FPL notes: Porro + Vardy score, Maddison influence, Solanke debut

Jamie Vardy (£5.5m) marked his return to the Premier League with a goal on Monday, as Gameweek 1 concluded at the King Power Stadium.

Here, we look back on Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur from a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) perspective.

• READ MORE: The cheapest FPL Gameweek 1 starters – and their long-term prospects
• READ MORE: Which players took set pieces in FPL Gameweek 1?

PORRO’S THREAT

Pedro Porro (£5.5m) popped up with a goal on Monday to become the first FPL defender to score this season.

Darting into the box to guide James Maddison’s (£7.5m) delivery into the far corner, the Spaniard was a threat throughout.

In addition to his goal, Porro created four chances, the most by a defender in Gameweek 1.  He also took up some very advanced positions down the inside-right channel, as below.

Above: Pedro Porro’s touch heatmap v Leicester City

Porro provoked injury concerns after hobbling off late in the match, however.

The post-match interviews failed to pick up on it, so we may have to wait until Ange Postecoglou’s pre-Gameweek 2 presser later this week to find out more.

As for Maddison, he was excellent and deservedly picked up the assist for Porro’s opener with a clever whipped ball into the box.

With better finishing, he would have hauled, having notably taken 12 of Spurs’ 13 corners at the King Power.

WASTEFUL TOTTENHAM

Tottenham were utterly dominant up until Vardy’s equaliser but ultimately paid the price.

Overall, they had 71.3% possession, with 10 different players attempting a shot at goal.

A threat from set pieces and open play, it was a mystery how they weren’t two or three up at the break.

Dominic Solanke (£7.5m) made his debut but missed some early opportunities to score, twice directing headers at Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen (£4.5m).

His movement and hold-up play caught the eye, but this was not the start he or his owners would have hoped for.

“Yeah, he was good. He worked hard for the team. He had a couple of chances. He will be disappointed he didn’t do better and the overall performance of everyone was okay, but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t turn that performance into outcomes.” – Ange Postecoglou on Dominic Solanke

Son Heung-min (£10.0m), meanwhile, was anonymous for large periods on the left and guilty of some heavy touches.

One shot and two chances created were registered by the South Korean.

“Disappointing night for us. First half, excellent but wasteful in front of goal. Second half the same, wasteful. We let them back into the game. 

“I don’t buy into rusty, it’s an issue we had last year and we need to be more ruthless. We lacked the composure we needed. We were that dominant, we should’ve been out of sight.

“We do everything but score goals. If you don’t score goals, it’s meaningless. To be that wasteful, it’s disappointing.” – Ange Postecoglou

VARDY ROLLS BACK THE YEARS

Jamie Vardy wasn’t expected to be fit for this match, having barely featured in pre-season due to injury.

However, with Patson Daka (£5.0m) ruled out, the 37-year-old stepped up and rolled back the years, heading home Abdul Fatawa’s (£5.5m) cross just before the hour.

It was Leicester’s first shot on target, but the equaliser shook Spurs.

From that point onwards, the Foxes were on top, with Vardy nearly scoring again after being played in by Facundo Buonanotte (£5.0m).

“If the game had been on Sunday or Saturday, I’m not sure he’d have played. He’s been out since the second week of pre-season but it just wasn’t sitting right for him that we’d go into this game without any available experienced striker. He came to see me a couple of days ago and said, ‘I’ll be fit, I’ll play and am available’, so we played him.

“If we get enough good service around an opponent’s box we have the guy to find space get on the end of the right chances. He’s not going to learn that from me, he’s been doing it for decades. It’s about keeping him as fresh as we can.” – Steve Cooper on Jamie Vardy

On his fitness, Vardy said:

“I was as fit as a fiddle until I got to about 65 minutes, if I’m honest! I wouldn’t say I am doing anything differently playing-wise. Probably adapted a bit by dropping in but I think the main thing is I am looking after myself recovery-wise to the maximum.” – Jamie Vardy

As for Fatawu, he was Leicester’s biggest threat, with four attempted crosses and two chances created.

That said, the first half display was a real concern for Steve Cooper and it’s hard to emphasise just how poor they were.

If that version of Leicester turns up in Gameweek 2, Emile Smith Rowe (£5.5m) and Rodrigo Muniz (£6.0m) will surely get opportunities to deliver.

“We definitely leave the pitch feeling more positive at full-time than we did at half-time, that’s for sure. We didn’t get some of the gameplan right in the first half, there’s no doubt about that. That’s not what we want to be and who we are.

“Because we didn’t quite get our out of possession game right, we didn’t get our in-possession game right, that was clear. We showed a few clips to the players and we all took responsibility and then I thought you saw a good performance in the second half.

“We got it right and got it going. We were good for the equaliser, and good for another goal as well. My job is to also look at the first half and get that right as well. I won’t be ignoring that.” – Steve Cooper

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