Arsenal 1-0 West Ham United
- Goals: Alexandre Lacazette (£9.3m)
- Assists: Mesut Özil (£7.2m)
- Bonus Points: Bernd Leno x3 (£5.0m), Lacazette x2, David Luiz x1 (£5.7m)
West Ham contrived to lose a match they really could have won as Arsenal’s most popular double Gameweek picks blanked.
David Moyes’ side should have secured at least a point from their trip to The Emirates, out-shooting their hosts 14 to nine and hitting the target six times to Arsenal’s two.
But the Hammers found home keeper Bernd Leno (£5.0m) in fine form, the German making six saves on his way to the maximum bonus point award and his first double-digit haul of the season.
Leno now has three clean sheets from his last four starts and five since Mikel Arteta took over as coach in Gameweek 21. He’d managed just two all season before that – a clear sign that Arsenal’s defensive assets are finally well worth a look.
David Luiz (£5.7m) joined Leno in the bonus point mix, but neither player is owned by more than 5.5% of FPL managers.
Indeed, only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.1m and 27.8%) enjoys double-figure ownership, and the striker was the second-most captained player of Gameweek 29, with 1.1 million managers handing him the armband.
The Gabon international promptly blanked against the Hammers, managing just one off-target effort in a limp display, although that lack of attacking bite was the story of the day for all of the Gunners’ assets.
Their winning goal came from substitute Alexandre Lacazette (£9.3m), who scored from close range courtesy of an assist from Mesut Özil (£7.2m). The strike was initially ruled out for offside, only for VAR to overturn the decision after a lengthy delay.
It was the Frenchman’s second goal in three Gameweeks. He’s also provided an assist in that time, which is excellent work seeing as he’s been given just 36 minutes of action and didn’t feature at all last time out.
Özil, meanwhile, has started all three of those Gameweeks and has a goal and an assist to show for his work.
Neither player, however, is exactly popular in FPL, with Lacazette owned by 2.1% and the German just 1.5%.
West Ham assets are also flying under the radar, although they have the lack of double matches in this Gameweek to explain their current shortage of owners.
Their fixtures are also another strong reason for that, with Wolves, Spurs and Chelsea to come over the next three Gameweeks, even if that Tottenham match is one of only four taking place in Gameweek 31.
But the Hammers’ recent form is not so bad, involving an unlucky loss to Liverpool, an emphatic victory over Southampton and now this near-miss at Arsenal.
Michail Antonio (£6.9m) was the stand-out performer against Southampton, with a goal and an assist, but he fluffed his lines today, missing good chances either side of half-time and conspiring with Sebastien Haller (£6.8m) to blow another excellent opportunity as West Ham’s swift counter-attacks troubled Arsenal throughout the match.
That didn’t stop Moyes singing Antonio’s praises.
“He gives us so much and offers us so much. He has improved, his fitness levels are up, his game is improving.” – David Moyes
Haller forced Leno into one fine save and the keeper did even better to divert an early Jarrod Bowen (£6.5m) onto the post.
The goal aside, Arsenal’s efforts were much more sporadic, with the best effort a Sokratis Papastathopoulos (£4.8m) header, from an Aubameyang cross, that came off the bar.
Small wonder that Moyes was happier with the display than the result.
“I told them they played really well. We did against Liverpool and Southampton, but it’s only three points from three games. I’d rather play not so well and win the game, but you couldn’t fault the players.” – David Moyes
It will take more than that – and the shift to kinder fixtures that occurs in Gameweek 33 – to tempt Fantasy managers into investment in West Ham players bar, presumably, a Free Hit selection for Gameweek 31.
Antonio would surely feature for many in that scenario, with Haller, the lively Bowen and Pablo Fornals (£6.0m), who topped the attempts chart at Arsenal with four, also worth a look.
Midfielder Robert Snodgrass (£5.3m) is another that might be considered, although he’s not started a match since Gameweek 27.
A defence that hasn’t kept a clean sheet for nine matches is considerably less appealing, however.
The Gunners still have a second match, against Manchester City, to bring in some points for those who took a punt on their stars this week.
But a blank Gameweek 31 means further interest in their players is unlikely to kick until they’re back in action, against Norwich, at the start of April.
Arsenal under Arteta are clearly heading in the right direction. They’ve lost just once in the league since he took over and their defensive improvement, as mentioned, is there for all to see and invest in, with today’s debutant, Pablo Mari (£4.8m), a relatively cheap option should he now hold down a regular place.
The coach was keen to talk up Mari after the match.
“He is doing well, he’s adapted really well – it is not an easy league and a central defender, in my opinion, to play in the Premier League is one of the toughest positions to play for any foreign player.” – Mikel Arteta
Attacking returns, beyond Aubameyang’s, are harder to predict, unless Lacazette is brought back into the starting XI.
Nicolas Pépé (£9.2m), who enjoyed a 133,614 surge in ownership for this week’s double, blanked against West Ham and remains a returner of big scores but many more blanks, while the budget charms of midfielder Bukayo Saka (£4.6m) are offset by his current role as left-back.
Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Saka, Mari, Luiz, Sokratis; Xhaka, Ceballos; Aubameyang, Özil (Bellerin 88′), Pépé (Nelson 69′); Nketiah (Lacazette 59′).
West Ham United XI (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Cresswell, Ogbonna, Diop, Ngakia; Noble (Soucek 81′), Rice; Antonio, Fornals (Anderson 87′), Bowen (Snodgrass 90′); Haller.
