Gameweek 2 is almost upon us which gives us an opportunity to have a look at some more differential options.
This time, we’ve selected low-owned picks at Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur who we think have the potential to make an impact.
As always, to qualify, the player must have an ownership of 5% or less at the time of writing.
Friday’s press conferences have derailed us somewhat – we’d originally written up entries for Leon Bailey (£6.5m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£12.0m) for this feature but doubts about their starts have led to us removing both of their names below.
BRYAN MBEUMO
- FPL ownership: 1.3%
- Price: £5.5m
- GW2-6 fixtures: cry | avl | BHA | wol | LIV
Bryan Mbeumo (£5.5m) was one of the standout performers in Gameweek 1, displaying all of his qualities against Arsenal.
The 22-year-old is listed as a midfielder in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), but featured as an ‘out-of-position’ forward alongside Ivan Toney (£6.5m) in Thomas Frank’s 3-5-2 formation.
The three at the back system was introduced towards the end of last season, as a result of an injury crisis. It provided Brentford with a solid foundation, and further up the pitch, allowed Mbeumo to move inside from his usual wing role in a 4-3-3.
Interestingly, the set-up continued against Arsenal, with the Frenchman registering two goal attempts and carrying most of the Bees’ attacking threat on the night. His first attempt hit the woodwork, before he had another chance in the first half but dragged his shot wide. It’s also worth noting that he tested Bernd Leno (£5.0m) on 66 minutes, though his left-footed strike was comfortably saved and then later flagged offside.
Operating on the shoulder of the last Gunners’ defender, Mbeumo was the most advanced of all Brentford players. He registered nine penalty box touches, a tally not beaten by any other player on show and seven more than Toney, who would often drop deep and look to play-in his team-mate via flick-ons and through balls.
Next up for Brentford is a trip to a Crystal Palace side who are still finding their feet under new boss Patrick Vieira, before they take on Aston Villa prior to the international break.
Those fixtures suggest that Mbeumo could be the pick of the budget midfielders in the coming matches, and an exciting differential for FPL managers.
LUCAS MOURA
- FPL ownership: 1.3%
- Price: £6.5m
- GW2-6 fixtures: wol | WAT | cry | CHE | ars
The Nuno Espirito Santo era at Tottenham Hotspur got off to a perfect start last weekend, as he led his side to a 1-0 win over Premier League champions Manchester City.
On the day, it was Son Heung-min (£10.0m) who stepped up in the absence of Harry Kane (£12.4m) to score the winning goal, but if your budget won’t stretch to the South Korean international, FPL bosses could do a lot worse than look at Lucas Moura (£6.5m).
The Brazilian was excellent in Gameweek 1, with his link-up play and dribbling ability particularly standing out. During the match, he produced three goal attempts, two shots in the box and three key passes, while his five touches in the penalty box was the most of any Spurs player. Not only did he contribute in the final-third, he also impressed defensively, as he won five aerial duels and made 10 recoveries.
Key to his appeal is this week’s match-up against Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers. Though he will be up against a lively home crowd at Molineux, Wolves are still adapting to a new system, which in the second half at Leicester City saw them press higher up the pitch and shift their defensive line up. It generally worked, but it’s a new approach for defenders like Conor Coady (£4.5m) and Romain Saïss (£5.0m), which if they aren’t switched on, could leave space in behind. If that happens, Spurs’ counter-attacking trio will surely take advantage.
The challenge now is for Moura to maintain his place in the starting XI. Consistency will be key, but if he can do that he could be a useful differential in the coming weeks.
