More EFL Cup fourth-round ties to dissect now as we look back on wins for Sunderland and Bournemouth.
As ever, we’re concentrating on the Fantasy implications in these Scout Notes and not so much the cup matches themselves.
- READ MORE: Tuesday’s EFL Cup notes (Arsenal): Calafiori + Rice injury updates as Arsenal crash out
- READ MORE: Wednesday’s EFL Cup notes (Chelsea + Liverpool): Pedro latest, Lacroix injury, Rogers pen + Isak rested
- READ MORE: Wednesday’s EFL Cup notes (Man City, Brighton, Fulham + C Palace): Cherki + Foden’s full 90, Man City rests, Minteh mins
RESULTS
| Score | Goals | Assists | Leading DefCons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth 3-0 Aston Villa | Adli, Cook, Rodriguez | Soler, Gannon-Doak, Adams | Cook (13), Sanchez (10) |
| Sunderland 3-2 Brentford | Talbi, Tutierov, Fofana | Wilson, Thiago | Ta Bi x2 | Janelt, Jensen | Anthony (12), Danso (12) |
SELECTION/ROTATION
| Team | Starting XI changes made from GW8 | Players who kept their places (mins played) | Other mins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth | 8 | Silva (90), Cook (90), Tavernier (45) | Di Gregorio (90), Sanchez (90), Diakite (90), Soler (90), Rodriguez (80), Gannon-Doak (63), Christie (63), Adli (45), Rayan (45), Kluivert (45), Adams (27), Brooks (27), Kroupi (10) |
| Aston Villa | 9 | Maatsen (90), Gomes (90) | Bizot (90), Bogarde (90), Harwood-Bellis (90), Mings (90), Goretzka (70), Buendia (70), Mbaye (58), Hemmings (58), Madjo (75), Garnacho (32), Alysson (32), Barkley (20), McGinn (20), Abraham (15) |
| Sunderland | 11 | – | Ellborg (90), Browne (90), Danso (90), Methalie (90), Ahoka (90), Fofana (90), Bi (90) Talbi (80), Alderete (60), Tuterov (60), Diarra (45), Rigg (45), O’Nien (30), Muenier (30), Proctor (10), Scott (2) |
| Brentford | 8 | Kayode (90), Thiago (90), Sangare (59) | Valdimarsson (90), Schuster (90), Diouf (90), Janelt (90), Damsgaard (90), Collins (71), Anthony (71), Wilson (59), Hickey (31), Jensen (31), Ouattara (31), Ajer (19), Schade (19) |
SCOUT NOTES
ASTON VILLA
From the lofty high of besting Manchester City once again at Villa Park last weekend, to the woeful low of being shut out and dumped out of the Carabao Cup.
Unai Emery made a raft of changes to the side that ran out against City. There were nine of them in total, including Brian Madjo (£5.4m) up top and Emi Buendia (£5.9m) in the ‘10’ role. So, there’s little to read into this result going into Gameweek 9.
The rotation meant full rests for both Nicolas Jackson (£6.8m) and Johan Manzambi (£6.1m). Breakout star Manzambi’s minutes are being managed as he works back from injury amid the busy fixture schedule.
There were no suggestions of any fresh fitness issues for either Jackson or Manzambi, so the pair’s FPL backers needn’t worry unless we hear news to the contrary from Emery before Gameweek 9.
Teenaged striker Madjo, making his first start since the Super Cup in August, didn’t have much service but did manage a joint match-high two shots on target. Buendia, meanwhile, fired off a match-high four shots but none of them was on target. The Argentine midfielder created three chances – level with experienced newcomer Leon Goretzka (£5.9m) for the most in Villa’s ranks – but to no avail.
“We created chances after the first goal [but] we were not clinical. Second half, after they scored the second goal, we created chances but we didn’t score.” – Unai Emery
It was a generally poor night for Villa’s much-changed defence, who were caught out at the start of both halves by their energetic hosts and failed to close the Cherries down quickly enough for the third goal as well. Zion Suzuki’s (£5.0m) presence was missed between the posts, especially when back-up stopper Marco Bizot (£4.5m) was caught out by a post-corner cross for Bournemouth’s second of the evening shortly after half-time. The Dutchman did make a few strong saves but arguably could have been better positioned for the Cherries’ first goal as well, if not their third.
“I think the players did everything we planned but the intensity [Bournemouth] had in the first 15 minutes of the first half and the first 15 minutes of the second half, when they scored those two goals, was the difference.” – Unai Emery
Fulham at home on Saturday night should be a comparatively easier outing and opportunity to bounce back from a first defeat in eight games, particularly with Suzuki back in goal and the likes of Jackson and Manzambi leading the attack.
BOURNEMOUTH
Bournemouth, on the other hand, extended their brilliant recent run to five successive wins without conceding, scoring 14 times in the process.
The first of their three goals here came courtesy of Amine Adli (£4.8m), who lost his markers to knock the ball home from close range after left-back Julio Soler’s (£4.0m) chipped cross. Lewis Cook (£5.0m) – one of two Cherries to hit the DefCon threshold – was the man responsible for Bournemouth’s surprise second goal, the central midfielder’s delivery following a short corner sneaking inside Bizot’s near post. Completing the scoring was Alvaro Rodriguez (£6.0m), who pressed well throughout and was replaced by the fit-again Eli Kroupi Junior (£7.3m) for the final 10 minutes.
Evanilson (£6.2m), on a run of three goals in three Gameweeks, was given the night off, while Rayan (£6.3m) and Justin Kluivert (£5.9m) came on as half-time replacements for Adli and the in-form Marcus Tavernier (£6.4m).
“Yes.” – Marco Rose on whether Evanilson was simply given the night off on Wednesday
There were no indications of an injury to Tavernier at the time of writing, with his substitution likelt a planned one to give his legs a rest and grant the returning Kluivert some more game time. Rose confirmed in Thursday’s presser that the Cherries hadn’t picked up any fresh injuries.
- In the same press conference, he also suggested that Kroupi wouldn’t be starting for the break.
“We still need to build up his game time. I’m really happy to have him back, to have his quality, but he knows he has to be patient in this situation and not get in a difficult situation with another injury. We need to get him fit, in a good spot, with more and more match time, and in between, good sessions of training.
“We’re going to get him in a good spot the next couple of weeks and then he’s ready to start again. If he stays healthy, then I hope he’s going to go on a run.” – Marco Rose on Eli Junior Kroupi
SUNDERLAND
Regis Le Bris fielded a completely new XI to the one that started Sunday’s stalemate against Leeds, but you’d have hardly thought these were second-stringers from Sunderland’s rambunctious first half display.
Right winger Jocelin Ta Bi (£4.9m) was central to all three goals. The Ivorian’s shot was spilled for the first of them, with Chemsdine Talbi (£5.2m) nudging his already goalbound rebound over the line. The second goal came after Ta Bi charged into the box and cut back for makeshift centre-forward Tymur Tutierov (£5.0m). The third, Malick Fofana’s (£5.5m) back-post header, was set up by Bi’s pinpoint cross.
“Jocelin comes from another country, another culture. We can’t teach him how to dribble, how to escape pressure, how to deliver. He’s gifted, he worked hard previously to get those qualities and we can help him to learn how to defend.
“I think it was a really good experience. On the right side, they overloaded this side so at half-time it was important to fix problems but he was brave. He was running probably much more than expected and finally it was still possible to deliver those two or three key passes.” – Regis Le Bris
Le Bris has plenty of wide options available to him, of course, so it remains to be seen whether Bi’s performance here – after starting the previous Carabao Cup match against Hull – could earn him more of a look-in amidst the stuttering league campaign. He and fellow winger Fofana looked dangerous, beating Brentford’s full-backs time and again.
Goals at the end of each half denied a clean sheet to the back-up backline, of which only Kevin Danso (£5.0m) – available again after serving his suspension for a Gameweek 7 red card – is at all likely to keep his starting spot in Gameweek 9. Even then, it could be Luke O’Nien (£3.9m) – who managed nine DefCon actions in 30 minutes, after notching 17 when starting in Danso’s absence last weekend – partnering Nordi Mukiele (£5.4m).
The likes of Granit Xhaka (£5.4m), Enzo Le Fee (£5.7m) and Brian Brobbey (£5.7m) were all given the night off, so too Mukiele and Trai Hume (£4.2m).
All in all, a better showing from the hosts at the Stadium of Light, who now travel to Coventry on Saturday afternoon having given Le Bris food for thought when it comes to his team selection.
BRENTFORD
Brentford had more first-teamers in their starting XI, and looked to be comfortably on top in the opening stages with Igor Thiago (£7.8m) firing wide while Mamadou Sangare (£5.4m) and returning captain Nathan Collins (£5.4m) forcing saves. As we’ve mentioned, it all came crashing down rather quickly after that.
“We can’t concede goals like that in such a short period of time and defend like that and expect to get a good outcome out of the game. I think the game is about both boxes really. What happens in between sometimes can be a little bit of fluff really. I think the way we defend those particular instances, we need to do the basics better. We need to take chances. We need to manage the key moments within the game.
“Granted, there are some players coming into the team that haven’t played it in a while, but we pride ourselves on those basics and what we do and how we defend as a team, not as individuals. Either side of that, we were pretty good. We’ve obviously scored two and feel like we could have and should have scored more. It’s a crazy game but we obviously look at ourselves and how we conceded those goals and clearly aren’t too happy about it.” – Keith Andrews
The Bees did pull one back prior to the break when Vitaly Janelt’s (£5.0m) mishit volley was redirected into the net by Callum Wilson (£5.4m).
The former Newcastle striker, starting in tandem with Thiago – who finished with nine DefCon actions – in a 4-4-2, had another close-range effort saved just before half-time and was hooked for Dango Ouattara (£6.2m) as part of a triple change just shy of the hour mark.
Michael Kayode (£4.6m), who had a tough time against Fofana, was replaced at the same time by Aaron Hickey (£4.5m), with Mathias Jensen (£5.4m) – whose cross was headed in by Thiago in stoppage time – coming on for Sangare.
With fellow midfielder Janelt – who fired off a match-high three shots, level with Thiago and Wilson, and joined Jensen in creating two chances – now available following his suspension, Sangare might be set for a return to the bench come Gameweek 9’s home meeting with Nottingham Forest.
- Left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.5m) created two chances as well but had an even rougher night than Kayode. Run ragged by Bi, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the £40m signing from West Ham dropped again in favour of Keane Lewis-Potter (£5.5m).
Brentford had twice Sunderland’s possession and more than doubled their shot tally (16 to seven) as they tried to mount a comeback, but it wasn’t to be for Keith Andrews’s men who are now winless in four games since their Gameweek 5 triumph over Chelsea.
Kevin Schade (£6.2m), Brentford’s most popular FPL pick at present, created two chances after coming on for Jaidon Anthony (£5.9m) – the only Bees man to hit the DefCon threshold – for the final 20 minutes.
Thiago, meanwhile, has assists in three straight FPL Gameweeks and scored in his league outing before that but was made to work for his goal here, scuffing his early chance before failing to connect with one header in the second half and seeing another cleared off the line.
