Benitez clarifies Everton penalty situation as Calvert-Lewin exits England squad

We continue our Scout Notes of the weekend’s Fantasy Premier League (FPL) matches with analysis of Everton v Brighton and Newcastle v Southampton, with penalties and injuries to two key strikers among the talking points.

For a briefer recap of Saturday’s action, check out our Scoreboard summary here.

Brighton and Hove Albion 0-2 Everton

• Goals: Demarai Gray (£5.5m), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£8.2m)
• Assists: Allan (£4.5m), Seamus Coleman (£5.0m)
• Bonus: Calvert-Lewin x3, Allan x2, Coleman x1

EVERTON’S BUDGET MIDFIELDERS SHINE

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£8.2m) again mopped up the FPL points with a second penalty in two weeks but Everton’s win over Brighton was as much to do with their budget midfielders as their in-form striker.

Allan (£4.5m) isn’t a name many of us would expect anything more than appearance points from but perhaps the absence of a playmaking number 10 in the mould of Gylfi Sigurdsson (£6.9m) or James Rodriguez (£6.9m) has put more onus on Everton’s two central midfielders to contribute in an attacking sense.

Allan, who assisted Demarai Gray‘s (£5.5m) strike and played the decisive pass that led to Everton’s penalty, has created more than twice as many chances (five) as any other £4.5m midfielder this season.

Abdoulaye Doucoure (£5.5m), meanwhile, has been visibly getting forward more, and has already had nearly 40% of the number of shots he managed in the whole of 2020/21.

Gray continues to make light of his price tag after back-to-back goals and looks set for a rise over the international break, having already been transferred in by over 100,000 FPL managers ahead of Gameweek 4.

He was superb again on Saturday; two goals from four shots in 2021/22 (three of which arrived in Gameweek 3) suggests he’s not going to be a prolific shooter but Everton’s favourable fixtures and Rafael Benitez’s reputation as a strong starter are looking like a favourable combination right now.

CALVERT-LEWIN FLAGGED AGAIN

Despite what Richarlison (£7.5m) might think after attempting to take charge of the Toffees’ spot-kick, Calvert-Lewin remains Everton’s first-choice penalty taker.

“We had this conversation before and I told him if we have two penalties, the first one is Dominic’s and the second one is his. Obviously he wants to score goals, which is normal. I am pleased because Dominic scored, we played well and we won, so everyone has to be happy with that. Richy will understand that.” – Rafael Benitez on Richarlison

Calvert-Lewin had been a minor doubt for this fixture as he continues to play through a toe injury but it was a thigh strain that forced him off against Brighton.

The twin problems saw him withdraw from the England squad on Monday in order to receive treatment on Merseyside.

VELTMAN RETURNS

Graham Potter admitted after full-time that Everton were the better side, with Albion struggling to create anything of note. Only Manchester City, incidentally, have conceded fewer big chances than the Toffees this season.

One thing to note from an FPL perspective was the return of Joel Veltman (£4.4m) as a second-half substitute.

Shane Duffy‘s (£4.1m) starts may come under threat from the Dutchman eventually, especially when Tariq Lamptey (£4.5m) returns, but here Veltman was stationed at left wing-back, in the absence of the hamstrung Solly March (£5.0m). March’s injury isn’t thought to be serious and he may be back for Gameweek 4, so it’ll be interesting to see where Duffy features in Potter’s thinking from that point.

Brighton XI: Sanchez; Dunk, Duffy, Webster; Gross, Bissouma, Lallana (Welbeck 59), Moder (Richards 72); Trossard, Maupay, Mac Allister (Veltman 45).

Everton XI: Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Holgate, Digne; Townsend, Allan, Doucoure, Gray (Andre Gomes 81); Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin (Iwobi 70).

NEWCASTLE UNITED 2-2 SOUTHAMPTON

• Goals: Callum Wilson (£7.5m), Allan Saint-Maximin (£6.5m) | Mohamed Elyounoussi (£5.5m), James Ward-Prowse (£6.5m) pen
• Assists: Jacob Murphy (£5.0m), Ryan Fraser (£5.4m) | Adam Armstrong (£6.0m)
• Bonus: Wilson x3, Ward-Prowse x2, Saint-Maximin x1

WILSON INJURY LATEST

Callum Wilson (£7.5m) hasn’t quite had the same fanfare as many of the other strikers in his price bracket but he’s top among FPL forwards for Opta’s expected goals (xG) when penalties are taken out of the equation.

Above: Wilson’s xG shotmap in 2021/22, taken from our Premium Members Area

He and strike partner Allan Saint-Maximin (£6.5m) were both on target in Saturday’s scarcely deserved draw against Southampton, with Jacob Murphy (£5.0m) underscoring his own budget midfielder appeal with his second attacking return of the campaign.

Murphy has more points to his name than anyone in the £5.0m-and-under midfielder bracket.

Wilson is also someone who is, unfortunately, prone to muscle injuries: a thigh strain forced him off against the Saints, with Steve Bruce not sure of the severity of the issue.

“Unfortunately, Callum is carrying a niggle at the minute. So we will try to do our best (to keep him fit). We don’t know (how bad) until we assess him but he’s got a thigh strain but we will see how he is in the week.” – Steve Bruce on Callum Wilson

NEWCASTLE’S PENALTY WOES – AND IT’S MAN UTD NEXT

Of some interest to owners of Manchester United assets, and prospective buyers of Cristiano Ronaldo, will be Newcastle’s defensive deficiencies.

Zero clean sheets and 11 big chances conceded (only Arsenal have allowed more) doesn’t bode well for the Gameweek 4 trip to Old Trafford, with Bruce’s 3-5-2 set-up leaving them looking exposed at the back.

And given Manchester United’s track record for winning penalties, the fact that Newcastle have conceded a spot-kick in every Gameweek this season looks ominous.

Who will be taking them for the Red Devils is another question.

James Ward-Prowse (£6.5m) benefitted from their generosity on Saturday following a foul on Adam Armstrong (£6.0m).

LIVRAMENTO UNLUCKY

Bargain-bin defender Tino Livramento (£4.1m) continues to impress and he was a Moussa Djenepo (£5.5m) sitter away from claiming a first FPL assist.

“You can try it 10 times and you cannot make it again then you kick it over the bar from one-metre distance. This is an absolutely unbelievable chance that we have to score normally.” – Ralph Hasenhuttl on Moussa Djenepo’s miss

The budget FPL asset was joint-top of the table for chances created on Tyneside (see below), starting his third straight match at right-back as Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.9m) was stationed on the opposite flank.

Mohamed Elyounoussi (£5.5m) followed up a midweek hat-trick with a goal on his first Premier League start in over two years.

His expected goals (xG) total was the biggest of any FPL asset in Gameweek 3 but over 95% of his tally came in the same incident that led to his goal from point-blank range.

“I have a lot of alternatives on this position, and it is not so easy to get a chance to play, but he did a good job.” – Ralph Hasenhuttl on Mohamed Elyounoussi

Newcastle United XI: Woodman, Murphy, Ritchie, Schar, Lascelles, Fernandez, S.Longstaff, Willock (Fraser 84), Wilson (Joelinton 69), Almiron, Saint-Maximin.

Southampton XI McCarthy, Livramento, Walker-Peters, Stephens, Salisu, Elyounoussi, Ward-Prowse, Romeu (Diallo 88), Djenepo (Redmond 58), Adams (Broja 71), Armstrong.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM GAMEWEEK 3

• Saturday summary in brief
• Sunday summary in brief
• Man City 5-0 Arsenal: Is ‘OOP’ Torres worth the risk?
• Aston Villa 1-1 Brentford: Martinez and Buendia to miss Gameweek 4
• Brighton 0-2 Everton: Injured Calvert-Lewin out of England squad
• Newcastle 2-2 Southampton: Wilson fitness latest as Livramento stars
• Norwich 1-2 Leicester
• West Ham 2-2 Crystal Palace
• Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea: Salah wider as TAA moves central
• Burnley 1-1 Leeds: Bamford on the FPL radar
• Spurs 1-0 Watford: £4.5m Sissoko catches the eye
• Wolves 0-1 Man Utd: Pogba’s FPL appeal dented by deeper role