No heroics off the bench from Lundstram as Blank Gameweek hastens exodus

Sheffield United 1-1 Brighton and Hove Albion

• Goals: Enda Stevens (£5.1m) | Neal Maupay (£5.8m)
• Assists: None | Adam Webster (£4.4m)
• Bonus: Maupay x3, Webster x2, Shane Duffy (£4.8m) x1

Neal Maupay (£5.8m) scored his first goal since Gameweek 17 as Brighton defied the odds – and the stats – to pinch a point at Bramall Lane.

As befitted a match between sixth and sixth from bottom, Sheffield United dominated possession (65%) and had nearly twice as many attempts (14) as the Seagulls’ eight.

But the Blades beat Mat Ryan (£4.8m) just the once, when wing-back Enda Stevens (£5.1m) lashed home from a partially cleared corner, and only forced the keeper into two saves all match.

As for Stevens, his game was over by half-time, with manager Chris Wilder explaining his withdrawal post-match:

Enda is an injury. He flagged up a tight calf so it wasn’t worth taking the risk. Losing Enda was a bit of a blow, but hopefully he’ll be okay.

A Brighton side set up to play on the counter didn’t have the look of a side that would find a way back into the match, even with Maupay brought back into the team to partner Glenn Murray (£5.4m) up front.

But as it turned out, Brighton only had to wait four minutes to restore parity when Adam Webster (£4.4m) nodded an Aaron Mooy (£4.8m) free-kick across the penalty area and Maupay was the quickest to react and head home.

A match already low on quality was even lower on decent chances after that, with Lewis Dunk (£4.8m) blasting one effort over the bar for the visitors and Ryan twice denying Oliver McBurnie (£5.7m) with sharp close-range stops.

Other than that, the sad demise of the Fantasy artist formerly known as Lord Lundstram (£5.0m) continued apace.

The misclassified defender, still owned by 42.8% of FPL managers, was benched for a fourth straight match and the major event of his nine-minute cameo on Saturday involved a possible red card for a challenge on Dunk.

Brighton boss Graham Potter had his views on the incident:

The red card for serious foul play? It looks quite serious to me. It was a full-blooded challenge and it was that type of game but it’s not for me to say it should have been a red card.

Lundstram survived that scare – and the Brighton defender the decidedly robust tackle – although the former’s loyal ownership will surely be jumping ship sooner rather than later given Sheffield’s Blank Gameweek 28 and the diminishing chances of him reclaiming a starting spot in Chris Wilder’s side.

After the forthcoming blank, the Blades’ fixtures are a mixed bunch and Gameweek 31’s trip to Manchester United would require two unlikely FA Cup results to still go ahead, so fresh interest in Wilder’s men is likely to be muted.

The same is very much true for Brighton’s assets.

The Seagulls do feature in Gameweek 28 – at home to Crystal Palace – but their involvement in Gameweek 31 requires Leicester to lose to Birmingham City.

And their fixtures over the next eight matches are the wrong side of nasty anyway, with Arsenal, both Manchester sides and Liverpool to come on top of that possible Foxes game and a trip to Wolves.

Sheffield United XI (3-5-2): Henderson; Basham, Egan, O’Connell; Baldock, Berge (Lundstram 81′), Norwood, Fleck, Stevens (Osborn 46′); McBurnie, Sharp (McGoldrick 74′).

Brighton and Hove Albion XI (5-3-2): Ryan; Schelotto (Trossard 75′), Dunk, Webster, Duffy, Burn; Bissouma, Propper, Mooy; Maupay (Bernardo 90′), Murray (Connolly 75′).

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Burnley 3-0 Bournemouth

• Goals: Matej Vydra (£5.3m), Jay Rodriguez (£5.7m), Dwight McNeil (£6.0m)
• Assists: Phil Bardsley (£4.3m), McNeil
• Bonus: McNeil x3, Bardsley, Nick Pope (£4.7m) x2

Burnley made it four wins and a draw from their last five matches as VAR dealt struggling Bournemouth a particularly cruel blow.

The Clarets were leading 1-0, courtesy of Matej Vydra‘s (£5.3m) second goal in as many games, when Harry Wilson (£5.8m) thought he’d equalised following a swift counter-attack.

VAR had other ideas, however, as Adam Smith (£4.3m) was adjudged to have handled in his own area as part of the build-up to the ‘goal’.

Wilson’s strike was chalked off and a penalty awarded to Burnley, with Jay Rodriguez (£5.7m) happy to dispatch the unexpected treat for the home side.

While the decision was correct, Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe was in no doubt as to the impact it had on his players:

Psychologically, we thought it was 1-1, but then we were 2-0 down moments later. I don’t think we dealt with the emotions of that very well. The players are human beings and I have to understand how they felt in that moment. I think we were psychologically spent.

The Cherries had already been denied what would have been the opening goal from Josh King (£6.1m) when VAR decided a flick-on from Philip Billing (£5.0m) had come off the midfielder’s arm.

To have another chalked off, and to then concede a penalty as well, would have sorely tested teams in ruder health than Bournemouth at present, so it was little surprise that the visitors fell apart after such misfortune.

That it could, and probably should, have been so different was down to the excellence of Nick Pope (£4.7m) in the Burnley goal, the keeper making fine saves to deny Callum Wilson (£7.4m) and his namesake Harry before Vydra pounced early in the second half.

The Czech international had already seen one effort well saved by Aaron Ramsdale (£4.6m) – one of seven stops the Bournemouth man made – before he ran on to Dwight McNeil‘s (£6.0m) pass, swerved into the area and finished with authority.

With Chris Wood (£6.2m) not thought to be too far away from a return (the Kiwi striker was “touch and go” for Gameweek 27), Vydra’s stay might be a short-lived one in the Burnley starting XI.

His strike partner Rodriguez, who has two goals from his last four starts, is perhaps worth a look so long as Ashley Barnes (£6.1m) remains sidelined, however.

Burnley travel to Newcastle next and will definitely play in Gameweek 31, at home to Watford.

They’ll have to face Spurs and Manchester City before that, though, but the fixtures that follow are generally kind and only Liverpool have won more points than the Clarets over the last six matches.

Both Burnley forwards spurned fine chances to add to their tally on Saturday, with Rodriguez set up by an especially tasty cross from McNeil, before the winger scored the goal his all-round performance deserved.

The former Manchester United prospect had already hit the post with one effort from outside the area before a second long-range effort found the back of the net.

That helped earn him the maximum bonus award and a season-best 14 points, ending a 14-match barren streak while he was about it.

At the back, Burnley kept a third clean sheet in four outings as normal Sean Dyche service seems to have resumed, with the manager happy to single out his 16.0%-owned goalkeeper for praise:

The best part of our game is that when things aren’t going so well, we stay in there. That always gives you a chance and Nick Pope is there for many reasons; one is that he’s a top goalkeeper. He made some big saves.

As for Bournemouth, a decent run involving two wins and a battling defeat at Sheffield United came to an abrupt end at Turf Moor, and the next two matches – at home to Chelsea and away at Liverpool – won’t inspire much thought of investment.

The Cherries are another side with a guaranteed Gameweek 31 fixture, but that will involve a tough trip to Wolves and the games that follow look even harder.

Howe’s side were without Nathan Ake (£4.8m) and Jefferson Lerma (£4.8m) on Saturday, with their manager providing the following update:

Nathan had a kick to the head in training, suffered a very mild concussion. I think the rule was that he couldn’t play for five days. Saturday was the fourth day, so if it was Sunday he would have played.

Jefferson picked up a rib injury against Aston Villa in his last game. We hope it’s nothing too serious.

Burnley XI (4-4-2): Pope; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick, Westwood, Cork (Brownhill 90′), McNeil (Brady 90′); Vydra (Lennon 82′), Rodriguez.

Bournemouth XI (4-5-1): Ramsdale; Stacey, Francis, S Cook, Smith; H Wilson (Solanke 74′), Gosling (Fraser 70′), Billing, Surman, King (Stanislas 70′); C Wilson.

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