I needed to win my head-to-head game badly. As I said last time out, I was against Chad (DJ Goliath) and if anyone likes to talk, then it is him. You can ask him questions in a group chat, sometimes we will not even answer you, but when he does want to say something, even when he is unprovoked, you better believe you will hear from him. Chad needs no introduction to be 'all up in the videos' (Suge Knight voice).
The week's again started earlier than usual this week as there was 'Friday Night Football', the caveat here though was that it was a pay-per-view game. I was not going to tell anyone else that there was a game on Friday, because let us be honest you should know anyway. If it is not a case where you are up-to-date with what is going on in the Premier League, then when you look at your team on the FPL app or website it damn well tells you when the next deadline is anyway!
I had two transfers to make this week as I did not make one last week. All week I had been going with the idea of selling Jamie Vardy as I did not know whether or not he would be fit to start against Arsenal or not. And as his value was dropping I was also looking to reluctantly let West Ham's Tomas Soucek go. The idea was to transfer in Wolves' Raul Jimenez and Aston Villa's John McGinn. Jimenez is always a handy FPL player, and it was irking me that McGinn (who was in my side for a majority of last season) already had 4 assists, and I had not got in on his point tallies thus far. I was writing an article at the time when the 6.30pm deadline on Friday was creeping up on me. I for whatever reason after having kept my composure to start this FPL season, changed my mind at the 11th hour. I remembered last season where I went against putting Sergio Aguero in on Boxing Day, and I went for Jimenez and did not work, whereas Aguero went on a scoring run. I decided to draft in Aguero at 6.28pm (two minutes before the deadline. Then without thinking properly at the fact that it was Soucek I was meant to take out, I panicked with the clock ticking and took out Helder Costa. Surprised at the money I had left I went for an unpredictable change that I knew was very high risk and brought in Newcastle's Alain Saint-Maximin. I gazed at the floor afterwards thinking I had made a clear error, I was hoping for the best, but really I was in limbo. The fact I had more money was because I took out someone more costly than Soucek, my mind had gone. When the FPL app had updated I realised that Chad had left his team exactly the same, he must have not seen there was a game on Friday. I then saw him tweet that no one told him about the deadline, not sure why he was expecting anyone to help him, it is every man for himself after all. His team was good anyway as he had a few of the players that I had from the start of the season. I therefore needed at least one goal contribution from my captain Mo Salah, as well as my new players Aguero and Saint-Maximin to deliver, or I would stumble to my fourth defeat.
As said the weeks action started on Friday night, as Aston Villa were beaten 3-0 at home by Leeds. Patrick Bamford decided to turn into Patrick van Persie, and scored a brilliant hat-trick. In true FPL fashion, the man I sold by 'accident' Helder Costa assisted his third goal. The only positive to take from the game, was that Chad had Villa's Emiliano Martinez in goal, so there was no clean sheet for him. He did however make six saves so he got two extra points for that. So to Saturday. The first of my 'differentials' Sergio Aguero was in action. But unfortunately it was to end in tears. West Ham and Manchester City drew 1-1 at the London stadium and Aguero was to be taken off at half time. A rare occasion when Pep Guardiola does not play 'rotation roulette' and then the player I had gets injured anyway, 'damn!'. Aguero was strolling around the pitch in the last few minutes of the first half, I just knew something was up with him. So after going through all that to get him in, I will have to transfer him out immediately. The other man I had playing was West Ham's Tomas Soucek, but there was no significant return from him. Shoutout Michail Antonio by the way for a fantastic goal opening goal.
Next up, it was a London derby between Fulham and Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage. Chad had Wilf Zaha in his side, so I was hoping Fulham could keep their first clean sheet of the season. Yes, you read that right I was relying on Fulham...I am crazy clearly. Fulham lost 2-1 and Zaha did not only assist the first for Jairo Riedewald, but he had the audacity to score too, 'damn you Wilf!'. A double figure points-haul from a man I could have brought in myself if I calculated things properly and transferred in the less expensive Jimenez up front instead of Aguero. Though still early on it was already looking bleak for me. To add insult to injury a man who I thought was injured Fulham's Harrison Reed, came off the bench and assisted their consolation goal for Tom Cairney. The FPL should just retire from giving injury news. Then again this is probably just payback for me cashing in when everyone thought Son was injured in gameweek 4. The Eagles' Joel Ward was mysteriously omitted from the matchday squad and Nathaniel Clyne started at right back. I will have to keep tabs on what is going on there, Ward might have to be transferred out of my team at this rate.
Neither of us had anyone in the bore draw between Manchester United and Chelsea, so to the last match of the day. We head to Anfield were Liverpool came from behind to beat Sheffield United 2-1. United took the lead through a questionable penalty. Roberto Firmino levelled for the Reds, but Salah should have scored earlier in the half when he shot straight at Aaron Ramsdale. Salah had a goal rightfully disallowed for offside in the second half before Diogo Jota headed Liverpool's winner. Salah could have squared to Sadio Mane to make it 3-1, but he elected to shoot and the hit the post. I was so close from getting that goal I needed from my captain, but it was not to be. Salah was actually the most captained player during gameweek 6, so I know many of you reading this can feel my pain. Mane ended with two assists, and really I could even have put him back in for Salah as he was in my original team to start the season, before he tested positive for Coronavirus. The first Mane assist was a ' fantasy' one, as his header was saved for Firmino then to score the rebound.
I needed Sunday to be a big one if I was to make up some ground, and it all started well. Southampton beat the league leaders Everton 2-0, and Danny Ings supplied both goals, the first was by James Ward-Prowse and the second by Che Adams. In hindsight Ings would have been a good captain this week, but I had no idea which Southampton would turn up. Credit to them however as they produced one of the performances of the season thus far. They kept Dominic Calvert-Lewin quiet, and Chad had him, so all was good. This meant a clean sheet for Alex McCarthy, and good points for Kyle Walker-Peters, though he did get booked which lost him a point. A match I was very nervous about followed, as Wolves played Newcastle. I was right to be nervous as my 'wildcard' player for the week Alain Saint-Maximin did not produce what I needed from him. He had a frustrating game, and was taken off in the second half. The best thing he did was a long range shot in the first half that was deflected and Rui Patricio saved it. It would have been interesting to have seen if the shot would have troubled him more if it was not deflected, but we will never know.
Sunday's last match was between Arsenal and Leicester at the Emirates. Jamie Vardy was on the bench and I punched my sitting room door in anger. As he had been out with not just a hip but a calf issue too, I honestly did not think he would be back yet, hence I transferred him out. Unless Arsenal got an early goal, the writing was on the wall, Vardy would come on in the second half and score. This is indeed what happened as Vardy came on scored late on and messed up Thomas Partey's first league start for Arteta's men, as the Foxes won 1-0. So let me get this straight. I sold Vardy and Costa who combined for 14 points, to bring in Aguero and Saint-Maximin who got me 4 points, 'I feel sick!'. 'Why always me' - Mario Balotelli voice. This stinks, FPL is just stress. I could have won this week without making any changes,. This is a bitter pill to swallow. I had already resigned myself to defeat before the Arsenal game, so Goliath had already started to mock me in the group chat when I congratulated him. I had been humbled by someone who did not change their team. The annoying thing is he is usually trigger-happy, so I know he would have made some kind of alteration to his team, which really bugged me, 'oh well'.
I was past caring by the time Monday came about. I needed Brighton's Tariq Lamptey to have possibly the game of his life and the Seagulls to keep a clean sheet. As Chad had Harry Kane as his captain, he would get twice as many points as me for anything Kane did in the second game. Things looked to be in a decent position as first up; Brighton took the lead in their home game against West Brom. The goal was an own goal, but the ball into the six yard box came from Lamptey, so I thought he was due for a 'fantasy' assist. This was only for me to realise Branislav Ivanovic had kicked the ball off of Jake Livermore, therefore this took Lamptey out of the equation, 'stress, FML!!'. Brighton could not even get me a clean sheet as they conceded late on as Karlan Grant got his first goal for the Baggies. The gameweek action finished at Turf Moor, as Spurs won 1-0 at Burnley. There was another goal for Son, and you already know it was assisted by Harry Kane. Kane has 8 assists already and 7 of them have been for Son. It was the 29th time the two have combined on a goal in the Premier League. So somehow although I knew it was going to be my worst scoring week of the season, I managed to get to 50 points. Anything under 45 is what I consider to be well below average, so I have to take what I can. I have dropped into the quagmire in the head-to-head league (Justice League), but I still top 10 traditional scoring leagues, all a bit mad really. I feared I would get shot down by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this week, but he drew a blank and I still lost. Congratulations my fellow Scorpion Chad, whose birthday coincidentally falls a day after mine this week. What a great friend I am letting you beat me, my philanthropy should be commended...'yeah right', I cried as I wrote that! See you next week guys.
@DubulDee
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