We kick off our Gameweek 28 Scout Notes with two of Saturday’s low-scoring, largely uneventful televised matches.
Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa won’t be complaining as they saw out 1-0 wins.
Here are the key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points from both matches.
- READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 28 round-up: Saturday’s goals, assists, bonus points + stats
- READ MORE: Salah breaks the FPL points record – again!
MARMOUSH BENCHED – BUT HOPE FOR GAMEWEEK 29?
Saturday wasn’t a great day for Matheus Cunha (£7.0m) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m) replacements. Three of the most popular, Chris Wood (£7.2m), Yoane Wissa (£6.5m) and Omar Marmoush (£7.2m), all blanked.
At least Wood and Wissa started. Marmoush was demoted to substitute duty for the first time in the league since his arrival, coming on as a 69th-minute replacement. Alas, we couldn’t find any pre- or post-match comments from Pep Guardiola explaining why he made that call.
But is there hope for Blank Gameweek 29, when existing and prospective owners may need Marmoush the most?
For starters, his replacement, Phil Foden (£9.2m), was poor. It’s not the first time we’ve said that this season; outside of a purple patch from Gameweeks 17-23, he’s been a huge disappointment. We could say that about numerous City players, of course.
Secondly, was the selection of Foden merely a horses-for-courses pick? Guardiola has hailed Foden’s ability in tight spaces previously – and they don’t get much tighter than against Forest’s low block. Marmoush, by contrast, has impressed most when he’s had space in behind to run into.
It’s Brighton and Hove Albion up next in Gameweek 29, a side very much at the other end of the table for higher-upfield defensive actions and aggressive pressing. The visit of the Seagulls may be more of a Marmoush-type game.
Above: Premier League teams sorted by the average distance from goal in which they make a defensive action, via StatsBomb
“Yeah, it was a little bit slow. To break the lines, you have to bring the ball left and bring it quick to the right and everything was not as quick as we should do.” – Pep Guardiola on Saturday’s display
IF YOU WANT EXCITEMENT, YOU’VE COME TO THE WRONG PLACE
If there is one crumb of comfort for City, it’s that they’re perhaps not quite looking as open as they were in late-2024. The arrival of Nico Gonzalez (£6.0m) has certainly helped beef up the midfield and this really should have been a third clean sheet in four Premier League games.
It was, in all honesty, a poor game from an attacking perspective. There were zero big chances, in fact, by Opta’s reckoning.
Nico and Mateo Kovacic (£5.4m) flashed excellent efforts from distance narrowly wide, the former’s shot clipping the post. Erling Haaland (£14.7m) also bobbled an early attempt just off-target.
As for Forest, Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.2m) saw a low shot brilliantly tipped onto the post by Ederson (£5.3m).
But all of those attempts were half-chances at best. The game was meandering to its goalless close when Hudson-Odoi sneaked another hopeful shot past Ederson at his near post.
Wood didn’t get much of a look-in but you’d imagine goalscoring chances will be much more plentiful against Ipswich Town and Manchester United in the next two Gameweeks.
Instead, it was the defence’s turn to shine yet again. Forest have had a few blips this season but always bounced back, Nuno Espirito Santo doubling down on the ‘clean sheet first’ mentality when times were tough. It’s that mindset that has led them to 12 shut-outs in 2024/25, a tally no other side can better.
“If you ignore the [opposition] talent and the defensive part of the game, you are making a mistake. We’ll try to avoid [this] till the end because it’s the basic pillar for us is a clean sheet. We are proud of achieving clean sheets.” – Nuno Espirito Santo
One other line of note from Forest: Morgan Gibbs-White (£6.5m), who supplied the assist for Hudson-Odoi’s goal, now has 13 returns in his last 14 starts. Impressive stuff.
ANOTHER GOOD GARDEN CENTRE ADVERT
On the subject of underwhelming spectacles, Brentford v Aston Villa didn’t live up to the pre-match billing.
Again, clear chances were few and far between. There was Tyrone Mings‘ (£4.4m) early outstretched effort from a crossed free-kick. Then, with the Bees trying to turn around a 0-1 deficit, Ollie Watkins (£8.9m) fluffed a one-on-one.
That was pretty much it for big openings, though. Watkins’ match-winner was fortunate, deflecting off a Brentford defender and wrong-footing Mark Flekken (£4.4m).
The hosts hit the post through Keane Lewis-Potter (£5.0m) from 20 yards and had a couple of penalty shouts turned down, while Morgan Rogers (£5.5m) had a goal chalked off for offside.
Bryan Mbeumo (£8.1m) was quiet, maybe even a little surly, but he was doubled/tripled up on by Villa at times and had no answer. Yoane Wissa (£6.5m) was brighter, offering some good link-up play to tee up three chances (including Lewis-Potter’s effort that hit the woodwork) and flashing a header from a corner just over.
Ultimately, though, blanks for the well-owned pair.
Villa deserve a lot of credit for that. This was an excellent defensive display from the Villans, with a bit less of the attacking swagger of recent weeks. This was only their fourth clean sheet of 2024/25.
Axel Disasi (£4.2m) was particularly superb at right-back/centre-half.
ASENSIO + MARTINEZ INJURY UPDATES
Two big names were missing from the Villa teamsheet on Saturday: Emi Martinez (£5.0m) and Marco Asensio (£6.1m).
Both were unavailable with muscle issues but Unai Emery didn’t sound too concerned after the game. The pair may even return for Wednesday’s rematch with Bruges, long before Villa are next in league action on April 2.
“We’ll see. At the beginning, only it’s not to take a risk with both and we’ll see because we have now four days. Hopefully tomorrow we can start again doing something with them and progressively for Wednesday to be ready to help us because I think they are very important players for us.” – Unai Emery on whether Emi Martinez and Marco Asensio will be back on Wednesday
Marcus Rashford (£6.7m) was back on the bench for the fourth time in five league matches. For all the excitement that he and Asensio have brought since their arrival, it’s the old guard of Rogers and Watkins who continue to get the nod game after game in the Premier League.
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