Wasteful Werner shows promising signs for FPL owners in Chelsea win

NEWCASTLE 0-2 CHELSEA

• Goals: Federico Fernandez (£4.9m) own goal, Tammy Abraham (£7.2m)
• Assists: Mason Mount (£6.8m), Timo Werner (£9.5m)
• Bonus: Abraham x3, Reece James (£5.0m) x2, Ben Chilwell (£6.0m) x1

Wern your points

Saturday afternoon was a bittersweet watch for Timo Werner (£9.5m) owners. The German forward was heavily involved in Chelsea’s attacking display at Newcastle but only earned an assist in the 2-0 victory.

The striker had a shot on target saved by the busy Karl Darlow (£5.0m) after just three minutes.

In the 15th minute, Werner’s direct running led to him flashing a low cross right through the six-yard box, with Tammy Abraham (£7.2m) unable to reach the ball in time to convert.

Werner was then the player who failed to make contact with a Reece James (£5.0m) cross, after the right-back was set into space by a wonderful Hakim Ziyech (£8.2m) flick.

Just before the half-hour mark Werner squandered a big chance, having been set through by Abraham after Mateo Kovacic (£5.3m) won the ball back near the Newcastle box.

After half time, Werner robbed the ball from substitute Fabian Schar (£4.9m), who had replaced the injured Jamaal Lascelles (£4.4m).

The German appeared caught in two minds between shooting and passing on getting into the box, with his weak attempted assist for a Ziyech tap-in cleared by the scrambling Magpies backline.

Another Chelsea break saw Abraham go for goal amid a mass of Newcastle bodies when he could have played Werner in, though the ex-Leipzig attacker did not take it to heart as he set up the England striker for Chelsea’s second.

“I always felt that the real danger moments for us could be on transition and counter-attack. Timo [Werner] showed that two or three times in the first half and he shows that for Tammy [Abraham’s] goal.” – Frank Lampard

A scintallting run from inside his own half saw Werner slip Abraham in on goal, with the £7.2m man beating Darlow with a low shot that hit the right-hand post before going in.

Despite possibly frustrating owners and those who captained him, Werner’s involvement is undoubtedly a positive for the coming Gameweeks.

“He had a couple of chances, to be fair to Timo. He was a real threat for us throughout the game. The pace in which he travelled with the ball was something special.” – Frank Lampard

Werner did put the ball in the back of the net just before being substituted but that goal – assisted by Ziyech – was correctly ruled out for offside.

Hakim down

While Werner eventually got on the ‘FPL scoresheet’, Ziyech owners had to settle for a points tally of three.

The Moroccan magician came close to an assist from a delicious whipped cross in the first half but Abraham headed straight at Darlow from close range.

Ziyech would also have had a simple finish into an open goal had Werner been able to find him in that passage of play early in the second period.

Only Mason Mount (£6.8m) made more successful passes in the final third than the former Ajax man.

It was the England midfielder who assisted Chelsea’s opener, having been slipped the ball by Werner on the right-hand side of the pitch after a short-corner routine.

Mount’s low cross was turned into the by Newcastle defender Federico Fernandez, who could not sort his feet out under pressure from Ben Chilwell (£6.0m).

Defence on the Mend

It is now four clean sheets in six Gameweeks for G (£5.1m) and the Chelsea defence.

Thiago Silva (£5.5m) was given Gameweek 9 off following his excursions with Brazil. Deputy Antonio Rudiger (£4.5m) could hardly have asked for a better game to start in, with Newcastle offering extremely little going forward.

The form of N’Golo Kante (£4.9m), now sitting deep in Lampard’s 4-3-3, is undoubtedly of great help to Chelsea’s clean sheet potential. On the France midfielder, Lampard said:

“His levels are really high. He’s a top midfield player.”

On missing trio Christian Pulisic (£8.2m), Kai Havertz (£8.3m) and Silva, the Chelsea manager stated on Thursday:

“Christian Pulisic is not fit for Newcastle but he’s stepped up his training slowly. It’s been quite a problematic injury so we will stay cautious. Kai Havertz is back, his isolation is over. He tested negative two days ago, so he’s just started training that’s more on his own to get individually some of his fitness back after two weeks at home. Thiago Silva has just landed. He just messaged me this afternoon so he probably won’t be going to Newcastle because of the length of the journey and timings.” – Frank Lampard

Newcastle, same old story

Despite Bruce saying after the game that the Magpies “had three good opportunities”, Newcastle’s combined ‘expected goals’ total of 0.35 tells a different story.

And on what was already a difficult afternoon, club captain Lascelles was forced to withdraw from the game with injury at the interval. On the issue, Bruce explained:

“It’s a strange one because he hurt his knee just before half time. As he’s run out to try and test his knee, he’s felt his thigh. It was a difficult one. We hope he’s not too bad. We won’t know how bad it is until we see him on Monday.” – Steve Bruce

On Callum Wilson (£6.6m), who missed out with a hamstring injury, Bruce said much the same thing before and after the game:

“I couldn’t risk him today because of the threat of a hamstring injury and being out for the next six weeks. We’ve erred on the side of caution and hope he’s going to be OK for next week.”

Newcastle XI (5-4-1): Darlow; Lewis, Clark, Lascelles (Schar 45′), Fernandez, Manquillo (Almiron 65′); Saint-Maximin (Carroll 73′), S Longstaff, Hayden, J Murphy; Joelinton.

Chelsea XI (4-3-3): E Mendy; Chilwell (Emerson 81′), Rudiger, Zouma, R James; Mount, Kanté, Kovacic; Werner (Hudson-Odoi 75′), Abraham, Ziyech (Giroud 86′).

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Lessons Learned from FPL Gameweek 9

• Newcastle United 0-2 Chelsea
• Aston Villa 1-2 Brighton and Hove Albion
• Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Manchester City
• Manchester United 1-0 West Bromwich Albion
• Fulham 2-3 Everton
• Sheffield United 0-1 West Ham United
• Leeds United 0-0 Arsenal
• Liverpool 3-0 Leicester City
• Burnley 1-0 Crystal Palace
• Wolves 1-1 Southampton