Scout Notes

Should FPL managers sell Aubameyang ahead of Arsenal’s tough fixture run?

Arsenal 2-1 West Ham United

  • Goals: Alexandre Lacazette (£8.5m), Eddie Nketiah (£6.0m) | Michail Antonio (£6.4m)
  • Assists: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£12.0m), Dani Ceballos (£5.5m) | Ryan Fredericks (£4.5m)
  • Bonus: Nketiah x3, Ceballos x2, Lacazette x1

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£12.0m) is top of the charts for Fantasy Premier League transfers out ahead of Gameweek 3, with over 250,000 FPL bosses having offloaded the Gabon international since last Saturday’s deadline.

Modest returns in the opening two Gameweeks is one reason for the exodus but Arsenal’s upcoming fixture run is arguably the single biggest contributing factor, with the Gunners now facing five fixtures against sides who finished in the top half last season.


In nine meetings against these five clubs last season, Aubameyang delivered just two goals and one assist.

Even a player who consistently boasts one of the best goal conversion records in the division would struggle with his underlying numbers in these games: the premium midfielder managed only two shots on target (scoring both, naturally) and averaged less than one effort in the box per appearance.

Top half last season doesn’t necessarily mean top half this season, of course, and the jury is still out on a Sheffield United backline without the services of Dean Henderson (£5.5m).

Liverpool’s high defensive line was exposed by Leeds in Gameweek 1, meanwhile, and Aubameyang put Manchester City to the sword in the FA Cup semi-final in July.

Still, the fact remains that the Gunners’ Gameweek 3-7 opponents were all in the top six for fewest goals conceded in 2019/20.

Aubameyang will almost certainly bag at least one attacking return, maybe even a handful, in his upcoming five matches, but is he likely to outscore the premium assets from the other ‘big six’ clubs over the same timeframe?

And in how many of these fixtures would we realistically captain the Gabon international?

On paper, a premium midfielder exchange seems to be a straightforward decision – but FPL, as this weekend showed, may have other ideas.

ONE SHOT

Aubameyang was by some distance the most-captained FPL asset of Gameweek 2, with over two million Fantasy managers handing him the armband.

One solitary assist for Alexandre Lacazette‘s (£8.5m) opener was all that he could muster, with the Frenchman nodding home his teammate’s cross after just 24 minutes.

The expected avalanche of points failed to materialise as both player and club struggled to carve out chances, with Aubameyang’s only shot of the match coming from distance in the 90th minute.

There was mitigation for his own display though.

Aubameyang had cultivated a good understanding with Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£5.0m) and Kieran Tierney (£5.5m) down the left flank recently and he was without both of his comrades at the Emirates, with the former benched and the latter succumbing to an injury in the warm-up.

Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) and Sead Kolasinac (£4.9m) came into the side and although Saka “assisted the assister” for both of the hosts’ goals, the rapport simply wasn’t there between the left-sided trio for much of the game.

TIERNEY UPDATE
One statistic to rule them all

Mikel Arteta acknowledged a disjointed performance from his troops after full-time, saying:

I think we were a little bit lucky in certain moments, but we found a way in the end to win it and that’s the mentality I want from the team, to always believe that we can do it until the last moment, even when we have difficult games where suffer and make it very difficult for ourselves in certain positions.

But in the end, it’s three points and that’s what we’re here for. We will take some big notes because there are a lot of things to improve.

It’s very strange because we were talking with the staff today that they had their best week in terms of decision making, quality and execution with the ball by far since I joined the club, but then in the first 15 minutes, they gave the ball to the wrong colour too often. We need to improve on that and we know that we still have a lot of work to do here, but at least they kept trying and nobody tried to hide.

On Tierney’s injury, the Arsenal boss added:

Kieran is fine. He had a little muscular discomfort in the last few days. He tried today and worked in the warm-up but he wasn’t feeling comfortable today.
 
We believed that he was going to be fit but during the warm-up, in the last 10 minutes, he said he wasn’t feeling OK. We had to make a decision. We were prepared just in case and Kola came on and had a good game.

ANTONIO BACK AMONG THE GOALS

After an anticlimactic Gameweek 1, Michail Antonio (£6.4m) was back on the scoresheet at the Emirates.

Encouragingly, he was occupying the sorts of areas that led to his purple patch of form after lockdown ended in June.

His 44th-minute goal from a Ryan Fredericks (£4.5m) cross came from inside the six-yard box and he had an excellent chance to add to that tally after the break, failing to make proper contact on an Arthur Masuaku (£4.5m) delivery from close range.

Antonio then hit the bar with a header midway through the second half and saw a goalbound shot blocked in the subsequent melee.

West Ham’s awful upcoming fixture run will put many FPL managers off but few players could compete with Antonio’s underlying stats after lockdown ended and there were encouraging signs that he could recapture that form on Saturday.

MOYES GOES 3-4-3

With Mark Noble (£5.0m) injured, David Moyes called on Arthur Masuaku (£4.5m) to replace him and turned to a 3-4-3 for the trip to north London.

While Jarrod Bowen (£6.4m) and Tomas Soucek (£5.0m) were not at their best, Masuaku was excellent in a left wing-back role and West Ham delivered a much-improved display following their poor performance in Gameweek 1 – something to perhaps consider for those targeting assets who play the Hammers in weeks to come.

Moyes’ troops registered twice as many shots as their hosts, with their goal not coming under much threat after Lacazette’s opener – that is, until a lapse in concentration allowed Dani Ceballos (£5.5m) to set up Eddie Nketiah (£6.0m) for Arsenal’s late winner.

Moyes said of his side’s display:

We were massively improved from last week. We made chances, played well, wanted to be as good as we could. But ultimately we are playing a form team. I am disappointed that we have not come away with a point at least.

Arsenal XI (3-4-3): Leno; Holding, Gabriel, Kolasinac; Bellerin, Ceballos, Xhaka, Saka (Luiz 89′); Willian (Pepe 64′), Lacazette (Nketiah 77′), Aubameyang.

West Ham United XI (3-4-3): Fabianski; Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Fredericks, Rice, Soucek, Masuaku (Anderson 85′); Bowen (Yarmolenko 83′), Antonio, Fornals (Haller 87′).

Members Analysis


FPL Lessons Learned from Gameweek 2

3,517 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Dr. Ante Pavlovic
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    What do you think about my team for this gw?

    Ryan
    TAA, Dallas, Struijk(Justin)
    Salah, Sterling(c), JRod, Zaha, Son
    Werner, Mitrović

    1. Thinkering like a Boss
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      looks good

  2. ol3andre
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    RMWCT

    Ryan - Button
    TAA - James - Fernandinho - Lamptey - Burke
    Salah - KDB - Son - Podence - Burke
    Jesus - DCL - Bamford

    Thoughts on this wildcard? Too boring?

    1. Thinkering like a Boss
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      double burke wow

      1. ol3andre
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Jeez Mitchell ofc

  3. camarozz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    2fts for
    Auba+Alli➡️Kdb+Rodriguez?. ?

    1. Keep Calm and Play On
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Yup

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Doesn’t get a whole lot better than that i’d say, solid moves.

    3. Dirty Harry
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Absolutely

    4. noquarternt
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Looks spot on to me, no brainer

  4. Tabbara
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Guys,
    Foden or Podence to replace ASM
    Thx

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Gotta give Podence the nod here i reckon. I’d like to see more from Foden with starts.

  5. tucaoneo
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    2 FT done. Auba -> KDB. ASM -> Podence. Still pondering a -4 for Egan replacement.

  6. Twelve years a slave
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Where are the price changes

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

      You posted them below

  7. Twelve years a slave
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Costa (£5.6M)
    De Bruyne (£11.6M)
    Saïss (£5.1M)

    1. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      And no one of significance dropped

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

        Aguero insignificant

    2. Thinkering like a Boss
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      no drop...wow!

    3. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      1 up

  8. steven8991
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Captain Kane or KDB?

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      KDB

  9. Stupendous
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    ASM to Podence in what would mean a -8?

    Done Auba and Wilson to KDB and DCL

    1. Dr. Ante Pavlovic
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      No

    2. NABIL - FPL otai
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Nope

  10. sinik
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    *Risers*

    Costa, KDB, Saiss

    *Fallers*

    Pepe, Groß, Veltman, Mount, Hernandez, Minamino, Aguero, Longstaff, JWP, Bergwijn

    1. Stupendous
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Asm survives another day cheers

    2. ol3andre
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      No Werner? Goddammit

      1. Boo Ya Ka Sha
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        +1

      2. Alonso The Great Midfielder
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        still waiting werner to drop

    3. Thinkering like a Boss
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      fuhhh ASM

    4. waldo666
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Cheers Sinik.

    5. jia you
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      100.9 even after losing 0.1 on shipping a player...pounds over points or is it the other way around 😉

    6. HODGE
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Werner doesn't drop again where the consistency

    7. sambyy
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Annoying that I missed KDB's rise just because of time zones and having to go to bed early 🙂

      1. The Train Driver
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Move

        1. sambyy
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Considering it.

    8. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      First Manchester player to rise this season

    9. Whats the Huth
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      With all due respect. If you are going to continue doing the price changes. Could you please put the new prices next to the players names

  11. NABIL - FPL otai
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Captain Kane, KDB or salah?

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

      Kane for me

    2. Bleh
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      KDB to play it safe, Salah for a calculated punt.

      1. NABIL - FPL otai
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Like Salah but problem is, facing my gunners 🙂

    3. Thinkering like a Boss
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Werner Bremen

    4. Avery
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Salah at Home

  12. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Somehow ASM didn't drop. Seems FPL statistics is still learning.

    1. Apwilkin
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      They seem to be off on quite a few...
      I also have no clue on what’s going on with prices of the new guys... Rodriguez has been said to rise the last 5-6 days on there I’m pretty sure.

    2. Boo Ya Ka Sha
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      they were better a few seasons ago

  13. Twelve years a slave
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Knew the prices were fixed for new players, they just will not change.
    JRodriguez should have changed days ago

    1. NABIL - FPL otai
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Werner not falling is such a shame

    2. Bleh
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Agree, find it really weird.

    3. Dirty Harry
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Makes you wonder if there FPL are tampering the rises/drops. Makes no sense that he has not risen tbh.

      1. sinik
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        It's an often mentioned, but fairly ridiculous, conspiracy theory.

        1. Klaren
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          There is so much evidence of it by now. They don’t deny it anyway, there is no transparency in price changes so it’s fully under their discretion.

          1. sinik
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 10 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            So much evidence? Because 3rd party price change websites are the gold standard?

            What would be FPL's motivation here?

            1. Klaren
              • 6 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Ownership numbers and transfers in and out are available on the FPL website as well as the wildcards played. It doesn't take a genius to be able to calculate all the different outcomes in multiple scenarios and since we 38 GWs of data from years of FPL, the sample size is significant enough to reach a conclusion and determine a discrepancy in all different scenarios, i.e. different pricing algorithms used by the website.

              It is quite ridiculous to claim there is no discrepancy when you consider the amount of data available to be honest.

          2. Harry the Hack
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Not sure you know the definition of evidence.

            1. Klaren
              • 6 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Not sure you are capable of how to use data or determine a simple pattern.

  14. KINGS
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Overhaul my squad as follows. Comments pls?

    Martinez Ryan
    Saiss James Justin Mitchell Taylor
    Salah Son Hames Zaha KDB
    DCL Jimi Davis

    1. FPL Bond @ Twitter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I have the same team..Cheers..

  15. noquarternt
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Why hasn't Bale been added yet? This week? (I know he's injured, but he has been signed now)

  16. sozopol
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Welp. First - 8 in years. Not sure how it feels. I rarely take any hits at all. I'm coming off 113 points!

    Ings, Auba, ASM, Doherty - - > Jiminez, Hames Rodriguez, KDB, Saiss

    Still have Son, Zaha, Kane, DCL, Justin, Mitchell, TAA

    1. Dirty Harry
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Weird flex, but ok lol

      1. sozopol
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Haha trust me, my week 1 was mediocre and I'm not particularly good at this for having played 10 years

    2. Bleh
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      4 players out for 5 in?

      1. Bleh
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Ignore, can’t count.

    3. Thinkering like a Boss
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      do it -8 cant hurt you

    4. Stupendous
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      When you've scored that well it's a perfect time for a -8.
      Nice moves

    5. sozopol
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I feel a little bullied by anticipated real and imagined price rises, but I figure now is the window for building value.

  17. camarozz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Will Vinegre play now that Marcal is injured? Would rather play him over Davies at this stage...

    1. Thinkering like a Boss
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Play Davies

    2. IRBOX ⚽
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Davies won’t be playing now with Reguilon. Expect him to start the EFL cup and then it’s curtains for his FPL prospects

  18. Muchentuchel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    HOW tf did Rodriguez NOT rise??
    $%&§"/

    1. Harry the Hack
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      a large proportion of his transfers in were wildcarding, which don't contribute to price changes.

  19. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Rodriguez not rising, Havertz and Werner not dropping ffs

    1. NABIL - FPL otai
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      They knew Timo gonna explode thus week hence not giving it easy to WCers.

  20. Stupendous
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    No rise AGAIN for James! Ridiculous.

    1. Stupendous
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Castagne and James were both above 105 on FPLStats

      Absurd

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Really is daft

  21. Apwilkin
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    McCarthy (Button)

    TAA-VVD-KWP (Egan**, Ferguson**)
    KDB-Salah-Podence-Rodriguez (Bissouma**)
    Wilson-Werner-Adams

    Really trying to avoid my WC quite yet. You will notice i have zero playing bench players due to red cards and injuries. Anybody here worth a -8?

  22. Sloane426
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    No one posts the price changes anymore?

    1. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      look up

  23. ace3.1415
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    I am wildcarding. Keep werner? Or switch to jesus or jimi?

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

      Jimi looks good. But that Chelsea fixture vs West Brom is tempting

    2. Alonso The Great Midfielder
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      keeping

  24. john25
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Hey guys, what’s the reason most are picking KDB over Sterling now that they’re the same price? Only for pens?

    1. Boo Ya Ka Sha
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      purely pens for me.

    2. chaser123
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Looked a lot more dangerous/involved tonight

    3. Albrightondknight
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I only saw half the same while trying to work today but KDB scares me. I was all for Sterling but now I am not so sure. I need to watch the game in full later.

    4. sinik
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Pens is definitely big, but KDB is also a better and more consistent player.

      Con for him is that sometimes he'll be more withdrawn from the action playing a bit deeper.

    5. DycheDycheBaby
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I think Sterling is likely to get more goals but KDB will outscore him on points over the whole season because he is more consistent. Now on pens too which is a bonus.

  25. BilalM
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    How did Vinagre play last night? Any chances he gets a run in the starting XI?

  26. gonzalocampos
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    On WC: Comments?

    Ryan
    Robertson - James - Taylor - Justin - Saiss
    Son - KDB - Salah - Podence - Anguissa
    Jimenez - Wood - DCL

    1. Albrightondknight
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I would get Lamptey over Taylor.
      Spread the cash a bit thin. Do you need the bench to be that strong. Other wise nice. Great to see most WC teams have 7-8 of my non WC team, but it’s not good really cause I am worse than 1m OR and it’s getting kinda template already.

      1. chaser123
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Isn’t lamptey injured?

        1. Bushwhacker
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Unknown ; precautionary apparently.

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

        I would love to have Lamptey, the issue is that already have Ryan.

  27. Albrightondknight
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Price changes?

  28. seewhyaxe
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    rookie mistake, sold Zaha on a wildcard, lost that potential 0.1m if I want him back

    1. Albrightondknight
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I do it everytime. Write out 100 times do not lose money making transfers during WC 🙂

      1. seewhyaxe
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        I usually just tinker, save screenshots and leave it as it is.

        Today, I don't know why I went to "confirm transfers"

  29. chaser123
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    McCarthy
    TAA Davies Vinagre
    Salah KDB JRod Podence
    Werner Martial Mitrovic

    (Button Soucek Justin Ferguson)

    Pretty bad start but this team looks ok for this weekend I think.

    Am I gtg?

  30. Francescoli
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Regretting playing my wildcard. Oh well.

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      What changed from when you played it?

    2. FPL Laurenzo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I've played mine and not regretting it. Yet.