We compete our Gameweek 19 Scout Notes with Crystal Palace v Fulham, as they shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw.
FULHAM RACK UP THE CHANCES
Whilst the 1-1 scoreline suggests there was little action, that wasn’t the case.
Crystal Palace weren’t short of attacking threat throughout the game, with three big chances and 11 attempts on goal of their own.
However, the bigger concern for many within the FPL community was how many opportunities they conceded to a largely mediocre Fulham attack.
As we can see, the Eagles shipped a huge 17 attempts on goal, along with three big chances.
Among those chances was striker Raul Jimenez (£6.2m), who hit the post, and defenders Timothy Castagne (£4.3m) and Joachim Andersen (£4.6m) who missed big opportunities.
Their match against the Cottagers just highlights a bigger problem for Oliver Glasner’s men.
Between Gameweek 1-12, Crystal Palace were one of the best defences in the league.
Not only were the Eagles among the best sides for clean sheets, they ranked third best overall for shots conceded.
Since then, things have changed quite dramatically for the Palace defence. As well as picking up just two clean sheets, they now rank among the worst eight sides for attempts on goal conceded.
With a combined ownership of over 60%, FPL managers could move to ditch their assets in the coming period, especially when considering they come up against the likes of Newcastle, Aston Villa, Sunderland, and Chelsea in their next four outings.
It also increases appeal for Newcastle attackers, including the popular Nick Woltemade (£7.4m) and penalty taker Anthony Gordon (£7.4m). Managers considering those players will likely look at the upcoming home match against Crystal Palace much differently now.
£3.8M CLYNE ASSIST
Nathaniel Clyne (£3.8m) played a key role in one of Crystal Palace’s three big chances, setting up Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.6m) for his eighth goal of the season.
The 34-year-old continues to deputise for the injured Daniel Muñoz (£5.8m), having now started the last five league matches in his absence.
Since returning to the side in Gameweek 14, Clyne has emerged as one of Crystal Palace’s more attacking defenders, ranking among the top 10 in his position for minutes-per-expected goal involvement (NPxGI).
However, while those numbers encourage interest, Muñoz is expected back around January 17, which would likely put Clyne’s long-term minutes at risk.
WILSON CONCERNS
It was another match in which Harry Wilson (£5.8m) struggled to produce anything of significance. It was Sasa Lukic (£4.9m) who set up Tom Cairney (£4.8m) for the equaliser, rather than the Welshman.
Although Wilson did register an assist against West Ham, his Gameweek 19 display continued a worrying trend. Across two matches in a three-game spell, he has now recorded an expected goal involvement (xGI) of under 0.15, which will concern owners.
Attention will inevitably turn to the fixture list. Fulham next face an improving Liverpool side, followed by Chelsea, before a run that includes Leeds United, Brighton, Manchester United and Everton.
Given that schedule, Wilson’s short-term ceiling looks limited, which may prompt some managers to consider moving him on.
