Our Scoreboard series rounds up the key goings-on from Wednesday’s Gameweek 17 fixtures, from injury news to stats analysis.
With the swift turnaround between Fantasy Premier League (FPL) deadlines, the Scoreboard articles will take the place of the usual Scout Notes throughout December.
The graphics below are taken from LiveFPL, Ragabolly’s excellent and ever-expanding website, and our own Premium Members Area.
GOALS, ASSISTS, BONUS
INJURIES AND BANS
Already without the suspended Raul Jimenez, who returns in Gameweek 18, Wolves lost Rayan Ait-Nouri to an injury in the warm-up on Wednesday and then saw Hwang Hee-chan limp from the field of play shortly after kick-off.
There has yet to be an update on either player.
All eyes were on the Brighton starting XI after “three or four” players tested positive for Covid-19 in the run-up to tonight’s fixture, so the absences of Neal Maupay, Pascal Gross, Jurgen Locadia and Jason Steele were more noteworthy than usual. Gross and Maupay will definitely miss Gameweek 18, according to their manager.
Yves Bissouma picked up his fifth booking of the season to compound Albion’s misery, while Joel Veltman appeared to pull up holding his hamstring on the stroke of full-time and is a “major doubt” for the weekend.
Tino Livramento and Armando Broja recovered from their respective issues to feature for Southampton against Palace but Adam Armstrong missed out on the 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.
Aaron Cresswell was also absent from West Ham’s clash with Arsenal and, already with the injured Ben Johnson, the Hammers lost another full-back in the shape of Vladimir Coufal, who was sent off for two bookable offences at the Emirates.
Gabriel Martinelli limped out of that win for the Gunners, although cramp was to blame according to his manager.
“Certainly, it was one of the best [performances from Martinelli] in every aspect of the game. Physically he’s growing, today he was cramping again, and he needs to mature on that side of the game. But his overall understanding of the game is much better.” – Mikel Arteta
GAMEWEEK 17 TAKEAWAYS
ANTONIO… AT RIGHT-BACK?
The dismissal of Coufal and the unavailability of Johnson saw Michail Antonio move to right-back for a spell in the second half of Wednesday’s match in north London, reprising a role he briefly played earlier in his West Ham career.
Antonio featuring in that position against Norwich in Gameweek 18 still seems a long shot, and indeed David Moyes turned to youngster Harrison Ashby at full-back in the closing stages of the loss to the Gunners, with Antonio moving back up top.
And aside from that stint in the back four, it was another underwhelming night for owners of the forward, who is now eight games without a goal.
Antonio didn’t register a single penalty box touch or shot at the Emirates, drifting right and deep as he helped with the collective effort out of possession.
At least the upcoming fixture run should give Antonio less off-the-ball work to do but he goes into that ticker-topping stretch of games looking low on confidence.
CONCERN FOR SMITH ROWE DESPITE GOAL
Emile Smith Rowe scored his sixth goal of the season in Arsenal’s win over West Ham but it was a second successive benching for the widely owned FPL midfielder, and the prospects of him regaining his place for Gameweek 18 were dented by excellent displays from Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
Martinelli had more shots in the box than any Arsenal player at the Emirates and he really ought to have opened the scoring before he did, missing a sitter from close range – a good sign, at least, that he is capable of getting into threatening positions. His finish for the hosts’ opener was also, dare we say it, Henry-esque.
Above: Martinelli is top for expected goal involvement (xGI) in Gameweek 17 so far
Perhaps Smith Rowe’s best chance of regaining a start for the clash with Leeds is if Mikel Arteta deems alterations are necessary for a match taking place in less than 72 hours time, particularly as he has now named an unchanged side for the last three fixtures.
Martinelli’s suspected cramp was a reflection of how long he has been out of the side but it was Martin Odegaard who Smith Rowe replaced this time, so there are at least multiple routes back into the side for the benched midfielder.
SPIRITO DI SANTO
We were hailing Wolves’ backline after Gameweek 17 and Bruno Lage’s troops were at it again on Wednesday, registering their fourth clean sheet in six games. The only two goals they’ve conceded in that time were against Manchester City and Liverpool.
Yes they were indebted to a horror Enock Mwepu miss to preserve their shut-out but that was the only ‘big chance’ that Brighton carved out, with Bruno Sa not even needing to register a save point to move to the top of the FPL goalkeepers’ points table.
Romain Saiss, always good for a set-piece goal, entered the corresponding top ten list of defenders with his 15-point haul, grabbing the match-winner with a well-taken volley.
Some iffy upcoming fixtures may deter investment in Wolves defenders but their form at the back is worth bearing in mind for anyone thinking about Chelsea attackers in Gameweek 18.
Above: Only the top three clubs have conceded fewer goals than Wolves (14) in 2021/22
BUDGET BROJA SHINES AGAIN
Armando Broja made a swift return from injury to register a 12-point haul in Southampton’s entertaining 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, notching his fourth and fifth attacking returns in as many league starts.
“I was happy that Broja could make it just in time. You could see how important he was for our team. We need every player at the moment. It can be that you’re out of the squad at one moment and then you have to play.” – Ralph Hasenhuttl
It’s not just a kneejerk reaction to his points that sees him firmly re-enter the FPL radar but the Saints’ injury situation up front; where he was initially an off-putting purchase due to his rotation risk status, he was down two positional rivals in the form of Adams and Armstrong at Selhurst Park.
Adams’s injury was described as “complicated” by Hasenhuttl earlier this week, while Armstrong still felt pain in his leg and was unable to participate in Gameweek 17.
Any length of absence for at least one of those strikers certainly increases Broja’s appeal, as of course does his bargain-bin price tag and the dearth of in-form forwards elsewhere in the division.
The less said about the two defences in south London the better: they are two of just four Premier League sides without a clean sheet in the last six Gameweeks, with Southampton’s total of 14 goals conceded the joint-worst.
Tino Livramento picked up a booking to earn a ‘zero’ score, while Vicente Guaita didn’t even make it onto the pitch as he was benched for Jack Butland.
The return to fitness of Joachim Andersen, absent from the starting XI in the last five Gameweeks, could be significant for Palace, at least, who seem to be this season’s “Brighton” in terms of not translating good defensive numbers into clean sheets.
Above: Clubs sorted by expected goals conceded (xGC) in 2021/22
