Scout Notes

What Bournemouth’s shock win over Leicester means for Fantasy managers

Bournemouth 4-1 Leicester City

  • Goals: Junior Stanislas (£5.8m), Dominic Solanke (£5.1m) x2, Jonny Evans (£5.3m) own-goal | Jamie Vardy (£9.8m)
  • Assists: Callum Wilson (£7.4m), Diego Rico (£4.2m), Stanislas| None
  • Bonus: Solanke x3, Stanislas x2, Vardy x1

Where to start with – and how to make sense of – this one?

A bewildering evening on the south coast saw Leicester City implode spectacularly in a manner that conjured up memories of Brazil’s 7-1 thumping at the hands of Germany six years ago.

From Dominic Solanke (£5.1m) finding the net to the Foxes’ two centre-backs scoring a combined minus five Fantasy Premier League points, it was a scarcely believable watch.

The first 45 minutes went by pretty much as expected, with Jamie Vardy (£9.8m) opening the scoring in a typically opportunistic manner, Brendan Rodgers’ side utterly dominating proceedings, and Bournemouth looking fragile in both defence and confidence.

Leicester went into half-time having racked up 10 shots to the Cherries’ one, with Vardy responsible for five of them.

Only some last-ditch blocks kept the score down, with Nathan Ake (£4.8m) getting a vital touch onto a 36th-minute strike from the Foxes’ forward to deflect one effort up and over.

Based on the first-half evidence, and with Ake limping off injured, many of us would have expected a Vardy haul to materialise and no doubt began looking at options for a Manchester City triple-up in Gameweek 36+.

Eddie Howe switched things around at the interval, making two changes and moving to a wing-back system to match Leicester’s formation, but the first 20 minutes of the second half passed by without much incident.

The Cherries were better, with only poor touches from Solanke and Callum Wilson (£7.4m) ruining promising moves, but had still only registered two efforts on goal before the game turned on its head in the 65th minute.

A suicidal kick out from Kasper Schmeichel (£5.5m) led to Wilson being fouled in the Bournemouth box, with substitute Junior Stanislas (£5.8m) stepping up in the injured Josh King‘s (£6.1m) absence to level the scores from the spot.

Things unravelled from that point for the visitors, with Caglar Soyuncu (£5.0m) seeing red for a kick on Wilson immediately after Solanke had squeezed a shot under Schmeichel.

Jonny Evans (£5.3m) then deflected a Stanislas shot past his own goalkeeper before Solanke rounded off the scoring when pouncing on a dreadful Christian Fuchs (£4.2m) pass.

Substitute Sam Surridge (£4.3m) went on to waste two glorious opportunities in injury time as Leicester’s defence went AWOL.

How to process this result as Fantasy managers?

Firstly, Bournemouth’s admirable second-half fightback isn’t likely to put us off going big on Pep Guardiola’s side in Gameweek 36+, with the Cherries looking brittle at the back.

As plucky as the south coast side were, this was a freakish set of circumstances and Manchester City would unquestionably have swatted aside Howe’s troops had they provided the opposition in the opening 45 minutes.

Bournemouth look likely to be without their best centre-half on Wednesday, too, with Howe saying of Ake:

It doesn’t look too good. With such a short time left of the season, it looks like it’s going to be difficult for him to play.

But what of Leicester?

It’d be easy to chalk this game down as an anomaly from their point of view, too, and it’s unlikely that circumstances will again conspire against them in the way they did on Sunday.

However, the Foxes have taken only 14 points from their last 14 games and they are in serious danger of losing out on a Champions League qualification place that looked all but secured at the turn of 2020.

Soyuncu will now miss the remainder of the season, while the Foxes – who still have doubts over James Maddison (£7.3m) and Ben Chilwell (£5.5m) – ahead of Gameweek 36+ – also lost Marc Albrighton (£5.1m) to injury in the first half.

Luckily, Vardy keeps on scoring regardless.

This was his fourth goal in three games and he himself looks back to his best even if the Foxes continue to be hit and miss, with the support from Kelechi Iheanacho (£5.7m) and Ayoze Perez (£6.0m) in attack working well over the last week.

All three of those players could have added to the Foxes’ lead in the first half and it made Rodgers’ decision to withdraw the Nigerian at half-time, sending on Dennis Praet (£5.2m) in his stead, look particularly odd.

The Leicester boss said of that change:

[Iheanacho] wasn’t having one of his better games. The issue for us defensively was on the side of the pitch, because there was a lot of space for Wilf [Ndidi] and Youri [Tielemans] to cover.

So we pushed Ayo [Perez] on, he was playing well, and added an extra midfielder in to help cover.

But the defeat wasn’t tactical, it was about the spirit.

Turning his ire on his players and Soyuncu, Rodgers added:

I didn’t see it coming. We didn’t have personality in the second half. I would say an apology to the supporters, that was unacceptable for a Leicester City team, the reaction to the red card. We lacked the spirit and attitude.

It’s disappointing because we’re already without three of our key players. We don’t have a big enough squad.

It’s a stupid reaction [from Soyuncu]. His covering position could have been better. It was reckless.

Saying that, we have to defend better. We didn’t show the right spirit when we went down to 10 men.

While Vardy’s own form isn’t in question, that of his team is and the Foxes have three tricky-looking games remaining, starting with a match against a Sheffield United side who look back to their best defensively.

The Golden Boot may be enough to keep his existing owners interested but there’ll be fewer FPL managers looking at him anew, while the rest of the Foxes’ squad will likely be given short shrift altogether.


Bournemouth XI (4-4-2): Ramsdale; Stacey, Ake (S Cook 40′), Kelly, Rico; Brooks (L Cook 81′), Gosling (Billing 45′), Lerma, Danjuma (Stanislas 45′); Solanke, Wilson (Surridge 90′).

Leicester City XI (3-4-1-2): Schmeichel; Justin, Evans, Soyuncu; Albrighton (Bennett 16′), Ndidi, Tielemans, Fuchs; Perez (Barnes 70′) Vardy, Iheanacho (Praet 45′).

Members Analysis

FPL LESSONS LEARNED FROM GAMEWEEK 35+

4,127 Comments Post a Comment
  1. caldracula
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    A) Jiménez + James/Zouma
    B) DCL & Azpilicueta

    1. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Never ever ever consider DCL

      A

      1. caldracula
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Should of stated that I own both Jiménez and DCL, one needs to go for Ings and taking Doherty out for a CFC defender for one week.

        1. caldracula
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Azpilicueta seems the best bet and DCL has two nice home fixtures and I can plat Saka in between.

  2. Budweiser
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I could do Auba and Mane to Ings and Willian for free but it would leave me with 8.4m ITB.. The former have been out of form and are playing eachother whereas the latter have promising fixtures. Should I do it?

    1. Whazza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Just Auba to Ings imo

    2. Only a Hazard of time
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I wouldn't worry about having 8.4 ITB at this stage, team value goes out the window, all you need to concentrate on is points.

  3. Jòse
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Thoughts on this free hit team? And which one out of Bruno and Martial?
    Ederson
    Azpi Digne Trent
    Salah Pulisic Sterling Foden Bruno/Martial
    Giroud Ings

    Mccarthy Greenwood Justin Stephens

    1. Only a Hazard of time
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      If you're on a free hit would you not be willing to gamble against Trent? Can't see Liverpool keeping a CS against Arsenal.

      1. Jòse
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Maybe. He's more there just cause it'll really annoy me if he does well and I dont have him

  4. FDMS All Starz
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    which one to do next GW? Or do 2 for a -4?
    A) Mane—>Salah
    B) mahrez—>Pulisic
    C) Jimi—>Jesus
    D) Aurier—>Azpilicueta
    1FT & 1.6M itb

    Patricio
    TAA - Doherty - Aurier
    Mane - Sterling - Fernandes - Martial - Mahrez
    Jimi - Greenwood

    Subs: Martins -Connolly - Kiko - Simpson

    1. super zlatan
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      U sure Aurier won’t feature ?

    2. Lilac Breasted Roller
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Azpi only seems attractive for 1 GW, doing a -4 seems counter productive for him.
      A is sideways

    3. The Ejiptian King
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I might do A, don't think it's sideways since Salah is chasing the golden boot.

  5. Lilac Breasted Roller
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Keeping FH for GW38
    A) Vardy -> Jesus
    B) Jiminez -> Abraham or Giroud
    C) Salah -> Sterling

    No Chelsea coverage, enough MU coverage, just KDB/Foden

  6. super zlatan
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    David silva the better option over Foden, right ?

    1. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Maybe, his last few games in the PL. I'd probbaly do it

    2. BENOIT
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I’m struggling with this

    3. Old Gregg
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I just cannot decide

  7. Mweene
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    20 points behind league leader.

    David Silva he won't have so worth capping him just in case he gets a big haul?

    Feel like I can't afford to cap the same player as him at this point.

    1. Mweene
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Salah another option.

    2. DAZZ
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Same here. silva (c) good option should start and Bou are awful, no Ake

  8. OneDennisBergkamp
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Best 3 defenders to have for GW36?

  9. bitm2007
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Why didn't Manchester United bring on a sub for Williams ? I make it that they used 4, aren't they arrowed 5 ?

    Fred to Pogba
    Williams for Shaw
    Fred and McTominay for Bruno and Greenwood

    1. DeadStarComing
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Only allowed to make subs on 3 occasions (apart from HT)

    2. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      You can only make the subs in 3 windows - they used them all up

    3. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      OK thanks

  10. gers23
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Best use of my 2 fts? 0.9 in bank

    Ederson

    TAA Maguire Seiss

    Kdb Traore Foden Bruno

    Rashford Jiminez Auba

    Leno Cantwell Lascelles Lund

  11. Kno
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Rash or jesus for the next couple of games?

    1. Chucky
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      obafemi...

      1. TheDragon
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Obafemi, Solanke, Trezeguet front 3 I’m looking at

        1. The Ejiptian King
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Are you sure you can afford it?

  12. HD7
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Didnt United make four subs before Brandon got injured?

    1. Warby84
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      3 periods

      1. HD7
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        please elaborate?
        you can make subs only in certain periods?

        1. Phil's Stamps
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Under the -hopefully- temporary rules you can make up to 5 subs but only at three times (of your choosing) during the game. It's to stop disruption to the game and time-wasting. I didn't watch the whole game but I assume United had already introduced subs at three separate occasions.

        2. JfA
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Aye, you get three periods to make five subs, saves time wasting. Some managers (Neil Warnock, if he was about) would be making a separate one every three minutes if it suited him 😮

  13. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Ings,Obafemi and Bedranek welcome to my team 😀

  14. Coys96
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Isnt Rashford getting that bap deducted? For that sitter

    1. Hy liverpool
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Rainer knows

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Defender blocked it, not sure of rules with that

      1. Earwicker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I think it is based on shirt number of defender.

  15. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Will Kane get his place at Euro 2021?

    Ings, Rashford, Greenwood, McBurnie, McGoldrick, Solanke, Obafemi...

    So many in better form.

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      You're comparing wrong players.
      Henderson Winks Ox Etc are competing with him 😉

    2. Roysgotnoboys
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Lol

    3. gers23
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      He'll be In CB next to Maguire...

    4. King Kohli
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      You forgot Josh King!

  16. Kodap
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Who gets the captain armband this week?

    A. Pulisic
    B. Fernandes
    C. KDB
    D. Jesus

    1. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      D out of them I think

      1. Kodap
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        You reckon? Guaranteed start, Pulisic against a defeated Norwich surely seems most attractive?

        1. have you seen cyan
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Its a gut call tbh, I think Norwich will play good.
          I think Jesus is a nice differential cap.

          Out of those thats who i'd choose, but personally im going Rash over Jesus (I have Jesus also)

          1. Kodap
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 8 months ago

            I also own Rashford, Salah & Ings too, if that's any help?

    2. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      D

      1. Kodap
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Interesting.. who you capping?

  17. JURGENAUT
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Who to bench?

    Greenwood or Vardy

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Greenwood

    2. BENOIT
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      G, due a rest

      1. FDMS All Starz
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Chasing top 4 and got subbed early and James had no impact, defo starts next game

    3. Coys96
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Vardy

      Palace are dross

    4. Roysgotnoboys
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Greenwood or Mahrez for me. Currently benching Greenwood

  18. Miguel Sanchez
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Captain

    A) Pulisic (NOR)
    B) D.Silva (BOU)
    C) Sterling (BOU) -4

    1. Hy liverpool
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      A or B imho

    2. Coys96
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      A but get C anyway

  19. sirmorbach
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    David Silva, Martial or Antonio? (Have Bruno and Greenwood, and KDB already)

  20. Thomas Shelby from Birmingh…
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    United to play full strength team before FA Cup fixture?

    1. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      League the priority (especially with tonight's result)

  21. Pulp Minion
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    1) Vardy -> Jesus
    2) Hold FT?

    1. jonnybhoy
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      2

  22. jonnybhoy
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Whos GW36 captain? Currently on Willian but uneasy on it...

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Probably Pulisic

  23. School of Poch
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Who would you go for on FH

    A: Azpilli (more nailed)
    B: Alonso (higher ceiling if he plays)

    1. jonnybhoy
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      A

  24. JfA
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Only my second season and first one where I've sort of known what I am doing, but this weekend has been a real down to earth moment and I've footed right up this GW. I've looked back and there has been four very poor decisions over the season that has probably cost me 100 points. I've fallen from 57K to 63K and I'm gutted 🙁

    1. thomashl
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Feel ya, mate. I’ve made some poor decisions after the break which have cost a boatload of points.

      What I learned from it: play my own game more, not just listen to what everyone else says is best.

      Good luck for the rest of the season, mate!

      1. JfA
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Nice one, you too, I was going to swap Salah for Sterling this week but listened to a few on here, would have been massive point swing 🙁

    2. Maddamotha
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Thats not a big fall...

    3. Free Hat
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Cheer up. Still a good rank for a difficult season imo.

  25. thomashl
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I haven’t been in the comments section during a match in some time, but there sure are a lot of haters here :/ shame

    1. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      All part of the fun

      1. thomashl
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        To a certain degree, I agree! Banter is fun.

        Obsessively trash talking all the time... guess I’ll never get it

  26. Do I Not Like Orange
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Am stumped on captaincy. Favouring one of Salah, Ings & Foden. What do you think?

    DDG
    TAA Doherty Digne
    Salah Foden KDB Martial Pulisic
    Vardy Ings

    Greenwood Holgate Lascelles

    1. SINGH
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      KDB

  27. SINGH
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    No responses on previous thread

    Hi RMFHTplease

    Ederson
    Egan Digne Azpi
    Sterling Salah Pulisic Martial fernandes
    Giroud Ings

    Greenwood Justin Fernandez

    Thanks

    1. Whazza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      All good would change Egan and Giroud though

      1. SINGH
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Who can I bring in?

        1. Whazza
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Jesus if you can afford. Or Start Greenwood vs Palace and bring in any def you like

    2. thomashl
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I like the Giroud pick. Seems to be a consensus round the fact that Tammy doesn’t cut the mustard. I’m considering him myself.

  28. Jones Kusi
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    When to FH this team?

    1 FT 0.7 ITB
    Martinez Martin
    Taa Justin Awb Lascelles Simpson
    Salah Kdb Son Martial Pulisic
    Vardy Greenwood Nketiah

  29. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Goals for all of the most transferred out players this GW: Son, Jimenez and Rashford!

  30. Ci Siamo
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    My ML rival is only two points behind me and owns Sterling whereas I own Ederson. Do I....

    a) Take a hit or two to go triple City attack hoping it pays off over three games

    b) Take no hit, just cover his Sterling asset