We look back on the key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points from two more of Saturday’s matches.
Here’s what we learned from Brighton and Hove Albion v Arsenal and Crystal Palace v Manchester City.
- READ MORE: FPL notes: Palmer “tired” + why Gusto missed out
- READ MORE: FPL notes: Ait-Nouri and Bowen injury latest + why Toney was benched
SAKA’S FITNESS
Bukayo Saka (£8.9m) was back on the teamsheet and the scoresheet in Arsenal’s win over Brighton on Saturday.
The winger followed the now well-worn path of a) being declared a doubt by his manager, b) not being seen in training ground images, and then c) starting the next match.
Saka himself admitted that his availability was “touch and go”, however.
“Yeah [it was touch and go]. So, I was struggling but as long as I have two legs, I’m going to give everything. I just want to be on the pitch, so I’m happy to be out there today.” – Bukayo Saka
A withdrawal after 63 minutes was also perhaps an indication that he wasn’t/isn’t at full tilt after his recent injury scares. Mikel Arteta at least downplayed any fears about Saka’s fitness after full-time.
“Yeah, he’s fine.” – Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka
Saka had wasted an excellent early opening and came close to an assist before notching his 24th attacking return of the season. This was his fifth converted penalty of the campaign. Not only that but it was also the third consecutive spot-kick that Arsenal had won and he had taken. We can’t say for sure that the jobshare of the autumn won’t rear its head again, but it’s looking more promising now.
GABRIEL GOAL DODGES
Above: Gabriel Magalhaes’ shot map on Saturday
There was briefly an injury concern for Gabriel Magalhaes (£5.4m) on Saturday, too. The Brazilian stopper needed treatment towards the end of the first half but would go on to finish the game.
How he emerged with only clean sheet points is a mystery.
Gabriel had more shots in the box than anyone else on show at the Amex (five). Only Luiz Diaz (£7.6m) had more across Gameweek 32 overall.
The missed early big chance from Martin Odegaard‘s (£8.6m) free-kick set the scene, with Brighton failing to learn their lesson and allowing him four more stabs.
GABRIEL’S GOAL THREAT IN 2023/24
| Gabriel | The rest of Arsenal’s defence combined | |
| Shots in the box | 26 | 27 |
| Big chances | 6 | 7 |
DAT KAI
Arsenal players are queuing up to be included in our squads, with Double Gameweek 34 imminent.
On the one hand, you’ve got the league’s best defence. This was their sixth clean sheet in eight matches, the 14th of the season in all. They’ve only allowed four big chances this calendar year, too – that’s 18 fewer than City!
In terms of clean sheets, owning only one Arsenal defender isn’t enough to get you green arrows at most rank tiers now.
On the other, you’ve got the league’s top scorers. Odegaard and Saka are already on the radar of many of us, and now we have Kai Havertz (£7.3m) in the form of his Premier League career.
Only owned by 3.26% of the top 100k, he’s delivered 10 attacking returns in the last seven matches. Even the recent return of Gabriel Jesus (£7.7m) to the Arsenal XI hasn’t affected his ‘out of position’ tag, with Jesus instead being used out wide.
“He’s certainly having a huge impact on the team, I think his overall performances have been really good and now his numbers in terms of goal contributions, are really, really high. He needs to maintain that level, I think the understanding between the attacking players today was superb – I think they had real purpose and connection, and a lot of clarity to attack against them, and we created many chances.
“A lot of the time players decide where they have to play, and we can have certain ideas, but then you see certain relationships and some things flow. And when it flows, you have to let it go, and I think Kai at the moment is flowing and he’s feeling really comfortable [as a striker], the rest of the team is comfortable with him there and things happen naturally.” – Mikel Arteta on Kai Havertz
PEP: “I NEEDED FRESH LEGS”
Twenty points in Gameweek 31 and benched the next. Such is life in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side, especially when the fixtures are stacking up and every single attacker is fit.
Phil Foden (£8.3m) was the latest to experience unused substitute duty, a few days after Kevin De Bruyne (£10.3m) and Erling Haaland (£14.3m) had done the same.
De Bruyne produced one of his masterclasses on his recall, scoring or assisting three of City’s four goals against Crystal Palace. You wouldn’t be surprised if he was benched again in Gameweek 33. The same could be argued about Haaland, maybe with less conviction.
It’s only one double-digit haul in 13 matches for the Norwegian, incidentally. Another big chance went begging on Saturday before he eventually got on the scoresheet. Still, his next opponents are a team he scored five against in the FA Cup in February…
“I made fresh legs [against Palace], rested people. I know everyone wants to play. I have to see the doctor who will say ‘okay we can count on these players, we cannot count on these players’.” – Pep Guardiola
“The difference is because we have more injured players than last season. We have Kyle and Nathan [out] today.
“We are going to try but it is difficult to fight in all competitions, in my experience.
“To arrive in the last stages of all competitions you need the whole squad. We had players in the friendly games playing 90+ minutes… they are not here. It is more difficult. Almost no chance because you need everyone fresh.
“You can do it for a short time but after Madrid, come back Luton, three days Madrid again, three days to the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. When you have injured players, a human being cannot sustain for a long, long, long time playing every three or four days.
“At the same time, they have an incredibly competitive mindset.” – Pep Guardiola
It’s likely going to be a week-to-week assessment of the best City players to go for, with an important match every three or four days. The Luton Town fixture being sandwiched by the two-legged Real Madrid tie is potentially problematic, although the positive thing here is that there is an extra day of recovery on either side. Saturday’s game at Selhurst Park, for example, came less than 63 hours after Gameweek 31.
EDERSON RETURNS, GVARDIOL LATEST
Josko Gvardiol (£4.8m) was hooked at the break of Saturday’s win in south London. The substitution seems to have been enforced, too.
“Josko had a little problem. We will see.” – Pep Guardiola
We’ll hopefully hear more from Guardiola on the defender’s fitness ahead of the tie against Madrid.
Someone who is likely to be involved in the Bernabeu is Ederson (£5.5m). The Brazilian returned to the matchday squad on Saturday, albeit only as a substitute.
EZE POOR, MATETA GOOD
A word or two on the other teams in action in the fixtures above, both of whom still have a Double Gameweek to come.
The Eagles have a decent double in Gameweek 34, for starters.
Jean Philippe Mateta (£5.0m) is certainly playing his way into Bench Boost/Free Hit contention. Here he notched his fourth goal in six matches under Oliver Glasner.
“JP is in very good shape. He scores goals, he has confidence and he makes these runs in behind. This was the topic of the analysis: make the runs in behind, because they play very high and he did it. And then we know that he has speed, he has pace and a great finish.” – Oliver Glasner on Jean Philippe Mateta
Eberechi Eze (£6.0m) was poor by his high standards. There’s way too premature talk that he might not be a good fit for Glasner; he was clearly targeted for some special treatment by City, as the Eagles’ creator-in-chief. But let’s see how he fares against inferior sides when Michael Olise (£5.6m) is back to distract some of the opposition defenders.
Olise came on as a substitute on his return from injury on Saturday, so we should see him back in the starting XI in the next few Gameweeks.
As for Brighton, we can’t really judge them after a defeat to Arsenal. Bright early on but ultimately outclassed and well beaten. You could imagine a similar outcome in Gameweek 34 when City visit.
Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.1m), one likely Double Gameweek 37 target, stretched his unbroken run of league starts to 21. Another, Joao Pedro (£5.2m), was never going to start twice in the space of four days after so long out. He got more minutes under his belt as a substitute, however, and looked bright when he was thrown on.
6 months, 24 days agono WC/FH left which two to go for
a. Foden
b. Diaz
c. Havertz