One of Double Gameweek 37’s key players becomes another victim of West Brom’s unlikely survival bid as Spurs go down 1-0 at The Hawthorns.
Harry Kane went into the match as the most popular captain pick, with the backing of over a million Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers and 54 of the game’s top 100 owners.
Some 190,567 (49.3%) of the 385,000+ Triple Captain chips in play were also placed on the Spurs striker, only for a meagre two points to result.
After a couple of low-key performances from which he’d scraped by with two tap-ins, today’s match was at least a busier one for the 37.5%-owned forward.
He had five shots, all in the box, including one effort which was denied by the heroic Ben Foster’s head in the first half. No player has had more attempts in the Gameweek so far but there are no points for shots, as those backing Gabriel Jesus with the captaincy will gleefully point out.
But things could have been a lot worse for Kane’s backers as he came perilously close to scoring an own goal, with Hugo Lloris forced into a miraculous clawing stop to prevent major angst among Fantasy managers.
Spurs’ form has been on the slide since their FA Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Man United, with a win, loss and a draw from the subsequent three league matches, while Kane now has just two goals and an assist in eight Gameweeks.
That hadn’t stopped 171,907 managers making him the third most purchased player, behind Man City duo Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling, heading into Double Gameweek 37.
The striker’s output at home to Newcastle now looks crucial to the outcome of mini-leagues and, indeed, the FPL crown.
But those hoping for a bumper haul to justify their Triple Captain call will be concerned that Kane has managed just one double-figure score in 13 outings now.
That’s a chilling thought for Kane’s supporters ahead of Man City’s meeting with Huddersfield Town, as Jesus and Sterling go into that match backed by 277,000+ and 264,000+ captaincies.
More significantly, they combine to make up over 144,000 of the Triple Captain chips in play.
Good and bad news at the back
Three Spurs defenders – Ben Davies, Kieran Trippier and Jan Vertonghen – were in the top 20 transfers-in for the double as managers hoped Mauricio Pochettino’s side would build on last weekend’s clean sheet against Watford.
Jake Livermore’s last-gasp winner put paid to that, although Vertonghen’s 10.0% ownership were fortuitous when their man was withdrawn before the goal, thus securing him points from a shutout.
But every silver lining needs a cloud, and the Belgian’s 84th-minute withdrawal with an ankle injury makes him an early doubt for Wednesday’s visit from Newcastle.
Mauricio Pochettino was unclear when asked post-match whether he had an idea on the severity of the setback.
“Not yet. We will have to wait until Monday. He twisted his ankle. Hopefully it’s not a big issue.”
At least he saw plentiful pitch-time. The team’s most popular defender, Davies (22.4%), was benched for Danny Rose as Pochettino reverted to a 3-4-2-1 in which Toby Alderweireld joined Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez in the back three.
Right wing-back Trippier, meanwhile, retained his place as Serge Aurier missed out with a hamstring issue.
Davies’ 1.3 million owners weren’t the only ones to fall foul of Pochettino’s tinkering as the 14.7%-owned Son Heung-min was another to drop to the bench, with Erik Lamela replacing him in midfield.
Should Chelsea beat Liverpool tomorrow and close the gap to a top-four place to just two points, Spurs’ recent decline means their midweek match with Newcastle could have much riding on it.
The Magpies will have considerably less to play for than West Brom did today, with any number of Fantasy managers hoping Spurs’ second bite of the Gameweek 37 cherry bears a lot more Fantasy fruit.
As for the Baggies, Everton’s last-second equaliser against Southampton keeps them in the Premier League. For now.
A Gameweek 38 trip to Crystal Palace doesn’t exactly inspire investment, although their backline has now kept three clean sheets in four battling matches.
