Six goals were scored at the London Stadium on Monday night as Fantasy managers who targeted Blank Gameweek 29 assets early had evenings of contrasting fortunes.
BOWEN BLITZ
Above: Jarrod Bowen scored from his only three shots of the game
Jarrod Bowen (£8.2m) hadn’t scored since before Christmas going into Monday’s game. In fact, his seven appearances since that last goal yielded only one big chance.
This treble, and West Ham’s performance in general, almost came out of nowhere.
We say ‘almost’: Brentford’s out-of-form defence and the return of Lucas Paqueta (£6.0m) were always likely to help the Hammers’ cause, even if it was hard to foresee the four-goal win.
David Moyes suggested after full-time that Bowen had been struggling with the ankle issue that originally rendered him a doubt for Gameweek 21.
“He’s not had that many chances in the last few games, and he’s maybe not been at his best. He had an ankle injury last month and I think that hindered him, but he’s beginning to find his way again now.
“He’s always going to love it when Lucas [Paquetá] and Mo [Kudus] are playing on either side of him, because he’s always going to get opportunities to score.” – David Moyes on Jarrod Bowen
Moyes continued to lavish praise on Paquetá after full-time.
“I think anyone who’s watched a lot of us this season will have been excited to see Paquetá back tonight, and linking up with Emerson. Their understanding is so good, and I think Paquetá’s return made a big difference to the team.” – David Moyes
The link-up with Paquetá does seem to bring the best out of Emerson (£4.4m), who crossed for Bowen’s opener. Emerson hadn’t created a single chance in the six matches that Paquetá had missed lately; he carved out four on Monday.
The Italy international later lashed in a spectacular goal of his own, while opposite full-back Vladimir Coufal (£4.6m) assisted Bowen’s second strike. That’s Coufal’s sixth assist of the season, the fourth-highest total among defenders.
Mohammed Kudus (£6.8m) also chipped in with an assist of his own, his 11th attacking return from 15 starts and a handful of substitute appearances.
A win that could buoy the Hammers as we approach Blank Gameweek 29, then, but their players are not a priority ‘buy’ this week, with a defensively solid Everton up next. The Toffees restricted West Ham to just 0.66 xG in the reverse fixture en route to a one-nil win.
BEES BATTERED
There are some mitigating circumstances for Brentford right now, with their two first-choice wing-backs and their best centre-half injured. Ben Mee (£4.8m) may have joined the list of absentees after coming off with an ankle injury against the Hammers, with a scan to follow.
It’s no coincidence that Coufal and Emerson created seven chances between them, with current Brentford wing-backs Sergio Reguilon (£4.4m) and Keane Lewis-Potter (£4.7m) eye-catching in attack but often exposed at the other end.
Lewis-Potter assisted Neal Maupay‘s (£4.9m) 13th-minute effort, while Reguilon was only a superb Alphonse Areola (£4.2m) save away from claiming his third assist in as many Gameweeks.
Areola also saved excellently from Ivan Toney (£8.2m), who then had a late goalbound blocked following more heroics from the Hammers goalkeeper.
This certainly wasn’t the best advert for either side’s defence, with Arsenal’s upcoming clash with the Bees in Gameweek 28 a potential bloodbath on current form.
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