Very different games at Brentford and Aston Villa are the focus of our latest Gameweek 15 Scout Notes.
The Bees served up a six-goal thriller with Newcastle United at the Gtech Community Stadium, while Aston Villa saw off Southampton in a low-key affair in the West Midlands.
- FPL Gameweek 15 round-up: Saturday’s goals, assists, bonus points + stats
- Scout Notes: Lewis ban, more City fitness issues + Munoz threat
EMERY DISCUSSES ROTATION
Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) and Lucas Digne (£4.7m) were two high-profile victims of some seasonal rotation from Unai Emery on Saturday.
The Villa boss made four changes to his side, Watkins the only one of the front six to make way despite being hooked early in Gameweek 14.
Emery discussed the alterations after the match.
“With the players in the starting XI [on Wednesday], after they were exhausted. The players they did fantastic. Today the four changes, they helped us a lot. I think we have to try to use those circumstances for the team. We play again on Tuesday, we played three matches in nine days. Of course on Tuesday we are going to repeat playing with [little] rest.” – Unai Emery on his rotation
Emery’s post-match praise of Duran might have concerned Watkins owners too.
“Fantastic. He is progressively helping us in everything, scoring goals and sometimes not scoring but working. We are very demanding with him, how tactically we want him to respond on the field. Today he did the work. The most important thing was how he worked today and then him scoring is better for the team.” – Unai Emery on Jhon Duran, via Birmingham Mail
On the positive side, it’s worth pointing out that the schedule for the rest of December is actually a bit more forgiving than the week we’ve just had. Perhaps we’ll see less chopping and changing over Christmas.
A LATE FLURRY
In the end, a second-half introduction almost worked in Watkins’ favour.
After an inconspicuous first hour in which Villa never got out of third gear and Southampton repeated their usual ‘all hat and no cattle’ performance (plenty of good possession, plenty of promising positions, a lack of conviction in the final third and ultimately just four shots all game), space opened up on the break as the visitors pushed for a leveller.
Watkins was one of several Villa players guilty of spurning some glorious chances to add to Jhon Duran‘s (£5.8m) opener. The England international, in fact, ended up having more shots (four) than anyone on show.
He should have claimed an assist for a Ross Barkley (£5.2m) chance, too, while both Watkins and Morgan Rogers (£5.4m) were in excellent positions when John McGinn (£5.2m) blew another late opportunity.
Above: Just short of half of Villa’s total xG came in the final 10 minutes
Rogers defied pre-match concern about his own minutes by lasting the course. Stationed on the left again, he’s a joy to watch when he glides on the ball – even if the final pass choice can sometimes be lacking.
He should still have emerged with an assist here. He set both Duran and Watkins away for big chances, while McGinn took the ball off his toes for that aforementioned late opportunity.
Rogers, incidentally, is now on four bookings following a late yellow card on Saturday. One more before Gameweek 20 and he’ll face a one-match ban.
Elsewhere, Leon Bailey (£6.2m) came off with a hamstring injury and looks set for a spell out.
BEES BUZZING
You can expect to see 3.93 goals per game if you go and see Brentford this season, with Saturday’s humdinger elevating the average.
The Bees are thrilling going forward but shocking at the back. Joint-top for goals scored (31), only two sides have conceded on more occasions (28). Both familiar traits were on display against Newcastle.
Really, the scoreline could have been anything. Sean Longstaff (£4.7m) hit the bar, Alexander Isak (£8.5m) dallied with the goal at his mercy and Jacob Murphy (£4.9m) had a great headed chance. Yoane Wissa (£6.2m), via Nick Pope (£5.0m), also hit the woodwork and Bryan Mbeumo (£7.6m) almost made it a monster haul when dispossessing the Newcastle goalkeeper late on.
Brentford were, ultimately, more clinical with their chances, with Mbeumo, Wissa and substitute Kevin Schade (£5.1m) finishing ruthlessly. Nathan Collins (£4.5m) neatly converted a Mark Flekken (£4.5m) punt, too, for his sixth attacking return of 2024/25. No FPL defender has more.
Above: Newcastle actually finished ahead of Brentford for xG on Saturday
MBEUMO’S POSITIONING
The line-up graphics you may have seen for this match had Mbeumo as a wing-back. Given the recent discourse around the Cameroon international being ‘too wide’, that isn’t ideal.
In reality, though, Mbeumo wasn’t doing much in the way of defending. Wissa and Igor Thiago (£5.9m) did as much dropping back (all three had 22 touches outside of the final third), while Mbeumo was so often the outlet when Brentford broke.
Above: Brentford players sorted by final-third touches on Saturday
Wissa is still front and centre of many of Brentford’s attacks. More penalty box touches, more shots in the box and more big chances than Mbeumo of late. It’s worth monitoring Thiago’s impact going forward, however, as there is always the risk of Wissa moving back to the left flank to accommodate him.
Here, at least, Thomas Frank had the sense to play the two of them centrally, with Wissa in such good form down the middle.
ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO BACK FOR NEWCASTLE
Just as we thought might happen after the midweek draw with Liverpool, Newcastle fell short when facing one of the league’s so-called lesser lights.
The good thing for Isak owners is that you’d rather have matches pan out this way if there is to be a defeat, ie creating plenty of chances but looking wobbly at the back.
Up until recently, it’s been the opposite: fairly dour offensive displays but competent enough at the rear.
“It’s frustrating because before the last few games, we were looking really tight at the back and the problems were probably at the other end of the pitch.
“In the last two games, we’ve scored five goals and looked a really good attacking team, but lo and behold, we go and concede seven in those two games from nowhere really. It’s difficult to work out.” – Eddie Howe
The Swede nodded in his fifth goal in seven starts here – and it’s Ipswich Town and Leicester City up next.
Anthony Gordon (£7.2m) was benched for the first time this season, meanwhile, with fatigue from midweek a factor. Harvey Barnes (£6.2m) scored in his stead.
