A favoured Gameweek 33 captaincy pick finally brings in some points as Arsenal scraped past a battling Southampton 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the weekend’s fourth most backed player with the armband as 7.9% of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers hoped for another haul from the Gunners striker.
He duly delivered, scoring for a fourth successive match, after the Gameweek’s more popular captains either didn’t play, in the case of top pick Mohamed Salah (20.95%), or blanked, as befell Harry Kane (15.96%) and Romelu Lukaku (11.38%).
Tellingly, Aubameyang was the captain of choice for 56 of FPL’s top 100 managers.
More than 178,000 new owners also made him the second most purchased player of Gameweek 33 and he now has six goals and an assist from his seven Arsenal appearances, all of which have involved a full 90 minutes of action.
Until today, that is, when coach Arsene Wenger decided to replace him after 70 minutes – an unexpected turn of events considering the striker is ineligible for the Europa League trip to Moscow on Thursday.
As the match opened up in the latter stages, it was left to Danny Welbeck to exploit Southampton’s plentiful defensive weaknesses, with Aubameyang’s 14.5% ownership left to wonder what might have been had their man remained on the pitch.
Those owners now face a dilemma.
Aubameyang has no Double Gameweek 34, unlike Kane, Lukaku and Jamie Vardy, and his single fixture involves a trip to Newcastle, who have conceded just twice in their last six home matches.
Those with the Free Hit chip to employ can chop and change at will to bring in the likes of Aubameyang, who will host West Ham, for the reduced Gameweek 35 slate.
Those without the chip who have benefited from Aubameyang’s recent form will have to weigh up the potential of Kane and Lukaku in Gameweek 34, against their missing fixture to follow.
Aubameyang went into the match as the third most sold player ahead of next Saturday’s deadline with over 16,000 transfers in the last 24-hours. That remains the case after today’s points but the exodus has clearly slowed with the striker also Arsenal’s most popular target for transfers in.
Wenger rotates freely
As expected, the Gunners’ second leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday was uppermost in the mind of Wenger.
He made seven changes to the side that won the first leg 4-1, with only one of those an enforced one.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan missed out, with Wenger confirming the extent of the midfielder’s problem post-match.
“Mkhitaryan has a medial knee ligament damage. He will not be available for Thursday, or Newcastle, or the week after. He could still play at the end of the season.”
The 8.8%-owned Armenian had already been sold on by 201,000+ owners ahead of Gameweek 33 and many more will now surely follow that lead.
But the market in Aaron Ramsey was a buyer’s one – he was brought in by 70,000+ – only for the Welsh international to be rested for the third time in four Gameweeks, while centre-half Laurent Koscielny was kept back for a third successive league match.
Nacho Monreal was another, perhaps more unpredictable absentee; the left-back was rested to the bench as Sead Kolasinac got the nod.
Monreal had been brought in by 44,000+ ahead of Saturday’s deadline with an ownership hike of 98,000+ over the last two Gameweeks.
As anticipated, while Arsenal’s European campaign remains afloat, he and Koscielny will have their minutes managed. That should continue to benefit Shkodran Mustafi who made his 13th successive start on Sunday. Calum Chambers – priced at just 4.7 – has also started three of the last four Gameweeks.
Even the previously undroppable Mesut Ozil missed his first match since Gameweek 23 and should Arsenal complete the European job on Thursday, we can perhaps expect more of the same for the semi-final, which takes place on April 26 and May 3.
Gameweek 35’s home fixture with West Ham precedes the tie and they’ll be away at Man United between the two legs.
Double Gameweek 37 then follows, with a home match against Burnley just two days after the second leg and a trip to Leicester City on the Wednesday making it six fixtures in a fortnight for the Gunners.
And if they were to make the final, that takes place on Wednesday, May 16 – just three days after their final fixture of the season away at Huddersfield.
All of that means Arsenal’s budget-friendly options could flourish for a schedule (new WHU mun BUR lei HUD) that still offers some attractive match-ups.
Welbeck (7.3) did his cause no harm with two goals, an assist and maximum bonus for a season-best 16 points against the Saints.
They were his first returns since Gameweek 4, and it could have been even better had he not contrived to miss a huge chance to complete his hat-trick.
Differential pick Alex Iwobi (5.1) supplied two assists and could also profit from a run of starts if progress in Europe continues, particularly as competition for midfield slots is reduced by Mkhitaryan’s injury and a three-match ban for Mohamed Elneny, who was sent off in Sunday’s victory.
Saints’ glimmer of hope
Mark Hughes ditched the 4-4-2 formation he’d employed in his first two matches in charge of Southampton, switching to a 3-4-2-1 in which Dusan Tadic and James Ward-Prowse operated behind lone striker Shane Long.
That meant Charlie Austin dropped to the bench as the more mobile Long scored for only the second time in the league all season.
Post-match, Hughes gave this explanation behind his selection in attack…
“Our approach to the game initially didn’t suit Charlie, but it was always my intention to bring him off the bench. We went for Shane because he’s the best at stretching the play and working backwards but with Charlie, you know he will get scoring chances, he comes alive in the box.”
As it transpired, Long limped off with an ankle issue late on, while Austin did his claims for an immediate recall for the Double Gameweek (CHE lei) no harm by scoring just seconds after coming on in the 72nd minute.
Among forwards with more than one goal, Austin is second only to Sergio Aguero for minutes per goal (100 to 93.8).
The wing-back system employed by Hughes also boosted the cause of Cedric Soares, who provided both assists, but a late sending off for Jack Stephens could have ramifications for the plans of both Hughes and Fantasy managers.
The Saints aren’t exactly blessed with options at centre-half, so the defender’s three-match ban could scupper Hughes’ new system almost before it’s started.
And FPL owners who were considering Stephens (4.5) as a cheap Bench Boost option for Southampton’s double-header will now have to think again.
The centre-back misses only two league matches – his ban will also take in the side’s FA Cup semi-final – so he’ll be back for Gameweek 36 as the Saints do not feature in the preceding round of fixtures.
Then again, investment in Southampton defenders is not exactly a major priority – they’ve conceded three goals in both league matches since Hughes took charge.
