An entertaining affair on the south coast brought Gameweek 16 to a conclusion on Monday evening.
There wasn’t a great deal to cheer for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, though, with both clean sheets busted late on and the more widely-owned attackers blanking.
For the final time in Gameweek 16, here are our Scout Notes.
SEMENYO + EVANILSON INJURY UPDATES
Antoine Semenyo (£5.7m) and Evanilson (£6.1m) were two of the key men who left empty-handed from the Vitality Stadium.
Semenyo’s evening ended prematurely on 67 minutes – that’s the earliest he’s been taken off this season, in fact.
As suspected, there was a reason behind the withdrawal. The Ghanaian winger headed straight down the tunnel, raising fears that he’d sustained an injury.
Evanilson had caused jitters among his own FPL owners. He went down in the first half and immediately signalled for medical attention, replays showing he had landed awkwardly on his knee.
The Brazilian striker struggled for a while afterwards but went on to complete 80 minutes. That’s around the time he usually gets hooked, so there were no indications that his was an enforced withdrawal.
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent after full-time, Andoni Iraola sounded fairly positive.
“I hope we don’t lose more players because now it’s true that we are quite thin with the last injuries we had.
“Antoine, just was tightness, so we decided obviously not to risk him and we take him off straight away.
“Eva was scared in the first half because it looked ugly, awkward, the landing. But luckily he has been able to continue, he hasn’t complained at the end, so I hope we don’t lose anyone.” – Andoni Iraola
SEASON-HIGH SHOT COUNT
45 shots in 90 minutes. Thank you to everyone involved.
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) December 16, 2024
A record-setting match in terms of overall attempts made this an engaging spectacle. The unlikely figure of Ryan Christie (£4.9m) was the leading name for both shots (six) and chances created (five).
The most-owned outfielders from the two sides, Semenyo and Jarrod Bowen (£7.4m), were both inches away from scoring. Semenyo hit the post after racing clear early on, while Bowen – again playing up front – curled against the woodwork minutes later.
This was the 10th game this season in which Semenyo had four or more shots. Another one of his efforts, a blocked 44th-minute attempt, should have resulted in an assist but Dango Ouattara (£5.0m) spurned the gilt-edged rebound.
Semenyo was unlucky to blank here, then, but there’s a wider wastefulness at play with the Cherries – and the Hammers, too.
This match summed the two sides up. Bournemouth and West Ham are second and fifth among all Premier League teams for shots this season. They’re also ranked 20th and 17th for expected goal (xG) underachievement:
It was fitting, after so many spurned open-play opportunities, that it took a West Ham penalty and a superb Enes Unal (£5.4m) free-kick to break the deadlock. That’s two in two for the Turkish striker, who doesn’t seem to offer half the energy and work rate that Evanilson does but clearly has an eye for goal. It’s almost Bournemouth’s version of Duran v Watkins.
PAQUETA STILL ON PENS
West Ham’s penalty was taken and despatched confidently by Lucas Paqueta (£5.7m).
Disappointment for Bowen owners, then, but not an unexpected blow given that Paqueta has taken every penalty he has been on the field for going back to the start of 2023/24.
Bowen’s spot-kick in Gameweek 9 was converted without Paqueta present.
Being deputy to the Brazilian is still a good position to be in, however, given that Paqueta is facing Football Association charges.
The Brazil international hasn’t been in good form this season, either, relegated to substitute duty in the two Gameweeks before this one.
- READ MORE: Each club’s penalty and set-piece takers
FAB-IANSKI
Lukasz Fabianski (£4.1m) was an Unal free-kick away from a double-digit haul.
Impressive between the sticks, he made eight saves at the Vitality Stadium on Monday.
Despite the late clean sheet loss, he’s faring very well compared to other goalkeepers since he made his first start under Julen Lopetegui in Gameweek 9 (see below):
He seems to have firmly established himself between the posts now.
