What a return to the Premier League for Sunderland, who marked their TopFlight Homecoming with a 3-0 Bonnissen from West Ham United.
So, what fantasy -picks found the attention to the black cats – and should we worry about players from West Ham United?
We look in our explorations.
Ballard’s perfect game
Centerhalves from promoted clubs are almost always £ 4.0 million. Leeds United’s Pascal Struijk (£ 4.5 million) is an exception this season because he has a chance of punishments.
Sunderland’s And Ballard (£ 4.5 million) is another anomaly – and FPL has clearly done their research.
There are two reasons why he is a bit more expensive: target potential for target threat and defensive contribution (DC).
He scored three goals in the championship last season, despite only 15 games of a campaign affected by injuries.
Ballard On average more than 10 clearance, blocks, interceptions and tackles (CBITs) per 90 minutes In the second layer – and imagine how much more defensive work he will have to do in the Premier League.
It all came together in a perfect performance on Saturday. Ballard scored, sniffed DC points, creating maximum bonus and kept a clean sheet to get from the stadium of light with a 17-guide.
That was his threat of set theater pieces against the hammers that he had more shots from the six-year box (three) than any other Premier League player in Gameweek 1 so far.
Selt injury gives Alderete a chance
Arm Jensen Selt (£ 4.0 million) Did not succeed what Ballard did. After 53 minutes, he hinked at one point when his side started packing a clean sheet.
Selt was anyway at borrowed time, with a new signature Omar Alderete (£ 4.0 million) expected him to replace it as the left -sided middle half rather than later. That came as soon as the second half of Gameweek 1.
Alderete even claimed an assist with his introduction, waving in a ball for Eloh (£ 5.5 million) to nod inside.
“I don’t think it’s really serious. He played the first part of the game well and then Omar came in and he showed that we probably have a little more depth for our center backs. So it’s positive.” – Regis Le Bris on the injury of Jensen Selt
With Burnley on, there is every chance that the black cats will make it two clean sheets of two – that would be as much as the city of Ipswich that was managed in the entire 2024/25!
Certainly, with their low block and combative midfield three before the defense, they look – at a very early view – a damn sight more defensive competent than last year’s mob.
“I think we showed today that the team was working well and the team was really hard to beat with a middle to low block.” – Regis Le Bris
Guiu unused – and confronted with a battle
Let’s get one thing directly before we start: Marc Guiu (£ 4.5 million) is still the best gamble for minutes under £ 4.5 million ahead in the medium term.
But the Chelsea -Leenlee, just like its owners in FPL, must be patient.
He was on the couch on the couch on Saturday, despite a limited preseason.
But it was not only Mayenda who started, but also Wilson Isidor (£ 5.5 million) who came against the hammers before Guiu, with £ 4.5 million ahead remain unused.
To make matters worse, Mayenda and Isidor both scored. Both goals should have been stopped, when we are party poopers, with Mayenda’s header one of the slowest you will ever see and Isidor’s shot crawls under Mads Hermansen (£ 4.5 million).
Regis Le Bris, however, remains a fan of both positional rivals of Guiu.
“Last season they showed how good they were and it was clear to me that they have the quality because we have strong opponents for us and we will have to defend as a team. They work well and they have this quality to attack the space behind.” – Regis Le Bris on Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor
While Sunderland’s XG of 0.68 shows that there is still a question mark about goals, Habib Diarra (£ 5.5 million) The eye ran from midfield with its eruptions in the box. Wing players Simon Adingra (£ 5.5 million) and Chemdsine Talbi (£ 5.0 million) also helps.
Hamslag
Graham Potter is the new favorite in the pocket race! So say the bookmakers outside of this miserable loss.
It could have been different in the first half, with Jarrod Bowen (£ 8.0 million) look alive and get close twice. As always, he drags the team at their bootstraps.
El Hadji Malick Diouf (£ 4.5 million) also showed his undoubtedly attacking threat when he saw his target -bound shot disappear through the excellent Ballard at the last minute. Diouf had a total of three shots and also created two chances.
Above: Diouf was the leading player of West Ham for the expected goal involvement (XGI) in Gameweek 1
However, after the break, however, not so important. Chance Creating was a problem under Potter on the back-end of last season and so it was again on Saturday, with the visitors gathering only 0.56 xg.
It was also a glorious debut from Hermansen, preferred Alphonse Areola (£ 4.5 million) Immediately, but we may be able to solve it to rustiness and nerves. His distribution was good and he also made a top stop from Diarra.
#FPL #Notes #Ballard #17Pointer #Guiu #Unused #Diouf #threat