We round up the key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points from Sunday’s two fixtures in our Scout Notes summary.
The graphics below are taken from LiveFPL and our own Premium Members area, where you can access Opta player and team data for every single Premier League fixture.
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Bukayo Saka (£8.0m) picked up an injury in the first half of Arsenal’s clash with Nottingham Forest. With just over 25 minutes on the clock, the winger went down and was unable to continue, having earlier set up Gabriel Martinelli (£6.8m) for his side’s opener.
The nature of the injury is unclear at this stage, with further assessment to follow, although he was able to walk off the pitch unassisted.
“It was a bad kick. Right from the beginning, he was limping, but I don’t see any further than that. Let’s see how it is in the next couple of days” – Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka
“I think both [leg & ankle]. He got kicked a few times and wasn’t comfortable to continue.” – Mikel Arteta on whether Saka is suffering from a leg or ankle injury
Saka has started all 12 of Arsenal’s league fixtures this term, scoring four goals and providing six assists. Frustratingly for his owners, his replacement Reiss Nelson (£4.8m) went on to haul with a whopping 19-points, courtesy of two goals, an assist and maximum bonus.
Elsewhere, Martin Odegaard (£6.4m) and Gabriel Jesus (£8.0m) were excellent, combining for Arsenal’s fifth goal. The former has now returned (be it a goal or assist) in three of the last four Gameweeks, while Jesus continues to rack up the shots. The Brazilian registered seven goal attempts and six shots inside the box in Gameweek 14 but had to settle for two assists and one bonus point. That takes him to 11 attacking returns so far this season, more than any other player bar Erling Haaland (£12.2m, 20), Harry Kane (£11.6m, 12) and Kevin De Bruyne (£12.4m, 12)
For FPL managers, there are three excellent options to choose from in Arsenal’s midfield right now, providing Saka is fit for Gameweek 15, with Odegaard’s underlying numbers perhaps going under the radar. Indeed, in the last four matches, he has outperformed Martinelli – who was withdrawn just after an hour on Sunday with Mikel Arteta making changes for rest purposes – and Saka for shots, chances created and penalty box touches.
Arsenal have won all six of their home matches this season by a combined scoreline of 19/7, while only Manchester City have scored more on home turf (27). However, we’ll have to wait till Boxing Day for their next Emirates league clash, with trips to Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers preceding the World Cup.
Nottingham Forest had been more defensively secure in their past four games and went to the Emirates having recorded back-to-back clean sheets against Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion. However, they were blown away in north London as it went from 1-0 to 4-0 in a flash.
The turnaround in form since their 4-0 defeat by Leicester City less than a month ago had been impressive. Still, Steve Cooper will be concerned not only by his team’s defensive showing but also his side’s lack of attacking threat: they have now failed to score in each of their last five away matches, with their last goal on the road arriving at Goodison Park in Gameweek 3. They didn’t get many chances at the Emirates, either, with their five shots carrying a combined expected goals (xG) value of just 0.34.
Renan Lodi (£4.3m), meanwhile, was preferred to Neco Williams (£4.1m) at left-back, although the fact Forest have conceded 21 goals in the five games the former has started suggests the Welshman might be back in the starting XI next weekend.
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Saliba (Tierney 76), Gabriel, Tomiyasu (Cedric 63), Partey, Odegaard, Xhaka (Nketiah 75), Saka (Nelson 27), Martinelli (Vieira 63), Jesus
Nottingham Forest XI: Henderson, Aurier, Cook, McKenna, Lodi (Williams 64), Freuler, Yates, Kouyate (O’Brien 81), Gibbs-White (Johnson 56), Lingard (Dennis 56), Awoniyi (Worrall 64)
Marcus Rashford (£6.6m) scored the winner as Manchester United beat West Ham United on Sunday.
The 24-year-old had failed to return in each of his last five league appearances leading up to Gameweek 14, despite posting some encouraging underlying numbers.
Indeed, his tally of 10 shots inside the box from Gameweek 12 onwards is more than any other FPL midfielder bar Mohamed Salah (£12.8m, 12) and Leandro Trossard (£6.9m, 11).
“The manager’s a joy to work with, really. Is it hard work? Yes, but I think we are enjoying it and we’re playing better football. I feel like when we don’t concede goals, we’ve got a good chance of winning games because we’re creating chances.” – Marcus Rashford
It’s now three league clean sheets in a row at Old Trafford for Erik ten Hag’s troops, with David de Gea (£4.9m) and Diogo Dalot (£4.7m) United’s standout performers at the back. The Spaniard made excellent saves to deny Michail Antonio (£7.0m) and Kurt Zouma (£4.5m), while Dalot was effective defensively and a threat going forward, creating four chances for his teammates.
However, United will be without Bruno Fernandes (£9.8m) in Gameweek 15, having picked up his fifth yellow card of the season on Sunday, while Antony (£7.6m) missed out having required treatment in the 3-0 Europa League win over Sheriff on Thursday.
“He’s injured and I hope it’s not too bad. I think it’s not too bad and in a couple of days he will be back.” – Erik ten Hag on Antony
In an even contest, The Hammers probably should have taken at least a point, yet their away form is a concern: they have lost five of their seven league games on the road in 2022/23, scoring just three goals. In fact, only Forest and Wolves have scored fewer goals away from home in the Premier League this season.
“If you look through the game, we have been really close. We deserved to come away with something. I don’t think we could have done much more. We gave the ball away a bit too much and that led to United’s goal but overall we played well.
We know what a great keeper de Gea is, he was during my time here, and we hoped he wouldn’t save one of those two chances. I’m pleased for de Gea because he is a great guy but disappointed that one of those didn’t go in.
Jarrod [Bowen] makes a great chance and we are just lacking that little bit of a clinical edge.” – David Moyes
Manchester United XI: de Gea, Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen (Fred 79), Elanga (McTominay 61), Fernandes, Rashford, Ronaldo
West Ham United XI: Fabianski (Areola 45), Kehrer, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Bowen, Downes (Fornals 77), Benrahma, Scamacca (Antonio 57)
