Wolverhampton Wanderers’ front two returned more points for their Fantasy owners on Saturday and one half of their strike duo is – at the time of writing – proving to be the most-popular buy of Gameweek 37.
We reflect on Wolves’ latest victory in our Scout Notes below and assess how Newcastle are looking ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Tyneside on Saturday.
We also ponder if there is any life left in Brighton assets after their latest underwhelming display.
Watford 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Goals: Andre Gray (£6.0m) | Raul Jimenez (£6.9m), Diogo Jota (£6.2m)
- Assists: None | Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves (£4.9m)
Dioga Jota‘s (£6.2m) superb run of form continued at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
The “out of position” Portuguese midfielder bagged a goal and assist as Wolves beat Watford 2-1 and took a huge step towards sealing seventh place in their first season back in the Premier League.
This is no flash in the pan: Jota now has 16 attacking returns (nine goals, seven assists) in his last 18 top-flight appearances and averages 6.17 FPL points per match during that time.
The mid-price FPL midfielder, who seems certain to rise in price (and perhaps be reclassified as a forward) next season, registered more shots and penalty box touches than anyone on show at Vicarage Road and scored the game’s winning goal when converting an excellent Ruben Neves (£4.9m) cross in the 76th minute – though Jota owed a debt of gratitude to Ben Foster (£4.6m) for going on a walkabout in the Watford box.
Jota had earlier crossed for strike partner Raul Jimenez (£6.9m) to nod Wolves into a 1-0 lead and manager Nuno Espirito Santo said of the pair after full-time:
They have been working really hard and have moments of real talent and quality.
I truly believe the more time they spend together the more good things will happen because it’s like a small society and they get along quite well.
Jota’s dangerous, direct runs have become a trademark of Wolves’ performances and another one of his surges had almost led to a Jimenez goal earlier in the game, with the Mexican striker’s bundled effort being hooked off the line by Etienne Capoue (£4.8m).
Raheem Sterling (£11.6m) and Sadio Mane (£10.1m) are the only midfielders with more attacking returns than Jota over the last 14 Gameweeks.
A home match against Fulham follows for Wolves next and Jota is already the most-bought FPL asset of Gameweek 37, although the Cottagers do come into this match having registered an unlikely three consecutive clean sheets.
Jimenez’s goal was actually his first since Gameweek 30 but the Mexico international is the best-value forward in FPL this season based on points per million spent (25.7).
Matt Doherty (£5.3m) could have emerged with an attacking return on another day, with the Irish wing-back producing a fine cross that Jota headed over and then unable to make proper contact when presented with a chance of his own in the Watford box.
In truth, this game had a bit of an end-of-season feel and it understandably lacked the urgency, tempo and chaos of the FA Cup semi-final earlier this month.
Watford perhaps shaded the early exchanges, with Gerard Deulofeu (£5.7m) firing weakly wide and Will Hughes (£4.9m) heading an excellent chance over, but the Hornets never really got going and they were indebted to a suicidal back pass from Ryan Bennett (£4.1m) to draw level – Rui Patricio (£4.5m) foiling Deulofeu but unable to prevent Andre Gray‘s (£6.0m) follow-up effort from hitting the back of the net.
Gray’s goal, indeed, was Watford’s only shot on target all game.
Deulofeu and Gray both have two goals in as many Gameweeks but Troy Deeney (£5.8m) returns from suspension against Chelsea next weekend, adding to the competition up front.
It seems strange to suggest that the Gray-Deulofeu partnership hasn’t really gelled with four goals between them in three games but Deeney’s absence was keenly felt against Southampton and Wolves especially, so the club captain may make a swift return to Javi Gracia’s starting XI.
Watford also contest the FA Cup final six days after Gameweek 38, so what team Gracia names for that final-day match against West Ham remains to be seen.
The Hornets’ leaky defence will encourage owners of Chelsea assets, meanwhile.
Both of Wolves’ goals were sloppy from a Watford perspective and Gracia’s side have not kept a clean sheet since Gameweek 26 – no other Premier League is on such a barren run of shut-outs.
The Hornets have also conceded more “big chances” than any other Premier League team in 2019.
Speaking of his side’s defensive display against Wolves, Gracia said:
In most games, goals come from a mistake but in the last games, we are conceding avoidable goals. We need to improve for the next games as this is the thing that will help us have more chances to get the result.
Craig Cathcart (£4.5m) may be missing from the Watford defence when they visit Stamford Bridge next Sunday.
The Northern Ireland international limped off in the second half and his manager said:
I am not sure what he has in this moment. We wait until tomorrow but I think he has a little problem.
Gracia briefly experimented with a 3-5-2 in the second half, as he had done in Gameweeks 34 and 35.
Explaining his decision to withdraw Hughes for Christian Kabasele (£4.4m) while 2-1 down, Gracia said:
I was seeing how the players were, like Cathcart, like Will Hughes. The other team are really dangerous on the counter-attack and we had to be strong in that situation and also offensive with our wing-backs. We wanted to be more compact, stronger defensively and stronger from set-pieces. We tried to score a second.
Watford XI (4-4-2): Foster; Femenia, Cathcart (Success 82′), Mariappa, Holebas; Hughes (Kabasele 74′), Doucoure, Capoue, Pereyra; Deulofeu, Gray.
Wolves XI (3-5-2): Rui Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Jonny; Jimenez (Cavaleiro 87′), Jota (Gibbs-White 90′).
Brighton and Hove Albion 1-1 Newcastle United
- Goals: Pascal Gross (£6.7m) | Ayoze Perez (£6.2m)
- Assists: Glenn Murray (£6.2m) | Salomon Rondon (£5.9m)
An in-depth write-up of Brighton v Newcastle would be an exercise in futility, given the dearth of action at the Amex on Saturday and the fact that neither side will likely be backed by many Fantasy managers going into the final two Gameweeks of the season.
Many FPL bosses will still own the likes of Mathew Ryan (£4.4m) and Shane Duffy (£4.8m), of course, but whether these players will now be on anything other than bench duty for the majority of their owners is doubtful.
The Seagulls play Arsenal and Manchester City in the next fortnight and sit bottom of our Season Ticker as a consequence, while Newcastle next face title-chasing Liverpool at St. James’ Park.
The Magpies could very well have a say in many Fantasy managers’ Gameweeks, of course, given that they have the seventh-best defensive record in the top flight and have kept ten clean sheets along the way.
While their win percentage against the “big six” is fairly woeful, Rafael Benitez’s side have made a habit of making life difficult for the top half-dozen clubs with their backs-to-the-wall 5-4-1 set-up.
Eight of their 11 league fixtures against the top six this season have only been settled by the odd goal but Liverpool did put four past a much-changed Newcastle side on Boxing Day and the Magpies haven’t kept a clean sheet against a Champions League-chasing opponent in 2018/19.
We couldn’t learn much new from Saturday’s game, though, with a now-safe Newcastle team not getting out of second gear and coasting to a 1-1 draw.
The Magpies’ continued vulnerability in the air and set plays is something to consider for those who own Liverpool assets such as Sadio Mane (£10.1m) and Virgil van Dijk (£6.7m) – Newcastle have conceded the most headed chances and opportunities from dead-ball situations of any Premier League club this season.
Brighton’s equaliser came when Pascal Gross (£6.7m) nodded in Glenn Murray‘s (£6.3m) flick-on, while Murray himself wasted a glorious headed chance from inside the six-yard box in the final minute.
Seven of Albion’s nine efforts on goal were headers.
Ayoze Perez‘s (£6.2m) rich vein of form continued as he scored his fifth goal in three games but the Spanish striker limped off with a hip injury after just 32 minutes and the Magpies didn’t really threaten much thereafter.
Already without the injured Miguel Almiron (£6.0m), United’s attack could be further blunted when Liverpool visit on Saturday if Perez is ruled out.
Speaking after the match, Benitez said:
It was a kick, a knock in his hip. Normally it was very painful and we will see in two or three days how he has reacted.
His understanding with Almiron and Rondon, today it was Rondon, is quite good.
We missed him. He’s in form, he’s on fire, it’s a pity when you have a player doing so well you have to take him off.
The player himself was more positive about his recovery, saying:
I got injured a couple of minutes before the goal. I tried to carry on as long as possible.
It’s very sore at the minute but it’s just a kick hopefully and in a couple of days, it gets better.
Now, make sure I’m ready and fit again for the next one.
Christian Atsu (£5.1m) – without an attacking return all season – played in place of the injured Almiron, while Kenedy (£4.7m) replaced Perez for the final hour on Saturday.
Both players had little impact on the game, with Benitez even acknowledging their limitations:
I think Atsu did well, but he’s a different kind of player, more in between the lines, he can go behind. But he does not have the 30 or 40 metres runs that Almiron has.
I think [Kenedy] was trying but if you analyse the second half, it was not just him. A lot of players didn’t have the same confidence and control as they had before then.
Despite this game being Brighton’s best chance of effectively securing their Premier League safety, the Seagulls were abject for the most part.
Solly March (£4.7m) impressed on his introduction at half-time but there were very few stand-out players on show, with Brighton showing a lack of ambition in the first half (no shots on target) despite Chris Hughton having paired Murray and Florin Andone (£5.0m) up front in a 4-4-2.
The Brighton boss said:
That performance probably sums up how we’ve been: a little bit fragile at both ends, not looking like scoring or creating too much, and a little bit vulnerable.
But what I can say is, the reaction from the team in the second half is what you want to see – a team that knew we were up against it and needed to get something from the game.We played a 4-4-2, which we haven’t played too often, and we had to change that because it wasn’t working as well as I would have liked. We weren’t able to get the press on the ball.
The [4-3-3] shape gave us that extra player in the middle of the park, which gives you that little bit more possession.
You’re after individuals to step up, Solly was very good when he came on, Bernardo on the left flank got high and wide.
Owners of Duffy and Ryan won’t be expecting a clean sheet at Arsenal or against Manchester City but the Gunners’ current vulnerability in the air is something to consider for those who have kept hold of the Irish centre-back.
Duffy had another two headed opportunities against the Magpies (taking his tally to 28 for the season), while Arsenal have conceded five headed goals and 12 aerial chances in their last three games.
Brighton and Hove Albion XI (4-4-2): Ryan; Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Bernardo; Gross, Stephens, Kayal (Bissouma 48′), Izquierdo (Knockaert 66′); Murray, Andone (March 46′).
Newcastle United XI (3-4-3): Dubravka; Schar, Fernandez, Dummett; Ritchie, Hayden, Shelvey (Ki 73′), Manquillo; Atsu (Muto 79′), Rondon, Perez (Kenedy 33′).
4 years, 11 months agoAnd I left him on my bench..silly me..