Man United 1-1 Fulham
- Goals: Edinson Cavani (£8.0m) | Joe Bryan (£4.5m)
- Assists: Bruno Fernandes (£11.4m) | Bobby De Cordova-Reid (£5.3m)
- Bonus points: Cavani x3, Bryan x2, Alphonse Areola x1 (£4.5m)
Edinson Cavani (£8.0m) was the top-scoring player as Manchester United drew with Fulham on Tuesday evening.
Over the last six matches, his total of four attacking returns, made up of three goals and one assist, is the joint-most of any colleague.
The Uruguayan international is now level with Mason Greenwood (£7.3m) over the same period. And when the former PSG man has featured from the beginning, he has typically delivered though. His last eight starts have produced five goals and one assist.
Of course, whether or not he can be trusted for a Gameweek 38 trip to Wolves remains to be seen.
Over his last six appearances, Cavani can muster only two starts, although two of his last three goals have come from the substitutes’ bench.
Still, next week’s Europa League final will hang over Manchester United’s preparations for Gameweek 38, and given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tendency to manage Cavani’s minutes, he could be a risky option for the final Premier League match of the season.
Marcus Rashford (£9.6m) was the biggest name to miss out on the starting line-up against Fulham, coming on for a struggling Scott McTominay (£4.9m) in the second half.
“Unfortunately, Scott McTominay had to come off and Fred doesn’t look great while he’s walking now. But we’ve got eight days (until the Europa League final).” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Rashford or Greenwood could take Cavani’s place against Wolves on Sunday. Solskjaer did mention on Monday that Anthony Martial (£8.6m) could feature although he was unable to make it in time for the Fulham match.
In light of McTominay’s enforced substitution, Rashford could find himself back on the left-hand side of the attacking midfield again with Paul Pogba (£7.6m) likely having to drop into midfield to cover either one of McTominay or Fred (£5.3m).
Based on Solskjaer’s line-up for the Triple Gameweek 35 visit of Leicester, Bruno Fernandes (£11.4m) is arguably not safe from last-day-of-the-season rotation either, with Juan Mata (£5.8m) earning a start at number 10 against the Foxes.
Fernandes provided four points for his owners in Gameweek 37 after he was awarded the assist for Cavani’s first-half strike.
“Honestly, I don’t know (if I touched it). In the moment, I think I don’t touch the ball. I didn’t see the replay but the referee was saying I touched the ball and that was the point to make for the onside.” – Bruno Fernandes
Elsewhere, not even Manchester United’s goalkeeper is easy to predict for the Wolves game.
Prior to the Tuesday-evening meeting with Fulham, David de Gea (£5.3m) had only started against Leicester between Gameweeks 27 and 36.
And even as the Spaniard coming into the team for Gameweek 37, Solskjaer explained the competition for who would start the Europa League final was ongoing, suggesting Dean Henderson (£5.2m) could feature against Wolves.
“It’s still up for grabs. It will be decided in these last two league games.” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Manchester United XI (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Shaw, Tuanzebe, Lindelöf, Wan-Bissaka; Fred, McTominay (Rashford 62′); Pogba, B Fernandes, Greenwood (A Diallo 83′); Cavani (van de Beek 87′).
Fulham XI (4-2-2-2): Areola; J Bryan, Ream, Adarabioyo, Lemina; Reed (Andersen 32′), Anguissa; Lookman (Tete 89′), De Cordova-Reid; Cavaleiro, Carvalho (Loftus-Cheek 63′).
Southampton 0-2 Leeds United
- Goals: Patrick Bamford (£6.5m), Tyler Roberts (£4.6m)
- Assists: Rodrigo (£5.7m), Bamford
- Bonus points: Bamford x3, Kika Casilla x2 (£4.1m), Luke Ayling x1 (£4.4m)
Patrick Bamford (£6.5m) allayed any fears of his season petering out as he produced a 12-point haul in Leeds’ 2-0 win over Southampton.
After a peripheral display against Burnley, the mid-priced forward registered a goal and assist in a textbook away-day performance from Marcelo Bielsa’s men, a display that went a long way to dispelling any theories about this side tiring towards the end of a campaign.
“Patrick had a very generous performance with a lot of effort. He has had a season in which he has shone. I’m sure he will be very positive about the campaign that he has had, be what may.” – Marcelo Bielsa
After a first half that consisted mostly of defending, Leeds ventured forth in the second period with Gaetano Berardi (£4.0m) and Pascal Struijk (£4.0m) replacing Kalvin Phillips (£4.9m) and Diego Llorente (£4.4m).
“Berardi is in an excellent state of form. Him coming on was very useful, he didn’t commit errors and he added a lot.” – Marcelo Bielsa
“It was not my influence, it was their profile of the individualities in the second half which changed the game.” – Marcelo Bielsa
Meanwhile, any Bamford owners worried about his place in the team were handed comfort in the form of Mateusz Klich‘s (£5.2m) early leave, which allowed the in-form Rodrigo (£5.7m) to come into the Leeds team without displacing the former Chelsea man, assisting his second-half goal.
The Spain international operated as a number 10 in an attacking-midfield trio including Jack Harrison (£5.5m) and Raphinha (£5.5m), a role he could realistically fulfil against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Tyler Roberts (£4.6m) may have his sights set on getting back into the Leeds team in Gameweek 38 after getting his first Premier League goal at Southampton.
“I was happy he scored, because he had played many games and he hadn’t managed to do it. And the team in the second half looked a lot more like the team it is. And just how we unlevelled the game in the second half, Southampton could have done the same in the first half.” – Marcelo Bielsa
Meanwhile, it would appear Illan Meslier‘s (£4.8m) season is over after Kika Casilla (£4.1m) came into the side against Southampton and looks set to feature on Sunday too.
“It’s a decision I have made. I want Casilla to finish the season in goal.” – Marcelo Bielsa
“(The two goalkeepers) are two professionals of a very high level. And, of course, the year was a lot more difficult for Kiko, but he was very generous and a very good teammate. The fact that Kiko played today and will play on Sunday is a decision that I decided to make concrete.” – Marcelo Bielsa
Finally, Che Adams (£5.7m) had to come off at half-time against Leeds and looks to be a doubt for a Gameweek 38 meeting with West Ham, which could mean a third successive start at centre-forward for Nathan Tella (£4.3m).
“(Adams) has a little bit of a groin problem. He gave us the signal that he could not go on. He was also tired. He played Saturday and Tuesday against two strong teams.” – Ralph Hasenhüttl
Southampton XI (4-4-2): McCarthy; Salisu, Vestergaard, J Stephens, Walker-Peters; Djenepo, Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Walcott (I Diallo 78′); Tella (Redmond 70′), Adams (Ings 46′).
Leeds United XI (3-3-3-1): Casilla; Llorente (Berardi 46′), Cooper, Ayling; Alioski, K Phillips (Struijk 46′), Dallas; Harrison, Rodrigo (Roberts 78′), Raphinha; Bamford.
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