Kicking off the Gameweek 30 Scout Notes is a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) round-up of Arsenal v Fulham and Nottingham Forest v Manchester United.
- READ MORE: Crystal Palace and Arsenal set to blank in Gameweek 34
- READ MORE: Aston Villa and Man City set for a Blank Gameweek 34
- READ MORE: Forest progress in FA Cup – but no guarantee of Blank Gameweek 34
The numbers and graphics you see in this article come from our Premium Members Area. Here, you can access Opta player and team data from every single Premier League fixture.
SAKA SCORES ON COMEBACK
Proactive FPL managers reacted to Mikel Arteta’s positive pre-match press conference by buying Bukayo Saka (£10.2m), only to see him named as a substitute. Although it made sense, after missing over three months with a hamstring injury.
No worries, he came on midway through the second half to a huge ovation and scored just seven minutes later.
487,358 new owners were delighted to see a one-two between Mikel Merino (£6.0m) – scorer of the opening goal – and Gabriel Martinelli (£6.5m) end with a flick across goal, ready for Saka to head home.
It’s his 17th attacking return from 16 league matches, making those who kept faith in Chelsea’s Cole Palmer (£10.8m) slightly nervous for Thursday night. They might already have their eye on Saka for Gameweek 32, at home to Brentford, before a likely Double Gameweek 33.
After all, penalty-taker Saka entered this Gameweek as the season’s joint-second-best big chance creator (19), despite missing a huge chunk of it. Adding further glee, he picked up two bonus points here.
Those with Arsenal defender probably thought their fifth clean sheet in eight was safe, after Rodrigo Muniz (£5.5m) missed a sitter from a few yards out. But he scored a consolation deep into time added on.
GABRIEL, TIMBER + AINA INJURED
Most of this Gameweek’s 658,984 Wildcard activations – plus lots of other teams – likely include Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.4m) but there’s been an immediate setback, as the highest owned FPL defender hurt his hamstring after 15 minutes and had to be taken off. An extended spell on the sidelines looks likely and Jurrien Timber‘s (£5.6m) knee is also a worry.
“Gabi felt something in his hamstring. We don’t know how big that is and with Jurrien as well. He was already struggling very early in the game. He managed to continue, at some point he couldn’t. So that’s the downside to it.” – Mikel Arteta on Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber
Managers have several options: move sideways to another member of Arsenal’s backline, bench the Brazilian until he recovers or replace him with Josko Gvardiol (£6.0m), Virgil van Dijk (£6.4m) or someone from a Double Gameweek 32 team.
Meanwhile, at Nottingham Forest, FPL’s next most-owned defender missed out on a clean sheet for the same reason. Ola Aina (£5.4m) is in over three million squads but hobbled off late in the first half.
“We have to assess. It is always a concern when a player gets injured by himself. He is going to have a scan and we will see how it is. We’re not quite sure what it is, only the scan will say exactly.” – Nuno Espirito Santo on Ola Aina
FOREST WIN WITHOUT WOOD
Not in their squad at all was top scorer Chris Wood (£7.2m), after picking up a knock when representing New Zealand. Nuno Espirito Santo said beforehand that they “have to assess him day by day”, but not even making the bench suggests he’ll remain a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa.
Nuno trotted out a similar update after full-time:
“It is going to be day by day. He is getting better. Today, the feedback was that he is getting better. Tomorrow, I hope for even better but he is going to be assessed day by day.” – Nuno Espirito Santo on Chris Wood
Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.3m) wasn’t around either, for personal reasons, but Anthony Elanga (£5.4m) didn’t need the duo. He scored a wondergoal against his former club in the seventh minute, dribbling from deep inside his own half after a failed Man United corner. Speeding his way through, a low and powerful shot was all it took to decide the match and consolidate Forest’s Champions League push.
They just about clung onto their fourth consecutive home clean sheet, even though Ruben Amorim’s side slaughtered them for shots (23 v 8) and expected goals (1.66 v 0.54).
In-form Bruno Fernandes (£8.6m) couldn’t equalise, though his corner led to Diogo Dalot (£5.0m) heading onto the crossbar. Alejandro Garnacho (£5.9m) went close a few times and substitute Mason Mount (£6.3m) did too but, in the closing moments, they resorted to aiming long balls towards Harry Maguire (£4.9m) up front.
The centre-back almost rescued them in stoppage time, mind. It needed Murillo (£4.7m) to clear the ball off the line, finalising a shut-out for himself, Nikola Milenkovic (£4.9m), Matz Sels (£5.1m) and Neco Williams (£4.4m).
Welsh full-back Williams picked up a yellow card, taking him down to five points.
