Sanchez misses out with minor injury as Gross enjoys home comforts

An Alexis Sanchez-less Manchester United fell to a disappointing defeat at Brighton on Sunday, though there were further attacking returns for their two Gameweek 1 goalscorers.

Pascal Gross, Glenn Murray and co, meanwhile, served a reminder of their own Fantasy credentials with a three-goal first-half blitz.

Our penultimate Scout Notes of Gameweek 2 focuses on yesterday’s match at the Amex Stadium.

Brighton and Hove Albion 3-2 Manchester United

• Goals: Glenn Murray (£6.5m), Shane Duffy (£4.5m), Pascal Gross (£6.9m) | Romelu Lukaku (£11.0m), Paul Pogba (£8.1m)
• Assists:  Anthony Knockaert (£5.5m), Solly March (£5.0m) | Luke Shaw (£5.1m), Marouane Fellaini (£5.0m)

While the swirling rumours surrounding Sergio Aguero’s start (or lack thereof) proved to be unfounded yesterday, the whispers about Alexis Sanchez (£10.5m) not being with the travelling Manchester United party for their trip to Brighton turned out to be true.

Sanchez was missing from United’s squad of 18, though Jose Mourinho confirmed both before and after the 3-2 defeat to the Seagulls that the Chilean’s injury is not thought to be serious:

Alexis was going to play but he had a little problem, so we had to decide to give an opportunity to another attacking player.

I don’t know really. Let’s wait for the results of the studies, but I don’t think it’s a big thing. I think it will be one or two weeks maximum.

Without Sanchez, United produced a fairly insipid performance, with no Premier League team losing possession more often or racking up as many “bad touches” as the Red Devils in Gameweek 2.

The most worrying aspect of United’s display was their defensive fragility, particularly for the 29% of managers who own David de Gea (£6.0m), the most-selected goalkeeper in FPL this season, or other members of the back four.

It took United nine league matches to concede four goals last season but they had achieved that feat by the end of the first half yesterday. This was also the first Premier League match since October 2016 in which they had conceded more than two goals.

With Tottenham Hotspur up next, FPL managers could be forgiven for reassessing the worth of their United defensive assets despite the solidity of last season, when Mourinho’s side racked up a league-high 19 clean sheets. De Gea, indeed, is already the most-sold goalkeeper of this round ahead of Gameweek 3.

De Gea wasn’t to blame for any of Brighton’s goals, but the 4.0% and 1.4% of FPL bosses who own Eric Bailly (£5.5m) and Victor Lindelof (£5.0m) respectively will be concerned about the possible repercussions of their performances yesterday – particularly with Chris Smalling (£5.9m) and Phil Jones (£5.4m) waiting in the wings.

There were, at least, more attacking returns for the two most-bought United players of Gameweek 2: Luke Shaw (£5.1m) and Paul Pogba (£8.1m).

Shaw’s assist was a little fortuitous, his volleyed shot bouncing down into the turf and onto Romelu Lukaku‘s (£11.0m) head for the Belgian’s first league goal of the season.

Pogba netted a stoppage-time penalty after Marouane Fellaini (£5.0m) had been felled; this was the second successive season in which Pogba had scored in both Gameweeks 1 and 2.

That Pogba was entrusted with spot-kick duties again with Lukaku on the field is perhaps significant, although the Frenchman’s words after the win over Leicester City are still relevant, particularly with Sanchez absent yesterday.

As mediocre as United were, Brighton put in an excellent performance that suggested yet again that their home fixtures are the ones to target from a Fantasy point of view.

The Seagulls had the worst away record in the top flight in 2017/18 and their display in the 2-0 defeat at Watford last Saturday – Chris Hughton’s side not having a single shot on target – was representative of their struggles on the road.

At the Amex Stadium, however, the Seagulls are a different prospect. No-one epitomises their contrasting home/away form more than Pascal Gross (£6.9m), who served a timely reminder of his worth as a mid-price midfielder just days after his starting price had dropped.

Thirteen of the 15 goals that Gross was directly involved in last season came in home fixtures (two assists were his only contributions on the road) and the German midfielder has begun 2018/19 in much the same vein, delivering a ten-point haul yesterday a week after his blank at Vicarage Road.

Gross racked up 24 bonus points last season and was awarded three again yesterday evening, after having won and converted a spot-kick just before half-time. No Brighton player had as many penalty box touches than Gross, who now seems a permanent fixture on penalties after having wrestled responsibilities from Glenn Murray (£6.5m) last season.

Murray, who turns 35 next month, proved there was plenty life left in him as a mid-priced FPL forward with a beautifully taken opening goal, while there were assists too for wide-men Anthony Knockaert (£5.5m) and Solly March (£5.0m). Knockaert and March’s places are at risk in the medium term from new signing Alireza Jahanbakhsh (£7.0m) and the injured Jose Izquierdo (£6.0m), but the pair’s performances yesterday will give Hughton a welcome headache.

There were mixed fortunes for Brighton’s centre-backs, with Shane Duffy (£4.5m) – who had more attempts on goal without scoring (28) than any defender in 2017/18 – finally finding the back of the net, though his long-term defensive partner Lewis Dunk (£4.5m) limped off after 20 minutes.

Speaking of Dunk’s injury, Hughton said:

We won’t know until tomorrow morning, he’s gone over on his ankle but Lewis is a tough individual and he’s not use to missing games.

Recent signing Leon Balogun (£4.5m) stands to benefit from Dunk’s possible absence, having replaced Dunk yesterday afternoon.

Brighton XI (4-4-1-1): Ryan; Montoya, Duffy, Dunk (Balogun 20′), Bong; Knockaert, Stephens, Propper, March; Gross (Kayal 90′); Murray (Locadia 90′)

Manchester United XI (4-3-3): De Gea; Young, Lindelof, Bailly, Shaw; Fred, Pereira (Lingard 45′), Pogba; Mata (Rashford 45′), Lukaku, Martial (Fellaini 60′)

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