Aston Villa 2-1 Watford
- Goals: Douglas Luiz (£4.4m), Tyrone Mings (£4.5m) | Troy Deeney (£6.2m)
- Assists: Matt Targett (£4.4m), Ezri Konsa (£4.3m) | Gerard Deulofeu (£6.1m)
- Bonus: Deeney x3, Mings x2, Konsa, Luiz x1
A late, and lucky, goal from Tyrone Mings (£4.5m) took Aston Villa out of the bottom three as Watford replaced them in the relegation zone.
Ezri Konsa‘s (£4.3m) shot hit his fellow centre-half as he lay on the ground, with the deflection taking the ball past helpless Hornets keeper Ben Foster (£4.9m).
Villa boss Dean Smith cared little for how the ball ended up in the back of the net:
I’m not sure what part of his anatomy it came off, but he’s certainly claiming it. As an ex-centre-half I’d have claimed it as well, so unlucky Ezri.
And, in truth, the goal was a fair reflection of Villa’s attacking intent – the home side had twice the attempts of Watford, more than double the number of shots on target and created a chance every six minutes to the Hornets’ 12.
There was, however, a strong case for Mings not even being on the pitch by then. Booked in the first half, the defender escaped a second caution for a handball in the second.
The player himself admitted he was expecting the worst, while Watford manager Nigel Pearson reacted to the decision with almost heroic levels of tongue-biting:
Everyone has an opinion on whether Mings should have been sent off – it doesn’t matter what I think. You could see how incensed our players were, but we’re in the hands of the officials to get these decisions right on the field. It’s happened and we can’t change it.
What could have changed matters was more clinical finishing by the visitors, who had much the better of the first half.
Troy Deeney (£6.2m) opened the scoring when he headed home Gerard Deulofeu‘s (£6.1m) cross for his third haul in five Gameweeks – and he would have had a fourth had he not missed a penalty last time out.
The Watford skipper was then denied by a fine save from Villa keeper Pepe Reina (£4.5m) and Deulofeu also missed a good chance when one-on-one with the Spaniard.
Dean Smith’s side were a different proposition after the break.
Konsa, Kortney Hause (£4.4m), Trezeguet (£5.2m) and Matt Targett (£4.4m) all fluffed decent chances before the latter’s shot was saved by Foster and substitute Douglas Luiz (£4.4m) equalised from the rebound.
Villa piled on the pressure as they went for the winner, which came in the fifth minute of time added on.
The defeat halted Watford’s unbeaten run at six matches and might well dampen Fantasy enthusiasm in their key players ahead of a tricky schedule over the next six Gameweeks.
A visit from Everton and a trip to Brighton are promising enough, but they’ll have to travel to Manchester United and entertain both Liverpool and Leicester after that.
How they react to this setback will be of major interest to Fantasy managers as the side still have defensive solidity – four clean sheets from the last seven matches – and in-form attackers to recommend them.
Villa, meanwhile, are showing plenty of appetite for their relegation fight, with three wins and a draw over the last six games.
They’ll certainly need it over the next six as they’ll be facing Spurs, Leicester and Chelsea as well as travelling to both Bournemouth and Southampton and entertaining away-day specialists Sheffield United.
The team’s most popular, and productive, player, Jack Grealish (£6.6m), was relatively quiet against Watford, although he did lead the way for chances created and remains the best bet for consistent returns.
New striker Mbwana Samatta was not signed in time to make his debut on Tuesday, but his arrival should finally end midfielder Anwar El Ghazi’s (£5.5m) brief stint up front, meaning other possible points outlets are likely to come from the back.
Targett, now fully fit after a hamstring issue, boosted his credentials with a third assist of the season and Smith made one post-match comment that could tempt investment in either of the side’s full-backs:
We’re still working on a system that we’re getting used to and tactically the players are getting better. We just need a bit more ambition in the final third and what I mean by that is if Matt Targett’s crossing, I want Freddy Guilbert arriving at the far post.
Aston Villa XI (3-4-3): Reina, Konsa, Mings, Hause, Guilbert, Drinkwater (Luiz 56′), Nakamba, Targett, Trézéguet (Vassilev 77′), El Ghazi, Grealish.
Watford XI (4-2-3-1): Foster, Mariappa, Dawson, Cathcart, Masina, Chalobah (Pussetto 75′), Capoue, Pereyra (Gray 81′), Doucouré, Deulofeu (Kabasele 90′), Deeney.
Members Analysis
Bournemouth 3-1 Brighton
- Goals: Harry Wilson (£5.8m), Pascal Gross (£6.3m) own goal, Callum Wilson (£7.4m) | Aaron Mooy (£4.8m)
- Assists: Dominic Solanke (£5.2m) x2, Diego Rico (£4.3m) | None
- Bonus: Mooy x3, C. Wilson, H. Wilson x2
Bournemouth won for only the second time since Gameweek 11 thanks to a rediscovered ruthlessness in front of goal and a superb performance from keeper Aaron Ramsdale (£4.7m).
The Cherries scored twice from just three shots on target, with their other goal coming when Diego Rico‘s (£4.3m) corner was flicked into his own net by Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross (£6.3m).
The contrast with the fortunes of the visitors could not have been more pronounced. The Seagulls had 21 attempts to Bournemouth’s 11 and saw seven of their eight shots on target saved by Ramsdale.
Despite his heroics, and two save points, the young English keeper earned no bonus points, with extras instead being handed out to the game’s goalscorers.
Ramsdale pulled off what proved to be a vital save from a Neil Maupay (£5.9m) effort and it had a galvanising effect on the home side, who then visibly grew in confidence and threat before Harry Wilson (£5.8m) opened the scoring from a Dominic Solanke (£5.2m) assist.
Coach Eddie Howe was in no doubt as to the importance of the strike:
Once we scored the first goal, I don’t think we really looked back between then and half-time. For me, it rubber-stamped again that this is just a confidence issue for the group. It’s not a technical issue, it’s not the fact that the team isn’t good enough.
The Cherries were clearly good enough to be two to the good before the end of the first half courtesy of Gross’s unfortunate intervention.
Callum Wilson (£7.4m) then sealed the win after the interval with his first goal since Gameweek 7 as he took Solanke’s pass, rounded Mathew Ryan (£4.9m) and finished with an authority so long absent from his game over the last few months.
The striker has cultivated a reputation of being something of a Fantasy troll, and the team as a whole has previous for such things, which should keep this much-needed win in perspective.
Bournemouth have a patchy medium-term schedule as the next eight Gameweeks involve a mix of relegation dogfights and clashes with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Wolves.
That should temper interest in their assets, particularly as Ramsdale can’t keep bailing them out and not every opponent will be as wasteful as Brighton.
Maupay’s night summed up the Seagulls’ experience.
The 2.6%-owned striker hasn’t scored for seven matches, but boy did he have opportunities at the Vitality Stadium.
He had a match-leading eight attempts – double the total of anyone else – and contrived to spurn two big chances along the way.
Brighton players filled six of the top seven places for attempts on goal, with goalscorer Aaron Mooy (£4.8m) converting one of the four he was handed to make it two goals from his last four starts. The midfielder also led the way for chances created, which helped secure him the maximum bonus point award.
Boss Graham Potter was left to rue his side’s lack of a killer instinct:
The first 30 minutes was really good, to a point where the crowd were about to turn on the home team because we were that much in control. Their keeper made a few saves but if you don’t defend your box or get that bit of luck the scoreline goes against you.
Brighton have, on the face of it, enough decent upcoming fixtures to turn things around – and possibly attract Fantasy investment.
But trips to West Ham, Sheffield United and Wolves and home matches with Watford and Crystal Palace are actually not that straightforward, and their schedule turns ugly after that.
Potter’s tendency to rotate on a regular basis also leaves FPL bosses on tenterhooks as to when the next benching will occur, with the in-form Leandro Trossard (£5.8m) having to make do with a 30-minute cameo as a substitute last night.
Add in the fact that they’ve won just once in nine league games and have kept only one clean sheet since Gameweek 11 and Fantasy managers will be forgiven for looking anywhere else but Brighton.
Bournemouth XI (4-4-2): Ramsdale, Smith, Francis, Ake, Rico, Harry Wilson (Lewis Cook 89′), Lerma, Billing, Fraser, Solanke (Gosling 85′), Callum Wilson.
Brighton and Hove Albion XI (4-2-3-1): Ryan, Alzate, Webster, Dunk, Bernardo (March 60′), Stephens, Propper, Jahanbakhsh (Connolly 60′), Mooy, Gross (Trossard 60′), Maupay.
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