This weeks opposition was my childhood friend Dean. Dean had not changed his team since putting it together to start the season, and I had been trying to contact him throughout the campaign to tell him to look out for the deadlines. When we had spoken however he informed that he had no real interest in changing it for now considering how busy he was. The last time out he beat me despite a high score of 81 I got that week. His team had some dangerous players, even though as his defence featured players who are either on loan at another club not in the division or are currently not starting for their he would only have ten men accumulating him points. I needed to stop the bleeding after a couple of defeats and I once again I was clearly overthinking things.
There were numerous players that I wanted to bring in with my two free transfers, but as it was a double gameweek for a couple of teams I decided to bring in men that were involved in two matches in gameweek 24. At the back; I considered Matt Lowton at Burnley, but went for the man who inspired the name of my team his teammate Ben Mee. I really wanted to get Ilkay Gundogan in, but had my reservations as I expected his purple patch to come to an end. On top of this there were question marks over whether Rodri would start or not, if he was not fit then Gundogan would probably start in a deeper role. So instead as Dean had Raheem Sterling, the only way that was feasibly possible for me to get Sterling in myself was to take a points hit and sell Roberto Firmino as he was the most expensive forward I had and replace him with a much cheaper forward. As I eluded to last week in the midst of my fall from grace I may need to draft in an Everton player. The problem was who to bring in. Dominic Calvert-Lewin would have been the obvious choice but he came off injured in Everton's FA Cup tie with Spurs last week. If i brought in Richarlison then I could not afford Sterling, so I had a huge decision to make. In his press conference before Everton's game with Fulham Carlo Ancelotti said that the possibility of Josh King starting is "strong", so as he only cost £5.5m I drafted him in. The addition of King then freed space to get Sterling in. This was a 'risk' I viewed worth taking, but things always go wrong in FPL don't they?
The action began at the King Power Stadium where Liverpool took the lead and then capitulated as Leicester won 3-1. Mo Salah gave the Reds the lead (assisted by Firmino) before the Foxes came back through goals form James Maddison, Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes, all players I have owned at a stage this season. I felt disgusted at the way Liverpool folded. My weekend was messed up now regardless. At 3pm Burnley won at Selhurst Park and kept a clean there again strolling to a 3--0 win. Jay Rodriguez a man who I looked at up front scored and assisted. The issue here was Rodriguez was on Dean's bench, so if Timo Werner who had a dead leg was not able to play for Chelsea then he would get his points. Ben Mee got the clean sheet points I desired but he unfortunately came off with a head injury. The irony was the cheaper alternative to him that I decided against Lawton scored the Clarets' third goal.
There was another 3-0 in the next game, but this time it was a home win as Manchester City beat Spurs 3-0. Rodri ended up starting so my over-analysis on Gundogan backfired as he won a penalty that Rodri scored, and bagged twice himself. Sod's law. Sterling at least assisted Gundogan's first goal, but in a Utopian society you would like more from your captain. The sporadic occasions I have Sterling in my team he never seems to score. Sterling's lack of production was partially covered by Ederson, who got a more than welcome assist as Gundogan controlled his great ball for the third, leaving Davidson Sanchez eating grass in the process. To say assists by a goalkeeper are few and far between is an epic understatement. The last game on Saturday was very underwhelming for me. Brighton and Aston Villa had a goalless draw which meant blanks for Jack Grealish and Ollie Watkins. In fact as Brighton peppered Villa's goal Emiliano Martinez' 12 points for making save after save more than doubled what Grealish and Watkins returned put together, and he was Dean's keeper, I was more than vexed.
Things were to get worse for me on Sunday. I reluctantly left Danny Ings and Pedro Neto on the bench only for them both to get on the scoresheet as Wolves beat Southampton 2-1. Ings produced a stunning volley to open the scoring and Neto won the game with a tremendous solo goal. Man United drew 1-1 with West Brom next, so at least there was no goal for Aaron Wan Bissaka like the last time I played Dean, as Bruno Fernandes my arch enemy scored a sublime left foot volley. Dean had Anthony Martial so him drawing a blank was very useful. Arsenal then played Leeds, I needed Bukayo Saka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to be as quiet as possible but it was not to happen. Arsenal won 4-2 and Aubameyang got himself a hat-trick. Saka won a penalty for Aubameyang's second goal and it could have been more as there was a penalty overturned before that when Saka believed he had been fouled. Sunday was rounded off with Fulham winning away 2-0 at Everton. I felt betrayed by Carlo Ancelotti as Josh King was only on the bench, which was making me feel the change I made had been pointless. King came on in the second half and scored but it was rightfully ruled out for offside. Things were looking very tight. If Timo Werner was not to play for Chelsea I was basically beaten as not only was Martinez his vice captain, he would also get Jay Rodriguez' 11 points off the bench.
When Monday came Werner started for Chelsea and he scored the second as they beat Newcastle 2-0. Again things could have been much worse as I thought he would get a 'fantasy' assist for the first goal by Olivier Giroud as he was the last Chelsea player to touch the ball, but luckily it was not given to him. Dean now had a four point lead heading into the midweek games.
Despite Ben Mee not being in a position to start for Burnley in their second game at home to Fulham due to the protocol for concussion, if everyone I had left started then I would scrape a win. So trust 'Pep roulette' to strike again as Guardiola left John Stones on the bench for their game with Everton. Josh King did not start yet again so as Burnley and Fulham had drawn earlier 1-1 and Jay Rodriguez assisted again I was left further frustrated. Man City went on to beat Everton 2-1 and Richarlison scored as things got even more annoying. I led by one point just after the hour mark, only for Raheem Sterling to go and get booked, 'thanks Raheem lad, you shouldn't have' . With him being my captain it meant I lost two points whereas Dean lost just one amazingly leaving us in a deadlock. My first draw of the season, 'just typical!'. Double gameweeks are overrated aren't they?! You go through all this trouble and then the craziest things happen. To cap what had been another horrendous gameweek I am now off the top of all the leagues I am in. The last traditional league I had the lead in I am now tied with someone on points as they have made fewer transfers than me. Not to mention the fact the head-to-head draw has made me slip to 9th place. I am officially broken. Life comes at you fast...
@DubulDee
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