After last seasons' gameweeks being in such close proximity (when there was not an international break, this gameweek felt like it had taken a million years to come around. I was in search of redemption after being crushed last time out despite getting 76 points. My opposition was my old friend Gary, was this going to be another beatdown?
I had decided as when I picked my team before the season kicked off, I was looking at the first 6 games for all of my players. So despite some people I know were looking to take a points hit or use their 'Wildcard' already, I was never going to do that just yet. Instead I just left things the same and only made one alteration to my starting XI. Out went Vladimir Coufal who was unlucky not to get an assist last week and in came Tyrick Mitchell. Crystal Palace's Mitchell is surprisingly only owned by 0.7% of fantasy managers. He did well when he started last season and now the man who was ahead of him Patrick van Aanholt has left Selhurst Park, it was no brainer for me to have him in my team. Bar this weeks' game against Brentford; Palace have a tricky opening set of fixtures and his outrageously low ownership may be a slight reflection of that. The under threat men in my whole squad are the forwards. Troy Deeney is not playing for Watford despite being club captain; whereas Patrick Bamford and Ivan Toney really need to start scoring given many other forwards are doing a job.
Gary made three changes and they were all in midfield. Out of his side went Kai Havertz, Jadon Sancho and Raphinha. In came my arch-nemesis Bruno Fernandes and his teammate Paul Pogba. Pogba was actually the most transferred-in player in gameweek 2. The other player he brought in was Brentford's Christian Nørgaard. Despite the presence of Bruno, he had put himself in a position where he to make up 8 points on me. Gary captained Mo Salah, who was the most captained man in FPL in gameweek 2. I had a feeling he would do that so I went with Diogo Jota as mine as I eluded to on last weeks FPL War podcast on the Shoot The Defence YouTube channel. If Jota scored this would be a nice differential as I was trying to make some small ground on those who had a spectacular first week in the traditional scoring leagues.
So the action started at Anfield; as Liverpool entertained Burnley, who have given them some real problems at Anfield in the last few seasons. I was on my way back from recording the 'FootyOnTop' show and Jota headed Liverpool in front from a nice cross by Kostas Tsimikas just as the train went under a tunnel. Happy for the goal, annoying I missed it in real time. As it stood my captain choice was looking a good one. Mo Salah had a goal disallowed for a tight offside call in the first half and Sadio Mane put the ball over from a great ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Salah had a goal-bound shot blocked in the second half and I was wondering if they were going to be any other points for me. They were as the Reds sealed the game with a brilliant team goal for 2-0, the final pass was an exquisite touch by Alexander-Arnold and the finish was just as good from Mane. Liverpool really had to work for their clean sheet however as they let Burnley have too many attempts and Alisson's saves meant no bonus points for Jota. I was more than happy that my captain scored nonetheless. Doubling up on Liverpool players at the back is proving to be quite fruitful for many people.
Right time for the 3pm contests. Aston Villa faced Newcastle; and I was thankful as Callum Wilson missed a guilt-edged chance in the first half. In the second half Wilson was fractionally given offside otherwise the Magpies would have had a penalty, Emiliano Martinez may have been sent off too. Villa won 2-0 and the first was an outrageous overhead kick by Danny Ings. Ings has already made me rue not picking him with 2 in 2 games. Gary also had Martinez in goal so there was no differential here. Crystal Palace and Brentford faced off at Selhurst Park and in anticipation of this match I was conflicted. I wanted clean sheet points for Tyrick Mitchell but also needed Ivan Toney to contribute. I was to get my clean sheet points as the game ended goalless. Toney had a deflected volley saved in the first half and headed wide in the second period. At the time of writing this he had already been sold by 286,292 people, I shall keep him for now as he could prove to be a differential, but at £6.5m there may be more efficient options.
Leeds and Everton clashed at Elland Road and just like I thought the goals flew in. Everton took the lead before Bamford assisted the equaliser for Mateusz Klich, 'good stuff'. Bamford was unfortunately booked just a few minutes before the goal however. The Toffees took the lead again through a tidy goal by Demarai Gray, but Raphinha was to score a marvellous strike for the game to end 2-2. Gary will be vexed at his decision to let Raphinha go. Both my Leeds players contributed, bar the Bamford booking I cannot complain. Manchester City buried Norwich 5-0 and to my dismay Joao Cancelo did not feature in any of the goals. Ironically the man I swapped him for before the season began Ruben Dias assisted the fifth goal for Riyad Mahrez. Delia Smith and the rest of the Norwich board better be cooking something up before the window closes or Norwich are probably going to finish bottom. None of us had starters in Brighton's 2-0 win over Watford, so I ended Saturday with a whopping 61-8 advantage.
So off to Sunday we go. Southampton and Manchester United met at St. Mary's and I was praying there was nothing from Fernandes despite my hefty lead. Southampton took the lead which meant no clean for Luke Shaw who Gary had. Fernandes was booked in the aftermath of the goal and he was denied a goal in the second half as Alex ,McCarthy made a great save. Even before that in the first half Victor Lindelof hit the bar and it was from a Fernandes cross. So I survived that as the match ended 1-1. With so many people having Bruno and him being a popular captain choice after Salah this effected many people in various leagues I'm in. Pogba assisted United's goal for Mason Greenwood getting Gary some points. Wolves and Tottenham kicked off at the same time and it ended 1-0 to Spurs. Both of us had Heung-min Son but there was no goal for him this week as he had a second half shot saved. Gary had Sergio Reguilón so got some clean sheet points. It was lucky for me that Fernandes did not produce as in Sunday's last game Chelsea won 2-0 at Arsenal. Quite frankly this was men against boys in this one. Gary had Reece James and he scored and assisted in this straightforward victory. His goal was an emphatic finish after laying the first on a plate for Romelu Lukaku.
Monday nights game at the London Stadium saw West Ham thump Leicester 4-1. Nothing from Thomas Soucek for me, but I had already won my first head-to-head game of this season 66-44 as Gary had no one in this match. The annoying thing in this game however was the fact Coufal assisted and I left him on my bench as well as Michail Antonio scoring twice and assisting. Many people I know have Antonio so this severely damaged the differentials Jota, Mitchell and Raphinha gave me outside of this head-to-head encounter.
@DubulDee
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