Scout Notes

Ings benched as Saints continue to impress ahead of upcoming good fixtures

Crystal Palace 0-2 Southampton

  • Goals: Nathan Redmond (£6.2m), Stuart Armstrong (£5.2m)
  • Assists: Jack Stephens (£4.4m), Redmond
  • Bonus: Redmond x3, Stephens x2, Armstrong x1

Southampton continued their fantastic current form with a deserved win at Crystal Palace.

Over the last six matches, only all-conquering Liverpool can beat, and Manchester City match, the Saints’ run of four wins, one draw and a defeat.

Victory at Selhurst Park also showcased the side’s resilience as they bounced back from a weekend loss to Wolves.

They did so by completely nullifying Palace’s threat.

Never the most progressive of sides, Roy Hodgson’s men were entirely toothless and failed to muster a single effort on target.

But Southampton’s defensive solidity didn’t compromise their own attacking intent.

Goals from Nathan Redmond (£6.2m) and Stuart Armstrong (£5.2m) either side of the break underlined their superiority as the Saints had as many attempts on target (six) as their hosts managed shots.

Small wonder that coach Ralph Hasenhuttl declared it the side’s best away performance of the campaign.

We were unbelievably good in the first half. Quick moving, creating a lot of chances – I can’t believe it was only 1-0. In the second half we showed that we can stay concentrated for 90 minutes. To get a clean sheet here is good and to win here is not easy.

Redmond opened the scoring, from a Jack Stephens (£4.4m) assist, when he showed quick feet to free up space for a shot from the edge of the area.

He then turned provider for the second goal, Armstrong collecting his pass and curling home from range.

The Scottish midfielder’s strike was his second in three Gameweeks and his performance at Selhurst Park was a real eye-opener as he had three times as many shots as any other player.

Redmond’s contribution was more rounded, with the midfielder co-leading the way for chances created.

The pair dominated the bonus points and offer major differential potential over the next few Gameweeks.

Redmond is owned by 0.7% and Armstrong just 0.1% (that’s less than 10,000 managers all told) as the Saints prepare for a run involving Burnley, Aston Villa and Newcastle at home and trips to West Ham and Norwich – once a visit to Anfield is done and dusted, that is.

Hasenhuttl said of the pair:

It’s not easy to pick a player because I’m very proud of every player, especially the ‘number tens’ Armstrong and Reddy, who play the most demanding positions in my shape tactically. They did it fantastic against and with the ball, it was key to our win.

The team’s most popular player, the 29.4%-owned Danny Ings (£7.0m) had a night off. Sort of. He was, as widely touted, benched at Palace after figuring throughout the packed festive schedule.

Why Hasenhuttl then decided to give him a 20-minute run-out with the game as good as won was a bit of a mystery, but at least he survived it unscathed.

One player who didn’t was defender Cedric Soares (£4.8m), who lasted just 20 minutes before succumbing to a knock.

Hasenhuttl said afterwards that the full-back’s injury was “hopefully not too bad”.

Jan Bednarek (£4.4m) was absent with an Achilles problem, meanwhile.

Interest in the in-form Saints should continue apace, especially as they’ve now won four straight matches on the road to further add to their appeal.

Stephens looks to be the pick of a defence with three clean sheets from the last six games as he has also provided two assists and scored a goal in a fine run from Gameweek 18.

As for Palace, less is… less, at present.

The Eagles have drawn six of their last nine matches, keeping just one clean sheet, scoring less than a goal a game and managing a league-low 90 attempts.

Their most-owned player by some distance, Martin Kelly (£4.4m), now faces a challenge for his start from the fit-again Joel Ward (£4.3m), who replaced him at right-back on 61 minutes.

Manager Roy Hodgson decided to look to the future for an optimistic spin on things.

I’m thinking of recovering six players. Six players is a lot to recover in a squad and we’re not just talking about six players who never play. We’re talking about Christian Benteke, Andros Townsend, Mamadou Sakho, Jeffrey Schlupp, Patrick van Aanholt and Luka Milivojevic. All these guys are guys who normally play in the team. If you like, they’ll be new players by the time they come back because we’ve been doing without them for the last four or five weeks.

Their schedule is inviting enough but those returning players will need to make a dramatic impact if Fantasy managers are to be tempted by what is, at present, a decidedly lacklustre lot.

Crystal Palace XI (4-3-3): Guaita, Kelly (Ward 62′), Tomkins, Cahill, Riedewald, McCarthy, McArthur, Kouyate (Meyer 62′), Zaha, Ayew, Tosun (Wickham 69′).

Southampton XI (4-2-2-2): McCarthy, Cedric (Romeu 21′), Stephens, Vestergaard, Bertrand, Hojbjerg, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Redmond, Long (Ings 70′), Obafemi (Adams 84′).

Members Analysis

Everton 2-2 Newcastle United

  • Goals: Moise Kean (£6.4m), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) | Florian Lejeune (£4.4m) x2
  • Assists: Bernard (£6.4m), Lucas Digne (£5.8m) | Fabian Schar (£5.0m), Isaac Hayden (£4.3m)
  • Bonus: Kean x3 Digne x2 Lejeune x1

An even more ridiculously late comeback from Newcastle stole a point and all the accolades from what was an otherwise dominant Everton display.

When the much-maligned striker Moise Kean (£6.4m) walked off to a standing ovation after 70 minutes, he’d finally opened his account for the Toffees, the score was 2-0 and all was well on Merseyside.

Little had changed as the match entered the third of five minutes of time added on, but two minutes later, Magpies defender Florian Lejeune (£4.4m) had scored twice to stun the Goodison Park faithful.

The turnaround prompted Steve Bruce to issue some sage words of advice.

We probably didn’t deserve to get anything but we didn’t give up. It just shows you shouldn’t leave a game early:

His players clearly didn’t do that, but they didn’t exactly turn up early either – their only two shots on target all match came from Lejeune’s late, late goals. The first was an overhead kick from a corner and the second a finish from a scramble following another set play.

The assists came from Fabian Schar (£5.0m) and Isaac Hayden (£4.3m), the latter’s second big contribution in two matches after his (equally late) winner against Chelsea.

How Newcastle were ever allowed to nick a point from the game was down to a number of factors.

Kean, who broke his Everton duck with a decent finish under Martin Dubravka (£5.0m) after collecting Bernard‘s (£6.4m) through ball, formed an excellent partnership with Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m).

As if to prove that point, the English striker then doubled the advantage with his fifth goal in six matches, from a Lucas Digne (£5.8m) assist.

But despite firing in 17 attempts, eight of which were on target, the Toffees were either sloppy in front of goal, or found Dubravka at his usual shot-stopping best, with Kean, Bernard, Calvert-Lewin and the recalled Djibril Sidibe (£5.4m) all failing to convert good opportunities.

And when coach Carlo Ancelotti took both Kean and Bernard off in the second half, much of Everton’s attacking impetus went with them.

That allowed Newcastle some breathing space, and then their never-say-die attitude kicked in at the last.

Ancelotti was remarkably sanguine about it all post-match:

The fact is we played really well, the result is not what we wanted, but the performance can give us confidence for the next games.

Those next games will severely test that confidence.

After a trip to Watford and a visit from Crystal Palace, Everton will have to face Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Leicester and Spurs over a horrendous seven-match run.

That will surely dilute interest in their players, although their recent form – four wins and four draws from their last nine – has been highly promising.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are almost beyond rational examination.

They’ve won just once since Gameweek 18, but the nature of that victory, and Tuesday night’s draw, will have done wonders for their self-belief and their next 11 fixtures, trips to Arsenal and Manchester City aside, offer excellent prospects for further points.

Finding Fantasy gold in their ranks remains tricky, however.

They’re in the bottom three for attempts and chances created and are fourth-worst for goals scored, while defensively only Aston Villa have allowed more shots than the 378 they’ve given up.

Last-gasp goals aside, the only consistent theme of their season has been the form of Dubravka, who is Fantasy Premier League’s third-best keeper, with 92 points, and the game’s most prolific shot-stopper, with 97 saves to his name.

On the injury front, Bruce said of the players that were missing on Tuesday and of Joelinton (£5.5m):

Joelinton was struggling with an injury and we had no strikers. I didn’t want to put Jonjo on because he wasn’t right. I’m asking people to play out of position but they stuck at it.

I couldn’t play Saint-Maximin after seeing him yesterday so we left him behind. We hope he’s available for Saturday. 

Andy Carroll, DeAndre Yedlin and Nabil Bentaleb should be available too.

Everton XI (4-4-2): Pickford, Sidibe, Holgate, Mina, Digne, Walcott (Niasse 88′), Schneiderlin, Delph, Bernard (Davies 83′), Kean (Coleman 71′), Calvert-Lewin. 

Newcastle United XI (5-4-1): Dubravka, Hayden, Clark (Lejeune 70′), Lascelles, Fernandez, Ritchie, Atsu (Krafth 62′), S Longstaff, M Longstaff, Almiron; Joelinton (Schar 78′). 

Members Analysis

407 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Super John McGinn-
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Best GK replacements for Gaz?

    Gaz, McGovern
    TAA, Soyu, Lundy, Rico, Kelly
    Salah, Mane, KDB, Mahrez, Grealish
    Vardy, DCL, Connolly

    2 FT

  2. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Gazz Hendo jam might bring Granville out his cave

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

      Won’t be asking for 1/2 bench points tonight...

  3. S.Kuqi
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    What was that Rodgers nonsense Chillwell being left out.

    1. JBG
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Late for training last gw.

      1. S.Kuqi
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Ok. Cheerd

  4. ChickenTikkaMoSalah
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    McCarthy

    1. ChickenTikkaMoSalah
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Reply fail

  5. Amey
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Haller & Son.
    Make me proud 😀

    1. Eleven Hag
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Ouur chance to close the gap on top4, so we are guaranteed to bottle tonight 🙂

  6. Eleven Hag
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Predictions?

    Leicster 1-1
    Spurs 4-1
    Man united 2-1

    1. Gobigorgohome
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      1-1
      1-0
      2-0

    2. JBG
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Leicester 2-0
      Spurs 3-2
      MU 2-0

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

      Leicester 3-0
      Spurs 1-1
      Man U 1 - 0

    4. Here's Tom with the We…
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Leicester 1-0
      Spurs 2-0
      Man Utd 2-1

      1. StayoutheSpiceZone
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        3-0
        2-0
        1-1

    5. Amey
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Sounds right to me

    6. Tempestic
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      2-0
      1-1
      2-0

    7. Boomerang V
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      party

  7. Annie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Martial hatty pls

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Oh yes & Vardy too 😉

      1. Tempestic
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        and Soyuncu or is that too far? 😛

  8. Tempestic
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Ndidi back on the bench, good to see for Leicester assets

  9. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Mark worked his magic again getting gazza benched

    1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Lloris has to see 90 out yet

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

      Lloris might follow Fabs

  10. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Its the Martial show tonight

    1. Tempestic
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      I think it might be u know

  11. FPLtfs
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Hmm, gazza ->
    A) de Gea
    B) Schmeichel

    1. cravencottage
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      B or Foster

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

    Will spurs play well tonight? I’m not sure they have it in them anymore!

    1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Yep its Son shine tonight

    2. cravencottage
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      they seem to have lost the plot in attack. Mou's got them playing his negative game

  13. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    CHELSEA are reportedly looking to sell Kepa this summer - with Nick Pope viewed as a possible replacement

    Amen. Kepa is terrible and has costed us plenty of points directly this year

    1. Tempestic
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      cost u a nice 70 mil as well

    2. tucaoneo
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Chelsea board was clueless through the GK drama. Didn't do their job to seek replacement while Courtois contract was expiring. Got into panic mode when Courtois left, went to the one club that don't sell players and had to pay the full price in Kepa's buy-out clause. Now Kepa proves to be meh. Did they even do their research on Kepa?

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Terrible scouting

  14. Whats the Huth
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Maddison to Mahrez transfer to going to bite me so hard tonight 🙁

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

      3 points vs 3 points, nothing to worry about.

      Sterling & Jesus ruined a Mahrez haul, was unlucky.

  15. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Appears Roberto’s loan deal is on hold as he keeps dropping the pen

  16. Paul Psychic Octopus
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Hmmm... Gonna have to be Pope saving a penalty tonight instead of Gazza

  17. Bubbles1985
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Is it worth moving Ryan to Hendo?

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Ryan to anyone is worth it

      1. YEAH PITCH!
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Not really

  18. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Who is in the whole Alli or Lo Celco?

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

      Alli

  19. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Benched Ryan, Rico and Hayden. Guess who gets auto-subbed in....

  20. Woy_is_back
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Son will haul but could not fit him in my squad 🙁

    1. Here's Tom with the We…
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Yeah, I tried too. Just couldn’t fit him in.

      1. Woy_is_back
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        I actually could have gone Gomez & Son over Robbo & Martial lol

    2. HashAttack
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      hope so - just 7.7% owned (77 has to be an omen)

  21. TheDragon
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Those who own Gazzaniga and no playing second keeper - cant be too upset as you got 12 points more than you should last week - mean reversion

    Those who own Gazzaniga and have Henderson on the bench - can you let me know this weeks lottery numbers. Thanks

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

      After weeks of shite points

      1. TheDragon
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Try being a Ryan owner!! 0 sympathy 🙂

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

          My keeper is worst performing area in my team - never have the right one at the right time!

  22. HashAttack
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    A horrible tale of woe ... are triggered by needing 200k

    Gazza was my second keeper for Hendo's tough fixtures - but had to "downgrade" Gazza to McCarthy to raise 200k, needed to get Richarlison and Sidibe

    Rcharlison got me one game and Sidibe has been useless
    Meanwhile Gazza would have got me 14 points last week, and with his benching this week, I would have had Hendo's 11 points

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

      The moves & benchings had solid logic.

      Richarlison was unlucky, pen saves are dumb luck.

      Try not overthink it, you did the right thing.

      1. HashAttack
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        thanks - it was Alli+Kelly that I sold, so the moves so of worked out ok, and then Richarlison became Son, so hopefully pay-back tonight

        The 18 points lost on the GK transfer couldn't have been predicted

    2. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Moral is dont mess about with keepers. I got tempted by Fab and should of just left Hendo in

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

      The key to success this season is:

      Step 1. Think carefully, analyse stats, plan and decide on optimal transfers / starting 11 vs bench
      Step 2. Do the exact opposite
      Step 3. ?????
      Step 4. Profit (or at least FPL points!)

      You did an excellent job of Step 1 but failed miserably on Step 2

  23. cravencottage
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Nobody on Spurs looks to haul with Mourhino pulling the strings.

  24. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Big games today. Two clubs who are dire, playing poorly and going by recent results will be looking to sneak a plucky unexpected win. Then you have Burnley and Norwich, two teams who may have drawn confidence from recent victories

    Will be very interesting

    1. HashAttack
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      LEI / WHU not much different

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Don't quit your day job

      1. Dynamic Duos
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Haha

      2. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Come on Jarv, are you really saying we shouldn't listen to Bamba where football is concerned????

        1. Now I'm Panicking
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Not at all. I was commenting on his attempt at a joke.

    3. Drop Dead Tsimikas
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      That there. I see what you did.

  25. tucaoneo
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    You know Masuaku haul is coming.

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Hoping for 😀
      Expecting a 🙁

  26. Boomerang V
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    I was going to get Maddison for Traoré, but after Leicester last performances I got Grealish instead. You know what that means, don't you?

    Maddi double digit incoming

  27. Eleven Hag
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Greenwood scoring is more likely than Son according to bookies

    1. Woy_is_back
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Mason G won´t even start

      1. Eleven Hag
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Even if he doesn't, it's likely that he will come on as a sub irrespective of the game situation - so I find those odds interesting

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Assumes both start

      1. Eleven Hag
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        You can back them not scoring as well - means if Mason doesn't start, u can back him not scoring at those odds

        1. Now I'm Panicking
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          Wut

  28. Uns95
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    I have Gazza starting with Henderson on the bench and Tangtanga starting with Stephens first on the bench... PLEASE Jose don't sub either of them on!

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

      Absolutely disgusting!

      1. Dynamic Duos
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Luck plays a big part

    2. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      This is genuinely offensive

    3. TLF
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Surely this is a criminal offence

  29. Doctor Evil
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    What to do here? 2ft 0.1itb

    Ryan (Mcarthy)

    Holgate TAA Lundstram (Rico, Williams)

    Salah Mane Martial KDB (Traore)

    Ings Vardy DCL

    Improve the defence? But for who?

  30. Dynamic Duos
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Haller and Moura both around 3% owned, please be big differentials for me