Scout Notes

Liverpool defence still suspect but attacking returns continue to flow

LIVERPOOL 2-1 BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION

  • Goals: Virgil van Dijk (£6.4m) x2 | Lewis Dunk (£4.6m)
  • Assists: Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) x2 | Leandro Trossard (£5.8m)
  • Red cards: Alisson (£6.0m)
  • Bonus: van Dijk x3, Alexander-Arnold x2, Dunk x1

Two early headers from Virgil van Dijk (£6.4m) were all Liverpool needed to extend their lead atop the Premier League to 11 points, both set up by Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) crosses from dead-ball situations.

However, the Anfield crowd had to drag their team over the line thanks to a red card for goalkeeper Alisson (£6.0m) that led to Lewis Dunk’s (£4.6m) consolation goal for Brighton and Hove Albion.

For all the attacking flair and assist potential of full-backs Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson (£7.0m), it’s van Dijk who scores most of all three. Last season his four goals comfortably exceeded their combined one, whilst today’s brace adds to his opening-day strike against Norwich.

The 6ft 4in centre-back found himself in enough space to head home a fairly central Alexander-Arnold free-kick after 18 minutes, rising above Adam Webster (£4.4m) to loop over Matthew Ryan (£4.7m). Then, six minutes later, the same combination made it 2-0 from a corner.

In the first half, Jurgen Klopp’s side were easy on the eye, playing with the verve and confidence of a team that knew they were about to go 11 points clear of Man City, after the champions could only draw 2-2 at Newcastle at lunchtime.

The Liverpool boss said of his side’s display:

We would have loved if we would have finished one more, two more, more often and it looks much more comfortable, but that’s our situation. I don’t want to change it, it’s like it is. There will be days when we will score from situations like that and will probably not use our set-pieces, that’s how it is. But you have to score goals and we did that often enough to win the game and that’s good.

Mohamed Salah (£12.2m) and Sadio Mane (£12.2m) had a fruitless afternoon but it wasn’t for a lack of trying in the latter’s case.

Ryan’s fine save from a Roberto Firmino (£9.4m) shot in the 16th minute denied the Senegalese winger an assist, while the in-form premium midfielder could have been on the scoresheet himself soon after when being thwarted by the busy Australian.

Mane also found himself in space around the penalty spot on the hour-mark but couldn’t get good contact and the chance went begging.

Salah returned to the line-up after his Gameweek 13 benching but made very little impact apart from hitting the side-netting in the 12th minute. He was replaced by Adam Lallana (£5.8m) in the 69th minute, although the Egyptian preserved a clean sheet point to get the last laugh over Mane owners.

While Salah’s recent struggles with an ankle injury are off-putting, he and Mane remain enticing options for the next three Gameweeks and – if it wasn’t for the Club World Cup postponing their Gameweek 18 fixture – there would even be an argument for owning both against Everton (h), Bournemouth (a) and Watford (h).

The absence of Fabinho (£5.5m), meanwhile, saw Jordan Henderson (£5.4m) resume the ‘number six’ role that he had occupied before his recent reinvention as a right-sided central midfielder.

Klopp said:

We had to replace Fabinho today which is a tough one because it’s like we were really used to these things without really thinking about it. Hendo played a sensational game in that position together with Gini and Ox. It was a really good performance but we had to work really hard. And what I liked most, that the boys were ready to do that.

Liverpool looked set to finally keep their first clean sheet in seven games and only their third of the season. The second half had been a dull affair, with the Reds conserving their energy knowing that they have ten games to come in a gruelling December.

Whilst the streak of 18 home games where either Salah, Mane or Firmino had scored was about to end, at least they were cruising to a relaxing victory.

Then goalkeeper Alisson was sent off for a deliberate handball outside of his area and everything quickly changed. A long Brighton ball over the home defence set free Leandro Trossard (£5.8m), who poked the ball up onto the advancing stopper’s hands for a straight red card.

On came Adrian (£4.2m) for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (£6.2m) and the reserve Liverpool custodian was instantly picking the ball out of the net after Dunk – once getting the nod to take the kick early – casually passed the resulting free-kick into the corner.

Klopp said of Alisson’s dismissal:

Of course, life became more complicated with the red card and the change we had to make. We had to bring on a frozen goalkeeper pretty much! Everybody sitting here is probably not really warm yet, but imagine you go there in shorts, a really thin shirt and some gloves which are not made for keeping you warm.

Some people let the free-kick happen like that and then you look a little bit silly in that moment, but that’s what you have to accept.

We kept on fighting and Adrian especially helped us a lot with two really, really good saves and crosses he caught and stuff like this.

Suddenly things got nervy for the home side when former Huddersfield midfielder Aaron Mooy (£4.8m) forced Adrian into a low stop. Two minutes later, the substitute spilled a comfortable save right at the feet of substitute Neal Maupay (£5.9m). The Reds held on to make it 13 wins from 14 league matches but those looking for reassurance that Klopp’s troops are tightening up at the back wouldn’t have been given any indication of that on Saturday.

Alisson will be suspended for Wednesday’s Merseyside derby with Everton, although Liverpool’s only two clean sheets of the season did come under his deputy’s watch.

Truth be told, there were still some hairy moments for Liverpool’s defence even before the red card. Alisson made a good save from Davy Propper (£4.9m) in the first half, shortly followed by a Dunk sitter where the centre-back scuffed a shot wide with his knee.

Dunk then narrowly headed wide a Pascal Gross (£6.4m) corner in the 54th minute, before a Martin Montoya (£4.5m) cross was superbly controlled and shot by Aaron Connolly (£4.7m) eight minutes later.

The goalscorer made some crucial contributions at the other end, firstly blocking an Oxlade-Chamberlain effort after a superb run and pull-back from Robertson. Just before the Alisson incident, Dunk got in the way of a shot that followed Alexander-Arnold’s burst into the box.

Graham Potter said of the Seagulls’ efforts:

We put a lot into the game and played with a lot of courage. We weren’t quite as aggressive as we needed to be in the first 20 minutes, so that’s a learning point for us, but we have a really good account of ourselves against a top team.

Potter again went with a four-man backline this weekend and opted for 19-year-old Connolly over Maupay up front, despite the latter’s 19 goal attempts only being bettered by Raul Jimenez (£7.6m) over the last six Gameweeks. As promising as those numbers sound ahead of a run of fixtures against Wolves (h), Crystal Palace (a) and Sheffield United (h), only one of those 19 shots resulted in a goal.

Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Adrian 78’); Salah (Lallana 69’), Firmino (Origi 76’), Mane.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI (4-5-1): Ryan; Montoya (Alzate 69’), Webster, Dunk, Burn; Gross, Bissouma (Trossard 69’), Stephens, Propper, Mooy; Connolly (Maupay 76’).

MEMBERS ANALYSIS

FPLMarc Newcastle fan that spends far too much time thinking about FPL.

3,212 Comments Post a Comment
  1. HurriKane
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Pheww got away with Captaining Mane over Vardy.

    Only 4 points difference.

    1. Yozzer
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      No. You lost 4 pts. Hardly getting away with it ?

      1. fusen
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        it was nearly a 7 point difference due to bonus and could have been more. It only ending as 4 IS getting away with it.

        1. Yozzer
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          Lol ok

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Yet not really

    3. BobbyDoesNotLook
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      After you get 2x2 before Vardy's game the 4p dif is really getting away with cap failure.

  2. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    My diffs in the Cup

    Pope 1, Robbo 2, Chilwell 2, Maddy 2, Mount 2, Martial 2, Pulisic 2 😆

    Congrats Sam

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Shame on you 😉

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Hard to beat a professional.

  3. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Where did the Vardy baps go?!

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Rebecca gobbled it up

    2. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Transferred to next week

  4. fusen
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    only a four point difference between Mane and Vardy captain in the end.

    Woo!

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Indeed

      Nacho did us all a favour

      1. Regin
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Didn't know real Madrid games affect fpl

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      LOL

    3. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Still a difference

  5. TorresMagic™
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    LMS safety score predicted to be 40 points.

    1. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Ohmygod. I have exactly 40 because of the Pereira assist. Am i gonna be saved?

      1. TorresMagic™
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Probably.

        1. Zimo
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          Praise the Lord

    2. Brimble82
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Delightful!

  6. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Which corner was it that Man United turned a few weeks back?

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      When they signed Harry Maguire

  7. Pacer.
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Pleased to see Pereira and Chilly chalking up a few points extra over Soy the last couple of weeks

  8. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Marital to:

    1) Pulisic
    2) Maddison

    Have both Vardy and Tammy

    1. Nailed Jesus
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      1

    2. boredjames
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Zaha for me

      1. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Now that's a fresh thought. And probably great too. With his fixtures and current form.

    3. No Totti No Party
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Same dillema here, Zaha is choice too

      1. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Yes he is now.

    4. Regin
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      My dilemma is same except martial or mount

  9. Nailed Jesus
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    With 1FT Martial has to go before Mount right?

    1. tucaoneo
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Not sure.

    2. FC Hakkebøf
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Martial has two tough fixtures coming up, but after that decent fixtures

    3. Cookie Kid
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Yep

    4. Pooodle
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Yeah I think so. Subbed off today when chasing a goal...

    5. Hktrader88
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Not for me. I want to shift Mount. I think Martial has more potential upside plus he's useful in the tricky GW18 and 19.

      Mount hasn't been returning, hasn't been playing well, and is struggling to keep his place in the team.
      I'm just waiting on Abraham news first. If he's out then he's the priority.

  10. Sailboats
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Nacho goal saved my GW

    1. Regin
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Wow. Excellent punt on owning him and predicting he will make impact from bench.

  11. PrettyDick
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    haha, looks like that Pereira goal got me through in the FFS cup due to Vardy going from 3 to 0 bonus points meaning me and my opponent are both on 51pts. However I win with a higher rank (if I'm not mistaken?) 🙂

    (Hope the BPS don't change in any way now haha)

    1. PrettyDick
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Hashtag jammy

  12. danlynch13
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    When are the press conferences for midweek games?

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Early in the week.

  13. dunas_dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Best 2 of following moves on free

    A Martial to Alli and Mount to Zaha
    B Lacazette to Tammy ( if fit ) and Martial to Son
    C Martial to Alli and Pope to Henderson

    1. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      *best 1 move....

  14. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Who gets the sack first? Ole or Silva?

    1. Sailboats
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Silva

    2. lilmessipran
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Why would Ole be sacked? They fought hard and drew against a good Aston Villa side

  15. FPL Blow-In
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    I was really happy with my team going into this gw. It was a total horror show. 31 points!!

  16. mdm
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Who to sell:
    1. McGinn
    2. Dilva

    And who to transfer in:
    A. Zaha
    B. Maddison

    Thanks!

    1. F4L
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Dilva
      Antonio 😉 (Maddison really)

  17. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Imagine Brendan Rodgers bringing the title to Leicester and Liverpool finishing second again 😆 absolute scenes

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Stop!

    2. MC Hammer
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Scenes

    3. tucaoneo
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      He needs Gerrard to come back and slip again.

    4. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      That would be fantastic!

  18. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    C’mon FPL, do the wrong thing and mess with Richarlisons numbers to drop him an extra BPS!

  19. F4L
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    will Pereira hold onto the 2 bonus?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Should.

      1. F4L
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        cheers

  20. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    which among these is a good use of a ft

    1. Pope to Guaita or Henderson
    2. Mount to Zaha.
    3. save

    1. Tickle Me Enzo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Probably doing the same two transfers with my two freebies

      1. HNI
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        But Mount has AVL next!

    2. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      2. Zaha or Willian if possible

    3. Alan The Llama
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      1. Guaita

      Pope was poop yesterday

      1. HNI
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Isnt Henderson better? Has done more saves and Sheffield better team

  21. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Everyone cheering for LCFC in the title race now

    1. Dirty Harry
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Don't think Liverpool fans are

    2. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Absolutely not!

    3. The 12th Man
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      100%

    4. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Not me

    5. HNI
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Every football connected wants Lei to win the title. The magic continues

    6. FC Hakkebøf
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Prolly only Manchester United, Everton and Leicester fans.

      Why would fans from the London based teams cheer for Leicester?

  22. A Team Of James McCleans
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Is it too late to bring in Vardy?

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      It’s GW 15 next

    2. FER FUSCH AKE
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      is it too late to get pts??? ask yourself that.

      1. A Team Of James McCleans
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        How many weeks in a row can he really score though? Has to come to an end sometime

        1. Evasivo
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          2022

        2. Regin
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          Gw38

  23. rodragon
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Marital to kdb?

    1. ‘Tis the Season
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Easy yes

  24. Jullepuu
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    What would you do here? 1 free transfer and 0.4 in the bank

    Pope Button
    TAA Robbo Soy Lund Reid
    Mane Sterling KDB Mount Hayden
    Vardy Jimenez Connolly

    Right now I think that I will do Pope to Guaita.

    1. BobbyDoesNotLook
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Connolly to Mousset?

      1. Jullepuu
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Out of budget

  25. Eat my goal!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    It looked to good to be true and it was - 11 home playing players all tasty fixtures but this beautiful game doesn't work like that..... roll on the midweek games and let them through out some crazy scores!

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      This week will be similar... let's hope it lives up to the hype.

  26. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Is martial injured why is everyone taking him out

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      FPL points injury.

    2. F4L
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      kneejerk really. Looked dangerous again today, missed from a few yards out as well.

      Keep if fit, did take a bang to the head though.

    3. Nailed Jesus
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Sh!t & tough fixtures

    4. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      no

      not good at football

  27. Surfeit of Lampteys
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Cantwell's 8 points rooted firmly to my bench but you know what they say...

    1. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      C*ntwell and Fukki?

    2. MC Hammer
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Never bench never captain

    3. Evasivo
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Better to be on your bench than not at all...
      Yuk!!

    4. Surfeit of Lampteys
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      None of the above, no

  28. FDMS All Starz
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Have both Mount & Tammy, who do I get rid first or both and replace with who? Have 1FT and 0.3 itb...can always save the FT and reassess next GW

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Tammy may be back this midweek

      1. FC Hakkebøf
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        This... People have no patience these day.

    2. nerd_is_the_werd
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Mount

  29. Bobby Digital
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Captain for GW15? Has to be Vardy right?

    1. Regin
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      If u r not captaining Vardy, u may as well visit a psychiatrist

  30. MC Hammer
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Looks like I lost 3 points and moved up 10k places!!!