Scout Notes

A rare off-day for Calvert-Lewin but Everton defence in poor form for Liverpool test

Chelsea 4-0 Everton

  • Goals: Mason Mount (£6.1m), Pedro (£6.8m), Willian (£6.9m), Olivier Giroud (£6.5m)
  • Assists: Pedro, Ross Barkley (£5.6m) x2, Willian
  • Bonus: Barkley x3, Willian x2, Pedro x1

For the value that they have provided Fantasy managers this season, we can forgive Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.4m) and Richarlison (£8.3m) for their blanks at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Apart from a glorious one-on-one opportunity that Calvert-Lewin screwed wide after 25 minutes, Everton never really looked like scoring in west London.

The Toffees had a miserable three efforts on goal all afternoon, with only one of them, an ambitious Richarlison attempt from distance, forcing returning goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5.4m) into action.

The strangely subdued visitors were quite simply second-best for the majority of the game, with Chelsea looking the hungrier and sharper on and off the ball and fully meriting the margin of victory.

As proven at Vicarage Road in Gameweek 28, even a juggernaut like Liverpool can have an off-day, and there will no doubt be a reaction from Carlo Ancelotti’s troops in the Merseyside derby next Monday.

However, there are legitimate concerns about Everton’s defence even when they are at their competitive best at the other end of the pitch.

Since Ancelotti took charge, only three teams have conceded more Premier League goals than the Toffees (17) and kept fewer clean sheets (two).

Granted, most of the goal concessions have been on the road and Everton enjoy home advantage against their cross-city rivals in Gameweek 30.

But Ancelotti’s side haven’t recorded a shut-out home or away in two months and have shipped an average of two goals per match since then.

The Italian’s preference for a 4-4-2 does occasionally leave Everton looking exposed in the middle of the park, particularly when they are currently without a true anchor in the Idrissa Gueye mould, and they completely lost the midfield battle at Chelsea on Sunday.

With the influential Jordan Henderson (£5.3m) expected back for the Merseyside derby, that could well be a key battleground at Goodison Park.

Right-back is also a problem position at the moment, especially with Seamus Coleman (£5.3m) out.

Djibril Sidibe‘s (£5.1m) attacking attributes have attracted a fair bit of Fantasy interest this season but he looks less comfortable going the other way and he had a truly dreadful game on Sunday, with Pedro (£6.8m) having a whale of a time down the Chelsea left.

Since Ancelotti took charge, only Bournemouth have allowed more chances from their right flank than the Toffees. That’s something that Andrew Robertson (£7.0m) and co may find to their advantage in Gameweek 30 but it wouldn’t be a huge shock if the Everton boss was making other arrangements after Sidibe’s horror show, perhaps by shifting Mason Holgate (£4.4m) out to right-back or by deploying an extra centre-half.

Ancelotti said after full-time:

It’s very disappointing. This is the first time I was so sad for the performance of the team. Everything was wrong. We were not good defensively, lost a lot of duels, were not compact and did a lot of mistakes.

Mason Mount (£6.1m) had already gone close to scoring before he found the back of the net, with Jordan Pickford (£5.3m) denying the England midfielder from ten yards early on after a superb pick out from Willian (£6.9m).

There were to be no heroics from Pickford soon after, however, with Mount turning and firing past the Everton goalkeeper after fine work from Pedro.

The Spaniard then got on the scoresheet himself, collecting Ross Barkley‘s (£5.6m) pass and sprinting clear of the visitors’ backline to double Chelsea’s lead.

Willian and Oliver Giroud (£6.5m) both went close in the first half before the Brazilian effectively killed the game after 50 minutes, arrowing a 25-yard effort beyond Pickford after being teed up by the busy Barkley.

Willian then turned provider for Chelsea’s final goal, sending over the cross that Giroud poked in from close range.

Further chances came and went but the introductions of teenagers Faustino Anjorin and Armando Broja (both £4.5m) late on, plus the experimental deployment of substitute Reece James (£5.0m) in midfield, was a clear indication that the game had ceased to become a contest long before full-time.

Chelsea enjoy some excellent fixtures before and after Blank Gameweek 31 and their two most-recent displays against Liverpool and Everton in cup and league have certainly caught the eye.

How best to tap into their attack is a big dilemma, however.

Pedro, Willian and Barkley all excelled in delivering double-digit hauls but Chelsea’s midfield is bloated and we still have N’Golo Kante (£5.0m), Mateo Kovacic (£5.3m), Jorginho (£4.9m), Christian Pulisic (£6.9m), Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.3m) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (£6.3m) to return in the not-so-distant future, to add to the competition for places.

Billy Gilmour‘s (£4.5m) fine display in the holding midfield role on Sunday will also give his manager a welcome headache.

Speaking after the match, Frank Lampard said:

You will always need your squad through the year. We have a lot of injuries but the only way to tackle that is to work and fight and play at a high intensity with energy and to trust in each other.

Kepa has been out of the team and showed character and he has come in for two clean sheets and made saves, and had a brave moment at the end of this game. Ross Barkley and Marcos Alonso have come back in and that is what we need.

It does not matter if you are four months from the end of your contract or out the team for a month, you have to train every day full pelt, be a brilliant teammate and when you come in you have to try to contribute.

Giroud would seem to have the upper hand in attack, meanwhile, although Tammy Abraham (£7.5m) is expected back towards the end of March.

The Chelsea boss said of the France international after full-time:

We had Olly playing well. He is selfless and then you must have runners and energy around him to make the most of it. And stick balls in the box like we did for his goal. He is a personality and we need that.

One of the more secure starters in Lampard’s starting XI, Mount, was withdrawn shortly before the hour-mark on Sunday and appeared to be feeling his hamstring before heading straight down the tunnel after his substitution.

James’ benching was a reminder that we’re never truly sure about which defenders Lampard will pick on a week-to-week basis, although the versatile Cesar Azpilicueta (£5.8m) did start his 15th league match in a row.

There was also another run-out for Marcos Alonso (£6.1m) but, in a back four rather than a wing-back system, he wasn’t quite the attacking menace he had been in previous weeks.


Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Zouma, Alonso; Barkley, Gilmour, Mount (James 60′); Willian (Anjorin 71′), Giroud (Broja 86′), Pedro.

Everton XI (4-4-2): Pickford; Sidibe, Keane, Holgate, Digne; Bernard (Walcott 46′), Gomes, Davies (Kean 58′), Sigurdsson; Calvert-Lewin (Gordon 76′), Richarlison.

Members Analysis

1,165 Comments Post a Comment
  1. JJeyy
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Willian captain it is then.

    1. Dynamic Duos
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      I'm going Perez to Willian, good move?

      1. JJeyy
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        Great move.

  2. -GK22-
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Barnes for Saka was a bad move

    He was so bad against Norwich and then this. Boooioo

    1. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Just needed Albrighton

  3. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Last gameweek I brought in Mane, Vardy and Barnes (-4) for Kdb, Firmino, Grealish and was fuming at all three of them blanking...

    Amazing what a difference a GW can make!

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Well held on Vardy this GW!

    2. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      All about patience and keeping a cool head this game!

      1. El Presidente
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        ...and being lucky.

        1. El Presidente
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 19 days ago

          Or unlucky

          1. Bubz
            • 10 Years
            4 years, 19 days ago

            Swings and roundabouts

        2. Big boy Bowen
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 19 days ago

          Yes, Bubz could have easily rage transferred out his bad luck from last week but stayed strong, kept a cool logical head and got his just desserts

  4. FPL Maldini
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Did Kun train or is he injured?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Did you write the article?

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Boast fail

      1. Doctor Evil
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        Fully lol

    3. Doctor Evil
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Well that didn’t work lol

    4. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Can't see it?

    5. Doctor Evil
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      “For me to not have a bad week I need Vardy to score a brace both assisted by Barnes then Auba to score a hatty all assisted by Saka, and finally KDB not to play so I get the Martial bench points”

  5. Babelcopter
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Thank you Soy and goodbye! Welcome Saiss!

    Next week Barnes, Ings -> Sarr and Jota. No need to FH. Sweet!!

  6. Cok3y5murf
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    A 19-pointer only took me up 7k places. Underwhelming init

    1. Forza Papac
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Must have a good rank then

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Rough with the smooth!

    3. Chucky
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      vardy effect...

    4. Coys96
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Only 4k for me.

      1. some witty pun
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        its 4k for me too, are you 3.5k OR?!

    5. JJeyy
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Its because of vardy

      1. El Presidente
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        Vardy and Soy

    6. SweepaKeepa
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      +13 for me

    7. Rhodes your boat
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Well I wish I had got a 19 pointer tonight aha!

    8. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Only a few hundred for me...

    9. SHOOTER MCGINN
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Yeah, bit disappointed not to get more from that. Vardy coming on for more than 1 point kinda ruined it.

    10. Amey
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      New way of bragging i guess 😀

      Well done owning Barnes. I got Perez out of excitement. At least i had Vardy

  7. Flynny
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Would you do barnes to antonio / bowen for gw31??

    Or play wifh 1 less player...

    Thanks

  8. Tomerick
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    I missed the Leicester game but I only have Barnes so I don’t expect much. Did I miss anything?

    1. HollywoodXI
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      I triple captained Barnes. Do you know how he did?

      1. El Presidente
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        LOL

    2. Coys96
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Not much

  9. 1912 F.A Cup Winners
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    And there was me earlier this week asking who I should start out of....
    A- Barnes
    B- Fleck
    C- Stephens
    Haha thankyou to you all for making sure I went with my gut with A!!

  10. jdp219
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Have all my chips still, and this is my current team.

    Dubravka, Button
    TAA, Aurier, Soyuncu, Saiss, Rico
    Salah, KDB, Barnes, Cantwell, Saka
    Auba, Vardy, Ings

    Four players for gw31. Looking like a FH, no?

  11. T.Henry14
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Soyuncu - H.Barnes - J.Vardy

    Come on!!

  12. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    How that’s a pen 😆

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      VAR didn’t think an error was made 😆

      1. jtreble
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        ... but tbf all of the analysts did.

      2. Syd.
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        VAR is broken

    2. Amey
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Oliver had Vardy throughout his drought.
      It had to end.
      Villa won't complain too as they were always getting beaten.

  13. King Kohli
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Watch Watford keep a cs next week

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Different animal at home.

    2. Amey
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      I think I'm keeping Vardy Perez for another GW

  14. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Anyone keeping DCL for Liverpool away, or switch to Jota?

    1. DycheDycheBaby
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Liverpool home I meant lol

      1. Chucky
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        keep.. pool leaky

  15. Maddi Son
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Unsure if a non-captain KDB haul is good or bad for the rank.

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Good to punish no owners, if your autosub scores less than 4/5.

    2. I Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Need him to play to block jammy Lundstram and Barnes autosubs.

  16. TAT
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    I'm about 60 points behind a mini league rival at the moment; he has all chips left but wildcard, and I have only BB and FH left. Do I ave any chance catching up with him at this point?

    1. DycheDycheBaby
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Not over until it's over dude. You can still catch him if you play smart

      1. TAT
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        He's really having the best run imaginable at the moment though; every transfer works out perfectly, and he gets a haul off the bench when his starting eleven doesn't perform…

    2. Scots Gooner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      You can definitely do it. I gained 40 points on my rival this week, and you've still 9 weeks to go.

      Just get some clever differentials and get your captain picks right and you'll make up ground.

      1. TAT
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        40 points? Wow! Never managed a haul like that before myself. My rival is really having the luck on his side this season.

        Myself on the other hand, only have a run of failed differentials and captaincies that doesn't really make a difference. It's a difficult FPL season, this!

        1. Scots Gooner
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 19 days ago

          It's been a really difficult season thus year. Are you saving your chips for the DGWs?

          1. TAT
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 19 days ago

            I'm torn between playing FH in 31 or not (saving would mean keeping it for a DGW); I only have five players for that gameweek – and that includes Traoré.

            I could get up to eight players with transfers, but there are so few players playing in 31 I want beyond that.

            1. Scots Gooner
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 7 Years
              4 years, 19 days ago

              I think 7-8 players would be more than enough for 31, the matches and teams don't have a high points potential compared with the team you could put out in a DGW.

              1. TAT
                • 6 Years
                4 years, 19 days ago

                Indeed – and given the fixtures, it's difficult to plan which players to bring in, IMO.

                I'm almost tempted to just go with seven players instead of eight, and avoid taking a hit leading up to GW 31; then I'll avoid bringing in any players I want to transfer out again, and more importantly, I'll avoid starting the gameweek with a -4.

    3. Dr. Agabuse
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      My rival just took 23 pts off me in one game where we both had one starter.
      Its faster done than you think. Patience the key

      1. TAT
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        My problem is that he finds a way to outscore me almost every gameweek. If I claw back a few points, he gains them back the next. This gameweek he's gained 20+ points on me, simply by forgetting the deadline, and having the captaincy on Salah as a result.

  17. Woy_is_back
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Vardy finally delivered. Think he gets another brace next gw

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Christopher, just beat Magnus. You can’t finish below 1

      1. Woy_is_back
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 19 days ago

        Im going ftw bro 😀

    2. El Presidente
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      It would eventually happen at some point, non owners knew the risk. Different options, its the way the game is played. I have to admit though I was not expecting this after realizing he was on the bench... funny game.

    3. Utopsis
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Hoping so - tends to score in batches (confidence).

      Will most likely (C) him now.

  18. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    That was a ridiculous peno

    1. Utopsis
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      So shite. I couldn’t watch, them erupted with the crowd

  19. Slitherene
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Which one to play?

    A) Lascelles (SHU)
    B) Saiss (whu)

    1. Babelcopter
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      B

  20. mir
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    45 bench boost points!! Can't believe that. Up to 3rd in mods and cons. Buzzing

  21. Nightf0x
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Ryan (buton)
    boly taa lund lasecels (soy)
    Kdb mane salah Perez (saka)
    Auba ings (dcl)

    Which? (Wont FH gw31)

    A) soy to sais/vinagre, bench perez
    B) perez to sarr/mount/barnes/6.7 mid.
    C) roll ft, gw31 ings ryan perez -4 to jota antonio pope, saka start for perez
    D) salah dcl -4 to fernandes jimi, bench perez

  22. T.Henry14
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    1 FT & 0.0 itb

    Pope
    TAA, Soyuncu, Lascelles (Stephens, Rico)
    Salah, Mane, KDB, Barnes (Cantwell)
    Ings, Jimenez, Vardy

    Save transfer here and building team for GW31 with 2FT?

  23. Forza Papac
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Could surpass a tonne with a KDB(c) no show, Mane(vc) and Cahill first sub.

  24. Miguel Sanchez
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Tempting to bring in Chelsea assets who play Villa next. Only have Alonso.

    1. Old Gregg
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Thinking the same. But would be for a -4. I must bring a Gw 31 player

  25. Jebiga
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Vardy goals were amazingly lucky 🙂

  26. davies
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Ings > Jota or save?

    1. Babelcopter
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Save. They play against shitty Norwich

  27. Strchld
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    70p (-4), KdB and Auba (C) left, inside top 3.5k. Happy days! Still need KdB no show to get Lundstram off the bench.

  28. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    VAR big club bias has massively done Villa over again... The rich get richer...

    1. jtreble
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 19 days ago

      Yes. just watched the highlights. Unfortunate.

  29. marquinhos
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 19 days ago

    Man, really tempting to get a Chelsea asset next GW