Arouna Kone hits a hat-trick as Everton hammer Sunderland at Goodison. Romelu Lukaku and Gerard Deulofeu both deliver double-figure hauls, whilst Steven Fletcher nets for the third time in the last four for the Wearsiders. Elsewhere, Graziano Pelle and Steven Davis bag a goal apiece as Southampton see off local rivals Bournemouth at St Mary’s.
Kone Treble Downs Black Cats
Arouna Kone was the unlikely hat-trick hero as Everton carded a 6-2 victory over Sunderland at Goodison Park. The Ivorian frontman was making his first start in five Gameweeks and also bagged an assist, engendering a 20-point haul for the round. Although Kone is priced enticingly at 4.8 and could profit from the Toffees’ excellent schedule through to the New Year, it’s worth remembering that Steven Naismith enjoyed a similar flourish in Gameweek 5 (hat-trick against Chelsea) but soon disappeared off our radar.
Romelu Lukaku rewarded the 50,000 Fantasy managers that recruited him prior to Gameweek 11, serving up a goal and two assists. In light of the Merseysiders’ stellar run of fixtures from now until Gameweek 19, Lukaku’s potential worth has been well documented – and that’s already coming to fruition. With head-to-heads against Aston Villa (home) and Bournemouth (away) in the next three, his 26% ownership will be eagerly anticipating further attacking returns.
Gerard Deulofeu bagged a goal and two assists against the Black Cats, underlining his differential potential. Although Roberto Martinez’s penchant for rotation on the flanks renders him a risky punt, it’s worth noting that the young Spaniard has now started four of the last five and racked up a goal and five assists over those fixtures. James McCarthy scooped his first assist of the campaign to round off Everton’s scoring.
Sunderland Swept Aside
Steven Fletcher and Jermain Defoe both found the mark as the Wearsiders slumped to their fourth successive road defeat. Impressively, the former now lays claim to three goals and one assist in the last four Gameweeks, bolstering his case for investment as a budget (5.0) third forward. That being said, it’s hard to look past the similarly priced Odion Ighalo (5.4), who’s second in the league-wide scoring charts (seven goals) this term.
Sebastian Coates earned an assist but negated two of those points with an own goal at the 55-minute mark. Patrick van Aanholt’s assist was his first attacking points of the season as the Dutchman was handed a first start since Gameweek 7. Regardless, Sunderland’s rearguard assets are far from desirable at present, given that they’ve conceded 14 goals in the last six Gameweeks and boast just one clean sheet this term.
Pelle Notches Again
Graziano Pelle came up trumps for his 34% ownership in a 2-0 home win against Bournemouth, firing home his first goal in three league matches. Akin to Lukaku, Saints’ premier frontman is in the midst of a favourable streak of match-ups (sun, STO, mc, AVL, cry), rendering him a popular pick in the mid-priced bracket. Considering Sunderland’s humbling at the hands of Everton, Pelle is sure to attract a host of captain’s armbands next time out.
Steven Davis popped up with his second goal in four matches. The Northern Ireland international’s 4.8 price tag catches the eye, yet the fact he’s only attempted four shots in 11 starts suggests he’s experiencing an unsustainable purple patch. Elsewhere in the south-coast outfit’s midfield, Dusan Tadic chalked up his second assist in three starts, while Victor Wanyama picked up a red card for two bookable offences – the Kenyan enforcer will return to contention after the international break when Southampton play host to Stoke City.
Ryan Bertrand registered an assist to complement Saints’ first clean sheet in six outings. Yesterday aside, Ronald Koeman’s troops have struggled to batten down the hatches of late, but the fact that they face off against Aston Villa and Stoke – who rank joint-bottom for goal scored (nine) – in the next four Gameweeks bodes well for their hopes of establishing consistency at the back.
Another Loss for Cherries
Although a move to 4-3-3 to accommodate fit-again Harry Arter saw Bournemouth tally more attempts (16 compared to 11) than their local rivals, the Cherries failed to score for the first time since Gameweek 2 as they slipped to a fifth successive defeat. No team has shipped more goals (12) in the last trio of Gameweeks than Eddie Howe’s men, which serves as encouragement for Newcastle United and Swansea City investors in light of the Cherries’ next wave of fixtures (NEW, swa, EVE, che).
