I really needed to bounce back after yet another disappointment and my opponent was my cousin Clement.
I had two free transfers, but I decided to yet again take a points-hit going against my plans earlier in the season to limit taking them, but things change throughout a campaign. Out went James Tarkowski at the back as I was losing faith in Everton and in came Tottenham's Pedro Porro who already did a job for me when I used my 'free hit'. In midfield I temporarily let go of James Maddison to get Riyad Mahrez back in before Manchester City's blank gameweek next week. I was torn between whether or not to get in the Algerian or Jack Grealish, but as Mahrez did not play in City's last European game I opted for him. But you just never know when 'Pep roulette' will rear its ugly bald head. My last change was to sell Alexis MacAllister (again another temporary sale) for Crystal Palace's in-form Michael Olise. Again this was another transfer that had me conflicted as I wanted his teammate Eberechi Eze too as they virtually cost the same price. Literally just before I hit confirm something was telling me to change my mind but I did not. I gave my captaincy to Mo Salah as I felt he will really end this season strongly. Clement did not make any transfers, and his captaincy was left with talisman from the team he supports Harry Kane.
The action began early on Saturday at Villa Park as Aston Villa entertained Newcastle. It actually turned out to be a horror for the Magpies however, with the birds being the ones havoc was wreaked upon this was clearly not Alfred Hitchcock inspired. Ollie Watkins is in the form of his life but there was no way I could get him without some drastic reshuffling and he was at it once again. Watkins who has risen to £7.7m, laid the first goal on for Jacob Ramsey before bagging a second half brace as the league's best defence was carved apart from the first kick-off to get Clement off to the perfect start. Thank God Watkins was not his captain. I left Fabian Schar on the bench so avoided a blank but I also left Tyrone mings on the bench meaning I missed out on a clean sheet. Clement had a rare blank from Kieran Trippier.
In the 3pm's Brighton thoroughly deserved their 2-1 triumph at Chelsea with a glorious winner from Julio Enciso. With the Seagulls prevailing this was definitely written by the late Mr. Hitchcock. Clement and I both had Kaoru Mitoma but this was a rare occasion when he did return. Neither of us benefitted defensively here as I had Brighton's Pervis Estupinan and he had his teammate Lewis Dunk. I had been quite critical of Crystal Palace getting Roy Hodgson back in to replace Patrick Vieira, but so far it has worked exceptionally as they won again. Southampton were the victims as they fell 2-0 at home to the Eagles ('cue Alfred Hitchcock line again'). I felt like a fool as Eze scored both goals for a 16-point haul after I had opted for Olise instead, Eze's second was sheer brilliance. James Ward-Prowse's blank meant I avoided further damage in the head-to-head. With Wolves' lack of ability to score goals this season I thought a clean sheet was very much on the cards for Brentford but the Bees were beaten 2-0. There was an element of fortune with both goals as the first was a block rather than a shot by Diego Costa and Hee-Chan Hwang just about squeezed in the second. David Raya still returned for me despite conceding twice as he made seven saves. With two extra points for the saves and add tot that two bonus points it was almost as good as a clean sheet anyway.
Not trying to find a way to get Erling Haaland back into my team just yet relied on the fact that Tottenham had a home game against Bournemouth and me not wanting to sell Kane. So really I should have known what was coming. In true FPL fashion despite taking the lead through a fabulous strike from Heung-Min Son, Spurs surrendered their lead and went on to lose 3-2 to the Cherries through a last minute goal from Dango Ouattara. This meant bringing in Porro did absolutely nothing for me whilst Cristian Romero blanked for my opponent. Kane's blank was not the worst news as he was Clement's captain and surprisingly he never had Haaland, which is usually the case in a head-to-head so I could have severely suffered here. Speaking of Haaland in the late game, he was at the double as Manchester City beat Leicester 3-1 at the Etihad. John Stones bashed in the first goal in his new role which could make him an ideal FPL asset before Haaland's brace. My cousin had Kevin De Bruyne and he made the second goal for Haaland after a great breakaway by the home team. Sometimes we overthink things in FPL as before that Haaland's first came from a penalty that was won by Grealish, if I had not tried to telegraph Pep roulette then that would have been more points for me as Mahrez blanked. Kelechi Iheanacho who was a second half substitute scored the Foxes' consolation, a shame he could not score there in 2019 when through then Liverpool may have won the damn league. But anyway back to FPL while I have a cry.
Saturday ended with Clement ahead 36-15. In the two games on Sunday I knew I never had anyone playing as West Ham came from behind to salvage a point at home to Arsenal. But Clement had Marcus Rashford, so when as expected he was not in the starting XI against Nottingham Forest this meant he got the points off of his first substitute. With Crystal Palace keeping a clean trust his first man off of his bench to be Joachim Anderson. So despite none of us having anyone play I now trailed 41-15 as Andersen at least got booked reducing him to five points. I had not given up chances of a possible victory as my captain Salah was yet to play and two goal contributions from him and a possible return from Andy Robertson would put me into a solid position.
So to Monday we go. Liverpool travelled to Leeds seeking revenge after their unbeaten home run was ended by them in October. The Reds took the lead through Cody Gakpo who was the only Liverpool man Clement and I both had. Salah made me start to believe as he emphatically made it 2-0 after being put through by Diogo Jota. The second period began with a mistake by Ibrahima Konate and Luis Sinisterra expertly pulled a goal back for Leeds. This meant no clean sheet for Alisson who my opponent had or for me with Andy Robertson. Jota made it 3-1 as he ended a year without a goal and Jurgen Klopp's men went on to pull away and thrashed the home side 6-1. Jota added a second and Salah also helped himself to a second from a Gakpo assist. So despite the Egyptian being ousted for maximum bonus points by Jota I scraped a win by two points, 55-53. The great escape indeed. Egyptian King we salute you in hieroglyphics! In what has been his 'worst' season since joining Liverpool he has the same amount of league goals as Rashford, who is having the 'season of his life'.
A rare win for me then, now with two gameweeks in quick succession I must be on point with my decisions.
@DubulDee
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