Scout Notes – Kane Leaves It Late

Harry Kane’s 88th-minute goal hands Spurs a win and 1.2 million Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers a respectable outcome for their decision to hand him the Gameweek 28 armband.

Only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (1.6m) was captained by more than the Tottenham striker as the pair’s Golden Boot duel goes on, with Kane one goal ahead on 24.

Yet in the FPL head-to-head, Salah has now outscored Kane in each of the last four Gameweeks, bettering him by 46 points to 18 in that period.

And looking at that personal battle across the season, the Egyptian again prevails by 16 Gameweeks to 11, with one draw.

Both players ended Gameweek 28 without any bonus points, however.

Kane was profligate in the 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, missing two big chances and firing four of his six shots off target.

He has now scored a single goal in each of his last three matches, only to miss out on bonus points every time.

Then again, on another day Kane might have had at least one chance to score more from the penalty spot, with what looked like a clear foul on Ben Davies by Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey going unpunished.

A six-point haul was just about enough for the 158,000+ managers who made him the third most signed player of Gameweek 28, and his winner again underlined his peerless record on the road – Kane now has 13 goals, and six from his last four starts, away from home.

Handed a place in our Scout Picks, Christian Eriksen provided the assist – his first since Gameweek 22 – from a corner to reward the 112,000+ who bought him in following his star turn, and goal, at Juventus in the Champions League.

The Dane strengthened his claim as the go-to option in Tottenham’s midfield. He fired five efforts on goal today and has now created 14 chances for team-mates in the last four Gameweeks – only Eden Hazard (15) has more.

But the 11.9% who own Son Heung-min had to make do with a 10-minute substitute appearance from their man.

The South Korean had started 13 successive league matches before today, but the intense competition for the third attacking midfielder spot means that he no longer looks a secure pick.

Erik Lamela got the nod at Selhurst Park, while new signing Lucas Moura again caught the eye when introduced from the bench.

Lamela was also preferred to Son in the recent trip to Juventus, meaning the latter’s only start in the last three matches was at Rochdale in the FA Cup.

Son had failed to score in the previous four Gameweeks and today’s sub role may well be the final straw for his 11.9% owners – he is already the fourth most sold player in FPL over the last 24 hours.

Furthermore, should Spurs win their midweek replay with Rochdale, their home match with Newcastle will be taken out of Gameweek 31.

Backline to the fore

Gameweek 28’s most popular purchase was Ben Davies, who was acquired by 293,000+ managers ahead of yesterday’s deadline.

Spurs’ 13th clean sheet of the season and a single bonus point brought in a good haul for the Welshman, who has now started eight successive league matches.

Fellow defender Davinson Sanchez picked up two bonus points, while Palace’s James Tomkins – who claimed a clean sheet having been withdrawn before Kane’s goal – was awarded the maximum.

An ankle injury meant Jan Vertonghen failed to start in the league for the first time this season and Toby Alderweireld also missed out with a minor hamstring complaint.

Mauricio Pochettino’s line-up for Gameweek 29’s visit from Huddersfield this Saturday might well involve other, less enforced, changes as it falls just four days before the second leg of their Champions League tie with Juventus.

Spurs face Rochdale in the FA Cup this Wednesday, so presumably the likes of Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose, who were rested today, will get the nod there.

Serge Aurier is suspended for the Juventus match and looks highly likely to feature against Huddersfield as a result.

However, on the left, the situation is a little cloudier. Should Pochettino look to start Davies against Juventus, there’s a chance that Rose could come in against the Terriers and earn a first start since Gameweek 20.

More pain for Palace

Roy Hodgson now has an injury list long enough to create an entire team, which forced him to hand 20-year-old Aaron Wan-Bissaka a debut at right-back.

By the time the match was done, the Palace boss had even more issues.

Tomkins was withdrawn with what appeared to be another knock and could now be a doubt for the Gameweek 29 visit from Man United.

Loan signing Timothy Fosu-Mensah will already miss that match as he is ineligible to play against his parent club, leaving Hodgson clinging to the hope that Mamadou Sakho will be back from the calf injury that has kept him out for the last two Gameweeks.

If not, then a United attack that rediscovered some form against Chelsea today could well profit from the makeshift defence they’ll face next Monday evening.

Chelsea themselves then entertain the Eagles in Gameweek 30, while a home match with Hodgson’s men in a reduced Gameweek 31 could be good news for Huddersfield’s Fantasy prospects.