Scout Notes – Brazilians Take Centre Stage

Jurgen Klopp’s much-changed Reds run riot at Brighton, with Mohamed Salah, for once, playing only a bit part.

If we needed further proof that midfield is where much of the Fantasy Premier League action currently resides, Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho was happy to provide it.

His compatriot, Robeto Firmino, did his bit for the strikers with a season-best haul of 13 points from two goals and maximum bonus in the 5-1 win at Brighton.

But it was Coutinho who was the undoubted star of the show, bringing in a Gameweek-high 18 points courtesy of a goal, three assists and two bonus points.

Injuries and Barcelona’s overtures have kept the midfielder to just eight starts this season, and yet he’s managed to create a feast from such meagre rations, involved in nine Liverpool goals – four of his own and five assists.

He and fellow Gameweek 15 big hitter Eden Hazard top the transfers-in table for next weekend and the Brazilian looks set to be a powerful differential.

Coutinho is owned by just 5.8% of FPL managers – a rise of 0.4% already since yesterday – as the Reds prepare to host a Merseyside derby, part of a strong schedule (EVE WBA bou ars SWA LEI bur) from now until New Year’s Day.

The red card for Man United’s Paul Pogba at Arsenal, which means a three-match ban for the Frenchman, has already sparked a number of swap deals involving Coutinho, with managers now looking to double up on Liverpool’s potent midfield. Pogba to Coutinho is the third most popular trade ahead of Gameweek 16.

Mohamed Salah (53.3%) remains the weapon of choice for most, and although his relatively quiet trip to the south coast involved just the one assist, Coutinho is likely to be considered a partner, not a replacement, for the Egyptian.

As for Firmino, his haul at Brighton was an emphatic end to a ten-match run involving just one goal and an assist, prompting sales of 750,000 since Gameweek 6.

But if he can maintain consistent starts – he’s now managed seven of those in the last eight Gameweeks – he could re-emerge as an ideal third striker candidate while priced at just 8.4 in such a potent attack.

The market suggests so – Firmino is currently the sixth most purchased player ahead of Gameweek 16, as he picks up traffic from both Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.

Mane suffers as Klopp rotates

Sadio Mane was the main casualty as Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp shuffled his pack extensively with Wednesday’s vital Champions League match against Spartak Moscow in mind.

Defensive issues also forced the manager’s hand – Joe Gomez and Joel Matip were unavailable, Alberto Moreno was rested and Ragnar Klavan was fit enough only for the bench – as Georginio Wijnaldum and Emre Can formed part of a decidedly makeshift back three.

It meant that Liverpool’s shape was a fluid 3-4-2-1, with Salah and Coutinho flanking Firmino.

Mane, meanwhile, remained an unused sub on the day, which was a bitter pill for the 57,000+ managers who had brought him in following his goal and assist in the midweek win at Stoke City.

By comparison, Coutinho had just 16,000 purchases, but that trend is now being reversed, with the Senegalese international suffering early Gameweek 16 sales.

With both the Brazilian and Salah likely to be rested only rarely, Mane’s 8.3% ownership is likely to drop further still. It’s questionable where Mane now fits in for Klopp, with Coutinho proving so effective when handed an attacking role.

Klopp was in no doubt, post-match, that rotation was the only option and seems set to continue.

“We have to do it. It’s always intense. When you look in the dressing room after the game, they are all really done. We changed again six times, but it’s really hard for the boys.”

It meant that Liverpool’s most popular FPL asset from their backline, Moreno (5.9%), was rested after starting the previous nine matches.

“Alberto Moreno played so far a fantastic season was not even in the squad, we rested him today.”

With Joe Gomez absent through illness, Can was forced into a centre-back role, although the German managed to get on the scoresheet when he headed home a Coutinho corner.

And he could yet be in for more defensive duties if reports that Matip’s muscle injury will rule him out until the New Year prove to be true. However, Can’s booking on the south-coast took him to four for the season, just one from a one-match suspension.

Dog day afternoon for Dunk

In a 5-1 defeat, there are always going to be some Fantasy losers, and the 2.6% of managers with Lewis Dunk in their squads were hit particularly hard.

The Brighton defender managed to score his third own goal of the season – and his second in three Gameweeks – yesterday.

That brought home -2 points for his ownership, while the 3.0% on Shane Duffy were thankful that their man provided an assist to alleviate some of the points pain from the five goals he conceded.

The Irish international was fouled for the penalty converted by Glenn Murray, which broke a three-match drought for the striker, but both he and Duffy remain one yellow card away from suspension.

The outlook is otherwise rather brighter for the Seagulls now, with a Gameweek 16 trip to Huddersfield ushering in a good eight-match run during which only trips to Spurs and Chelsea look beyond Chris Hughton’s well-drilled side.