Benched FPL defenders ruthlessly punish owners

Fantasy Premier League managers were taught a lesson in choosing which defenders to bench in Gameweek 19.

Two options were ruthless in their punishing of owners who left them among the substitutes.

Their exploits are among our Scout Notes from Everton, Spurs and Crystal Palace’s latest matches.

Burnley 1-5 Everton

Lucas Digne (£5.0m) reminded the Fantasy football of the excellent value he can offer this season. Despite Everton failing to keep a clean sheet for the sixth match in a row, the French left-back picked up a whopping 17 points for those of his owners who opted to start him. That came from two goals, one another excellent direct free-kick, the other a rasping shot from range. Digne’s first effort established him as the first-choice taker ahead of Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7.3m).

However, it would appear that the Icelandic international remains on penalty kicks, despite his recent troubles from the spot. It was he who stuck away a first-half penalty after Ben Mee (£4.7m) had handled the ball. It is worth pointing out though, that some were expecting Richarlison (£7.0m) to assume responsibility for spot kicks after Sigurdsson’s most recent miss, but he was given the afternoon off from starting the match.

While Richarlison’s benching was frustrating for his owners, especially with Everton turning on the style and making up for their 6-2 defeat to Spurs by racing into a 22-minute 3-0 lead. However, the Brazilian made up for it by coming on and scoring as a second-half substitute, although lost one point for taking his shirt off in celebration. The fact that he still managed attacking returns and got a rest in the bank is probably a good thing for Richarlison’s owners, as he will now almost certainly start the Gameweek 20 trip to Brighton.

“As you know, it is a busy December. They are humans, they are not machines. It is hard for them to play all the matches and a game every three days. We have to manage their physical condition and Richarlison has been playing almost every minute of every game and we have different solutions so we can manage this situation. I know how important he is for us but the others are working hard as well. He had a difficult week last week, he was sick and then played a difficult game against Tottenham and it wasn’t his best performance and we had some problems. I am here to manage his physical condition.” – Marco Silva

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.3m) has now started Everton’s last three Premier League matches in the centre-forward role, twice shifting Richarlison to the left-wing and displacing him in the starting XI entirely at Turf Moor. Furthermore, the young striker has actually registered a goal or an assist in each of those three appearances, scoring at the Etihad Stadium in Gameweek 17 and turning provider in each subsequent match for Everton. Calvert-Lewin was substituted in the 66th minute against Burnley so could easily retain his starting berth in Gameweek 20.

Marco Silva went with a 3-4-2-1 formation for Everton, reverting to three at the back, after their four-man defence was ripped to shreds by Spurs on Sunday afternoon. That meant full-90 minute spells for Michael Keane (£5.0m), Kurt Zouma (£5.0m) and Yerry Mina (£5.4m), the latter getting his first Premier League goal for the Toffees.

There was no room in the travelling squad for Ademola Lookman (£5.1m) as he was unable to play. That allowed forgotten man Oumar Niasse (£5.0m) a rare inclusion as an unused substitute.

“He wasn’t able to play. Let’s see in the next few days. He hasn’t started training with the team yet. It is possible for the next match but it won’t be easy but let’s see about the other one.” – Marco Silva

As expected, Dyche went with the 5-3-2 which saw Burnley able to cause Arsenal problems in Gameweek 18 but had significantly less success this time around. That said, the Clarets actually recorded a higher expected goals score in this game than Everton, suggesting either they were unfortunate to be beaten so heavily, or simply made too many mistakes at the back. Sean Dyche certainly admitted it was an awful performance.

“We didn’t deserve anything today. Credit to them, they started well. They had a tough result the other day but started well, with energy.” – Sean Dyche

Johann Berg Gudmundsson (£5.7m) finally returned from injury at Turf Moor, coming on for Jeff Hendrick (£5.3m) in the second half. Meanwhile, Matt Lowton (£4.6m) earned himself a one-match ban for picking up his fifth yellow card of the season, in his first start since Gameweek 14.

Burnley XI (5-3-2): Hart; Taylor, Gibson (McNeil 63′), Mee, Tarkowski, Lowton; Hendrick (Gudmundsson 63′), Cork, Westwood; Barnes, Vokes (Wood 73′).

Everton XI (3-4-2-1): Pickford; Zouma, Keane, Mina; Digne, A Gomes (Gueye 75′), Sigurdsson, Coleman; Bernard (Davies 80′), Walcott; Calvert-Lewin (Richarlison 67′).

Crystal Palace 0-0 Cardiff City

Just as was expected, there was a welcome Crystal Palace clean sheet at Selhurst Park on Boxing Day. It seemed inevitable that the Eagles would be able to shut out the Premier League’s lowest scorers away from home this season in Cardiff. Indeed, Roy Hodgson’s men emerge from Gameweek 19 with only the top five boasting better defensive statistics in home matches, just eight goals conceded in front of their own fans in 2018/19.

That meant that anyone who gave Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.3m) a rare start were rewarded, and those who benched him were punished. He picked up bonus points to go with the 0-0 draw, once again highlighting his exceptional Fantasy value. Also securing additionals were goalkeeper Vicente Guaita (£4.2m) and Patrick van Aanholt (£5.4m).

Former Getafe and Valencia shot-stopper Guaita is slowly building a case for inclusion in our squads. He made an excellent stop after some miscommunication between Mamadou Sakho (£4.9m) and James Tomkins (£4.3m), which endeared him to Hodgson even further. This was Guaita’s third consecutive start with Wayne Hennessey (£4.5m) still absent with a back problem, and in that time he has averaged five points per game. Given his price point, and if he can hold his place, anyone looking to invest in Crystal Palace defence, who doesn’t already own Wan-Bissaka, may find him to offer even better value. However, there are some tricky fixtures on the horizon for the Eagles with Chelsea and Watford the next two visitors to Selhurst Park, as well as trips to Wolves and Liverpool upcoming.

“All the time it’s 0-0 you’re never safe and a long punt down the field, a mistake from Mamadou [Sakho] trying to cushion the ball to Tomkins gives them a clear-cut goal chance so we have to thank our goalkeeper for keeping a clean sheet.” – Roy Hodgson

Andros Townsend (£5.8m) continued to prove his attacking threat and was unlucky not to score a second goal in as many matches when he hit the crossbar early on. The Englishman remains Wilfried Zaha‘s (£6.7m) strike partner, as Hodgson went back to 4-4-2 after experimenting with a 4-5-1 at Manchester City in Gameweek 18. As predicted, the only change to the side was the return of Cheikhou Kouyaté (£4.7m) who came back in for Jeffrey Schlupp (£4.4m), with Hodgson’s options still limited in his mind.

Callum Paterson (£5.2m) was the most notable absence from Cardiff’s squad as they set up with a 5-4-1 formation. Reports in the media suggest the Scottish utility man was ruled out with a knee injury but should be fit in time for the Gameweek 20 trip to Leicester City. Bobby Reid (£5.2m) filled the void and got his first start since Gameweek 11.

Lee Peltier (£3.8m) also made his first start since Gameweek 6, although he is unlikely to be a regular fixture in the Cardiff side. Neil Warnock’s decision to 5-4-1 appeared to be to smother the Crystal Palace attack, which has struggled in home games this season. Peltier operating at right-back still allowed the versatile Bruno Ecuele Manga (£4.4m) to tuck inside as the third centre-back.

Neither manager was particularly concerned with managing minutes ahead of Gameweek 20. Just three of a possible six substitutions were made in the game with two of them coming in stoppage time, Warnock’s only changes of the afternoon.

Crystal Palace XI (4-4-2): Guaita; van Aanholt, Sakho, Tomkins, Wan-Bissaka; Meyer (Wickham 63′), Milivojevic, Kouyaté, McArthur; Townsend, Zaha.

Cardiff City XI (5-4-1): Etheridge; Bennett, Bamba, Morrison, Ecuele Manga, Peltier; Hoilett (Arter 90+2′), Ralls, Camarasa (Gunnarsson 90+1′), Harris; Reid.

Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 Bournemouth

Tottenham ensured Bournemouth got the thrashing their recent defensive data promised as they scored five times at Wembley.

It was continued success for Son Heung-min (£8.6m) who has now scored 36 points in his last two appearances for Spurs. Crucially, that is 15 more points than the 21 accrued by Harry Kane (£12.5m). Owners of the English centre-forward might have hoped for more in such a one-sided win for Spurs, but it was another performance in which he underwhelmed statistically. Kane had just two efforts on goal, just one of them taking place in the penalty area. Although Son actually registered the same number of each but managed to score with both of his efforts.

While the South Korean has posted enviable scores in both of Spurs’ devastating wins, the question might still remain over his likelihood of start in Gameweek 20. Several competitors for his place in the side were not involved with Erik Lamela (£6.2m) an unused substitute and Dele Alli (£8.9m) left out as a precaution after picking up a knock at Everton. However, this was the second match in a row in which a well-established lead in the game allowed Mauricio Pochettino to manage Son’s minutes. He came off in the 78th minute at Goodison Park and after 87 minutes against Bournemouth. Kane was also given the last 15 minutes off as Oliver Skipp (£4.5m) came on for his fourth Premier League appearance of the campaign.

“Two words. Un-believable. What can I say, Sonny is doing a fantastic job for the team. After November he had a rest and was here trying to recover his best and I think he is doing fantastic. He started his fantastic run against Chelsea and until today he is doing a fantastic job for the team. I hope he can keep that level but you know in a few weeks he is going to be away from Tottenham because he needs to go with his national team to Dubai to play the Asian Cup.” – Mauricio Pochettino

There was some frustration for owners of Kieran Trippier (£6.1m) who was left on the bench, as Pochettino rotated his side. In his place, Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.2m) was the surprise star of the show as he registered a total of three assists. Keeping a clean sheet too, the right-back accrued a massive Gameweek 19 score of 18 points. Whether he becomes a regular fixture in the side is uncertain, with Trippier likely to come back in for Gameweek 20, but the 21-year-old certainly has promise for the future.

“It’s no surprise to me (that Walker-Peters did so well). I told you after the match in Barcelona that we really believe in him and he has amazing quality and only needs time to mature and show his quality. I’m so pleased, so happy because I think his quality is going to help the team this season and for the future, he’s going to be a very important player for Tottenham.” – Mauricio Pochettino

There was a return to the side for Juan Foyth (£5.0m) after missing the last three Premier League games. He was able to slot in at centre-back alongside Toby Alderweireld (£6.0m) and allow Davison Sánchez (£5.8m), who played against Everton, to get a rest on the bench.

The 5-0 scoreline does tell more of a one-sided story than it should have done. According to the expected data, Bournemouth should have scored at least once, with the Cherries boasting the most creative and most threatening players in the match. No player had more efforts in the penalty area than Junior Stanislas (£6.0m), playing in a number 10 role behind Callum Wilson (£6.8m). Meanwhile, Ryan Fraser (£6.3m) back in the starting line-up after a Gameweek 18 benching, created more chances than any other player, four more than Christian Eriksen (£9.3m).

Simon Francis (£4.4m) was forced off in first-half stoppage time and could be out for a substantial period according to Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe.

“It doesn’t look good, it appears to be serious”. – Eddie Howe

Meanwhile, Jefferson Lerma (£4.5m) came close to collecting ten yellow cards before even the five-booking deadline had passed. He fell just one short in the end, picking up his ninth of the season in the 5-0 defeat Bournemouth. That is a truly incredible effort, considering he was not involved in four of the first 19 Premier League fixtures of the campaign. In fact, the Colombian has averaged a booking every 143 minutes in 2018/19.

Tottenham Hotspur XI (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Rose, Alderweireld, Foyth, Walker-Peters; Winks, Sissoko; Son (Llorente 88′), Eriksen (Davies 84′), Moura; Kane (Skipp 77′).

Bournemouth XI (4-4-1-1): Begović; Daniels, Aké, S Cook, Francis (D Rico 45+3′); Fraser, Lerma, Surman, Brooks (King 74′); Stanislas; Wilson (Mousset 67′).

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