now returned a goal or an assist in five of his seven starts this season.
Lukaku fails to stem sales
Ownership of Romelu Lukaku (41.2%) continues to slip at an alarming rate – he has now lost close to a million managers since Gameweek 7, scoring just once during that time frame.
An assist last night was his third from the last six Gameweeks but a five-point haul was slim pickings for the 981,891 (18.2%) who handed him the armband, and it was telling that only one of the top 100 FPL managers made him their captain for Gameweek 14.
Lukaku spurned a late chance to score and although his output was improved – he had a match-leading four attempts, three of which came inside the box – his form and confidence remain decidedly questionable for an 11.4-priced asset.
And United’s immediate schedule doesn’t suggest either will improve to help stem the tide of sales, with a further 16,000+ already getting rid ahead of the clash with Arsenal, ensuring that Lukaku is again the most sold asset on show heading into Saturday’s deadline.
Matic blow dents defensive confidence
Watford’s two-goal mini-comeback last night meant that United have now kept just one clean sheet in four.
Injuries to defensive linchpins Phil Jones and Eric Bailly have clearly hurt Jose Mourinho’s men badly, and the sight of midfielder Nemanja Matic limping off at Vicarage Road was a further blow.
The absence of the Serbian international removed a vital screen in front of a backline already struggling, and which looked increasingly uncertain when Ander Herrera was brought on to fulfil the Matic role.
Arsenal and Man City have more than enough offensive weapons to exploit any perceived weaknesses in United’s defence, and Mourinho’s post-match comments regarding Matic were not overly optimistic.
“We lost stability when Nemanja Matic had to come out. Matic is injured, I don’t know how badly. For Matic to tell me he wants to be replaced, he does not do that if it is nothing important. It is muscular.”
The 42.1% of managers invested in David de Gea, and the 15.8% who own Antonio Valencia, will be watching for further news on Matic with a concerned eye ahead of Saturday evening’s trip to the Emirates.
Midfielder Marouane Fellaini, meanwhile, missed out for United last night with what has now been confirmed as a knee injury.
If he’s also sidelined, this could not only have an impact on United’s defence; it could also curtail Pogba’s attacking intent. Matic is cited as the major factor in allowing the Frenchman freedom to bomb forward, while Fellaini could attempt to fulfil a similar role. With both sidelined, the dynamic in United’s central midfield area changes dramatically.
Mixed bag for Watford
Watford went into last night’s match on the back of successive clean sheets, prompting coach Marco Silva to stick with the three-man defence that had served his side so well recently.
Four goals later, the Hornets’ worrying propensity to capitulate to the bigger teams – they shipped six against Man City and four at Chelsea – was back to haunt those managers who had quietly been investing in the team’s defensive assets.
At least one player who seen his ownership figures declining, midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure (15.6%), punished that lack of faith with a fifth goal of the season.
He was the seventh most sold player going into Gameweek 14, with 79,427 moving to pastures new – the third straight Gameweek he’d suffered sales. However, Doucoure also picked up a booking in Tuesday’s clash and is now just one caution shy of a one-match suspension.
Once a visit from Spurs is out of the way this weekend, Watford’s fixtures are set fair until the New Year, suggesting those with Hornets assets still in their squads should keep their nerve.
The most popular of them all, Richarlison (20.1%), was unlucky not to score when his header hit the bar last night, which in turn showcased the potential of Kiko Femenia (5.3%), who provided the cross. Now utilised as a wing-back, his attacking qualities are beginning to come to the fore. Femenia did, however, rise in price to 4.6 overnight.
Elsewhere, Silva’s side suffered a potential injury blow when Will Hughes, who had scored in the previous two matches, suffered a hamstring problem.
Silva’s post-match reaction suggested a spell on the sidelines for the in-form midfielder, although he offered very little detail on the severity.
“Will’s injured his hamstring. It looks difficult for the next game.”
Hughes had been signed by over 51,000 FPL managers over the past two Gameweeks.
