Scout Notes
25 November 2025 50 comments
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Two of Fantasy Premier League’s (FPL) in-form forwards scored yet again on Saturday as Brighton and Hove Albion edged out Brentford.

For Igor Thiago (£6.5m), though, a stoppage-time penalty miss turned a potential 13-point haul into just four.

Here are our final weekend Scout Notes from the Amex.

FPL Team News + Predicted Line-ups 1

THIAGO’S MIXED AFTERNOON FROM THE SPOT

Thiago had already converted once from the spot on Saturday, in doing so registering his ninth goal of 2025/26. Dango Ouattara (£6.0m) had been felled for that.

The Brazilian had a chance to hit double figures when Kevin Schade (£7.0m) was wrestled to the ground in second-half injury time.

Bart Verbruggen (£4.4m) was up to the test to this time, although not before some ‘housery’ from the Brighton ‘keeper had earned the Dutchman a booking. Given the end result, it was worth it.

That was Thiago’s first miss from the spot this season; he had been successful with the other four efforts.

Unsurprisingly, given the striker’s form and record from 12 yards, Keith Andrews fully backed him.

“I haven’t spoke to him too much [but] he’ll be absolutely fine. He’s in a good place. He scored a lot of goals. He’s playing very, very well. He scored again today.

“I think it’s difficult for penalty takers in general now, from when it’s given to when they actually take it. The time that it takes, the way the game has gone, with [VAR] checks, the players coming towards each other, coming towards the referee, the shenanigans of their goalkeeper.

“So, he’ll be absolutely fine, with zero blame attached to Thiago for that penalty.” – Keith Andrews on Igor Thiago

Brentford, incidentally, have been awarded at least twice as many penalties as any other Premier League club this season.

Ouattara has won three of them; no other top-flight player has been fouled for more than one.

A BIT OF MAGIC FROM ASSIST KING MINTEH

Thiago and Danny Welbeck (£6.6m) kept up their excellent recent form. Both are on runs of seven goals in as many Premier League games.

Welbeck had spurned a big chance about 15 minutes before he drew Brighton level, finishing well from a cross. Both opportunities were set by Yankuba Minteh (£6.1m).

Minteh, indeed, was the source of what little incisiveness was on show on Saturday. There was some frustration over the course of the afternoon – without the injured Kauro Mitoma (£6.1m) to worry about, opposition defences are finding it easier to double up on the Gambian winger – but most of the Seagulls’ better chances came with Minteh at the heart of it.

An early jinking run and backheel from the wide-man set up Mats Wieffer (£4.9m). A Minteh corner was nodded narrowly over from Georginio Rutter (£5.7m). Then there were Welbeck’s two chances, either side of Minteh wriggling through to test Ciaomhin Kelleher (£4.5m). Finally, the Gambian international claimed the assist for Brighton’s winner when his blocked shot fell to substitute Jack Hinshelwood (£5.1m).

Minteh is now out in front for FPL assists this season:

Minteh magic

A game-high four chances created took him up to 21 for the season. He’s well inside the top 10 FPL assets for that stat.

WHY DUNK WAS BENCHED + WIEFFER DELIVERS MORE DEFCON

After successive clean sheets, it was a surprise to see Lewis Dunk (£4.5m) benched on Saturday. It turns out, however, that illness had disrupted his week of training.

Dunk came on for replacement Olivier Boscagli (£4.3m) at the break and was very good indeed, with his long ball helping set up Welbeck’s goal. Expect him back in the starting XI next weekend.

Another member of the Brighton backline, Wieffer (who is listed as an FPL midfielder), delivered yet more defensive contribution (DefCon) points.

He’s now done that in six of his eight starts. In the other two games, he finished on 10 and 11 contributions!

Minteh magic

Above: Mats Wieffer leads the Premier League for defensive contributions per 90 minutes (min. 500 mins played)

Sepp van den Berg (£4.5m) also banked DefCon points for the sixth time this season for the Bees.

DEFENCES ON TOP DESPITE NO CLEAN SHEETS

While there were no clean sheets, the two defences largely impressed.

Brighton recklessly gave away two penalties but were mostly otherwise untroubled. The two spot-kicks accounted for around 75% of Brentford’s xG tally above, indeed.

As for the Bees, they were coping admirably with the Seagulls’ attack until that one bit of top-tier quality from Minteh and Welbeck. That goal was Brighton’s only ‘big chance’ of the game.

“I think large parts without the ball, we were very, very good. Restricted them to very little.” – Keith Andrews 

Both clubs will fancy their chances of a handful of shut-outs in the Gameweeks ahead, particularly on their own soil. These two sides have lost only one home game between them this season and are both in the top six for Premier League results on their own patches.



50 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. The Knights Template
    • 12 Years
    8 months, 10 days ago

    Mateta or Welbeck > Thiago? Thankee!

    1. AppleDunk
      • 12 Years
      8 months, 10 days ago

      Thinking doing Mateta to Thiago myself

    2. Amartey Partey
      • 6 Years
      8 months, 10 days ago

      Close one. Probably Mateta because of fixtures, but he’s difficult player to sell, and Welbeck also more injury prone.

    3. SpaceCadet
      • 12 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      welbeck

  2. TorresMagic™
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 17 Years
    8 months, 10 days ago

    Last Man Standing GW12 (824 teams)

    Safety score = 31
    Top score = Tom Schroffenegger with 79

    69 teams to be removed, 755 teams through to GW13
    Congrats to all the survivors!

    https://plan.livefpl.net//LMS

    1. AAAFootball
      • 1 Year
      8 months, 10 days ago

      Cheers!
      Still innit!

    2. Yank Revolution
      • 14 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      Whew, snuck in by one point...

    3. TheBrazilianRonaldo
      • 7 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      Cheers for the update. It's easy till it isn't. Still in.

  3. Amartey Partey
    • 6 Years
    8 months, 10 days ago

    Do I have the bench order correct?

    Wilson (LIV), Minteh (nfo), Van de Ven (FUL)

  4. AAAFootball
    • 1 Year
    8 months, 10 days ago

    This is a free hit, right?

    Haaland (Keep) Rashford (che)
    Olise (ars) Yamal (che) Mctominay (keep) Yildiz (keep)
    Mendes(tot) Veiga (bvb) Kounde (che) [player i could buy on ft]
    Pope

    Kohn [out injured] [out injured][out injured]

  5. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 9 Years
    8 months, 10 days ago

    Main money league rival has Munoz, Minteh and Enzo. Gained 21 points on me

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 7 Years
      8 months, 10 days ago

      On the plus side maybe some bad luck next week for him

      1. My heart goes Salalalalah
        • 9 Years
        8 months, 10 days ago

        True. I am in the lead by 40

  6. AAAFootball
    • 1 Year
    8 months, 10 days ago

    54 points and somehow a rank gain, into the top 100K!!
    Did not honestly expect that after looking at my team. Have been known to lose rank despite hitting 70 lol

  7. FCSB
    • 10 Years
    8 months, 10 days ago

    Raya
    VVD Senesi Munoz Van Hecke
    Bruno Semenyo Enzo
    Haaland Mateta Thiago

    Dubravka Reijnders Stach Gudmundsson

    1FT, 3.2m itb

    Reijnders >> ??

    Thanks my friends

    1. FCSB
      • 10 Years
      8 months, 10 days ago

      1. Minteh
      2. Eze
      3. Mbeumo
      4. Doku / Foden

  8. HurriKane
    • 13 Years
    8 months, 10 days ago

    Im sensing a Watkins haul against Wolves.

    What better fixture to get back in form. Locked in on FH

    1. Swahealy
      • 4 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      Nah don't see it, Rodgers the main man at Villa has been only one looking likely this season. They'd be better dropping Watkins and starting Malen up top

      1. HurriKane
        • 13 Years
        8 months, 9 days ago

        Cant see Emery changing a winning team. 6 wins in last 7 pl games where Watkins started in 6 of them.

        Form is temporary class is permanent. We are talking about a player who has had 74 goal involvement in last 2 season (44g 30a)

        1. Swahealy
          • 4 Years
          8 months, 9 days ago

          Never rated Watkins had 1 good season last year, most of his goal were headers and tapins, he's awful at pens and he's meant to be a striker? Just looks lost again now

  9. Swahealy
    • 4 Years
    8 months, 9 days ago

    The EPL is practically now the super league, attracting the best in the world and we would all love it to stay that way, which scares the hell out of R.Madrid and co for financial reasons.
    But the problem with the prem is the quality of it is slipping because they are letting refs run it into the ground, they feel they have to stop the game every minute now which has led to the rise in set pieces but awful to watch. Aso with their constant rule changes (by people who don't understand the game fully because they don't play it and also can't see how players are able to easily con them), and also the inconsistencies in implementing the rules.
    The whole 'clear and obvious error' line has to go too, refs working var are to afraid to tell their mate on the pitch 'hi you got it wrong', which leads to apologies every Monday by Howard Webb, and it's usually at least 3 or 4 massive mistakes every week now, and every club is affected by it. Apologies don't bring back points

    1. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
      • 10 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      They call it the best league in the world. Its far from it.

      1. Swahealy
        • 4 Years
        8 months, 9 days ago

        It clearly is the best, most competitive and most watched league in the world. Look at the stats lad. Liverpool alone where the most watched team in all of Europe last year.
        This year it's getting diluted by refs over refereeing the game. And also how many times have you seen a ref standing in the D outside the box when teams are attacking and getting in the way of a dribble or a pass this year, they need to find somewhere else to stand or sit them in the stand in front of a TV

      2. Swahealy
        • 4 Years
        8 months, 9 days ago

        Also the popularity of it's Fantasy game is testimony to how popular the prem is, no other league has anything near it

    2. el polako
      • 9 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      The very best the world still prefer to pick Real Madrid over English teams.

      Atmosphere in the grounds is not even in top 5 in Europe.

      They way the league is presented in TV is archaic, again Bundesliga and Primera Division doing it much better.

      You’ve already pointed out the shocking refs and VAR decisions.

      The league is definitely the most popular one, but I would be far from giving it a status of the immaculate product every one should strive achieve as there are things other league do\are better at.

      1. Swahealy
        • 4 Years
        8 months, 9 days ago

        Happy days so after all that you still agree the Prem is the most Popular league in the world, I never said it was immaculate.
        Atmospheres not in top 5 🙂 lol yes Anfield is the most atmospheric ground in all of Europe, ask Mbappe, Vinny and co. who couldn't even lace their boots their a couple of weeks ago, check out videos of Messi talking about playing there 😀
        We can do whataboutisms all day, but what about Real Madrid, but what about PSG, it's always the same argument.
        The btm half of the prem is miles better than the btm half of every other league in the world, that's what makes it so competitive and because of that the Prem teams are probably going to win the Europa league and that conference league every year now, could easily see that

  10. jamichael
    • 12 Years
    8 months, 9 days ago

    who to get rid 1.Semenyo or 2.Kudus for Neto? Thanks

    1. SpaceCadet
      • 12 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      1

    2. TheBrazilianRonaldo
      • 7 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      1

  11. SpaceCadet
    • 12 Years
    8 months, 9 days ago

    UCL fantasy - Sane or Mctomminay?

  12. BR510
    8 months, 9 days ago

    Pope (EVE)

    Timber (CHE), Senesi (SUN), Richards (MUN)
    Saka (CHE), Sarr (MUN), Cunha (CRY), Mbeumo (CRY)
    Haaland (LEE), Mateta (MUN), Wolt (EVE)

    1. FH
    2. Sarr to Rogers, Wolte to Thiago -4
    3. One of the 2 moves above
    4. Othe

    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 12 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      1

  13. The Philosopher
    • 6 Years
    8 months, 9 days ago

    I made a great prediction last night. But you won't see me talking about it all the time. Stay humble.

    https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/comment/27417776

    1. TheBrazilianRonaldo
      • 7 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      Top work

  14. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 12 Years
    8 months, 9 days ago

    On FH would you keep

    A Sarr
    B mateta
    C both
    D neither

    Cheers and gl

    1. BR510
      8 months, 9 days ago

      B or D, not sarr. Only when he plays villa!

      1. Ajax Hamsterdam
        • 12 Years
        8 months, 9 days ago

        Cheers

    2. FantasyClub
      • 5 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      D.
      Contemplating only having Munoz

  15. Count of Monte Hristo
    • 13 Years
    8 months, 9 days ago

    Where can I see FFS Cup fixtures?

      1. Count of Monte Hristo
        • 13 Years
        8 months, 9 days ago

        Cheers

    1. The Philosopher
      • 6 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      May be you can find it somewhere in the link I provided above?

      1. Count of Monte Hristo
        • 13 Years
        8 months, 9 days ago

        No need, cheers

  16. Nightcrawler
    • 7 Years
    8 months, 9 days ago

    For those still with bench boost when are U looking to use it?

    Thinking 16 or 17 but no sure. Dubravka has Fulham at home in 16 but Brighton/Bournemouth/palace/Brentford all have easy games in 17

  17. Count of Monte Hristo
    • 13 Years
    8 months, 9 days ago

    210k > 619k in 3 gameweeks. Starting to really dislike my squad. Not taken any hits so far this season? Is there any changes you would make this week for -4 or -8 of just leave it?

    Raya Dubravka

    Timber Virgil James VDV Gudmundsson

    Mbeumo Semenyo Kudus Ndiaye Szsoboslai

    Haaland Bowen Pedro

    1. TheBrazilianRonaldo
      • 7 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      Midfields stinking up the joint. If you have wildcard play it. If not priority orded for me to remove:

      Semenyo (cash gains, underlying rubbish now no longer up top)
      Bowen (role changed at west ham)
      Kudos (spurs in crisis)
      Szsoboslai (liverpool in crisis)
      Pedro

      In

      Thiago, Arsenal, Forest, Palace, Enzo.

    2. FOREST FOREVER 2
      • 1 Year
      8 months, 9 days ago

      Munoz can be a good long term pick.

  18. OH... KEVIN DE BRUYNE
    8 months, 9 days ago

    what to do with this:

    sels dub
    senesie richards timber vdv reineildo
    saka semyou boomo sarr caicedo
    mateta thiago robot

    1FT 0.4 ITB

    A) FH
    B) Roll
    C) Sels to reoufs
    D) sels to martinez
    E) semenyo to minteh
    F) semeyo to rogers
    G) roll roll fh 15

  19. FOREST FOREVER 2
    • 1 Year
    8 months, 9 days ago

    Has Gambia made it to the AFCON?

    1. CMF
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      8 months, 9 days ago

      No