Bournemouth suffered only their second defeat in 14 matches, going down to a 1-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
There were mitigating circumstances: Illia Zabarnyi‘s (£4.4m) 31st-minute red card effectively killed what was a promising game as a spectacle.
For Wolves, two wins in three and a decent display in defeat to Liverpool raises optimism for the weeks ahead.
Here are the main talking points from the Vitality Stadium.
- READ MORE: FPL notes: Nwaneri “fatigue”, Merino sussed out + Bowen goal
- READ MORE: FPL notes: Rogers injury, Neto up front + Enzo advanced
WHAT IRAOLA SAID ABOUT EVANILSON’S RETURN
Bournemouth’s starting XI showed two changes on Saturday – James Hill (£3.9m) and Marcus Tavernier (£5.4m) in for Tyler Adams (£4.9m) and David Brooks (£4.9m) – but the headline team news from the Cherries’ camp was the return of Evanilson (£5.6m) to the matchday squad.
April was touted as a return date for the striker so to see him back on the bench in late February was a surprise.
It is not news that Dango Ouattara (£5.2m) owners will welcome. Ouattara has been operating as Bournemouth’s makeshift striker in Evanilson’s absence, delivering four goals and an assist.
There’s room for Ouattara as a winger in Andoni Iraola’s set-up, of course, but the Cherries also have Antonie Semenyo (£5.7m), Justin Kluivert (£6.0m), Tavernier, Brooks and Luis Sinisterra (£4.8m) competing for attacking midfield roles. We can even throw Alex Scott (£4.7m) in there as an option in the ’10’. It’s not just Ouattara’s minutes that may be affected, then.
The good news is that it doesn’t sound like Evanilson will be ready to start in Gameweek 27. However, he’s got 12 days after that to further build his fitness before the trip to Tottenham Hotspur in Gameweek 28.
“He hasn’t basically trained almost. It’s good news because he has recovered from the injury but with 10 [men], it was a big effort to make. Today, practically without training, I think it was good for him to be involved, to be part of the squad and to feel that he’s close but probably it was too early, yes.” – Andoni Iraola on Evanilson’s involvement, to BBC Radio Solent
“Probably if we were 11 v 11, we would have risked him in the last minutes.
“I don’t think he’s far, he needs to train. Now he’s healed from the injury but obviously he hasn’t trained. When you have a bone injury, it’s different from a muscle injury, you cannot touch the ball with the feet. You have to just wait.
“He needs training obviously but it’s difficult now even with the games we have this week, a busy week, to give him [training] but we will try to progress with him.” – Andoni Iraola on Evanilson, to Match of the Day
One other thing to note, even if it was a horses-for-courses tweak: Semenyo went up front after the red card, with Dango helping Milos Kerkez (£5.0m) on the left.
“We put Ant centrally because I think he can make the difference there.” – Andoni Iraola
ZABARNYI SUSPENDED, IRAOLA ON “ENERGY SPENT”
Zabarnyi’s straight red card for serious foul play will earn him a three-match ban.
One of those games will be served in the FA Cup, at least, so he’ll only miss Gameweeks 27 and 28. Hill may step in at centre-back, then, with Lewis Cook (£5.0m) another option.
Zabarnyi’s dismissal might also factor into Iraola’s team selection on Tuesday, due to the hour spent with a numerical disadvantage.
“Today is a bad one because it has consequences for the next games. We are talking about Zaba, also about the energy we’ve spent during the game. Now we are playing a team that is playing very well, Brighton away, in less than three days.” – Andoni Iraola
Kluivert was at least taken off after 72 minutes to potentially spare him for midweek. With Sinisterra and Evanilson short of match fitness, it might only be Brooks (maybe for Tavernier) coming into the attack in Gameweek 27.
A GOOD GAME SPOILED
Agree with the red card or not, the sending off massively affected what was an entertaining game.
In the opening half an hour, Kluivert saw a big chance smothered, while Nelson Semedo (£4.5m) hit the post and Jeanricner Bellegarde (£4.9m) was brilliantly denied by Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.6m).
But Bournemouth’s xG flatlined after Zabarnyi was dismissed – they had just one effort after the 40th minute.
Make no mistake, though, Wolves were arguably the better team even before the red card.
Matheus Cunha (£6.9m) had already seen a shot saved and a free-kick sail wide at 11 v 11. It was the in-form Brazilian who broke the deadlock, too, finding himself free in the box to finish past Kepa.
It’s three goals in as many matches for the Brazilian, four in four if you count the FA Cup. Cunha is now seventh in the overall FPL points table and has already passed last season’s goal tally of 12.
Above: Matheus Cunha is the most-bought player of Gameweek 27 so far
Cunha was joined in the attack by Bellegarde and, playing as a false nine, Marshall Munetsi (£5.0m). The budget FPL midfielder gets into some superb positions, sending one glorious chance narrowly wide here. He’d drifted into good areas against Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers in the cup, too.
He was back in midfield after half-time, however, with the fit-again Jorgen Strand Larsen (£5.2m) coming on at the break.
“He has again, yet again, a situation to score. It was not [to be] today. Every time he appears there. You know what I like in this player. He’s the player that can miss a goal in the opponents’ box and after 30 seconds, he’s defending in our box.
“He’s what we wanted to find: a physical midfielder to support the other two midfielders.” – Vitor Pereira on Marshall Munetsi
It’s worth keeping an ear out for any updates on Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.7m). He was on the receiving end of Zabarnyi’s red card challenge and the BBC live text says he was taken off with an injury later in the game. We’ve not heard any quotes on the wing-back from Vitor Pereira, however.
