We round up Sunday’s key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) notes, quotes and stats in our Scout Notes summary.
Any numbers and graphics you see in this article are taken from our Premium Members Area, where you can access Opta player and team data from every single Premier League fixture.
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CHILWELL’S THREAT
Mauricio Pochettino surprisingly opted for a 3-4-2-1 formation on Sunday, despite playing a back four throughout pre-season.
It meant Ben Chilwell (£5.5m) and Reece James (£5.5m) lined up as wing-backs, with the pair providing Chelsea’s attacking width.
Chilwell, who was ridiculously high, got an assist and thought he’d scored a well-taken goal before VAR intervened. He ended the match with two bonus points and 46 final-third touches, at least seven more than any other player on the pitch.
Above: Chelsea’s in possession set-up, with Reece James (no. 24) and Ben Chilwell (no. 21)
“Today also a back four, no? It looks like one when our midfielder drops in to play in between the two centre-backs. When you build it’s a three. Today we build with Disasi, Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill when in possession. If you see the second phase when we didn’t have the ball, it was Levi and Reece [James], a back four with centre-backs Disasi and Thiago.
If you have a drone and take a picture, depending on the time, maybe sometimes it is a 4-3-2-1, I don’t know the numbers. I think it is two different phases that we tried today. In possession to play with three, building from the back to midfield then Reece and Chilly [Chilwell] and using Raheem [Sterling] and Carney [Chukwuemeka] and Jackson. Then when we didn’t have the ball it’s a back four, two in midfield, Chilly would go inside because Trent [Alexander-Arnold] was like a midfielder and of course, Carney no. 10 and no. 9 Jackson.” – Mauricio Pochettino on his tactics
Elsewhere, with Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5.0m) absent, Robert Sanchez (£4.5m) was in goal, while fellow £4.5m options Levi Colwill and Carney Chukwuemeka were also involved from the start.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson (£7.0m) led the line very well and had four shots, but squandered three big chances.
JAMES “TIRED”
Reece James was substituted in the second half at Stamford Bridge and looked to have picked up an injury.
However, Pochettino has since confirmed he was only “tired”, telling reporters:
“Because he was tired. You need to see from where he came. The first thing we did when we arrived was to assess and analyse all of the players from the past. He was injured for three or four months. This pre-season was tough for him, we didn’t want to take any risk and that is why at 80 minutes, we wanted to avoid the risk.” – Mauricio Pochettino on why he substituted Reece James
SALAH UNLUCKY
Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) failed to score in Gameweek 1 for the first time since joining Liverpool, but not through want of trying.
The Egyptian hit the bar with a curled effort and had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside, but did at least supply an assist, when his perfectly weighted pass found Luis Diaz (£7.5m).
However, with the scores level, he was surprisingly subbed off on 76 minutes and looked visibly frustrated at the decision.
“No, I didn’t have a conversation yet with him. Actually, I don’t think you ever saw Mo leaving the pitch happily – I can’t remember it [and] that’s OK, absolutely OK. Today, obviously, I didn’t think in that moment about it, I didn’t even know about it, that if he scored in the game it would’ve been an all-time record [on the opening day], so I understand his disappointment. But, I am the manager of the whole team and in that moment, we needed fresh legs. I think that made real sense for us and it is never anything to do with Mo or whatever or against him, of course not. 99% of the things we achieved were because of him or with him. That he was not happy was clear, I understand that and there is no problem.” – Jurgen Klopp on Mohamed Salah
While defensive concerns remain, it must be said Liverpool looked sharp in attack, an ominous sign for Bournemouth ahead of next week’s trip to Anfield.
In an attacking line-up, Cody Gakpo (£7.5m) played in midfield, with Salah, Diaz and Diogo Jota (£8.0m) in attack.
However, on today’s evidence, their minutes will be managed, with all four taken off at various points at Stamford Bridge: Gakpo 66’, Salah 76’, Diaz 76’, Jota 66’.
MADDISON’S IMPRESSIVE DEBUT
James Maddison (£7.5m) hit the ground running in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt on Sunday, providing two first-half assists on his debut.
The first, a pinpoint curled free-kick, was followed by a second in added time, when he helped the ball on for Emerson Royal (£4.5m) to strike a low volley into the corner from 20 yards.
Maddison was key to breaking down Brentford’s back-five low block, setting up six chances for various players, and always looked the likeliest to make something happen.
Handed the armband after Son Heung-min’s (£9.0m) substitution on 75 minutes, it was a super debut from the playmaker, despite being booked for dissent.
A lot of Spurs’ attacks seemed to pass their other attackers by, however.
Richarlison (£7.0m) led the line and fired off a shot which was well saved by Mark Flekken (£4.5m), but that was about it, while Dejan Kulusevski (£7.0m) and Son didn’t see much of the ball.
Still, Tottenham controlled the second half and had 18 efforts on goal overall, so there are plenty of positives Ange Postecoglou can take from their performance.
“I thought he worked hard today but I felt we didn’t use him enough. I thought we could have been a little bit more direct to him and look for him a little bit more. He was making some good runs and he was working hard. He had a couple of half-opportunities but I thought we could have created more for him.
The key for us with Richy is to keep supporting him because he’s working awfully hard for the team in a defensive sense and when we get in that front third I thought we didn’t look enough for him today. I have got a lot of time for him. He’s a striker and he’s got a lot of great attributes and he will always work hard for the team and that’s a good starting point for me.” – Ange Postecoglou on Richarlison
UDOGIE BRIGHT
Maddison was joined in the starting line-up by fellow debutants Guglielmo Vicario (£5.0m), Micky van de Ven (£4.5m) and Destiny Udogie (£4.5m), who made a real impression.
He stayed wider than Emerson Royal, who played more of an ‘inverted’ role from right-back into central midfield, and did manage to get forward quite a few times.
It was an eye-catching display, although Spurs did often look defensively vulnerable, which isn’t a huge surprise given that three of Postecoglou’s back five were making their debuts.
Above: Emerson Royal (left) and Destiny Udogie’s (right) touch heatmaps v Brentford
MBEUMO AND WISSA “THE BEST ANSWER”
Bryan Mbeumo (£6.5m) and Yoane Wissa (£6.0m) both got on the scoresheet against Spurs, continuing their fine record without Ivan Toney (£8.0m).
In those six Premier League fixtures he’s missed, the former has scored six goals and provided two assists, while Wissa has five goals/one assist.
“Seeing them both score was very pleasing. Every time Ivan [Toney] was out last year and they played together, they scored! And they did that again today. That’s the best answer they can give to anyone that might have been in doubt – I was never in doubt, by the way, because they’ve proven it before. So, it was really, really good to see that.” – Thomas Frank on Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa
Rico Henry (£4.5m), in a left wing-back role, also impressed, providing the cross for Wissa’s goal. He also played another excellent ball across for Mbeumo, who failed to convert.
“I think Rico was maybe our Man of the Match, I’d go as far to say. I really loved the way he would just sprint forward and create situations. He should have had another assist, by the way, the one where he played a beautiful ball across for Bryan [Mbeumo]. That was all really good.” – Thomas Frank on Rico Henry
Brentford sit second on the ticker from Gameweeks 2 to 4, with Fulham (a), Crystal Palace (h) and Bournemouth (h) coming up.
Meanwhile, Ben Mee (£5.0m) missed out on Sunday due to a minor injury, but Thomas Frank said he “will hopefully be available” for Fulham.
However, Mathias Jensen (£5.5m) has a thigh problem and will need to be monitored.
