Harry Kane (£12.5m) and Lucas Moura (£7.1m) are certain to feature heavily in Fantasy Premier League transfers ahead of Gameweek 4.
They were the goal-scorers as Spurs were 3-0 winners over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
While Mauricio Pochettino’s men are looking top side in 2018/19, the Red Devils are becoming seriously unappealing Fantasy assets.
In this final Scout Notes article of Gameweek 3, we take a look at the key talking points from Monday Night Football.
MANCHESTER UNITED 0-3 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Goals: Harry Kane (£12.5m), Lucas Moura x2 (£7.1m)
Assists: Kieran Trippier (£6.0m), Christian Eriksen (£9.5m), Kane
Lucas Moura‘s (£7.1m) brace against Manchester United should make waves in the transfer market ahead of Gameweek 4. The Tottenham man has now found the net three times in 2018/19 and is similarly priced to popular transfer-out target Richarlison (£6.7m), who will miss the next two Gameweeks. Moura was deployed in a very advanced central position at Old Trafford, almost playing off Harry Kane (£12.5m) as a second centre-forward, and in the first-half actually had an average position closer to the United goal than the England captain. With Erik Lamela (£6.5m) picking up a hamstring injury in the warm-up and Son Heung-min (£8.3m) still away on international duty (more on that below), Moura is looking like a sure starter for the time-being. Pochettino certainly heaped the praise on him after the match.
“Many many praise he is going to receive now. But for me I want to say to our chief scout Steve Hitchen and all the people that worked with him, because they advised to sign him. When the people sometimes criticise because always it is tough now, I think I need to say well done, because today’s performance from Lucas Moura, for the people that advised and feel responsible too, they need to be praised too. That is why I want to congratulate them. There are always people who are working behind and it was a fantastic job because today I think Lucas deserves a lot of credit.”
Kane has now registered two goals and an assist in August, but is still a little way off his FPL best. As mentioned, his average position in the first-half was closer to that of his central midfielders than Moura’s and he had just two shots, his lowest match tally of the campaign so far. One of those was from a set piece. His season total of eight so far averages out at 2.67 per game, still well below the 4.97 he averaged in 2017/18. However, if he keeps delivering points, Fantasy managers may very soon require his services once again, especially with trips to Watford, Brighton, Huddersfield and West Ham all coming up between now and Gameweek 9.
However, options such as Christian Eriksen (£9.4m) and Dele Alli (£9.1m) may see their stock fall this week with the success of Kane and Moura. Eriksen touched the ball in United’s box just once and created fewer chances than Trippier. Meanwhile Alli actually had more shots than any of his team-mates, but crucially did not score.
Once again, the Spurs back-line has become an area of rotation risk for Fantasy managers. Ben Davies (£5.9m) only as an 82nd minute substitute after missing out on a line-up for the first time this season. It was Danny Rose (£5.9m) who came back in for his start of the campaign, although was withdrawn with a knock. Kieran Trippier (£6.0m), still one of the top three most popular defenders and still on corners and free-kicks, got his second goal involvement in as many matches, keeping himself in the conversation about premium options in his classification. However, he was also pulled off with a slight knock and replaced by Serge Aurier (£6.0m). Accordingly, on both flanks there is far too much uncertainty for the liking of Fantasy managers.
Hugo Lloris (£5.5m) looks set to continue to keep his place in the Tottenham goal despite being recently arrested for drink driving.
“No, I never considered (dropping him). What happened, I was in contact with him, such a bad experience for him. He feels so sorry. He apologised to everyone, but not only apologised to our fans, us, the club and I think he shows his regret and apologised to the whole country, because that responsibility is massive. I think it was a good lesson for everyone, a massive lesson. He’s punishing himself. He feels so sorry and so bad because he knows that he made a big mistake, but in the same way I think he’s a man out of character. We are going to, of course, support him but knowing that we cannot justify of course. There’s no sense to take some decision like you told me.” – Mauricio Pochettino
Almost all areas of Manchester United’s squad are looking like a no-fly zone in FPL at this point, but the defence more than the attack. David de Gea (£6.0m), the goalkeeper who kept more clean sheets than any other in 2017/18, appears to be more and more of a useless luxury with each passing Gameweek. In three matches he has no clean sheets, has been beaten eight times and ranks 18th for saves made.
His status as the most popular goalkeeper (25 percent ownership) has largely been based on the fact that he was the only route into the United defence. Not that it looks one worth investing in anymore, but that pillar of his Fantasy appeal does still, admittedly, remain.
Eric Bailly (£5.5m), who was one of the chief suspects in the Gameweek 2 defeat at Brighton, was not even on the bench against Spurs and his absence from the match day squad is not believed to have been as a result of injury, given some of the comments below. It was Chris Smalling (£5.8m) and Phil Jones (£5.3m) who started against Spurs but they were used in a three-man defence alongside midfielder Ander Herrera (£5.0m). This was, according to Mourinho, not an enforced decision but a tactical system the team had been planning on using against Spurs.
“We work very well during the week. We prepare the week very well. The players had a fantastic attitude. At half-time the score should be two goals different minimum. (One the back-three with Herrera involved) We work all week. From a strategic point of view we didn’t lose, from the tactical point we didn’t lose but we lost the match.” – Jose Mourinho
Jones was then withdrawn with an injury in the second-half to be replaced by Victor Lindelof (£5.0m), so it’s no surprise that Mourinho gave this answer when asked in his post-match press conference if he knew what his best back-four looked like.
“No. Because in first game, it was Lindelof and Bailly. Today we had Smalling and Jones, and Jones went off with injury. In the next match it will be Smalling and another one. When Rojo is back he is another option too.” – Jose Mourinho
In one of his television interviews he gave this update on Jones.
“I don’t know what Phil Jones has. I didn’t speak to him. We still have Smalling, Lindelof and Eric Bailly.” – Jose Mourinho
The only defender who, at this stage, could prove to be a cheaper alternative to De Gea, if United can start keeping clean sheets again, is Luke Shaw (£5.1m). He was the only survivor from the back-four which was heavily criticised at Brighton and was name-checked by one-time detractor Mourinho as one of the better performers from Monday night’s defeat. It sounds like he may keep his place for Gameweek 4 after he looked a good threat going forward.
“I saw Luke Shaw, with the result 3-0, having fatigue and cramps and still keeping in the game, with that pride and dignity that the fans applaud. So I think a magnificent reaction for the boys. I don’t know if you play any sport, I played at a lower level, but goals are an amazing vitamin and goals conceded are an overdose of fatigue. When you are the best team and at half-time you think ‘why are we not winning’. When you concede two goals, it is an overdose of fatigue.” – Jose Mourinho
Mourinho also rang the changes higher up the pitch, demonstrating that United are a very unsettled side right now. Juan Mata (£6.4m), Anthony Martial (£7.3m) and Andreas Pereira (£4.9m) were all substituted against Brighton, and all three were left out of the squad to face Tottenham. Nemanja Matic (£5.0m) made a return to the starting line-up, as did Jesse Lingard (£6.9m).
In defence of one or two of his controversial press conference comments, Mourinho was correct to assert that his side were aggressive in their attacking play. Only Fulham took more shots on goal in Gameweek 3 than the Red Devils, with no side bettering their 16 efforts in the box. Romelu Lukaku (£11.0m) was the chief threat with all five of his shots in the penalty area, and Jesse Lingard (£6.9m) wasn’t far behind with three in the box out of his total of five. With Burnley, the most generous of the Gameweek 3 defences in allowing 25 shots and conceding four goals, up next for Man United, it may not be all doom and gloom for Lukaku and Lingard at least.
Elsewhere, Son made further progress at the Asian Games, making another step towards avoiding military service. The only way the Tottenham midfielder can avoid being called up to the army is to win a gold medal at the summer tournament and he is now just 90 minutes away from competing in the final. Up next for South Korea in the semi-finals is Vietnam with one of either Japan or United Arab Emirates awaiting in Saturday’s final. Son’s involvement in the last four rules him out of any involvement in the Gameweek 4 trip to Watford and he’ll be touch and go for Gameweek 5 as well. As previously mentioned, this boosts the appeal of Moura for the next few Gameweeks.
MANCHESTER UNITED XI (3-4–2-1): De Gea; Jones (Lindelof 58’), Smalling, Herrera (Sánchez 55’); Shaw, Fred, Matic (Fellaini 61’), Valencia; Lingard, Pogba; Lukaku.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR XI (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Rose (Davies 82’), Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Trippier (Aurier 76’); Dier, Dembele; Moura, Eriksen, Alli; Kane (Winks 89’).
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