My opponent this week was my long time friend Rian (Milito). We often talk about FPL, but this week we were bitter rivals. As I said I don’t play people when they are against Liverpool, therefore I thought long and hard about selling Heung-min Son or Harry Kane for what basically be for just one gameweek. I then decided against it, but me and Rian came to an agreement before the deadline that we would both take a 4-point hit. I considered bringing in Patrick Bamford for Kane, but Bamford is owned by so many people that I went against it. I had a brief conversation with Khurram (K), and with Man City’s Gabriel Jesus only be owned by just under 2%, I decided to get him in as I bought into the hype that City could give West Brom a beating. Milito informed me that he was selling Mo Salah and Diogo Jota to have enough to get in Kevin De Bruyne and Wilfried Zaha. I of course sold the injured Jota too to get in West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen. With the fact that I was not using Kane and Son who have been on fire this season, my team was not filling me up with huge confidence, and I was doubtful about a mass points haul.
I needed a good start to eradicate the points hit, so with Wolves up first against Chelsea, I was hoping that Pedro Neto had a good game. I also needed another blank from Chelsea's Timo Werner as Rian had him up front. After a quiet first half the second was end-to-end. With the scores level at 1-1; Neto went down and looked like he had won a penalty. After VAR intervened, the ref had a look and overruled the decision, Neto was lucky not to get booked for simulation. Neto went on a great run and grabbed a late winner for Wolves, and I applauded like it had helped Liverpool win the title or something. I was now out of the negative which was essential after the first match. The latter game on Tuesday was between Manchester City and West Brom, and just as I thought I should not have succumb to the hype. After a remarkable performance by Sam Johnstone in the West Brom goal, they somehow managed to get a point as it finished 1-1. Gabriel Jesus only had one real attempt which was a header that went onto the roof of the goal. 'Jesus is lord!' I had wasted my transfer, there were other front men that I could and should have gone for. The only good thing was that Rian had captained De Bruyne and there was no goal or assist from him, he did still get two bonus points however.
Wednesday began with three games at 6pm that all featured players that I had. Southampton failed to capitalise on Arsenal going down to ten men as they drew at 1-1 at Emirates. Alex McCarthy got three points as he gained an extra point for saves made. He would have been the better pick out of my two keepers as Ilhan Meslier conceded two, but Leeds scored five as they put Newcastle away at Elland Road. Patrick Bamford scored for Leeds which was good for Rian. Bamford is someone that I could have brought in instead of Jesus if I had not been so intent on trying to have a differential this week. To cap a horrible run in the early Wednesday kick offs; Everton won 2-0 away at Leicester. This meant no party for Jamie Vardy. Leicester had a penalty decision overturned by Lee Mason after he was instructed by VAR to have a look at it. It looked the right decision as Andre Gomes seemed to just about get a touch on the ball before making any contact. Vardy was then denied an assist as Ayoze Perez drifted into an offside position when he put Vardy's flick-on into the net. That man Dominic Calvert-Lewin was almost at it again on the second goal as his effort was saved brilliantly by Kasper Schmeichel. Mason Holgate snapped up the loose ball for 2-0, which of course gave Calvert-Lewin a 'fantasy' assist, 'damn it!'.
The 8pm games ended up being bittersweet for me. I was pleased to see that Tariq Lamptey was fit to start for Brighton away at Fulham, and the game ended up finishing goalless, so all was good there. West Ham drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace in the derby at the London stadium. My new addition Jarrod Bowen could not deliver me the points I needed. Bowen was denied by a good save by Vicente Guaita in the first half and then he drove a long range effort over in the second. To make it even worse, Sebastien Haller's outstanding overhead kick was set up by Vladimir Coufal who I left on my bench for the first time since owning him. Coufal was to also walk away with the maximum bonus points to vex me further. Liverpool edged past Spurs 2-1 at Anfield thanks to a very late Roberto Firmino header, that came from an Andy Robertson corner which aided me and Rian. Liverpool's first goal was from my captain Mo Salah, but the Spurs equaliser came from Heung-min Son who I of course left on my bench and Rian had him so things were getting very tight. I had a slim 6-point lead when Wednesday concluded. I only had Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins left to play and Rian had Villa's keeper Emiliano Martinez and FPL-must have Man United's Bruno Fernandes.
When Thursday came around, Villa and Burnley played out a goalless draw to my anguish. I needed Burnley to score desperately but it never came. In fact Martinez ended with eight points as he got addition points for saves made and a one bonus point. To add insult to injury Watkins (who went close to scoring a couple of times) got himself stupidly booked for attempting to come back onto the pitch too quickly after receiving treatment. So not only was he not doing the sheer minimum I needed from him, he got me a point deducted too, 'thanks mate!'. I had now been beaten and Bruno had not even played yet. Later on, United won 3-1 at Sheffield United and to my surprise none of the goals featured Bruno. Trust that to happen, I bet if I had the lead and needed him to draw a blank he probably would have scored four penalties! This sucked. In hindsight I first of all did not need to make an extra transfer, and all I needed to have done was start Coufal instead of Kyle Walker-Peters and I would have easily won my head-to-head. I must bounce back, but I pay Khurram next who is eager to bounce back himself after losing to his best mate Muji by a single point. So my run of three straight wins in the 'Justice League' have been brought to an end and I have dropped to sixth after having my worst scoring week of the season thus far. I have lost the lead in one of the traditional scoring leagues too, but still remain top of 11 of them.
@DubulDee
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