Gameweek 14 of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) got off to a good start with a nine-goal thriller between Fulham and Manchester City, plus Everton’s narrow victory over Bournemouth.
Here are a few talking points from Tuesday night.
CENTURIAN HAALAND ENDS TARGET DROUGHT
Fulham and Manchester City shared the seventh highest scoring match in Premier League history as Pep Guardiola held on for a dramatic 5-4 win at Craven Cottage.
It was a great day for the neutral and Fantasy Premier League managers in charge Erling Haaland (£14.9m), not so much for Man City defender or goalkeeper owners, nor for those who were counting on the Norwegian to continue his goal drought.
Haaland had not scored in three games but punished the doubters by scoring his 100th Premier League goal in record time (111 games, beating Alan Shearer’s record of 124). He also produced two assists (his second and third of the season), but managers who captained him or even triple-captain him will have been frustrated by those who got away.
Haaland had five shots in total and hit the post with two of them when he looked certain to score. A hat-trick would have taken his total to at least 20 points.
“Congratulations. It’s incredible. Impressive. What can I say. Today he was excellent, the best in the last few games, while maybe not involved and active. Today he was incredible, he scored a fantastic goal, had the chance to score with a fantastic pass, one on one against Leno.” – Pep Guardiola on Erling Haaland record
“Enjoy it, hopefully he is hungry and hungry to continue his career at this club and keep scoring more and more goals. I didn’t expect these numbers. I knew what he did before was incredible, but this is incredible. He makes me very happy.” – Pep Guardiola on Erling Haaland record
FODEN FLYING HIGH
The managers who came in Phil Foden (£8.2m) on the back of his stellar performance in Gameweek 13 were also handsomely rewarded. He hadn’t hit the net all season before the weekend and now, like on the London buses, Foden’s goals all come in pairs.
Foden scored a brace and even earned defensive contribution points (DefCon) for a return of 17 points. The England international, who was given an FPL write-off last season, has bounced back impressively to rack up 32 points in the last two weeks.
He also creates chances, producing two against Fulham as City raced into a four-goal lead. Over the past six weeks, Foden has topped the midfielders in terms of expected goal involvement (xGI).
SUPPLY TISSUE
Jérémy Doku (6.6m) also continued his recent good form with a pair of assists, three shots and three passes into the penalty area. Only Yankuba Minteh (£6.3m) has more assists than Doku’s seven this season, while no midfielder has conceded more penalties in the past six gameweeks (39).
City’s other goalscorer Tijjani Reijnders (£5.3m), pre-selected Rayan Cherki (£6.4m), reminded us of what he can do in front of goal with a confident finish from Haaland’s through ball, but the midfielder had not scored since Gameweek 1, suggesting his goal was a blip in a bizarre match.
DEFENSIVE DISASTERS CLASS
For all of City’s wild attacking play, the big elephant in the room is that they conceded four goals. But for a last-ditch goal-line clearance Josko Guardiol (£5.8 million), they would have sent five. Fulham actually beat Man City by 12 goal attempts to 11, in what are increasingly signs of uncharacteristic shakiness at the back of Guardiola’s side.
City have now conceded at least twice in their last four games in all competitions, which will make the owners of Gianluigi Donnarumma (£5.7 million) and Nico O’Reilly (£5.2m) nervous. The full-back is a wonderful, constant goal threat, but is clearly no guarantee of clean sheets.
“It is a new team for many players and they will learn. The two Nicos and Mateus are learning a new position and Tijjani and we have to correct things and we will have to win games.” – Pep Guardiola on integrating new players
“We played a fantastic game, I know the feeling, but I take incredibly positive things about what we did, to come here and score five goals against that team and the way we played in the first half.” – Pep Guardiola on City’s performance
“We were able to make it 6-3 and after one second they made it 5-4 and the pressure was on the people. In the Premier League it is normal what happened and then we showed resilience of character, defensively and we did what we had to do.” – Pep Guardiola remains positive
“Gvardiol managed to clear one off the line, but he also had a chance to score. It’s normal to talk about how bad we were and the situation, but how Gvardiol is doing is another story.” – Pep Guardiola on signing Gvardiol
CHUKWUEZE IMPRESSIVE
Fulham deserve huge credit for almost fighting back. There was a time when teams waved the white handkerchief if it was 5-1 against Man City, but this is a different version of it. It’s also another Fulham, whose difference maker was the second-half substitute Samuel Chukwueze (£5.3 million).
The AC Milan loanee had just one shot less than Haaland during his 45-minute cameo and terrorized the defense with his direct running ability, mad skills and two goals. The exciting forward should also have scored a hat-trick, but he fired over after dancing past a group of bystanders.
Chukwueze is no flash in the pan either. He produced back-to-back assists in Gameweek 12 and 13, making him one to keep an eye on.
WILSON ONE TO WATCH
Harry Wilson (£5.2m) confirmed his excellent form with two assists, following two goals from the last five games, while Emile Smith Rowe (£5.6m) produced a delightful header on his first start since Gameweek 9.
The former Arsenal man also had four shots in this crazy basketball-style match. Fulham’s other goal came from another ex-Gunner, Alex Iwobi (£6.4m), who had also not made an attacking return since Gameweek 5 Timothy Castagne (£4.3 million) scored his first assist of the season.
MORE DEFCON FOR TARKOWSKY
Elsewhere, Everton’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth wasn’t as memorable, but David Moyes will have been just as happy with it. That’s three wins and zero in four for the Merseysiders.
“We have won three of the last four. We had a disappointing defeat this weekend, but the players have come back well and kept a few clean sheets as well, which is always important.” – David Moyes on another zero win
James Tarkowski (£5.4m) moved to 18 DefCon points, falling just two behind Marco Senesi (£5.0 million), who was suspended for this match.
Everton’s top scorer, Michael Keane (£4.5m), was unable to add his own DefCon as it was decided he should not play due to injury, as he had done in Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United. Came in Jake O’Brien (£4.9m) as a centre-back, with James Garner (£5.0m) as an alternate right-back.
GREALISH ON SONG
However, it would be wrong to assume that this was a combative victory. Everton were worthy of their victory, beating their hosts by 13 shots to five.
Jack Grealish‘s (6.6m) winner, his second goal of the campaign, was extremely spawning and took a deflection on the way in, but the midfielder was more deserving of his six attacking returns so far.
Only two midfielders have created more than his 25 chances this season. It’s hardly his fault that teammates didn’t convert them.
Chief among these culprits has been Thierno Barry (£5.7m), who remains goalless since arriving in the summer, took his banjo to the proverbial barn door once again, but to no avail against Bournemouth. Barry had four shots and tops Tuesday’s expected goals (xG) list (-0.75).
NDIAYE BLANKS AGAIN
Carlos Alcaraz (£5.2 million), playing in the absence of the suspended Idrissa Gana Gueye (£5.4m) also missed his share of three good chances.
And Indian education (£6.6m) had a decent chance to score his sixth goal of the campaign but shot straight at it Djordje Petrovic (£4.5 million). Ndiaye owners may want to cash in on a midfielder who has made zero appearances in four consecutive games.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, is in free fall. The Cherries have lost four of five and come back to draw the other against West Ham United. They have only kept two clean sheets out of ten, making retaining Senesi a questionable decision.
SELLING SEMENYO?
Their other concern is the shape of Antoine Semenyo (£7.8 million). After scoring six goals and four assists in the first eight gameweeks, he has produced nothing since.
Semenyo was involved in much of Bournemouth’s best work here and had three shots on target, one of which was deflected by a clever Jordan Pickford (£5.5m) saved in the first half. But he has been largely kept quiet by Garner and his price is starting to weigh heavily on managers who cast envious glances at Foden, Doku or Bruno Guimaraes (£6.7 million)
“Garner has done a great job, Semenyo, who is in top form at the moment, and also Dewsbury-Hall, who played really well in midfield. I thought he could maybe be the difference for us tonight. He has done a lot and had to play a little deeper tonight because we are missing a number of players in midfield, so I am so happy with him.” – David Moyes on James Garner neutralizing Antoine Semenyo
Eli Kroupi Jr (£4.6m) got the edge Evanilson (£7.0 million) and was unlucky to have a goal disallowed for offside. But in fairness they struggled to cope with an Everton side driven forward by the club’s powerful run-in Kiernan Dewsbury Hall (£4.9 million) and Grealish’s deception.
“I said that to him at the time, I thought he was so good. He played a deeper role today. I was so tired towards the end of the game and he had the ball a few times and drove with it and played passes. That’s what you need.”
“I told the lads in the dressing room that when you get into tough places like this where they’re going to play against you, you need players to make a lot of touches and want the ball and not be afraid to stay on the ball. Kiernan was brilliant at that tonight.” – Jack Grealish on Kiernan Dewsbury Hall appears in a deeper role
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