After losing last week to Muji, gameweek 32 saw me pitted against his best mate Khurram (K). The FPL gods really have it in for me as next week I play Sam who is in the mix at the top also. K takes FPL very seriously and plots like he is about to commit a bank robbery, I knew he had a plan up his sleeve but this week I was away briefly out of London for my friends' wedding so I actually tried to have my team sorted really early something I rarely do.
After my error last week I had two free transfers this time around. Out went Luis Diaz for his teammate Diogo Jota and I sold Jacob Ramsay for James Maddison. This left me with no money in the bank so I did it early as Tuesday otherwise I knew one of them would have their price go up and then I would not be able to afford them both. Khurram also made two transfers; he let go of the suspended Raul Jimenez and his teammate Romain Saiss for Wout Weghorst and Reece James. I thought he may go with Mo Salah as captain, so I went with Salah, but he went with Heung-min Son instead someone who I had considered as Spurs had the easier opposition and I was livid I had not gone with him or Harry Kane. Before seeing who K had after the deadline I had an issue I knew that would come back to bite me. I returned back from the wedding earlier than expected and had tried to have a late fiddle with my team. I originally had David Raya in goal but changed to Ben Foster. Also I had Tino Livramento on the bench as I thought there may be a backlash from Chelsea, but then I thought if there was not then he would be a good differential so I benched Tariq Lamptey. But then just as I thought no best to stick with Lamptey...my battery died, 'dammit!!'. I just knew I had made a mistake I could feel it.
St James' Park hosted the first contest of the gameweek as Newcastle met Wolves. Rayan Ait-Nouri was on the bench meaning I hoped he did not come on so I could get Lamptey's points. Ait-Nouri did come on however as late as the 86th minute and to be honest I am not sure he even touched the ball. The Magpies had earlier taken the lead through a Chris Wood penalty and that proved to be the winning goal. I was already off to bad start.
Saturday saw Brighton win 2-1 at Arsenal. Lamptey came on in the second half as the Seagulls dented the Gunners' Champions League hopes. It was important Brighton scored as Aaron Ramsdale was Khurram's keeper. He also had Bukayo Saka so it was good seeing him blank too. Chelsea had conceded seven goals in two games so you just knew they were going to give someone a beatdown. Southampton were destroyed 6-0 and to be honest Chelsea will wonder how it was not double figures. Reece James was only on the bench but his solitary point was scant consolation for me. Starting Livramento was extremely costly as despite Lamptey only came off the bench he still outscored him by two points, I felt sick! Not being able to go back to having Raya in goal killed me as Watford were beaten 3-0 at home by Leeds, so there was nothing from Foster. What added insult to injury was that the first goal was scored by Raphinha who K had. Until recently Raphinha had been in team for the whole season so it was a bitter pill to swallow. Another of my former players Rodrigo scored the second.
The late Saturday game was pivotal. Despite having Son I needed him to not do too well as he was Khurram's captain...so trust the Korean to bag a hat-trick as Antonio Conte's men ran out 4-0 winners at Villa Park. Spurs were clinical and the scoreline does not show that Hugo Lloris had to make a plethora of saves especially in the first half or this would have been very different. Son opened the scoring with a fine left foot hit that went in off the post where Harry Kane got a fantasy assist. Dejan Kulusevski scored a very good second with another left footed effort giving Kane another assist. Son added another two goals as Spurs punished Villa on the break, giving Kane yet another assist and one for Kulusevski as my Tottenham triple cleaned up. K had Kulusevski too, so it is hard to knock three assists but I needed another contribution from Kane as he was a differential and instead he got himself booked. The caution was detrimental as it took Kane out of the bonus points. So with K getting double my Son points I was in trouble, and to think Matt Doherty came off with a bad injury in the first half so he only got him one point or it would have been worse. Saturday concluded with me trailing by 24 points 68-44.
So to Sunday. Brentford beat West Ham 2-0 meaning Raya outscored Foster by six points as despite only having to make one save he got a bonus point on top of his clean sheet, my pain was past excruciating now. Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo scored and assisted each other for the goals and they are flourishing since I sold both of them. What can I say FPL is the life we choose but I was nearing breaking point. At the same time; Leicester beat Crystal Palace 2-1. James Maddison was given the assist for the second goal by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after I had thought it would go to Patson Daka. As he was a differential I needed more from Maddison but unfortunately it did not come. Norwich beat Burnley 2-0 to give their very faint hopes of performing a miracle and somehow staying up a boost. Me and K both had Wout Weghorst; Weghorst blanked once again and in fact was not even on the pitch for an hour so got us both a measly point. K has now renamed him 'Wankhorst' as he has done absolutely nothing since we have both owned him. Weghorst really has to come out of my team, but I know he will do something amazing when I sell him, it is always the way. Trust Sean Dyche to lose a game after saying he thought Everton did not know how to win one. Tragic irony.
So it was left to the biggest match of the season as the top two Manchester City and Liverpool clashed. Khurram had Trent-Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson in defence, so the only real differential I had was Diogo Jota. He would get half of my Salah points so unless the Egyptian scored a hat-trick like Son catching him was very unlikely as I trailed by 17 points going into the game. Manchester City took the lead but my guy Jota levelled, it did come from an Alexander-Arnold assist though so K neutralised it. City took the lead again but right after half-time Sadio Mane equalised from a Salah assist, but that was to be it in terms of a Salah contribution as it ended 2-2.
So I was beaten and after the great winning run I have now lost back-to-back games and the opponents were best friends...'yuck!'. I really should have been more brave and captained one of the Spurs men and if it was not for my battery I would have had 8 points in my starting lineup rather than on my bench. Thanks Apple I owe you one I really do. Heung-min let you all know that "all these bitches is my sons" as he is now only five goals behind Salah in the Golden Boot race. I have now dropped out of the head-to-head top four and have fallen off of the top of a classic league as Darren (D-Man) has overtaken me in both. Roll on the next gameweek I really need to bounce back.
@DubulDee
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