We round up the key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points from Wednesday’s Gameweek 24 fixtures.
The graphics below are taken from LiveFPL, Ragabolly’s excellent and ever-expanding website, and our own Premium Members Area.
GOALS, ASSISTS AND BONUS
INJURY NEWS: LATEST ON COUTINHO, BUENDIA, TONEY AND MORE
Philippe Coutinho (£7.1m) and Emiliano Buendia (£6.2m) were both substituted with apparent fitness problems in Aston Villa’s six-goal thriller against Leeds but Steven Gerrard reported relatively good news after full-time.
“He’s received a bang so it’s a knock and it’s an impact injury. He’s obviously very sore at the moment but, if he’s telling the truth, I’d rather have an impact bang rather than a muscle situation so I’m hoping it’s going to be days rather than weeks and, hopefully, we can get him ready for the weekend.
“He was obviously struggling with it. He wanted to carry on and I admire that but it was clear that we had to make a change. We’ll try and get him ready for the weekend.” – Steven Gerrard on Emiliano Buendia
“It was just a bit of tiredness. He had a bit of cramp in a few areas. As I say, we’re still working on his physical condition. We’re still trying to improve that. He’s getting better and better, and stronger. That was just precaution with cramp. He was running out of energy. He gave a lot to the game like a lot of the players did.
“There’s no issues and I’m sure, with a couple of days of recovery, he’ll be OK for the weekend as well.” – Steven Gerrard on Philippe Coutinho
Mateusz Klich (£5.2m) of Leeds was withdrawn shortly after requiring medical treatment of his own, while Villa’s Ezri Konsa (£4.9m) was sent off for the second time this season and will now serve a two-match ban.
Ivan Toney (£6.6m) and Vitaly Janelt (£5.0m) missed out on Brentford’s defeat to Manchester City with calf and abdominal problems respectively, with Thomas Frank saying that the former faced a “race against time” to be fit for Saturday’s clash against Southampton.
The Saints opted not to risk Valentino Livramento (£4.3m) for their superb 3-2 win over Spurs, while Nathan Redmond (£5.9m) was an absentee after sustaining an ankle injury in training on Tuesday. Armando Broja (£5.2m) shrugged off a knee problem to feature, however, also recovering from a blow to the neck during the game in north London.
GAMEWEEK 24 TALKING POINTS
EDOUARD: NOT NAILED
Having started seven league matches in a row and banked as many attacking returns in the process, Odsonne Edouard (£6.5m) was reduced to a 10-minute appearance off the bench against Norwich on Wednesday.
Perhaps we got complacent with Edouard’s recent run in the starting XI as Patrick Vieira hasn’t had all of Edouard, Wilfried Zaha (£6.8m), Jordan Ayew (£5.8m), Michael Olise (£5.4m), Eberechi Eze (£5.9m), Christian Benteke (£6.1m) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (£5.2m) available for some time, but that was the case at Carrow Road as Zaha, Mateta and the in-form Olise got the nod in attack.
Zaha seems to be the securest route into the Palace frontline ahead of Double Gameweek 26, having started 17 of the 18 matches (94.4%) that he has been available for this season (his only benching coming on his return from illness), as opposed to the 70% that Edouard has managed.
The Ivorian curled home a superb strike against the Canaries but then went on to miss a penalty.
Opponents Norwich, meanwhile, have now conceded just two goals in their last four matches against Premier League sides, so may present Manchester City and Liverpool with a bit more resistance in Gameweeks 25 and 26 than we’ve come to expect.
PEP TO ROTATE AGAINST NORWICH?
Most of Manchester City’s starting XI against Brentford was predictable last night but, Pep being Pep, he did spring one surprise by putting John Stones (£5.2m) at right-back, despite having Kyle Walker (£5.4m) – who is suspended in Europe, remember – available for selection.
“He played against Leeds in that position and was brilliant.
“Today he was more than brilliant. Today he was the most important player that we had. In the final third Joao was brilliant too, but John played really well, against Leeds playing to the back four and today, with three, he was perfect.
“He can play in both positions. He convinced me. He pays attention, he is so clever, strong in the air and his build-up is brilliant, how he commits and drives with the ball. He was really good.” – Pep Guardiola on John Stones
Next, the Citizens face Norwich City – but that comes three days before a last-16 tie against Sporting Lisbon, so there is the significant potential for managed minutes or even breathers for one or two key players. Stones, Kevin De Bruyne (£12.2m), Joao Cancelo (£7.1m), Riyad Mahrez (£8.6m) and Phil Foden (£8.0m) have already started twice this week (although the midfielders were substituted in at least one of those games), so Guardiola will attempt to strike his usual balancing act between maintaining player rhythm at Carrow Road and keeping legs fresh for Portugal.
MAHREZ ON PENS AND ON FORM
It’s now three blanks and a no-show for Foden this calendar year, while Bernardo Silva (£7.4m) has failed to return a goal or assist in seven of his last eight appearances.
There are two City midfielders in excellent form, however, in the shape of Mahrez and De Bruyne.
The Belgian is averaging 8.25 points per game over his last eight matches, while Mahrez has five goals and three assists in five starts.
De Bruyne and Mahrez are first and second respectively among City players for both goal attempts and chances created in their last six matches, with the Algerian, who we are perhaps more used to seeing wider and lurking outside the area, also interestingly top for shots in the box in that period.
Mahrez also has penalty-taking duties in his locker, converting another effort from 12 yards last night.
“He has the personality and special quality, no fear, he takes it, it doesn’t matter if previous actions are not good – he is a huge competitor.
“It was other players (who choose the taker) – I never push players to take responsibility, but you know, Riyad is a guarantee because he is so clever. He can shoot both sides and effectively strong to the corners.” – Pep Guardiola on Riyad Mahrez’s penalty-taking ability
Cancelo’s remarkable total of six goal attempts against Brentford, meanwhile, was the highest of any player in Gameweek 25 so far.
RAPHINHA TOILS AS COUTINHO, RAMSEY AND JAMES HAUL
“One of his poorest nights” was how Leeds reporter Beren Cross described Raphinha‘s (£6.5m) performance in the 3-3 draw at Villa Park, with the Brazilian off the boil. Such is FPL, he and Ollie Watkins (£7.7m) somehow emerged from the six-goal thriller with blanks.
There were three double-digit hauls in the game, however, with Daniel James (£6.0m) – again stationed ‘out of position’ up top for the Whites – grabbing two goals for the visitors.
Since first moving infield in Gameweek 9 (not always in a striking position, it must be said), he is ranked joint-eighth among midfielders for goal attempts. His brace doubled his goal tally for the season, so let’s not get carried away just yet.
Permission to get carried away with Coutinho and Jacob Ramsey (£4.7m) is granted, however, particularly with some decent fixtures still to come, two of which are to be slotted into a Double Gameweek, and a guaranteed match in Blank Gameweek 30.
Coutinho was in scintillating form against Leeds, playing a part in all three of Villa’s goals, while the budget Ramsey has now delivered four goals and an assist in his last six outings. The Brazilian has effectively created all three of the goals that Ramsey has scored in the last three Gameweeks (the youngster returning the compliment against Manchester United), and something to watch is Coutinho’s dropping into deeper pockets, allowing Ramsey to bomb on in advance.
It has to be said that Ramsey has scored three goals from just four shots since Coutinho joined, an unsustainable conversion rate, but he’s unquestionably now the cream of the crop among sub-£5.0m midfielders.
“It was vintage Philippe Coutinho. He seems happy, we have given the stage to go and enjoy his football again. His vision and his awareness, if you don’t love watching that you should stop watching football.” – Steven Gerrard
“It won’t be too long before the whole country is watching him. I know the level of the England players and he is right up there let me tell you. It is only a matter of time in my opinion. He is getting stronger and better every game. People are going to be watching.” – Steven Gerrard on Jacob Ramsey
BARGAIN BROJA
Southampton’s fixtures are about to turn very good indeed, perhaps even as soon as Gameweek 25 given that Manchester United have conceded to the likes of Burnley, Newcastle, Brentford and Wolves in recent weeks.
The Saints’ ticker-topping stretch will also feature a Double Gameweek involving Newcastle United somewhere along the line, so Armando Broja (£5.2m) ought to be high on our watchlists.
The Chelsea loanee has eight attacking returns in just 11 starts this season and he could have easily added to his goal against Spurs on Wednesday, wasting two excellent chances in north London.
The Saints in general are in excellent goalscoring form, having found the back of the net on 15 occasions from Gameweek 17 onwards – only Manchester City have scored more in that time. It should be pointed out that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s troops have faced Spurs (twice), City, West Ham and Wolves during that run, so it hasn’t exactly been a cakewalk.
Going more under the radar is Mr Dependable, James Ward-Prowse (£6.4m). Eight attacking returns have arrived in his last seven appearances and while he is overachieving spectacularly based on ‘expected goals involvement’ (xGI), he is third among Premier League players for chances created in that time.
Above: Ward-Prowse is top for xGI overachievement (+5.66) from Gameweek 17 onwards but it should be said that his free-kick expertise means that he will convert more low-quality shooting opportunities than most players.
