Brighton and Hove Albion and Leeds United couldn’t be separated at the Amex on Saturday, playing out a 1-1 draw.

Here’s what we saw.

TWO MORE EVENLY MATCHED SIDES

In a post-match presser in a different fixture, Oliver Glasner said the Premier League was “even tighter” than before, and it’s only the “small margins” that decide many games. Indeed, in Gameweek 3, we witnessed six draws and three wins by a single goal.

Brighton v Leeds is one of those fixtures that makes Fantasy managers’ tasks increasingly harder. It seems we’ve got fewer top-flight mismatches these days, with a dozen or more Premier League clubs pretty much on a par in terms of ability.

Look at the match stats from the Amex below. While Brighton did register double the number of shots, everything else (shots in the box, big chances, set-piece attempts, efforts on target) was pretty much level:

GAME OF TWO HALVES

While some of the stats and indeed the scoreline ended level, we only reached parity after a topsy-turvy game.

Leeds were on top initially, and were 2.34-0.05 up on xG early in the second half! From the 54th minute onwards, however, Brighton assaulted the visitors’ goal, racking up 17 shots to the Whites’ three.

First, the Leeds onslaught.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m), a chronic xG underachiever and often a frustrating FPL own, was a chief culprit, missing two sitters – one a header, and one after rounding the ‘keeper. In the first case, his blushes were spared when Ao Tanaka (£4.9m) and Jayden Bogle (£4.5m) combined for the rebound goal.

Tanaka then hit the bar, before Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) somehow saved Anton Stach‘s (£6.0m) shot with his foot. James Justin (£4.5m) also tested the Brighton custodian.

Then, the Brighton riposte.

Charalambos Kostoulas (£5.5m) brilliantly danced through the Leeds defence before finishing tamely from 15 yards before Luka Vuskovic (£5.0m) nodded in an equaliser. Promise David (£6.0m) then kneed the ball off-target from close range before Pascal Gross (£5.5m) missed an 89th-minute sitter, blazing over from five yards out after his initial header was blocked.

Gross actually finished the match with the most shots (five, above), although that aforementioned last-minute double-chance was his only effort in the box. Diego Gomez (£5.0m), incidentally, is behind only FPL’s two most expensive players for shots this season (12). Again, just one of his attempts on Saturday, a well-hit volley, was from inside the area.

£4.5M BRIGHTON MIDFIELDER STARTS – AND SHINES – AGAIN

One player we’ve not mentioned yet is Malick Yalcouyé (£4.5m). An intriguing Fantasy proposition while Jack Hinshelwood (£6.0m) is out, he followed up a Gameweek 2 start with another fine showing here.

Nominally playing in the ‘hole’ but drifting left, he tested James Trafford (£5.0m) with one effort, nearly got an assist with a perfectly threaded pass for Yasin Ayari (£5.4m), and had claims for a penalty turned down. He was a menace for Leeds all game with his pace, turns and driving runs.

“I think another good performance from him. He showed these kinds of things in pre-season, and that’s why we wanted to give him this chance. He uses this chance in a very effective way. So, that’s very positive and hopefully he can continue like this.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Malick Yalcouye

ANOTHER DE CUYPER RETURN AS VUSKOVIC HAULS

Maxim De Cuyper (£4.7m), again playing on the left wing, salvaged a return despite a booking and clean sheet loss.

On corners (with Gross) for the third game running, his whipped delivery was powered in by Vuskovic.

The Croatian centre-half was a DefCon-amassing goal machine at Hamburg, and the two worlds collided on Saturday.

Those DefCon points were Vuskovic’s first of the season, however.

As for another much-discussed summer signing, Tarik Muharemovic (£5.0m), he too delivered on the DefCon front.

Only Hull’s John Egan (£4.1m) can better Muharemovic’s total of 39 defensive contributions in 2026/27.

LEEDS TACTICAL REJIG

Above image from BBC Sport

Daniel Farke sprung a few personnel and tactical changes:

• Nico Elvedi (£4.5m) in for Jaka Bijol (£5.0m)
• Justun redeployed as a right-sided centre-half in place of the injured Joe Rodon (£4.4m), with Gabriel Gudmundsson (£4.5m) brought in at wing-back
• Tanaka for Brenden Aaronson (£5.4m), with Stach given more of an attacking role

No surprise, perhaps, that Stach’s DefCons plummeted (from 16 in both Gameweeks 1 and 2 to six here). For that reason, he’s one of the FPL midfielders who you actually don’t mind seeing play a bit further back.

On the flip side, Justin, now at centre-half, hit the required 10 defensive contributions.

• READ MORE: Scoreboard – Saturday’s goals, assists, bonus + DefCon points
• READ MORE: Hull 0-0 Aston Villa: £4.5m midfielder praise + another Hull clean sheet
• READ MORE: Nottm Forest 0-0 Spurs: Williams a “core” player, Munoz for Aina + Savio fitness
• READ MORE Man City 1-0 Coventry: O’Reilly injury latest, Cherki subbed + Ndiaye criticism
• READ MORE: Brentford 1-1 Sunderland: Why Sangare came off + Collins injury latest
• READ MORE: Newcastle 2-2 Bournemouth: Jaissle on Fernandez-Pardo’s fitness + Wissa deeper