The key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) takeaways from the remaining two of Saturday’s Gameweek 26 matches are covered here.
This time, it’s Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton and Crystal Palace v Burnley.
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PASCAL GROSS: BONUS MACHINE
The title gives it away but would you have guessed who the leading player was for bonus points this season? Not Kieran Trippier (£6.5m), not Erling Haaland (£14.4m), not Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.5m)… but Pascal Gross (£6.5m).
Every single one of his attacking returns in 2023/24 has been complemented by at least one bonus point, including when Brighton have been on the losing side. He’s even managed to bag a bonus point when otherwise blanking, in the Gameweek 12 draw with Sheffield United.
Maximum bonus was sealed on Saturday when he crossed for Lewis Dunk (£5.1m) to head home Brighton’s late, late equaliser against Everton, one of six chances he created at the Amex.
Chance creation and crossing, helped by a role at set plays, are key reasons why he’s such a bonus machine. But his other tasks as a central midfielder, such as tackling and basic pass completion, help top up his Baseline Bonus Points (BBPS).
Above: A breakdown of the bonus point scores in Brighton v Everton
Saturday had threatened to be a frustrating day for all associated with Brighton, who racked up 23 shots to Everton’s six. The good old Graham ‘underachieving the xG’ Potter days had returned.
Danny Welbeck (£5.7m) spurned two clear openings, substitute Ansu Fati (£6.4m) twice went close and even Dunk had a couple of sighters of goal before his injury-time leveller. The lively Simon Adingra (£5.0m), who has now started every league match he has been available for from Gameweek 8 onwards, had five shots of his own.
But any appeal in Gross, Adingra or any other Brighton asset is likely to be short-lived.
The fixtures are good in the next two Gameweeks but beyond that is a tough run, with Gameweek 29 potentially being a blank.
Just as worthy of consideration, however, is their involvement in European competition. That restarts in the midweek after Gameweek 27, with the rotation likely to ratchet up a notch at that point.
ESTUPINAN “HAS TO PLAY BETTER”
A third benching in four games for Pervis Estupiñán (£5.0m) put another nail in his coffin as a viable Fantasy pick.
In and out of the team from the demolition at Luton Town onwards, he’s averaged a dismal 0.6 points per match over the last five Gameweeks.
Clearly, being invited around to the gaffer’s house for pasta doesn’t elevate your chances of a start in the following game.
His remaining owners might get lucky with the rotation roulette in the two favourable games to come but with the fixture congestion and tough run of matches outlined above, he doesn’t seem to be worth the hassle.
In quotes you might not have seen from the embargoed section of Friday’s press conference, Roberto De Zerbi challenged Estupinan to “play better”.
“Pervis is another very good player. Last season he played very well. This season he can play better.
“I am not happy with his performances. He can play better. We are playing in a different way, usually with three at the back, but I think he can give more and more, and he has to play better.
“My demand for him is to play better because he is an important player, a crucial player for us. Last season he was crucial, and my expectations from him are bigger than his performances.” Roberto De Zerbi, in quotes reported by the Argus
EVERTON’S DEFENCE CLOSE TO ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET
Having made six saves at the Amex, Jordan Pickford (£4.6m) was minutes away from a double-digit haul and cracking a century of points.
As it is, he still remains in pole position in the goalkeeper standings.
Sean Dyche is working his magic from a defensive perspective at Everton, who are an excellent fourth for fewest expected goals conceded (xGC) all season.
A quick look at the last six games, in which they’ve encountered potent attacks like Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion, underscores just how solid they have been:
The Toffees encounter all six of the other clubs ranked 14th or lower from Gameweeks 30-37, so they’ll be high up the watchlist from that point.
You won’t pay more than £4.6m for any of their backline, with Vitalli Mykolenko (£4.6m) averaging the same points per match as Gabriel Magalhaes (£5.2m) this season (4.0).
The cheapest of the lot is Jarrad Branthwaite (£4.2m), who bagged his second goal in four matches at the weekend. James Tarkowski (£4.6m) is still the bigger threat, having had more than twice as many shots in the box in 2023/24, but that lower price might be crucial when we’re trying to cram in as many premium picks as possible later in the campaign.
OLIVER’S ARMY
It was a dream start for Oliver Glasner as Crystal Palace manager, who ran out 3-0 winners over Burnley on Saturday.
It’s a little early to be heralding an exciting new era: they were up against the 10 men of a Clarets side that may end up being one of the worst the Premier League has ever seen.
Still, there were some encouraging signs.
Glasner went with the 3-4-3/3-4-2-1 he used at Eintracht Frankfurt, and indeed the same system and personnel that drew at Everton last week. Clearly, he had some input on that starting XI against the Toffees, even though he wasn’t officially in charge.
Wing-backs Tyrick Mitchell (£4.5m) and, especially, Daniel Munoz (£4.5m) were high and wide, the latter registering way more final third touches than any other defender in Gameweek 26 so far. Munoz also had two shots in the box.
Again, there’s the caveat of the calibre of opposition, but there’s optimism that these two should deliver more attacking returns than they would have under a Hodgson-led conservative back four.
Above: Defenders sorted by final third touches in Gameweek 26 so far
Another Eagles defender, budget Fantasy buy Chris Richards (£3.9m) was on the scoresheet. This was his 13th straight start for Palace, although it remains to be seen if it’s him or Joel Ward (£4.5m) who makes way when Marc Guehi (£4.3m) is back fit.
Jordan Ayew (£5.4m) has played a part in three of the four goals that the south Londoners have scored since Hodgson departed, teeing up Richards with a fine cross before tapping in the hosts’ second goal.
The support roles occupied by Ayew and the unconvincing Odsonne Edouard (£5.4m) look ready-made for Eberechi Eze (£6.0m) and Michael Olise (£5.7m) when fit. Eze could be back as soon as this weekend, indeed.
Cheap forward Jean-Philippe Mateta (£4.9m) continues to tick along, here bagging a goal from the penalty spot. He may relinquish spot-kick duties to Eze or Olise when fit, however, just as Ayew will do with set plays.
As for Burnley, yes they had to play an hour with a man less thanks to Josh Brownhill‘s (£4.7m) straight red card. But they were second best before that, failing to register a single shot when they weren’t at a numerical disadvantage.
David Datro Fofana (£5.0m) had what would have been a fourth attacking return in five Burnley appearances disallowed: his late consolation was contentiously ruled out for offside, not that it would have had any effect on the outcome of the game.
Fit-again budget favourite Charlie Taylor (£4.0m) was back in the starting XI for the first time this calendar year, meanwhile.
