Gameweek 30 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) concluded at the Brentford Community Stadium on Monday.
Wolverhampton Wanderers again played party-pooper, producing a performance and result belying their 20th-placed standing.
As for Brentford, this was a missed opportunity to push on for Europe as they spurned a 2-0 lead.
Here are our Scout Notes.
THIAGO + DANGO DELIVER – BUT POINTS LEFT ON THE TABLE
It wasn’t all doom and gloom from a Fantasy perspective, with Dango Ouattara (£6.0m) and Igor Thiago (£7.3m) delivering for their owners.
The two combined for the Bees’ second goal, the former producing a superb touch to collect Caoimhin Kelleher‘s (£4.8m) excellent long ball and teeing up Thiago for a tap-in.
There should have been other/further returns. too. Ouattara created a game-high four chances, all of them in the first half, setting up Mikkel Damsgaard (£5.6m) for an early shot and then supplying a cross that Thiago headed wide.
Thiago also nodded against the woodwork from a long throw.
The two missed (Opta-defined) ‘big chances’ cost Thiago on the bonus point front but Dango’s creativity helped him to maximum bonus:
Above: A bonus points breakdown from our Members Area. Big chances created (BCC) and key passes (KP) elevated Dango’s score, with Thiago’s big chances missed and shots off target costing him eight baseline bonus points.
The third musketeer in attack, Kevin Schade (£6.8m), had a poor game. A lot of the threat from his flank, including a superb assist for the opener, came from Keane Lewis-Potter (£4.8m) at left-back.
The German failed to have a single shot and was peripheral to the attack, eventually being subbed off. That saw Lewis-Potter move to a left-wing position, with Kristoffer Ajer (£4.4m) brought in at left-back.
KAYODE SCORES AMID MORE CENTRE-HALF DISRUPTION
Keith Andrews reverted to the centre-half partnership that gained a (lucky) clean sheet in Gameweek 29.
There’s been a period of upheaval in the second half of the season, with Sepp van den Berg (£4.5m) (initially through injury) and then Nathan Collins (£4.9m) losing their places, post-Christmas.
| Match | Centre-half partnership |
|---|---|
| Gameweek 28 v Burnley | Ajer + van den Berg |
| Gameweek 29 v Bournemouth | Collins + van den Berg |
| FA Cup fifth round v West Ham | Ajer + Collins |
| Gameweek 30 v Wolves | Collins + van den Berg |
Despite regaining his spot recently, Collins looks short of his best. Ajer was done no favours at left-back, either, looking wobbly in that role.
Vitaly Janelt (£4.9m) is also a big miss in front of the back four.
The centre-half uncertainty has been a good advert for the nailed Michael Kayode (£4.5m). He’s not a great defensive pick, lacking the DefCon potential of the centre-backs, although he is inside the top five defenders for chances created this season.
What we weren’t expecting was him to score. He’s not taken a single shot in 23 of his 29 appearances this season but there he was, six yards out from goal during open play, to nod in Lewis-Potter’s cross.
Andrews’ comments below suggest he’s aiming to add to his goals, so that’s something worth monitoring.
“I felt like that goal has been coming for him, he’s been getting into the right areas. Even against West Ham the other night, the way he arrives into the box.” – Keith Andrews on Michael Kayode
DAMSGAARD INJURY
The Bees emerged with an injury concern from last night, with Damsgaard limping off.
“I think it’s his knee. He picked up a knock [on it] a few weeks ago against Nottingham Forest. I haven’t seen him after the game, I’ll go in now and suss that out and see how he is.” – Keith Andrews on Mikkel Damsgaard
WHY MANE CAME OFF
Also exiting the field early was Matheus Mane (£4.5m). The budget forward was making his 14th successive start, a few days after Edwards had hailed his physical efforts amid questions about the youngster’s diminishing impact.
This wasn’t an injury-enforced substitution, however. Mane was under-par in the first half, to put it kindly, before making way at the interval. Perhaps he could do with coming out of the starting XI, although Wolves do now have a 25-day period without a fixture in which he can rest up!
“[Mane’s] fine, I just thought it maybe wasn’t his night tonight, and that Angel [Gomes] could really affect it, which he did.” – Rob Edwards
Wolves are becoming a bit of a problem for FPL managers. Even Andrews said after full-time that they’re in a “false position” on current form. Only once in their last six matches, in fact, have they tasted defeat.
Wanderers have spoiled the clean sheets of Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Brentford in that time and while they still probably are Championship-bound, they’re seemingly intent on rescuing a bit of dignity from their situation.
“We owe it to the supporters of the football club, to ourselves, to everyone, our families, to continue to fight all the way to the 38th game. So, we’ll do that.” – Rob Edwards
Adam Armstrong (£5.3m), an ever-present starter since his winter move, lashed in Wolves’ first goal before Tolu Arokodare (£5.4m) nodded in a late leveller. Those two also hit the woodwork with separate efforts.
You’d still be happy enough to have your FPL picks facing them (Thiago/Ouattara could/should have hauled), but they’re no longer the easiest fixture in the division.
