An almost inevitable goal from the dominant captain gets Gameweek 35 off to a positive start, only for the single afternoon encounter to provide more boredom than bang.
One goal, no bonus – that’s been the standard return from Mohamed Salah since he (presumably) peaked with a 29-point haul against Watford.
That season-high total saved pretty much everybody’s four-fixture Gamweek 31, but his 59.7% Fantasy Premier League (FPL) ownership had to make do with seven points from the latest reduced slate as Liverpool blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at West Brom.
Salah was again the top captaincy pick, with 1.6 million managers handing him the armband. That included 43 of the top 100 managers, while 67% of the 42,000+ Triple Captain chips played were trusted on the Egyptian.
It was a third straight match in which he has scored but gained no bonus. In fact, he has been awarded extra points in just one of his last six goalscoring matches – that four-goal Gameweek 31 masterclass.
Much will depend on performances elsewhere – and in particular Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus (backed by 272,000+)– to see if the captaincy call was justified.
What we do know is that Salah appears to remain undroppable as he continues his quest for the Golden Boot, even when that chase is taking place against the backdrop of Liverpool’s Champions League campaign.
His goal against the Baggies took him five clear of Spurs’ Harry Kane as he played 83 minutes at The Hawthorns despite Tuesday’s semi-final tie with Roma looming large.
Salah suffered a loss of over 328,000 in ownership over the past two Gameweeks in light of his recent injury scare and missing fixture.
But the lead up to Gameweek 35 saw this trend slammed back into reverse. Over 158,000 managers brought Salah (back?) into their squads before today’s return.
It seems highly unlikely that they, or indeed any of his current ownership will consider going without the midfielder for any of the remaining Gameweeks, such is his level of consistency.
Incredibly, Salah has now produced a goal or an assist in 26 of 33 Gameweek appearances.
Firmino Benched, Mane Blanks
In contrast, confidence in Liverpool’s other two principle attackers will be in decline.
Sadio Mane was, somewhat predictably, hooked after 65 minutes, while Roberto Firmino didn’t even start and had to make do with a 24-minute cameo from the bench.
Mane has now be substituted after 76 minutes or less in each of his last four Gameweeks. Meanwhile, Firmino appears to be the most prone to rotation having started on the bench both in Gameweek 33 and this weekend prior to a European fixture.
Owned by 11%, Mane has either scored or assisted in six of the last eight Gameweeks and, tellingly, the two matches in which he blanked coincided with either Salah or Firmino being benched.
The latest rest for Firmino will have been greeted with dismay by the 174,000 new managers who acquired the Brazilian, no doubt encouraged by Jurgen Klopp’s promise of a strong Liverpool line-up in Friday’s press conference.
Firmino’s brief encounter with the pitch means he now has just two goals and an assist from the last seven Gameweeks.
Although his 40.3% ownership will surely hold on to him for next weekend’s Anfield meeting with Stoke City, that fixture is sandwiched between the two legs with Roma.
As a result, there will be further concerns that it could again be his turn on the bench, with both Salah and Mane retained in the starting line-up. It remains to be seen if a four-day gap either side of the tie will calm Klopp’s rotation of Firmino.
Following that, the lack of a Double Gameweek 37 for Liverpool makes sales of the forward almost inevitable.
Firmino’s replacement up front, Danny Ings, scored the opener from a Georginio Wijnaldum assist. Substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain then set up Salah’s goal.
Klopp shuffles his backline
Klopp’s other major changes involved the back four, with both Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold preserved for Tuesday’s tie.
The pair had been Liverpool’s major defensive transfer targets, with 62,000 new owners apiece, but they made way as Ragnar Klavan, Alberto Moreno and Joe Gomez came in to join Virgil van Dijk at the back.
The new-look defence did not impress, shipping two late goals after conceding just five in 12 previous matches across all competitions.
Van Dijk’s 42,000+ new owners took home just a point from the match, while the Free Hit investors in James Milner failed to gain returns from their gamble on the out-of-position prospect.
Baggies not done just yet
The Fantasy appeal of West Brom has been limited all season, and it’s now more passive than active for the run-in.
With no Double Gameweek 37 and only one home match, against Spurs, to come, even the fine form of their strikers is unlikely to prompt interest.
Salomon Rondon’s equaliser made it three goals and two assists from his last six Gameweeks, while Jay Rodriguez has scored three times in five matches. Jake Livermore was also on the scoresheet against Liverpool, with assists coming from Craig Dawson and Chris Brunt.
But the key lesson to be learned from coach Darren Moore’s three matches in charge is that the Baggies are no longer the pushovers they were under Alan Pardew – they’re unbeaten since his departure.
That should be considered when we look ahead at the schedules of the three teams – Newcastle, Spurs and Crystal Palace – still to face the Baggies.
And it should certainly apply to Mauricio Pochettino’s side as they travel to The Hawthorns as part of Double Gameweek 37 for a fixture that is no longer a shoo-in for a clean sheet or, indeed, even a positive result.
Blanks for Palace pair
Wilfried Zaha (183,000) and Luka Milivojevic (156,000) went into Gamweek 35 among the top seven most signed players prior to the deadline.
The pair certainly had some fine form to justify that interest, with three goals and two assists apiece from the previous five matches.
And their fixtures (LEI wba STK) to follow the trip to Watford might well have persuaded those new owners to hold onto the duo.
A bloodless blank at Vicarage Road could now spark an exodus, however.
Both were unlucky – Milivojevic hit the bar with a second-half free-kick, while Zaha could have won a penalty, but was instead booked for diving.
The lack of a Double Gameweek 37 now counts against the duo, with Zaha’s performance particularly underwhelming.
Playing out of position as a striker once more, he managed eight penalty area touches, but produced no key passes and zero shots.
The only joy to be had from the day was Palace’s second clean sheet in 12 matches, which took Free Hit chip managers in particular by surprise as no member of the side’s rearguard featured in the top 20 transfers-in.
Keeper Wayne Hennessey was bought by just 10,000, but five saves and maximum bonus brought in 10 points – his first double-digit haul of the season.
No sting from the Hornets
If Fantasy interest in Palace assets is on the wane, it’s non-existent where Watford players are concerned.
The Hornets have no Double Gameweek 37 and have to travel to both Spurs and Man United before the season’s end.
For those still intent on extracting some Fantasy worth from Watford, the stalemate was their third clean sheet in the last five home matches.
But back on the downside, form player Roberto Pereyra, who had goals in his last two home matches before the Palace match, was withdrawn with a groin problem.
