It was another weekend of disappointment for Chelsea’s headline Fantasy Premier League options in their 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Unai Emery seems to have finally found a formation that gives some protection to his ailing back-four.
These two topics are the focus of our latest Scout Notes article, and we will also examine Southampton’s win over Everton.
Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea
Goals: Alexander Lacazette (£9.3m), Laurent Koscielny (£5.4m)
Assists: Hector Bellerín (£5.4m), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (£5.1m)
Yet another blank for Eden Hazard (£11.0m) already has his owners considering selling the Chelsea man. He has registered just one attacking return in the last four Gameweeks, the latest coming in a London derby against Arsenal. Given the current state of the Gunners’ defence, and the fact that Hazard scored on his last league visit to the Emirates Stadium, considerably more was expected of him.
His owners are certainly at a crossroads as there are viable reasons both for keeping or for selling him. The latter is proving a popular school of thought right now, with Hazard currently the most sold asset ahead of Gameweek 24, 83,000+ managers making the big call. In support of this was a largely anonymous display against Arsenal, in which he failed to live up to the favourable underlying statistics that had led many to believe he would perform well. Just one key pass was below his average for the previous four matches of 2.5, while he had half as many efforts in the penalty box compared to his average since Gameweek 19. Furthermore, a win for Chelsea in the upcoming League Cup semi-final second leg would see Gameweek 27 be a Blank for the Blues, further reducing Hazard’s appeal.
However, there are still a few reasons to be patient. Against Arsenal, Hazard was busier in the penalty box than every other player in the match, bar his colleague Pedro (£6.3m). While his shot and pass counts there weren’t particularly promising, the Belgian was joint-top for touches in that area of the field. In fact, he recorded more penalty box touches (nine) than his average since Gameweek 19 of 6.25. If he can continue that sort of presence away at Bournemouth in Gameweek 24, where the defence has had problems this season, he could finally punish his sellers.
It also worth discussing Hazard’s deployment in the false-nine role, which has been picked out by some members of the national press as a reason for his recent struggles. Firstly, his double-figure hauls against Brighton and Watford last month came in matches when he was played through the middle, so it seems unlikely he is having problems with the position. That said, the reported impending signing of Gonzalo Higuain would almost certainly see Hazard shifted back to the left flank anyway.
The main reason he and Chelsea failed to deliver at Arsenal seems to have more to do with the hosts than their own play. The Blues actually had the lion’s share of possession, 64.6% to 35.4%, but the story of the game was Unai Emery’s decision to press high up the pitch and stop them playing the ball out from the back. With midfielder Jorginho (£4.7m) isolated once again through an intense press, Chelsea could not operate at their best, which is why their first shot on target did not come until the 82nd minute.
Emery tailored his choices over personnel perfectly to his high-pressure tactics, recalling Lucas Torreira (£4.9m) to the starting XI to play in a central midfield trio alongside Matteo Guendouzi (£4.4m) and Granit Xhaka (£5.3m). In front of them was the energetic Aaron Ramsey (£7.2m) with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.3m) and Alexandre Lacazette (£9.3m) as a strike-pair. Whether that is a formation Emery is able to stick with remains to be seen, especially with Ramsey reportedly close to leaving for Juventus. It is certainly telling that it was a set-up that allowed Arsenal to lead at the break for the just the third time this season.
“We started very strong at the beginning with high pressing, but when you play with long balls, you cannot do the pressing. We worked to do the pressing on their centre-backs and Jorginho. You can get closer to their blocks, transition very quickly and control the match with the ball in this pressure. Also calm to take the chances to score. The circumstances are giving you better or more. Today, every circumstance came with us. They had the ball for more than 60 per cent, we needed to recover the ball with good pressure and we worked a lot. We ran more than them. This team ran a lot. For the first idea today, we were speaking. We needed to run to recover the ball and transition very quickly. The first half, the first 30 minutes, we did that.” – Unai Emery
Emery has been particularly fond of deploying Aubameyang and Lacazette in a front three in recent months, with Alex Iwobi (£5.4m) deployed on the opposite flank to the former Borussia Dortmund forward. However, there were clear benefits to playing two central strikers against Chelsea, so we could see Emery do so against Cardiff in Gameweek 24. Aubameyang and Lacazette are proving to be useful attackers for their side, with 22 goals between them this season. The latter got his name on the scoresheet against Chelsea with an excellent close-range finish, although he has still only completed a match once in the last 10 league outings, replaced by Iwobi in the 68th minute.
“(Asked if Aubameyang and Lacazette will play as a front two again): It depends each match. It wasn’t the same match as against West Ham, and it won’t be next week against Manchester United next week either or against Cardiff. I’m working for the best balance with every player. Sometimes they can play together and other matches it is impossible because maybe there is another idea with a system and we only play with one attacking player. We are very happy with them. I think also they can help us in defensive situations. Aubameyang can play also on the right or left. When he plays there the most important thing is his attitude and his mentality because when I asked him, he said yes I am going to do that. But his best most preferred decision is like an attacking player.” – Unai Emery
“It was really nice [playing with Lacazette]. I think we made a lot of runs, with a lot of effort for the team, and we worked a lot and of course, we are happy when we play together because we have such a good feeling between us. It was cool. When I joined Arsenal he was here and he came to me and talked to me and now we are going well, we have the same vision about football and I love him.” – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Despite delight at the result, Emery will be upset to have lost Hector Bellerín (£5.4m) to injury once again. Saturday evening’s match was the Spaniard’s first start since Gameweek 17 when he picked up a calf problem against Southampton. He had to be replaced by Mohamed Elneny (£4.2m) in the 72nd minute after going down with a knee problem.
“We have to wait until tomorrow, it’s his knee. The first prediction is it can be an important injury. I hope not, but first impressions are not positive.” – Unai Emery
It looks as if Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£4.4m) will fill in at right-back for now, as he moved back there against Chelsea and was the first name mentioned by Emery when he was asked by journalists if he would sign anyone to replace Bellerín. Stephan Lichtsteiner (£4.5m) was also referenced as a candidate, as was Carl Jenkinson, still not in FPL yet.
“We have Ainsley, playing with good ‘pieces’. He played well today and can help us playing at right-back or right winger. Also Lichsteiner is another player who can play there. We have the players. I don’t forget Jenkinson who has played some matches and can be used if we need him.” – Unai Emery
While Arsenal continue to toil with defensive injuries, Chelsea’s biggest problems seem to be mental, or at least that’s how Maurizio Sarri sees things. Despite recording three wins in their previous four matches, the former Napoli boss was scathing of his players after the defeat to Arsenal. Some Fantasy managers were reticent to own Manchester United assets when Jose Mourinho was waging a war of words with his players, so Sarri’s rant could be a factor when deciding what to do with Chelsea options right now. He was so angry that he preferred to fulfil all of his post-match media commitments in Italian, with the help of a translator, so that he did not make any mistakes in English.
“I have to say that I’m extremely angry, very angry indeed. This defeat was due to our mentality more than anything else, our mental approach. We played against a team which mentally was far more determined than we were. And this is something I can’t accept that. We had a similar issue in the league game at Tottenham. We spoke a great deal about that loss and our approach at the time, and I spoke to the players, and I thought we’d overcome this issue. But it appears we still have this issue and we still seem to lack sufficient motivation and being mentally solid and our determination. So I’m not happy, I’m really not happy. I’d prefer to come in to the press room, be in the changing room and speak to the players and speak to you now, to talk about the tactics, about why we lost from a tactical point of view, but the fact of the matter is it appears this group of players are extremely difficult to motivate. It seems to me that, as a group of players, they’re not particularly aggressive from a mental point of view. They don’t have that ferocity in their mentality. That’s down to the type of players they are, their characteristics. It’s something that is difficult to change. You have to try and influence their mentality and it could take quite a long time, or, by the same token, it could be changed with a new player coming in or one of the old heads in the team assuming more responsibility and driving the rest of the team forward.” – Maurizio Sarri
However, we should point out that David Luiz (£5.9m) came to Sarri’s defence for those words after the match, which might dampen suggestions of player power taking over once again at Chelsea.
“He was not happy, but nobody was happy, so it was normal. It is our style, it is our philosophy, I think if you asked at the beginning of the season can Chelsea keep the ball you would have said no. And now we are able to do that, like the best teams in the world, but then we have to improve our last 25 metres. It is part of the process, when you try to do something and this is inside your mind, if you believe in it you can arrive there. Because of the results if you start to change and change, you don’t go anywhere. So this is our philosophy, I believe in it, I trust in it, so I just know we have to improve, like every team in the world. What Sarri has done until now is unbelievable, amazing, because normally a team to understand this philosophy needs one or two years, like Man City and Liverpool, who are playing very well with the ball now. What he has done has been amazing, so we have to try to improve the details now. I don’t think so [that players are turning], everybody is trusting his job and everybody is with him.” – David Luiz
We should also finish with a word on Marcos Alonso (£6.6m) who went a 12th successive league match without an attacking return. However, there were some signs of encouragement for the left-back as he managed as he hit the post in the second half. He also managed as many penalty box touches against Arsenal as he had in his four previous outings. In that time Alonso did not register a shot in the 18-yard-box once but recorded two at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal XI (4-3-1-2): Leno; Kolasinac, Koscielny, Sokratis, Bellerín (Elneny 72′); Guendouzi, Xhaka, Torreira; Ramsey (Maitland-Niles 67′); Aubameyang, Lacazette (Iwobi 68′).
Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Kepa; Alonso, D Luiz, Rüdiger, Azpilicueta; Kovačić (Barkley 63′), Jorginho, Kanté; Willian (Giroud 68′), Hazard, Pedro (Hudson-Odoi 80′).
Southampton 2-1 Everton
Goals: James Ward-Prowse (£5.0m) | Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7.3m)
Own Goals: Lucas Digne (£5.3m)
Assists: Kurt Zouma (£5.0m)
James Ward-Prowse (£5.0m) is slowly emerging as an exciting budget option at Ralph Hasenhüttl’s new-look Southampton side. Making just two starts and five appearances from a possible 14 under Mark Hughes at the beginning of the season, the 24-year-old has started the last four in a row and looks to be favoured under Hasenhüttl. His second-half strike against Everton means it’s two goals in as many outings for Ward-Prowse, the first time he has netted in back-to-back Premier League matches in his career.
In line with Hasenhüttl’s style of play, he covered more ground than any other Southampton player on Saturday afternoon and recorded more shots than any of his colleagues too. Two of his three efforts were inside the penalty area, while the other one found the back of the net in the 50th minute. Whether he can continue to deliver goals remains to be seen, as half of his six shots since Gameweek 20 came against Everton, although no Southampton player has more in that time. Also, only four players have created more chances during that period than Ward-Prowse, although 40% of those key passes were played in Gameweek 23. However, with Crystal Palace (home), Burnley (away) and Cardiff (home), the Saints’ next three opponents, the midfielder does have appealing opposition against which he could thrive.
“Prowsey’s got that quality. He works hard for the team – he’s a fantastic team player who does some of the stuff a lot of people wouldn’t notice. Everyone knows he’s got the quality from set-pieces and he’s got the quality he showed today with an outstanding strike. That’s testament to the squad. At the start of the season, we had Mario and Pierre, with Oriol and Stu in there as well, so there are a lot of players in that midfield all battling for positions. I think it makes it great for competition within the squad, and at the same time knowing that anyone who plays in any position is going to do just as good a job. I’m really pleased for him that he’s scored in two games on the bounce, and it’s good for the team as well.” – Nathan Redmond
Things are now running quite smoothly for Hasenhüttl and his Southampton side. They have now won more games with the Austrian in charge (four in eight) than they did in the entirety of Mark Hughes’ tenure (three in 22). Hasenhüttl described the win as the Saints’ best performance under his guidance, which bodes well for those aforementioned upcoming fixtures.
“It was a complete team performance and with the right decisions in the right moments. It was the best game so far which was defensively good. We gave two chances away but had a lot of chances to score, it could have been four or five. The guys really showed they are focused and committed and that is the key for the future, 11 players going in the same direction. We have very important games in January and February, they are the most important months – if you do it well you have a big chance to leave the relegation zone.” – Ralph Hasenhüttl
As promised by Hasenhüttl, Danny Ings (£5.5m) returned to the starting line-up after missing Gameweek 22 with a muscle injury. The on-loan Liverpool man is still having his minutes managed, though. He was replaced by Shane Long (£4.7m) in the 73rd minute and is still without a full 90-minute Premier League outing since Gameweek 10.
Alongside Ings in a 3-5-2 system was Nathan Redmond (£5.2m), deployed as the second forward. The former Norwich man was unfortunate not to get attacking returns as he was bearing down on goal before Lucas Digne‘s (£5.3m) tackled put the ball past Jordan Pickford (£5.0m) and into his own net. Redmond also grazed the post in the first half.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (£4.4m) returned from a three-match suspension in Gameweek 23 and sat in a central midfield trio alongside Oriol Romeu (£ and Ward-Prowse. That meant Stuart Armstrong (£5.1m) dropped to the bench for only the third time in the last 12 Gameweeks, featuring as an 86th-minute substitute against Everton.
After a good run in the team, nine starts since Gameweek 13, left-back Matt Targett (£4.2m) was forced from the field of play with an injury. He had previously come off with cramp in the FA Cup defeat to Derby on Wednesday. Hasenhüttl is currently unsure how serious the problem is, but has Cedric Soares (£4.2m) to fill in for him in the event of a lengthy lay-off. The Portuguese international came on for him on Saturday.
“I don’t how difficult it is, or how serious it is. I hope it is not so serious.” – Ralph Hasenhüttl
Meanwhile, Alex McCarthy (£4.4m) appears to have re-solidified his claim over the number one goalkeeper berth. He lost his place to Angus Gunn (£ in Gameweek 21, for the 0-0 draw with Chelsea, due to tactical reasons. Since then, McCarthy has started both league matches.
Everton have now lost five of their last seven Premier League matches, and questions are starting to be asked of Marco Silva. Frustratingly for the large number of Fantasy managers who own poster-boy Richarlison (£6.8m), he is without an attacking return for four consecutive matches. He occupied the centre-forward role for the second match in a row but was almost completely anonymous at St Mary’s Stadium. He did not have a single shot in the match, creating zero chances before being subbed in the 65th minute. His performance has already led to sales ahead of Gameweek 24, 62,000+ managers already moving him on, only Hazard and Harry Kane (£12.5m) losing more than him since Gameweek 23. While that could be a smart move long-term, with Everton unlikely to play in Blank Gameweek 27, the Toffees’ next match is against a Huddersfield side looking leaky at the back. That could prove a handy last chance saloon for Richarlison.
Against Southampton, Everton looked more dangerous once they had removed the Brazilian and introduced more traditional centre-forwards in Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.3m) and Cenk Tosun (£6.5m). That might see Richarlison moved back to the left wing against Huddersfield.
“We spoke at half-time, changed some things and we started the half like we wanted and it looked in that moment it looked as though we would do what we needed to. But after that one ball and one second ball, they scored a fantastic goal. We didn’t perform to our best level to equalise the game. We changed it because some of the players didn’t perform well in that moment but we scored the second goal. Our players kept trying and fighting until the end.” – Marco Silva
However, there is increasing competition for places on the flanks of attacking midfield as Ademola Lookman (£5.1m) started for the second match in a row. He has been keeping Theo Walcott (£6.0m) out of the team, and with more touches in the penalty box than any other player at St Mary’s, that trend may continue.
It was central midfield that bore the brunt of the criticism aimed at Everton. They were at fault for much of their side’s problems, with Idrissa Gueye (£4.8m), Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7.3m) and André Gomes (£5.4m) all guilty for giving the ball away on numerous occasions. The latter especially has hit poor form recently and nearly inadvertently scored an own-goal in the first half. It was no surprise to see him replaced by Calvert-Lewin in the 57th minute and it will be interesting to see if he can retain his place in Gameweek 24.
Silva continued to use a back-four, handing starts at centre-back to Michael Keane (£4.9m) and Kurt Zouma (£5.0m), who set up Sigurdsson’s late consolation goal. It meant a third successive match on the bench for summer signing Yerry Mina (£5.4m).
Southampton XI (3-5-2): McCarthy; Vestergaard, Stephens, Bednarek; Targett (Cedric 35′), Højbjerg, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Valery; Ings (Long 74′), Redmond (Armstrong 86′).
Everton XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Digne, Zouma, Keane, Coleman; Gueye, A Gomes (Calvert-Lewin 57′); Bernard (Walcott 75′), Sigurdsson, Lookman; Richarlison (Tosun 65′).
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