Michail Antonio and Angelo Ogbonna grab a goal apiece as West Ham knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup in extra time. Philippe Coutinho nets the Merseysiders’ goal upon his return from injury. Everton pair John Stones and Tim Howard could be in line for a weekend return, whilst Leicester new boy Daniel Amartey is handed his debut for the club’s reserves as he steps up his match sharpness.
Ogbonna wins it for West Ham
West Ham United gained entry into the fifth round of the FA Cup by virtue of Angelo Ogbonna’s last-gasp winner in extra time. Michail Antonio opened the scoring in regulation time, while Enner Valencia and Dimitri Payet supplied the assists. Slaven Bilic opted for a near full-strength side, with Adrian the only notable omission from the starting XI. It wasn’t all good news for the Hammers, however, as Winston Reid (hamstring), Cheikhou Kouyate (concussion) and Joey O’Brien were all subbed off in the second half due to injury.
The Scout Says: Antonio (5.3) continues to push his case as the prime route into West Ham’s attack – ahead of the pricier Payet (8.2). The former Nottingham Forest wide man has drawn just two blanks since Gameweek 18, chalking up three goals and five assists in the process. Furthermore, he’s mustered three more attempts (seven to four) and five more shots inside the box (six to one) than the Frenchman over the last four Gameweeks. Nonetheless, the fact that Payet ranks second among midfielders for key passes (14) across that stretch suggests that Fantasy returns are on the horizon. Ultimately, both men represent strong picks as the Irons prepare to face a Norwich City outfit that charts second for goals conceded (48) and top for big chances allowed (62) this term. It’s worth nothing, though, that if West Ham beat Blackburn Rovers or if Watford beat Leeds United in the FA Cup, Bilic’s men will face a blank in Gameweek 30. On a side note, O’Brien’s knock strengthens Sam Byram’s chances of being given the nod at Carrow Road – with James Tomkins also sidelined, the winter signing (who was unable to play last night as he is cup-tied) now looks in pole position for the right-back berth.
Coutinho nets on injury return
Jurgen Klopp made 10 changes to his side for the trip to Upton Park but Liverpool’s inexperienced outfit fell at the final hurdle following a tightly contested affair. The fit-again Philippe Coutinho converted a low free-kick to send the tie into extra time, before being replaced at the 59-minute mark – it was at that point which Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi entered the fray on their return from injury. Christian Benteke played from start to finish but yet again failed to find the net for the Merseysiders.
The Scout Says: Having been afforded nearly an hour of pitch time at the Boleyn Ground, Coutinho may well be in line to start at Aston Villa this weekend. Sturridge enjoyed similar minutes in London but is highly unlikely to be afforded another substantial run-out at the weekend in light of his proclivity for setbacks. Roberto Firmino’s owners will be glad to see he was afforded the night off – despite an upcoming blank in Gameweek 27 and subsequent home tie against Manchester City, who boast the joint-second-best defensive record in away matches (11), the Brazilian has been snapped up by over 80,000 FPL managers this week after bagging his third double-figure haul in five last time out. Liverpool’s exit last night now means that if Man City triumph over Chelsea in their upcoming FA Cup encounter, the Reds’ match-up against Chelsea in Gameweek 30 will go ahead as normal, with both clubs eliminated from the cup competition.
Martinez optimistic on injured pair
Roberto Martinez is hopeful that John Stones and Tim Howard will be passed fit for Everton’s upcoming home tie against West Bromwich Albion following their successful training sessions this week. Meanwhile, Muhamed Besic is unlikely to return for that league clash but is expected to play a part in the Toffees’ FA Cup trip to Bournemouth:
“Yesterday we had a very productive day in respect [of injuries]. John had a really good feeling after his work and we are hoping that he can join the group this week leading up to the West Brom game. Tim Howard is very similar. He had a very good session on a one-to-one basis. We knew that they were problems that could be managed and treated in a short-term and conservative manner. We are very pleased with how their bodies have reacted. Now it’s about taking it step-by-step, introducing them to the group and seeing how they react. Hopefully they will be available for the West Brom game, if not at the maximum Bournemouth. Mo Besic is ahead of where we expected but it is probably too early for him to be involved in the West Brom game but I will be surprised if he doesn’t make the squad for the Bournemouth match or the week after against Aston Villa.”
The Scout Says: With Stones and Howard sidelined for the last two matches, and Leighton Baines dropped to the bench, Everton have recorded consecutive clean sheets, ranked fourth-bottom for shots inside the box conceded (11) and joint-second-bottom for big chances surrendered (one). Martinez has a selection headache, then, with Joel Robles and Ramiro Funes Mori arguably showing enough to retain their starting berths. Regardless, Seamus Coleman – who opened his account against Stoke City last weekend – serves as our favoured route into the Toffees’ back line ahead of the Baggies encounter. On that note, West Brom roll up to Goodison on the back of a single goal in the last four Gameweeks and chart second-bottom for goals amassed in away fixtures (eight), illustrating Everton’s strong shut-out potential prior to their Gameweek 27 blank.
Amartey steps up fitness drive
Ghanaian midfielder Daniel Amartey – who joined from Copenhagen during the January transfer window – was handed his Leicester debut yesterday. The versatile midfielder played for 90 minutes during the development squad’s 1-0 loss to Reading, with reserve boss Steve Beaglehole praising the new boy’s assured performance in tricky playing conditions:
“While it was a difficult game for him, not knowing too many of the lads yet and it being in difficult conditions, he looked very comfortable. He looks like he will be a very good addition to the first team squad I’m sure. I saw a lot of positives from his performance, as did the manager, Claudio Ranieri, who came down to watch him and sat on the bench, which was of course great for our young lads to experience too.”
The Scout Says: Although his versatility lends itself to a myriad of positions, Amartey predominantly operates as a defensive midfielder. Considering that N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater are sure-fire starters in the centre of the park, the Foxes’ new boy will only become a factor if the league leaders suffer a spate of injuries. Speaking of Leicester’s impact on the Fantasy scene, their recent resurgence in attack – which has yielded eight goals in three matches against Stoke, Liverpool and City – and ongoing defensive diligence (five clean sheets in seven) is tempting many managers to triple up on their coverage. The appeal of this tactic is bolstered by the fact they don’t have a blank in Gameweek 27 and are one of currently only four sides who definitely won’t have a blank in Gameweek 30 – the fate of the other fixtures depends upon results in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
