In a busy midweek, Wednesday saw several more Premier League clubs in action across multiple competitions.

Aston Villa saw off Coventry City in the EFL Cup’s third round, while Sunderland churned out a hard-fought Europa League win over AZ Alkmaar.

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Below, we have all the key talking points from a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) perspective.

RESULTS

SELECTION/ROTATION

SCOUT NOTES

ASTON VILLA

• Villa made seven changes from Gameweek 4’s disappointing home loss to Nottingham Forest, including first starts for Matteo Ruggeri (£4.5m), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (£4.5m) and Ibrahim Mbaye (£6.0m)

• The first two may have happened anyway but were certainly necessitated by last weekend’s injuries to Pau Torres (£4.5m) and Ian Maatsen (£4.5m). Regardless, both defensive newcomers impressed.

“Very good, he’s young but he has experience. He played in the style we have and he’s understanding as well how he can play with his skills. His attitude is fantastic and how he can dominate, playing with his style in our structure.” – Unai Emery on Taylor Harwood-Bellis

• Ruggeri, meanwhile, kept the opposition quiet and looked assured when joining in attack. He even came close to an early goal after a well-worked corner. Both he and Harwood-Bellis could now keep their places for Gameweek 5, given the absences of Torres and Maatsen.

• As for Villa’s other recent arrival, Mbaye was arguably the best – or at least the most exciting – player on the pitch during his 64 minutes, despite Tammy Abraham (£5.5m) fairly taking the headlines with his two goals.

• The 18-year-old had a match-high seven touches inside Coventry’s box and fired off two shots. But his playmaking ability particularly caught the eye: a joint team-leading four chances created, where one corner assisted Ross Barkley’s (£5.0m) lead-restoring goal shortly before half-time. Granted, Coventry’s set-piece defending was woeful, but Mbaye combining regular starts with a share of such duties will massively boost his appeal.

• Abraham’s second, just before the hour mark, was a simple, well-taken finish set up by his former Chelsea teammate Barkley.

• John McGinn (£5.4m), a central number 10 here, joined Mbaye on four created chances and remains Villa’s chief conductor in all competitions (15).

• The skipper, who missed a decent chance himself, linked up well with his teenage teammate out on the right. Maybe Unai Emery will use that same combination at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, given Emi Buendia’s (£5.9m) poor Gameweek 4 performance. Then again, Johan Manzambi (£5.9m), who’ll soon be pushing for his first start after successive cameos, might shake things up.

• Barkley did well in the engine room alongside Bogarde, matching the team-high three shots of McGinn and Abraham. He could continue there beside Boubacar Kamara (£5.0m) – given a full rest – as Leon Goretzka (£5.9m) is out until after the international break and Joao Gomes (£5.5m) missed this cup tie because of a calf issue.

“Joao Gomes needs some days to come back. We will test him [Thursday] and Friday and if it’s going well, he might be available for the weekend.” – Unai Emery on Joao Gomes

• At the back, deputy goalkeeper Marco Bizot (£4.5m) came off at half-time due to back pain. But Zion Suzuki (£5.0m) was always going to start in for Gameweek 5 anyway.

“[Bizot] was feeling some pain in his back and we needed to change him.” – Unai Emery

• Up front, Abraham got the nod over Nicolas Jackson (£6.5m), who he replaced at half-time in Gameweek 4. He broke the deadlock after seven minutes; a calm finish assisted by George Hemmings (£4.5m).

• That was as many goals as he’d managed throughout his previous 16 appearances. Yet, early in the second half, he scored again.

• Linked with moves away from Villa Park over the summer, Abraham stayed to fight for his place and drew post-match plaudits from Emery. Has he given his manager something to think about for Saturday lunchtime?

“Very, very positive how Tammy performed. Of course, scoring goals, he will feel confidence for the next matches and for us as well it’s important to add players getting confidence and being ready to play and perform and get to our level for the next weeks and months and of course Saturday against Tottenham.” – Unai Emery on Tammy Abraham

• Then again, Jackson boasts four goals from four Premier League wins over Spurs.

• There’s probably less danger of a Gameweek 5 start for loanee Alejandro Garnacho (£5.8m), who was an unused substitute for the third match in a row. Judging by Emery’s quote below, he’s firmly behind Hemmings, Mbaye and recent scorer Alysson (£5.0m) in the pecking order.

“[Garnacho has to] continue working. Work, work, train, work. When he can have minutes to play, try and play well. He is progressing, but we have players in front of him now.

“George [Hemmings] is playing fantastic. Alysson is also understanding things well and is giving us things I want. [Ibrahim] Mbaye also responded well. We want a competitive team and players to compete in the style we have.

“Garnacho is a little bit behind, because of some circumstances we had in pre-season. It is time to be patient for the time he needs.” – Unai Emery

• Another unused substitute on Wednesday was Matty Cash (£4.4m), who reportedly experienced some discomfort in the warm-up after missing Villa’s previous two matches with a muscular issue. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.5m) may therefore keep his place.

• So that’s two wins in two cup matches for Emery’s group, including last week’s Champions League outing, which slightly lifts the mood at a club that’s still winless in the league. The trip to Spurs is a solid chance to nab that elusive victory.

“We are not [consistent] in the Premier League but in the Champions League and against Coventry in the Carabao Cup, we performed fantastic, and the players as well responded on the field like we need.

“The new players as well, how they are trying to understand everything tactically and individuals showing their skills, is positive.” – Unai Emery

COVENTRY CITY

• As for Coventry, Frank Lampard made nine changes to the side that lost 5-0 at Brighton and Hove Albion, but ultimately to no avail despite a few promising spells.

• The high point was a lovely free-kick from Victor Torp (£5.4m). The Dane fired out a match-high five shots, which could earn him a league start versus Nottingham Forest.

• Increasingly under fire, Lampard was forced into an unwanted early change when centre-back Aurele Amenda (£4.0m) pulled up with a calf problem. He‘s likely to miss at least one game.

“Calf, we don’t know how bad but, yeah, it was one of the reasons I took Steph[en Mfuni] off in the second half because we’re getting shorter with that injury, which is always a worry when you’re playing a midweek game like this. Let’s not jump to conclusions [severity], we’ll see. Yeah, I would expect him not [to be] available [against Forest].” – Frank Lampard on Aurele Amenda

• Ethan Pinnock (£4.5m), who has started and completed successive league matches since joining from Brentford, came on in the 12th minute. He, alongside fellow centre-back Bobby Thomas (£4.0m), went on to hit the DefCon threshold.

• Lampard had switched to a back four in this game anyway and may stick with that set-up this weekend given he is now down one of his three starting centre-backs. Though Thomas and Pinnock will probably have to power through, Milan van Ewijk (£4.0m) and Josh Dasilva (£4.0m) could at least offer fresh legs at full-back, having been fully rested in midweek for Joel Latibeaudiere (£4.0m) and debutant Stephen Mfuni (£4.0m). At full-time, Lampard said the latter was “possibly our best player” on the pitch:

“I thought he was fantastic. He’s a really, really good player and he’s impressed us in the couple of weeks he’s been with us. For me, he is going to be a really top player. We’re pleased to have him and he showed a lot of his qualities.” – Frank Lampard on Stephen Mfuni

• With all of that being said, there’s probably little point in investing in Coventry defenders at the moment anyway unless you’re happy hoping for DefCon points; they’ve conceded 15 goals in all competitions already this season, and – as we mentioned above – looked terribly vulnerable from set pieces, something Lampard acknowledged:

“They started well, better than us, and they get a goal which is poor. Our reaction was great. Getting the equaliser and the stadium felt great, but the two goals – we have to be better. The critical game from then was set pieces. You cannot win games at this level against Premier League opposition when you give away two easy ones like that.” – Frank Lampard

• Any point in backing Coventry’s attackers? Forest may be down a few defenders themselves but they still have one of the best clean sheet odds in the division this weekend, with the Sky Blues still looking far from clinical in front of goal.

• Sidiki Cherif (£5.0m) was given the nod against Villa with Taiwo Awoniyi (£5.5m) suspended until mid-October, and the 19-year-old racked up four shots but only put one of them on target. He was replaced by Ellis Simms (£5.0m) just before the hour mark.

“Sidiki’s not played minutes. His transfer went on over the summer so he lacked minutes at Fenerbahce. We’ve had to be careful with him, it’s just good to get the minutes in the tank for him.” – Frank Lampard on Sidiki Cherif

• Elsewhere, there was a debut for midfielder Yann Gboho (£5.5m) and rests for the likes of Jack Rudoni (£5.0m) and captain Matt Grimes (£4.9m), while Frank Onyeka (£4.9m) shook off the knock that forced him off last weekend to make a cameo here.

SUNDERLAND

• Regis Le Bris made four lineup changes for Sunderland’s first European game in 53 years, including Omar Alderete (£4.9m) – who has rarely featured so far and who was forced off after 52 minutes here – coming in for Dan Ballard (£4.9m), who hasn’t missed a league minute.

• The other alterations came in the front three as Trai Hume (£4.4m), Malick Fofana (£5.5m) and Wilson Isidor (£5.5m) replaced Thomas Meunier (£4.5m), Nilson Angulo (£5.0m) and Brian Brobbey (£5.8m).

• Perhaps the most notable move was the inclusion of FPL defender Hume. He began the season as an appealing ‘out-of-position’ asset on Sunderland’s right wing but has now been benched in successive Gameweeks, instead starting both this and last week’s EFL Cup win.

• Hume delivered a solid display against AZ, having a few chances at goal, but his remaining owners will be concerned at another full midweek runout. We could again see Meunier take his place out wide on Sunday, though very few would’ve started Hume away to Manchester City anyway.

• Elsewhere, Isidor’s pattern of minutes suggests that Brobbey is still their first choice forward in the league. But that could change if the latter keeps drawing blanks while the former gains attacking returns.

• One mainstay is Enzo Le Fee (£5.8m), who made amends for the Gameweek 4 penalty miss by burying his latest effort from 12 yards.

• As well as winning that penalty, Le Fee hit the post from open play, while being responsible for creating the joint-most chances (four) and accumulating the most touches inside the opposition box (eight). Additionally, four shots and 11 crosses.

• Le Bris seemingly solidified his countryman’s position as first-choice penalty taker despite last weekend’s miss. That itself came a week after Le Fee scored one against Brentford.

“I trust him. He stepped up once again with courage and bravery. These kind of players are resilient.” – Regis Le Bris on Enzo Le Fee

• Nordi Mukiele (£5.4m) was the joint-chief playmaker alongside Le Fee. Meanwhile, Noah Sadiki (£4.9m) hit the DefCon threshold, as Granit Xhaka (£5.5m) came up slightly short.

• Sunderland’s 13 first-half shots were the most by a Europa League home debutant since 2017. However, this was still a tense affair at times. The generally poor AZ enjoyed more possession and forced a few crucial stops and interventions from Robin Roefs (£4.9m).