Another prolonged FPL gameweek was on the horizon. Burnley and Watford's postponed game was rearranged for this week, and it was not to be played until after the winter break on FA Cup weekend as both sides were out of the competition. My opposition was Chad (Goliath) who was usually a big trash-talker, but he had been really quiet recently. He had not changed his team recently but something told me that he would be prepared for this gameweek.
With the announcement of the double gameweek, as much as I try to avoid it I decided to take a points hit. I sold Norwich's keeper Angus Gunn and brought in Ben Foster with Watford having the two games. I finally let go of Mo Salah after I was not going to as he was at AFCON, but as he seemed bang back in-form I got Kevin De Bruyne in. Tripling up on Watford players was not something I thought I would be doing, but needs-must. With the Hornets being up against Norwich and Burnley two teams in the dogfight with them was not something I could turn down. When the deadline expired I saw that Chad had used his 'Wildcard', 'dammit!'. It was just my luck, he had missed numerous deadlines and was bottom of the table, but he remembered about his team when he was playing me, 'typical!'. This was probably calculated to be honest. I had my captains armband with Emmanuel Dennis, but at the 11th hour I changed and gave it to his teammate Josh King, meanwhile Chad had captained De Bruyne.
The action began way back on Friday the 21st of January as Norwich travelled to Watford. Before the game Ben Foster announced that he had Covid, just my luck, I had possibly made two changes for no reason. The game did not go how anyone expected as Norwich won 3-0. My Watford double up front turned out to be a pointless one as Dennis did nothing but get booked twice, meaning he was to miss the second game of the week. Moussa Sissoko put a shot wide after good work by King, and King himself shot wide in the second period. King had understood my need for points and was livid at Joao Pedro for not passing to him in the first half. Pedro was having none of it and gave back as good as he got, and that was the only amusement I got in the first half as I finished the game still in the minus points-wise. The tragic irony here was the keeper I sold Gunn kept a clean sheet and got bonus points. FPL life eh.
The following day saw Aston Villa win away at Everton in the early kick off. Chad had Michael Keane in his side but he did not start. Villa won 1-0 with a headed goal from Emi Buendia. As the goal was created by former Toffee Lucas Digne, a fan then took both Digne and Matty Cash out with one throw of their Lucozade bottle, that is some toss the fan has got get him on the olympic shot put team immediately! No but seriously that behaviour does not belong in a football stadium, ban then according! In the 3pm matches; Wolves won 2-1 away at Brentford, and to my annoyance Nelson Semedo made the opening goal for Joao Moutinho and Chad had him. Ivan Toney levelled scoring his second goal since I sold him as he boasted a new haircut. A physicist will more than likely tell you his great volley was probably aided by cutting off his locks enabling him to generate more power as he carried less weight. Ruben Neves won the game for Bruno Lage's men.
Newcastle got a massive three points as they won 1-0 at Leeds thanks to a Jonjo Shelvey free-kick. Raphinha was not involved as much as he is usually. There was further damage for me as Chad had Javier Manquillo. The Spaniard did not start, but came off the bench to win the free-kick that the winner came from, this was all getting ridiculous. Manchester United stole three points at the death at home to West Ham. Edinson Cavani was offside to everyone but the people at Stockley Park, so with some oddly drawn lines Rashford's winner from Cavani's cutback was given. Rashford feeds their children I get it, they did not want to disallow it. In the late game Southampton held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw. Kyle Walker-Peters cut in and scored a great goal to give the Saints the lead. After that the man I sold last week Armando Broja could have scored three times including a goal being ruled out for offside as his movement and industry caused City issues. However City were better in the second half and equalised through an Aymeric Laporte header from De Bruyne's well delivered free-kick. Laporte ran. to the corner flag to celebrate with some hand movements that looked straight out of a 80's Janet Jackson video but his teammates were already on their way back to the centre circle as they wanted more goals. Laporte is still wondering whether he will ever be able to display what he learned in school in performing arts. De Bruyne almost scored himself but his spectacular effort cannoned off the post. No Joao Cancelo points and I was hoping he’d produce as Chad did not have him, there’s not too many people I face that do not have Cancelo so this was damaging. Chad had tripled up on City players and luckily Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva did not have an impact but the points he had got from his defenders earlier neutralised that nonetheless. I trailed 31-11 at the days conclusion.
Sunday saw Arsenal held to a draw at home by Burnley. Chad had also tripled up on Arsenal men. Despite blanks from Gabriel Martinelli and Alexandre Lacazette, he got bonus points on top of the clean sheet for Aaron Ramsdale. Lacazette missed a guilt edged chance or I really was done for. At Selhurst Park; Liverpool started like a house on fire and went 2-0 up on Crystal Palace, Andy Robertson assisted both goals and he has been outstanding since I sold him to get Trent Alexander-Arnold back in. Palace pulled one back meaning no clean sheet points for Alexander-Arnold who was a rare differential this week. Right at the death Diogo Jota won a controversial penalty to get me a cheap 'fantasy' assist as Fabinho tucked the spot-kick away. The uproar after the game was so immense that you would never have guessed Liverpool were already 2-1 in the 89th minute when the penalty was given.
Brighton drew 1-1 with Leicester at the King Power Stadium. As I did not know if Foster would be back in time for the next gameweek, I was actually hoping Robert Sanchez would keep a clean sheet just in case, but it was not to be as Patson Daka opened the scoring. Anyone who read last week will know Daka was meant to be in my team before all the postponements so I was infuriated even further. Tariq Lamptey came on in the second half and tormented the Foxes on the right hand side and Danny Welbeck had a header saved from a nice cross by him. Lamptey sent Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for a hotdog before whipping the ball in. Welbeck was not to be denied as he headed the equaliser late on. In the main Sunday contest, Chelsea played Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. There was already bad news in the starting XI's as Lucas Moura who would have been a differential was named on the bench. I was jubilant as I thought Harry Kane had given Antonio Conte's men the lead but the goal was ruled out for a push. For anyone that watches the NBA that was a 'flop' by Thiago Silva, he used all his experience to win a free-kick there, even my Mum would have stayed on her feet. The Blues went on to win it 2-0 with a sublime strike from Hakim Ziyech and a goal from of course...Thiago Silva. Kane had a second half header saved by Kepa. So with all those big players as differentials, all I got was a Jota assist, I was done for, this had all just been torture, the pain had been excruciating.
This gameweek had been lost on the second day by 5pm unless my captain King had the game of his life to make up my 22-point deficit. The Burnley-Watford game was not played until February the 5th. Ben Foster returned in goal, and he saved twice from Maxwel Cornet as well as surviving a deflected Wout Weghorst effort that struck the bar as the game ended goalless. King almost scored in the first half, but bar that all he did was get booked. Watford were denied a first half penalty for handball however that he would have taken. So I had been destroyed, well done Chad, hopefully you remember your team next gameweek too, 'sigh'. It was my lowest scoring week of the season as I only got 30 points and lost by 14 points. My position overall in the world has plummeted to 163,358. I have dropped to 8th in the Justice League with my 3rd straight defeat after winning 7 in-a-row and I only top four classic leagues.
@DubulDee
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