Scout Notes

Palace defence impresses again but tricky upcoming fixtures dent FPL appeal

Bournemouth 0-2 Crystal Palace

  • Goals: Luka Milivojevic (£6.7m), Jordan Ayew (£5.2m)
  • Assists: Wilfried Zaha (£6.7m), Patrick van Aanholt (£5.6m)
  • Bonus: van Aanholt x3, Milivojevic x2, Joel Ward (£4.3m), Gary Cahill (£4.4m) x1

Crystal Palace eased to victory over a Bournemouth side that produced a performance as poor as might be expected from a side dropping into the bottom three of the Premier League table.

Goals from Luka Milivojevic (£6.7m) and Jordan Ayew (£5.2m) were more than enough to secure the three points for Roy Hodgson’s men.

It also meant a fourth straight win for Palace – all of them including clean sheets – which would usually be enough to persuade plenty of Fantasy managers to tap into their assets.

But the Eagles’ schedule is not the kindest over the rest of the season, with Liverpool, Chelsea, Wolves, Spurs and Manchester United still to come as they seek a European place to crown a fine campaign.

Those sides are likely to provide a far tougher test than Bournemouth did yesterday.

The Cherries took more than an hour to manage their first – and it turned out only – attempt on target when a Nathan Ake (£4.8m) header brought a routine save from Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita (£5.0m).

Not that Palace were much more progressive themselves. Their two shots on target led to the goals as the typically compact and disciplined visiting side negated a toothless Bournemouth devoid of both confidence and verve.

All of that led to a match best described as ‘one for the purists’ and which, as a contest, was over pretty much as soon as Palace scored their second goal.

That came from a fine move involving Wilfried Zaha (£6.7m), who slipped the ball to an advancing Patrick van Aanholt (£5.6m) in the opposition area, with the defender’s cutback picking out Ayew to side-foot home with calm authority.

Zaha was also heavily involved in the opening goal as he earned a free-kick from which Milivojevic curled home an exquisite 25-yard finish.

The effort earned the Serbian midfielder two bonus points, but it was van Aanholt who brought in the maximum award and a second double-digit haul in four Gameweeks.

The Holland international has now scored 41 points for his 5.4% Fantasy Premier League (FPL) ownership over that time frame – that’s 18 more than the entire Bournemouth rearguard, including keeper Aaron Ramsdale (£4.5m), have managed as a group.

Van Aanholt’s numbers have been boosted by returns at both ends of the pitch, although yesterday’s assist was his first of the season.

That his pass was well finished by Ayew was no surprise. The striker has now scored in three straight Gameweeks and produced an assist in the match before that – the sort of fine form at such a low price that might tempt Fantasy managers to invest despite Palace’s tricky schedule.

It certainly prompted Hodgson to praise his striker in the build-up to the match, but the Eagles boss was more pleased with the team as a whole when he spoke after it.

Hodgson said:

The player fitness was quite good. I was surprised. We only had the three weeks

We took Christian [Benteke] off because of the slight concern that his hamstring might have been tightening a bit. We took Macca [James McArthur] and Luka [Milivojevic] off because they were tiring a bit. But if I needed to keep them on, I could have kept all three of them on.

Wilf [Zaha] and all of the front players were superb. Yes, they’re flamboyant and have skill and pace but they were very sensible. If we can keep doing that, it might be a nice end to the season.

Zaha could, and probably should, have made the win even more emphatic as Bournemouth chased the game late on, the winger spurning a couple of opportunities on the break.

And Gary Cahill (£4.4m) was another who had a decent chance to seal the deal, volleying an effort over the bar from a corner in one of the few bits of penalty-area action in the second half.

Then again, the centre-half could, on another day, have been handed a red card for a challenge on Josh King (£6.1m) that took the ball cleanly enough, but also took the striker’s leg with the follow-through.

VAR had a look and decided no further action was necessary; the right decision, probably, but one that has gone the other way on more than one occasion in the past.

The tackle led to King’s withdrawal, with Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe later confirming the striker has an injury issue:

I don’t know the extent of the damage, it looks like an ankle injury, so we’ll wait and see.

Other than that, Howe preferred to look forward rather than back; understandable given his side’s mediocre performance:

The table is so tight, the difference is so tight, we could look at back-to-back wins as being the difference for us, but we have to believe that can happen.

With a tough schedule – Wolves away next and both Manchester sides, Spurs and Leicester to come after that – belief might not be enough to save the Cherries.

And their dreadful form – just two wins and no clean sheets in their last 13 matches – means few Fantasy managers will be joining them on the journey regardless.

As for Palace assets, their defenders and the confident (and cheap) Ayew might turn a few heads, but only if their form can better their fixtures.

Bournemouth XI (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; S.Cook, Ake, Smith, Stacey; Lerma, L.Cook; Brooks (Stanislas 61), H.Wilson (Danjuma 45), King (Solanke 49); C.Wilson.

Crystal Palace XI (4-3-3): Guaita; van Aanholt, Cahill, Dann, Ward; McArthur (Riedewald 89), Milivojevic (McCarthy 65), Kouyate; Ayew, Zaha, Benteke (Townsend 76).

MEMBERS ANALYSIS

Double Gameweek 30+ FPL Lessons Learned

2,024 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Too risky to captain Salah midweek then, right?

    Zero minutes not a good omen

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I'm not interested in Pool anyways this GW for ©.
      Palace aren't pushovers

      1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Vardy, Martial or Bruno next in line then... hmmm...

        1. pingissimus
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          Oh you have Vardy? Still half tempted to keep on FH - did you see anything that gave you confidence? Only caught bits of that game

          1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            He was virtually anonymous from what little I saw - but has he ever really been an "eye test" player anyway... Generally his contributions are attacking returns, he doesn't tend to accumulate massive volumes of shots or stats

            Still feels like a brave enough call to captain though - I'm having my head turned by a decimated SHU away to a Man Utd who need to bounce back & will likely have Pogba driving them

        2. Amey
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          Vardy
          Bruno
          Martial

          In that order for me.

          I'm going for ...
          DCL 😛

      2. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        The recent history of Palace playing the big boys isn’t exciting!! This season they’ve rolled almost every time - bar United who were gash at the time. Previously when they’ve had results/performances it’s been attack not defence that has stood up.

        Conflicted 🙂

        1. Amey
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          Hmm
          Maybe. Maybe not. It's my personal opinion of course 😉
          Let's see ...

          1. pingissimus
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            Indeed let’s see

            But there’s a really sharp distinction between Palace against top and bottom this season - much less so than last time. RH has us set up Uber defensively really and much fewer outlets - Townsend isn’t on the pitch and the counter isn’t nearly so dangerous. That means there’s too much pressure to absorb.

            Think it comes down to the first goal. If it comes early then it could be nasty for Palace.

            1. Amey
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 9 months ago

              That is like every big team vs small team then 😀

              I will have Mane & Taa so not too worried. But i think I'll still target Norwich & go DCL way

    2. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      TAA?

      Thinking it over anyway.

    3. Shatner's Bassoon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I’d say so.

      Sheff U (probably) being without 3 of their back 6 is a gift on a plate. Going Bruno myself.

      1. Amey
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        I think this would rather turn them into a more concise unit.
        I don't see more than 2-0 right now tbh

        1. Shatner's Bassoon
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          True but would be surprised if BF isn’t involved somewhere in that even if it is 2-0 and, crucially, am pretty sure he gets close to 90.

          Could you see Liv-Pal being more than 2-0??

        2. pingissimus
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          Think I agree - with a free choice who would your 2 United attackers be?

          1. Amey
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            Bruno Rashford

  2. R.C
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Two big decisions

    1. Mane or Salah
    2. Bruno or Pogba

    1. Konstaapeli
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Mane & Bruno

      1. HVT
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        This (it’s not that big!)

  3. Riggs
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Wildcard activated:
    Pope Martin
    TAA Doherty Lascelles Holgate Kiko Femenia
    Mane KDB Son Fernandes Traore
    Jimenez Rashford Nketiah

    A) Stick with this pick up
    B) Pope -> Martinez, Traore - Guendouzi, Nketiah - DCL
    C) Downgrade other player to afford Everton assets

    1. HVT
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      A but I don’t like Martinez

      1. Riggs
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Me neither. I suppose you had in mind plan B). I don't like Martinez option, but will give me the following squad:
        Martinez Martin
        TAA Doherty Saiss Lascelles Jack Robinson
        Mane KDB Son Fernandes Guendouzi
        Jimenez Rashford DCL

        Everything besides GK looks fine.

  4. HVT
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Is Guendozi due a ban from the other day?

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Could get one, should know by end of day.

    2. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I think we'd have heard if that was the case.
      Probably overlooked ..

  5. Shatner's Bassoon
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Cheap midfielder slot tricky on WC,

    Sarr, Barnes, Traore, Saint-Maximin all been in various drafts, can’t settle on one.

  6. fish&chips
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    So many good choices for the front 7 this week, it's a nightmare to pick a FH team!!

    Salah
    Mane
    KDB
    Richarlson
    Son
    Alli
    Bergwijn
    Fernandes
    Pogba
    Jimmy
    Ings
    Jota
    DCL
    Rashford
    Martial

    Any more to add?