We’ve already discussed how the latest FA Cup results and draw will have a big say on the shake-up in Gameweeks 27 and especially 30 but the weekend cup action is also worth dissecting ahead of more immediate matters.
Our Scout Notes article rounds up the Fantasy takeaways from the fourth-round ties in the run-up to Tuesday’s Gameweek 24 deadline.
A FIRST LOOK AT LAMPARD’S EVERTON
Frank Lampard took charge of Everton for the first time on Saturday, leading his new troops to a convincing 4-1 win over Brentford.
Rather interestingly, the former Chelsea boss opted for a 3-4-3 for his bow in the Everton dugout – a formation choice that begs the question of how he plans to accommodate Donny van de Beek (£5.7m) and Dele Alli (£6.2m), who were cup-tied for this fourth-round victory.
It may be that Lampard turned to a wing-back system, rather than a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, simply because he was deprived of so many central midfield options, with Abdoulaye Doucoure (£5.4m) also sidelined through injury.
Despite the thumping victory, the blue half of Merseyside remain a ‘wait and see’ in FPL terms while we assess Lampard’s preferences in terms of tactics and personnel.
Everton’s most-owned Fantasy asset, Demarai Gray (£5.5m), certainly faces more competition for his place if it’s now him, Richarlison (£7.4m), Anthony Gordon (£4.5m), Andros Townsend (£5.2m) and, to a lesser extent, Alex Iwobi (£5.8m) competing for two spots, but he at least turned in a man-of-the-match showing (according to the Liverpool Echo) and registered an assist against the Bees to make sure he got off on the right foot with his new boss.
WHY IS FERNANDES FLAGGED?
Bruno Fernandes (£11.7m) shrugged off a minor knock to his back to complete the full 120 minutes of Manchester United’s penalty shootout defeat to Middlesbrough but a flag duly appeared beside his name in FPL after full-time.
The reason? The Red Devils’ reportage of said ‘injury’ and Ralf Rangnick’s post-match quotes.
“Jadon didn’t get a knock. He was just feeling tired. Bruno had a knock on his back but could play through the whole game. Hopefully, for Tuesday, we will have all of those players available again.” – Ralf Rangnick
Wherever there’s a “hopeful”, there’s generally a 75% flag, with FPL liking to protect themselves against the worst-case scenario when an innocuous knock turns out to be something altogether more serious.
We will, at least, get to hear from Rangnick again on Monday to clarify United’s fitness latest.
As for the on-field action, Fernandes’ FPL appeal was boosted not just by Cristiano Ronaldo‘s (£12.5m) penalty miss – will the midfielder get a share of spot-kick duties again? – but seemingly by the deep-lying Paul Pogba‘s (£7.4m) return, with Fernandes enjoying even more freedom to dart into threatening goalscoring positions. Five of his six shots against the ‘Boro came from inside the opposition area, while he also created another five chances for other players.
The cup exit was humiliating but, attacking-wise, it was only really poor finishing to blame, with an off-the-boil Ronaldo the chief culprit by spurning 10 shooting chances.
LEICESTER’S DEFENCE STILL DIRE AHEAD OF LIVERPOOL TEST
The yearning to get a definitive answer from Jurgen Klopp as to whether Mohamed Salah (£12.7m) will be back for Gameweek 24 is not just because of the Egyptian’s own ability to conjure up hauls but about Leicester’s defence to allow them.
The Foxes have been mostly abject at the back all season, with long absences for the influential Jonny Evans (£5.4m) coupled with Caglar Soyuncu (£4.9m) and Jannik Vestergaard‘s (£4.7m) woeful form.
Brendan Rodgers’ side were at it again on Sunday, conceding four goals to second-tier Nottingham Forest in a defeat that could easily have been heavier.
“There are a lot of these players, between now and the end of the season, who need to prove they are still worthy of being here, because we’ve seen it now for a little while. There are players here who may have achieved everything they can.” – Brendan Rodgers
Whoever takes to the field for Liverpool on Thursday will be licking their lips, even if the Foxes did against all the odds keep a clean sheet in the reverse fixture in December.
The Reds eventually saw off Cardiff City 3-1, with Diogo Jota (£8.4m) claiming a couple of attacking returns in a 90-minute outing. Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.5m) and substitute Andrew Robertson (£7.1m), naturally, also claimed assists.
ROMERO TO BOOST SPURS’ CLEAN SHEET PROSPECTS?
The return of Son Heung-min (£10.6m) from injury and the ongoing Harry Kane (£12.3m) renaissance were two obvious headlines from Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion but equally as noteworthy was Cristian Romero‘s (£4.8m) comeback, with the Argentina international playing only his third match – and his first for three months – under Antonio Conte after a long spell on the sidelines.
The Spurs head coach wants to build his backline around Romero and the Argentinean was characteristically classy on his return.
Five clean sheets in 10 league matches under Conte suggests there’s already a good platform to build on, especially when it comes to shutting out the division’s ‘also-rans’, but the addition of defensive midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur (£5.0m) – who had a positive cameo against Brighton – and the recovery of Romero will further bolster the Lilywhites’ backline.
Kane was superb against the Seagulls, scoring twice, while Son got 69 minutes under his belt before being preserved for other tests this week.
CITY BACK IN THE GROOVE
The visit of Championship leaders Fulham could have proven to be a tricky test for Manchester City in the cup but they made light work of the Cottagers, coming back from the concession of an early goal to stick four of their own past the west London side.
Riyad Mahrez (£8.6m) belatedly returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty to register what would have been an 18-pointer in bonus-enhanced FPL terms, scoring twice and setting up another goal en route to City’s 4-1 win. He’s also evidently still first choice on penalties, if there was any doubt, as he stepped up to take the Citizens’ 57th-minute spot-kick with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne (£12.2m) and Ilkay Gundogan (£7.2m) on the field.
The Algerian averages 11 points per match over his last four Premier League appearances but as ever, with positional rival Raheem Sterling (£10.8m) only handed a 22-minute cameo against Fulham, the rotation risk has to be acknowledged.
De Bruyne, in a purple patch of Fantasy form himself, contributed two assists against the Cottagers.
INJURY ROUND-UP
Aside from Fernandes, there were a number of other notable new ‘flags’ in FPL appearing over the weekend.
Popular budget striker Armando Broja (£5.2m) was one of the players affected, although his injury doesn’t look as serious as that of teammate Lyanco’s (£4.4m).
“Lyanco is serious and it was not so easy as we had no subs left at the end. Then other had to play longer than we wanted them to play, like Tino Livramento. We only wanted him to play 60 but he played 90.
“Lyanco is hamstring, Broja was fouled in the middle and had a bad hit on the top of the knee, we must have a look at how serious it is.
In the end, hopefully, they are not too serious. Lyanco looks very serious but Broja, the hit on the knee, we will have to wait and see.” – Ralph Hasenhuttl
Yoane Wissa (£5.9m), Bryan Mbeumo (£5.3m), Leandro Trossard (£6.1m) and Alexis Mac Allister (£5.3m) all missed their respective sides’ cup ties with Covid-19 but their managers were confident of their recoveries for the next Premier League test, which in Brighton’s case comes in Double Gameweek 25.
Josh Sargent (£5.4m) was originally part of Norwich’s XI to face Wolves but the American pulled out with illness in the warm-up.
Eric Dier (£4.6m) was omitted from the Spurs squad as a “precaution” because of a thigh issue but Ben Godfrey‘s hamstring injury looks worse, with Frank Lampard confirming that the Everton defender was set for a spell on the sidelines.
Luis Diaz (£8.0m), brought on for a positive half-hour showing down Liverpool’s left flank on Sunday, got a warm welcome to English/Welsh football when receiving a boot on his knee against Cardiff but Jurgen Klopp doesn’t think the blow is serious.
“He has now a bruise there and a scar, it’s red and a little bit open. We all said to him, ‘Welcome to England!’ Now he has his first assist and his first little scar. That’s absolutely OK. I don’t think it will be any more serious – maybe tomorrow he feels it more and we have to react to that, but it’s nothing serious.” – Jurgen Klopp
ELSEWHERE
Owners of Jarrod Bowen (£6.9m) wouldn’t have expected a 120-minute run-out for the in-form midfielder in a cup tie against sixth-tier Kidderminster Harriers but that’s exactly what they got, with the Hammers making heavy work of progressing to the FA Cup fifth round.
Bowen at least popped up with a late goal to continue his superb form this season, while Michail Antonio (£7.9m) was mercifully spared any game-time after returning late from international duty with Jamaica.
Chelsea similarly had to graft for two hours against Plymouth Argyle, although the Blues of course aren’t an FPL concern until Gameweek 26.
The fit-again Tino Livramento (£4.3m) got 90 minutes under his belt as Southampton were also taken to extra-time by Championship side Coventry City but it was fellow full-back/wing-back Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.8m) who was on the scoresheet for the second match running, following up his Gameweek 23 strike against Manchester City with the winning goal here.
Another semi-popular budget asset, Billy Gilmour (£4.3m), marked his own comeback from injury with an attacking return, assisting Kenny McLean‘s (£4.9m) match-winner in Norwich City’s 1-0 win over a Wolves side that were almost at full strength.
That’s now four wins out of five for the Canaries in league and cup, with Dean Smith’s side conceding only four goals along the way. Crystal Palace’s ‘favourable’ fixture in Gameweek 25 might not quite be so straightforward as first seemed, then.
