With the FIFA World Cup over, attention quickly turns back to Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
Newcastle United were among five top-flight sides in EFL Cup action on Tuesday night, along with two clubs – Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers – who have new-ish managers at the helm.
Our Scout Notes reports on the most noteworthy tactical tweaks, injury news and manager quotes from these ties.
For the game-time played by each player, check out our mid-season minutes tracker here.
And for everything else you might need before Gameweek 17, check out our complete guide to the FPL restart.
NEWCASTLE 1-0 BOURNEMOUTH
- Goal: Adam Smith (own goal)
- Assist: Kieran Trippier
- Newcastle XI: Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes (Shelvey 88), Willock (Saint-Maximin 57); Almiron (Murphy 76), Wilson (Wood 76), Joelinton
- Bournemouth XI: Travers; Smith, Mepham, Senesi (Lowe 85), Zemura; Christie (Stacey 64), Cook, Billing, Anthony (Dembele 77); Solanke, Moore
This all-Premier League tie saw the Magpies dominate but it took an own goal from Adam Smith (£4.4m) to ensure quarter-final progression.
Third in the league, naturally there’s more FPL interest in Newcastle assets than those of Bournemouth. Eddie Howe named a strong starting XI, arguably his strongest on current form, that included highly-owned Kieran Trippier (£5.9m), Nick Pope (£5.3m) and Miguel Almiron (£5.8m).
“I spoke to all the international lads, basically had a discussion (along the lines of) ‘do you want to play, do you feel able to play?’
“All of them were desperate to come back and be part of this game, which was a great thing for me, a real sign of their mentality and professionalism.” – Eddie Howe
It was another popular name that initially seemed to break the deadlock but Callum Wilson‘s (£7.4m) goal was ruled out because the offside Joe Willock (£4.9m) was deemed to be interfering.
A big question in this period of unlimited free FPL transfers has the community asking whether Almiron’s incredible pre-World Cup form was a purple patch or is here to stay. He scuffed a huge chance from just a few yards out but the fact that he’s starting, confident and still getting into such positions are all positive outlooks to take.
As always, Trippier came to the rescue. His fantastic cross was accidentally headed home by Smith, adding another assist to the four already delivered in FPL.
Elsewhere, there was a cameo appearance from the returning Allan Saint-Maximin (£6.2m), without a start since Gameweek 4 and who was a bit of an injury doubt heading into this one.
The Cherries also had their strongest available team out but were hit by injury and illness ahead of the game, a virus sweeping through the camp.
SOUTHAMPTON 2-1 LINCOLN CITY
- Goals: Che Adams (x2)
- Assist: Mohamed Elyounoussi
- Southampton XI: Bazunu; Bella-Kotchap (Caleta-Car 46), Lyanco, Salisu (S Armstrong 63); Walker-Peters (Edozie 63), Ward-Prowse, Maitland-Niles, Elyounoussi, Perraud; A Armstrong (Walcott 63 (Djenepo 77)), Adams
New manager Nathan Jones had to wait 38 days between his first and second matches in charge of Southampton but they eventually came from behind to defeat League One’s Lincoln City.
The early own goal from goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu (£4.5m) was rectified by a brace from top scorer Che Adams (£6.4m), whose three goals from two Jones matches could encourage FPL managers to punt on him during their superb run of fixtures.
The Saints sit third on our Season Ticker from Gameweeks 17 to 22 and fifth over the next ten rounds – in both cases, the best without an announced Double Gameweek.
Defensively, it took until Gameweek 12 for their only clean sheet to arrive, which dents the appeal of attack-minded Romain Perraud (£4.4m).
However, he started this match at wing-back and has the most goal attempts of all Premier League defenders.
Jones isn’t publicly committing to one formation but both outings have started with a three-man defence and two forwards, albeit with a change to a back four midway through the Lincoln game.
If a wing-back system continues, Perraud has real differential potential.
“I am not a manager who plays this shape and that’s it. I try to find ways to win games and we have to be flexible. We train different ways; it’s not like we go random. We have worked on a lot of different things.” – Nathan Jones
In further positive news for Saints, Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.4m) made his comeback after a hamstring injury kept him on the sidelines for two months.
MILTON KEYNES DONS 0-3 LEICESTER
- Goals: Youri Tielemans, Ayoze Perez, Jamie Vardy
- Assists: Jamie Vardy, Luke Thomas, Timothy Castagne
- Leicester XI: Ward; Castagne (Albrighton 79), Amartey, Faes, Thomas (McAteer 86); Tielemans, Soumare; Praet, Perez (Iheanacho 67), Barnes (Alves 79); Vardy (Daka 67)
Unlike other World Cup returnees, James Maddison (£8.2m) was not risked on Tuesday night. Not that it should worry FPL managers, as Leicester assistant Chris Davies expects him to be back for Gameweek 17.
“We just need to get him up to speed really. Yes, he is training this week. I would expect him to be available for Boxing Day.” – assistant Chris Davies
The competition’s 1997 and 2000 winners didn’t need him to defeat MK Dons, as an early 2-0 lead was added to by Jamie Vardy (£9.1m) in the 50th minute.
It was a strong XI apart from Maddison, with goalkeeping supremo Danny Ward (£4.1m) and attacking full-back Timothy Castagne (£4.7m) ensuring an eighth clean sheet was kept from their last ten games in all competitions.
Ward aside, there are more cheap routes into the Foxes’ in-form backline: Luke Thomas (£4.2m) and Daniel Amartey (£4.3m) were again starters here, with Jonny Evans (£4.4m) nursing yet another calf strain.
Castagne also assisted Vardy’s header by reaching the byline and delivering a wonderful cross. Only Arsenal’s Gabriel (£5.2m) has a higher expected goals (xG) tally among defenders than the full-back, incidentally.
Fellow Belgian Youri Tielemans (£6.3m) scored first and has also bagged two goals from the last four league matches.
WOLVES 2-0 GILLINGHAM
- Goals: Raul Jimenez (penalty), Rayan Ait-Nouri
- Assists: Hwang Hee-chan x2
- Wolves XI: Sa; Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Bueno; Hodge (Traore 46), Ruben Neves, Moutinho (Hwang 61); Guedes (Matheus Nunes 61), Diego Costa (Ait-Nouri 81), Podence (Jimenez 69)
If Nathan Jones thought his wait was long, he should speak to new Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui. The latter’s appointment on November 5 came 45 days before he was able to take charge for the first time, due to work permit regulations.
The Spaniard has a huge task, as Wolves are bottom of the league with only eight goals from 15 matches.
It took a while here but they managed to secure a 2-0 victory over Gillingham, with both set up by substitute Hwang Hee-chan (£5.7m).
He won the penalty which Raul Jimenez (£6.8m) scored – the Mexican is without a league goal since March – before setting up fellow sub Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.2m) to net in stoppage time.
Whilst FPL managers will be pleased to see cheap defender Hugo Bueno (£3.9m) start under Lopetegui, seeing fellow left-back Ait-Nouri on the scoresheet could add slight uncertainty to this squad enabler in the medium-to-long-term.
However, it was Diego Costa (£5.5m) and not Bueno that Ait-Nouri replaced upon his introduction, with Bueno completing the full 90 minutes at left-back and Ait-Nouri deployed as a very advanced midfielder.
In further encouraging news, Bueno took a number of set pieces and got forward to register a shot.
