The latest of late goals causes heartache for both Southampton supporters and Fantasy managers, while Crystal Palace’s surging stars send Stoke City down and Swansea City’s well-backed assets deliver little ahead of a crunch clash with the Saints in midweek.
Sam Allardyce’s Everton managed to share the despair among home and away fans alike in the 1-1 draw with Southampton at Goodison Park.
Tom Davies’ deflected shot, in the sixth of a scheduled four minutes’ injury time, earned the Toffees an ill-deserved draw that didn’t stop the booing when the final whistle blew seconds later.
The goal also extended the grief to those Fantasy managers who had invested in the Saints’ backline for Double Gameweek 37.
Cedric Soares, in particular, was denied a big haul by Davies’ last-gasp intervention.
The wing-back had provided the assist for substitute Nathan Redmond’s opener and was heading for a clean sheet, maximum bonus and what would have been the day’s top points score.
His 4.1% Fantasy Premier League (FPL) ownership instead had to make do with five points as he returned his third assist in five Gameweeks since being revitalised by coach Mark Hughes’ switch to a 3-5-2.
That three-man defence will now be without Maya Yoshida for Tuesday’s crunch clash with Swansea City after the centre-half was sent off for two bookable offences.
Jack Stephens should come in for the Japanese international as Southampton look for the vital three points that were so fortuitously snatched from them yesterday.
Who features up front in south Wales is open to question, however.
Charlie Austin started at Goodison, but returned just one point after a booking, and Hughes might turn to the more mobile Shane Long at Swansea.
Dusan Tadic, whose ownership doubled to more than 217,000 on the back of a two-goal display against Bournemouth, put on a frustrating display which has been all too familiar in recent seasons.
The Serb completed just 65% of his passes and failed to set up a single chance for a team-mate, firing just one shot from outside the box.
The team’s most popular signing for Double Gameweek 37 lasted just 69 minutes before being replaced. Meanwhile, Redmond’s eye-catching 45 minutes from the bench is likely to earn him a start at the Liberty Stadium, although probably not at the expense of Tadic.
As for Everton, the industrious Davies earned maximum bonus, with Idrissa Gueye handed two extra points after providing the assist for the goal that kept West Brom’s faint hopes of survival alive – for another few days, at least.
Stoke down, Palace on the up
Stoke City’s decade in the Premier League came to an end with a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of in-form Crystal Palace.
The match produced minimal Fantasy returns, with the major acts coming from low-owned players.
Star of the show was James McArthur (3.7%), who continued his superb end to the season with a goal and maximum bonus that produced his second straight double-digit return.
The midfielder (4.4) also found the net, and provided an assist, in last week’s drubbing of Leicester City, earning him 22,000+ new owners for Gameweek 37 and a price rise heading to the bet365 Stadium.
Patrick van Aanholt’s form has been equally impressive of late.
The 1.8%-owned defender also made it back-to-back goals and has two clean sheets to show from a highly productive last three Gameweeks. He now has four goals from his last nine Gameweek starts.
The impressive Ruben Loftus-Cheek (3.2%) provided the other assist on the day, but Palace’s more popular players had mixed fortunes.
Luka Milivojevic (13%) was booked and earned just a single point, although 34.5% of his 758,836 owners had benched him for the match anyway.
Wilfried Zaha (7.7%), meanwhile, was the most signed player on show, with 43,000+ bringing him in and gaining five points from an assist that took him to four of those – and as many goals – in the eight Gameweeks since his return from injury.
The winger could well attract further investment ahead of a Gameweek 38 visit from West Brom, although the Baggies are proving decidedly difficult opponents of late and are still in with a shot at survival if Swansea and Southampton draw on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, McArthur is likely to be a popular enabler for those requiring funds to bring back Mohamed Salah for his Anfield meeting with Brighton.
As for Stoke, their most owned player, Xherdan Shaqiri (8.5%), scored his first goal in nine Gameweeks to reward the 495,000+ managers who have stayed loyal through thin and thinner.
Then again, his ownership has dropped by 89,000+ over the last two Gameweeks, with 53,000+ selling him on ahead of this weekend.
The relegated Potters will go to Swansea on the final day, and the only likely Fantasy role they have left to play is one promoting investment in Swans’ assets.
Swans a-sinking
Swansea’s Tuesday match with Southampton is now assuming epic status thanks to a 1-0 loss at Bournemouth yesterday.
Fantasy business in Carvalhal’s troops had been relatively brisk ahead of their double fixtures, but Ryan Fraser’s winner, set up Andrew Surman, blew any chance of a clean sheet.
And matters at the other end of the pitch were not helped by Jordan Ayew’s profligacy.
The striker brought 143,000 new owners into the match – only Gabriel Jesus and Harry Kane were purchased by more among forwards – only to blow a big first-half chance when put through by his brother, Andre.
Cavalhal shuffled his pack for the encounter, hurting Fantasy managers’ prospects as he went.
In came Federico Fernandez, Tom Carroll and Nathan Dyer for Kyle Naughton, Andy King and Sam Clucas.
That was a big blow for Naughton’s 383,000+ owners, with unconfirmed reports that he missed out through illness. However, with Connor Roberts impressing at right wing-back, his starting role is now far from assured even when available.
Meanwhile, King (4.2) had proved to be a popular budget enabler in midfield, only for his 209,000 ownership to see him given 18 minutes from the bench after seven successive starts.
If Swansea fail to win on Tuesday, they will get one more shot at survival in Gameweek 38’s home match against Stoke.
Ayew and the Swans defence could still be cut-price options for that fixture, given its must-win status.
Beach boys’ bad vibrations
West Ham guaranteed top-flight football for another season with a 2-0 win at a lame and listless Leicester City.
The Foxes’ Double Gameweek 37, which concludes with a visit from Arsenal, followed on from another set of extra fixtures in Gameweek 34.
That had promoted much Wildcard interest in their players, but it’s all turned horribly sour.
Jamie Vardy (23.4%) blanked for a third straight match, Riyad Mahrez (8.9%) for a sixth.
Harry Maguire (11.5%) has led a backline that’s now managed two clean sheets in 12, and while Wes Morgan’s 3% ownership would have welcomed his return to the team over the last two Gameweeks, he’s produced just a single point. Defensive returns against Arsenal in midweek also seem unlikely.
Morgan’s starting role was assured with Aleksandar Dragovic restricted to the bench after a sickness bug, but he came on at half-time for Vicente Iborra as Maguire shifted into midfield.
Dragovic is now an early doubt for midweek with a shoulder injury, which could well mean that Morgan retains his start, while Ben Chilwell and Danny Simpson could be considered for recalls if they are fit again.
Leicester’s end of season slump could well cost manager Claude Puel his job.
It’s certainly prompting Fantasy sales in his players, with Vardy, Chilwell and Mahrez among the top seven most sold players so far.
Hammers nailed-on
West Ham’s most popular regular starter, Marko Arnautovic (6.9%), had the backing of 58,000+ new owners and was unfortunate to be denied a spectacular goal by the woodwork after a stunning second-half effort in yesterday’s victory.
But he then set up the opener for Joao Mario, who brought in maximum bonus for his second double-digit haul in five starts, before Mark Noble sealed the deal.
Arnautovic has now been involved in nine goals (five goals, four assists) in his last eight Premier League away matches, but he picked up a knock and was withdrawn after 78 minutes.
His ownership will hope he recovers for a second start of Gameweek 37, at home to Man United. The fixture does take place on Thursday, which gives him an extra day to recover.
Then again, the Hammers are now home and hosed for another season, with Jose Mourinho’s men likely to have more to play for as they strive to secure a berth in the FA Cup final starting line-up following Friday’s dismal showing at Brighton.
Magpies stung by Hornets
A dead rubber produced only intermittent Fantasy joy as Watford saw off Newcastle 2-1.
Roberto Pereyra scored and set up Andre Gray’s goal to bring in 11 points for his negligible 0.2% ownership, with Abdoulaye Doucoure also providing an assist for the home side.
Pereyra now has three goals from his last four home matches, with yesterday’s strike spoiling the plans of Fantasy managers who had invested in Newcastle’s backline ahead of their double.
The only bright spot at the back was goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (1%).
He saved a Troy Deeney penalty and was also awarded the maximum bonus to return 11 points for his backers.
Ayoze Perez (6.1%) ended a two-match scoring drought with a goal, set up by Javier Manquillo.
The striker has now fired four goals and two assists over his last six Gameweeks. His ownership has increased by 245,000 in the last three, with 63,000+ new managers picking him up for his Vicarage Road return.
Perez now sits on 20.2 points per million as the top “value” forward along with West Brom’s Jay Rodriguez.
