Scout Notes

Soucek’s threat, Lingard’s form and Auba out wide: FPL talking points from BGW29

West Ham United 3-3 Arsenal

  • Goals: Jesse Lingard (£6.1m), Jarrod Bowen (£5.9m), Tomas Soucek (£5.3m) | Soucek own-goal, Craig Dawson (£4.5m) own-goal, Alexandre Lacazette (£8.2m)
  • Assists: Michail Antonio (£6.7m) x2, Lingard | Lacazette, Callum Chambers (£4.5m), Nicolas Pepe (£7.6m)
  • Bonus: Lacazette x3, Lingard x2, Bowen/Chambers x1

Arsenal and West Ham United shared six goals at the London Stadium on Sunday, with the Gunners coming from 3-0 down to snatch a point.

MAGIC BEANS

Jesse Lingard‘s (£6.1m) latest goal for West Ham United, a thumping half-volley from the edge of the box in Sunday’s draw with Arsenal, was suggestive of a man in form.

And what form he’s in: it’s eight attacking returns in seven games for the midfielder since he made the loan move to east London in January.

His average of exactly 8.0 FPL points per match – from a small sample size, admittedly – can’t be bettered by any other player this season.

He’s returned against the likes of Manchester City and Spurs in that time, so there’s every chance that he can maintain his purple patch in Gameweek 30 when West Ham face a Wolves side that has allowed more big chances than all bar whipping boys Sheffield United over their last half-dozen matches.

Six of the Hammers’ remaining nine games are, in fact, against bottom-half clubs:

Lingard has bettered even Michail Antonio (£6.7m) for penalty box touches and shots on goal since he made the switch from the north-west, although it was the West Ham striker who had the better chances on Sunday.

Antonio struck the woodwork from point-blank range and had a goalbound shot inadvertently blocked by Kieran Tierney (£5.3m) in the second half, having earlier seen his off-target header diverted into the net by Tomas Soucek (£5.3m).

That was Soucek’s ninth goal of a remarkable season – as many as Raheem Sterling (£11.4m) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.5m) have managed – and it was encouraging to see the Czech international popping up in some dangerous positions again.

ICE COLD ALEX

Alexandre Lacazette (£8.2m) was given the nod to lead the line for the Gunners on Sunday, with his deployment up top meaning that Aubameyang was used out wide – initially on the right – for the first time in well over a month.

The resulting display from the Gabonese striker, who ended Gameweek 29 with no shots or key passes to his name, was abject and further fuel to the argument that he’s not worth considering as a premium Fantasy asset when farmed out to one of the flanks.

Lacazette, by contrast, made it four attacking returns in as many run-outs, first seeing a shot deflect in off Soucek before capping off the Gunners’ remarkable comeback when nodding in substitute Nicolas Pepe‘s (£7.6m) cross.

ODE TO ODE

With a tired-looking Bukayo Saka (£5.3m) not at his best and Emile Smith Rowe (£4.2m) having a well-earned breather, it was left to Martin Odegaard (£6.0m) to fly the flag for Arsenal’s budget FPL midfielders.

The Norwegian has been increasingly influential week on week and he was excellent on Sunday, recording twice as many final-third touches as any West Ham player.

The lack of attacking returns is off-putting and there is a nagging feeling that he will ‘assist the assister’ more often than not – something he did on two occasions on Sunday.

Back-to-back goals in league and in Europe last week hints at the possibility of future returns, at least, with Arteta keen to have the on-loan Madridista take more risks in front of goal.

Odegaard also created more chances than any other Arsenal player on Sunday (and has done this over the last six Gameweeks), with his role on set plays another string to his bow.

Arteta said of the Norway international:

I think he had an incredible performance, he was very intelligent the way he read the game, the way he affected the game and again he showed how much he wants to win. When everyone was a little bit trembling, he gave us that composure on the ball and he created chance after chance.

I love talented and creative players that all the time are willing to take that ball and make things happen, that are mobile and also hard-working. He is one of them. We have some others with different qualities but it’s true that Martin is now giving us a different level on certain things that we didn’t have.

FINGERS BERND

My Own Strategy to select 'Set and Forget' Shot Stopper for the rest of the Clean-Sheet-less Season

No Premier League club is on a longer run without a clean sheet than Arsenal.

It’s eight matches without a shut-out for the Gunners, which isn’t a great advert for their defence ahead of their excellent fixture swing in Gameweek 31.

In mitigation, Arteta’s troops have just embarked on a testing run of games and most of their clean sheets have, as one would expect, come against the also-rans of the division:

v top halfv bottom half
Played1514
Clean sheets26
Goals conceded2111

So there is cause for optimism ahead of an appealing run-in, although the yawning chasms in their defence at the London Stadium and the ongoing rotation risk will have put a few FPL managers off.

Callum Chambers (£4.5m), incidentally, put in a fine shift at right-back and could quite easily have emerged with a hat-trick of assists rather than the one he banked.

FOREVER FORMING BUBBLES

Tomas Souchek punishes doubters as West Ham move into top four 6

It’s not just injuries that we have to keep an eye on over the international break but illness and quarantining, too.

David Moyes said of Soucek’s impending departure for the Czech Republic:

It is a concern for us. A couple of times going to the Czech Republic it has not been so good, they had problems the last two times from what I can remember.

We have had reassurances from all the doctors from the nations that everything will be correct and all the bubbles will be made correct. I think UEFA have a responsibility as well that everything is carried out correctly.

And asked about Aubameyang’s trip to Africa, Arteta said:

We believe that he’s going to be okay to go. We still have a few other issues with some players that are feeling some issues, so I don’t know. Unless some rules change or some countries are going to the red zone, I don’t know how the situation is going to be.

West Ham United XI (4-2-3-1): Fabianksi; Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen (Noble 73), Lingard, Benrahma (Fredericks 79); Antonio.

Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Chambers, Luiz, Mari, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka (Smith Rowe 74); Aubameyang (Martinelli 81), Odegaard, Saka (Pepe 74); Lacazette.

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406 Comments Post a Comment
  1. user.n
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 7 days ago

    Guys, Bale to Mahrez or Rashford?
    Already have Gundogan and Bruno.

    1. matiakez
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      Of those Mahrez but feel like there are better options

    2. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      Rashford, if any...

      1. Holmes
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 7 days ago

        Neto might be better than both

    3. Fulchester's New Centr…
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      Marcus, but not wild about any

      1. user.n
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 7 days ago

        Just looking replacement for Son, thank you all.

        1. Nate(U)dog(ie)
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 7 days ago

          Son could be back after the internationals, no? Whatever you do I'd hang on for a bit on it, bound to be a few IB injuries and Rashford has been in and out of the MU team recently

    4. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      Interesting one on Rashford

      He gets almost no name checks on here but he has been outperforming nearly all premiums and near premiums since GW15. Could just be a tidy differential.

      1. user.n
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 7 days ago

        that's what I think

    5. The FPL Units
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      Mount

  2. matiakez
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 7 days ago

    Auba out the best move here with the free ir Creswell to an Alonso?

    Martinez
    Dias Dallas Shaw
    Bruno Gundo Jesse Auba
    Watkins Bamford Kane

    Creswell Lookman Dunk

    1. Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      It's too early to plan anything. Lots of international games/injuries to ruin everything.

    2. Fulchester's New Centr…
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      No point worrying about it now, but Auba out seems sensible

    3. Quan MisTaka
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      Wouldnt get rid of Cresswell just yet

    4. beerhockeyrock
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      I'm holding on Cresswell

  3. Kodap
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 7 days ago

    Who's the best Auba replacement? Not worrying about it yet.. but want to move him out after the International break!

    1. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      Fernandes if you don’t already have him

    2. Sarri-ball
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      Im going fernandes

    3. Nate(U)dog(ie)
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      I'm losing Ederson so I can free up a City space to move Auba to KDB, means I don't have to decide between him and Gundo

  4. Quan MisTaka
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 7 days ago

    Bench 2

    A) Gundo v lei
    B) Antonio v wol
    C) Dias v lei
    D) Raphina v shu
    E) Bale v new

    1. The FPL Units
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      AC

    2. AzzaroMax99
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      BC

  5. DannyDrinkVodka
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 7 days ago

    WC in 31, one week only would you rather:

    A) Bruno (BHA)
    B) Salah (ars)

    1. Quan MisTaka
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      A

    2. Nate(U)dog(ie)
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      A, probably best captain option too

  6. AzzaroMax99
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 7 days ago

    What to do here?

    1 FT
    0.3 IDB

    Martinez
    Dias Digne Dallas
    Kdb Bruno Bale Mount Raphina
    Kane Bamford

    Steer Antonio White Aina

    A) Save FT & G2G
    B) Aina to Rudiger but who to bench then?
    C) something else like Mount or Bale to Jota or similiar (suggestions)

    1. Quan MisTaka
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 7 days ago

      Could easy roll transfer so you have more info and choices for gw31. I already have Rudiger and I am benching Dias for him. Should be an auto CS

  7. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 7 days ago

    19 days of break from active thinking!

  8. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 7 days ago

    Just a quick update on the top 10k wannabe league set up from here post DGW BGW fever.

    The Little Red One remains the star performer with top10k seemingly there for the taking. But the league average is also definitely on the up with 8 now in top 100k. Not quite sure which team belongs to whom but Dark Side is one of those on the up and up.

    Keeping an eye personally on Holmes (14th currently but chip heavy) who's having a great second half and AMEY (16th and also chippy) who is on course to exactly replicate last season. 900k to top 15k in about 15 weeks of consistent and decent greens - only to be followed by an implosion to 150k in the last 4 weeks. Sorry mate if you're reading but you know how it works 🙂

    Logging off for now to pretend to do some actual work.

  9. Jimbo-Jones
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 7 days ago

    Best 1 week punt before WC?

    Shaw
    Azpi
    Havertz
    Rashford
    Lingard
    Other

  10. Vlekz
      3 years, 7 days ago

      Got a real benching headache next week. Which gk and 2 outfield players should I bench?

      Ederson Martinez
      TAA dias alonso Shaw Rudiger
      Salah gundo havertz raphina (reed)
      Kane DCL Antonio

      Liverpool (ars) City (lei) are the only 2 tough fixtures on paper