What an unpredictably horrendous week it has been. These are the weeks that propels one to wonder about early wildcards and all other bad thoughts one shouldn’t entertain this early in the season.
Any manager without Mbeumo or Mitoma in their squads would have struggled to get past the forty-point mark.
There is also new information now about both Saka and Watkins being off penalty duties.
Saka in particular will hurt Fantasy managers with considerations needing to be done of his credentials in the Fantasy Premier League.
Without penalties, he is certainly not of the same pedigree he was thought of at the start of the season.
Besides Saka and Watkins and the failures of many popular assets, Gabriel was benched again by Arteta, with the much-hyped captaincy debate between Salah and Haaland ending on a whimper.
There was only a difference of three points. Salah could easily have had a haul. Instead, he brought back memories of last season of missing penalty against Bournemouth.
Thankfully this time he scored from the rebound.
The arrival of Szoboszlai and Mac Allister has already prompted discussions if indeed penalty duties will be transferred to either of them. If there is a need given both the midfielders are able penalty takers with consistent records in the past.
The pitiful week that it was, budget forward popular in many of the squads Joao Pedro found himself on the bench, following De Zerbi’s comments about trying new things.
He did come on through and got yellow carded completing the game with a zero-pointer.
No matter how bad a game week goes till it is game week 38, there is always the hope and bright prospect of another game week, days away.
Life without either Mitoma or Mbeumo or both!
Game week 3 will be particularly crucial with Manchester United facing Forest at home Arsenal at home to Fulham and City taking Sheffield at Bramall Lane.
Spurs will be lining up against Bournemouth away with the only tough fixture amongst the popular teams being Newcastle at home to Liverpool.
Brentford takes on Palace at home while Brighton plays West Ham. At the least fixtures wise this is a game week that promises hopes of golden shiny points.
In Fantasy Premier League rectifying past mistakes is equally coincided with not chasing points. Similar to life what is done is done and outside of contemplation nothing much can be done in hindsight.
Fantasy managers without Mbeumo in game week 2, will be looking to make up lost grounds or ranks. However, one sees it.
There is not much use in transferring in Mitoma at this point with Brighton’s fixture after game week 3 turning tough.
Only Bournemouth at home in game week 6 is the saving grace during the Seagulls’ coming fixture run.
Arguments can be made against buying Mbeumo as well.
Mbeumo owners from the start have already acquired a healthy point advantage and bringing him in new teams now makes little sense for the given point advantage can’t be erased through this process.
A counterpoint to these arguments remains Brentford’s good fixtures in the next four coupled with the fact Mbeumo is on penalties.
Maybe Fantasy managers planning transfers without the Brentford forward are heading for a hefty mistake after all it is only game week 2 and a whole season left to go.
Phil Foden’s time might have finally come
These rebuttals and debates perhaps are based much on the styles and tactics of an individual Fantasy player.
The new season has been blessed as predicted by an abundance of midfielders and selecting players at the right time and learning to let go at the same promises directly to have an impact on overall season ranks.
Thus, the two-transfer strategy going into game week 3 for managers who abided by it, will have more cards to deal with at an early crucial point in the season.
Chelsea and Spurs start their run of easy-on-the-paper games but there is another team that many might be omitting from the thought process and justifiably due to constant rotation threats that may deserve more attention. It is of course Manchester City.
Salah owners post-game week two will be likely looking to downgrade the Egyptian and break his Fantasy price value by buying two different players.
The most likely and logical names are Maddison and Mbeumo himself doing the rounds to replace Salah. They are both easy on-the-eye picks and are likely to garner much interest and price rises this week.
It must be noted Maddison left the stadium after the match against Manchester United as a precaution. He is expected to be fit against Bournemouth but best it is to wait for an update.
While attention has been paid greatly to the now thoroughly mentioned players, Manchester City this season, is operating with a midfield that is surprisingly light in number.
The departure of Mahrez and Gundogan followed by the injury to the ever-influential De Bruyne didn’t help matters.
The game against Newcastle from that standpoint alone was an interesting display between a growing in-strength Newcastle and a somewhat in-transition Manchester City perhaps still reeling from the long schedule of the treble-winning last campaign.
Admirers of Phil Foden will be accustomed to Pep Guardiola’s lack of trust in him. He has failed to nail down his spot in the team consistently over a season.
Even good performances often saw Foden in the bench for the next either due to tactical or disciplinary issues.
His hopes of being a Fantasy gem have dwindled thus, with his perhaps most ardent supporter failing to justify his place in any Fantasy team.
He is a million cheaper this season in FPL compared to the likes of Odegaard and Fernandes and the same price as Maddison.
At 23, it is understandable of conversations going into the season, of Foden needing to go elsewhere to truly flourish his game.
The match against Newcastle was primarily a focus of attention on Haaland’s prowess against a solid defensive unit and a tactical battle between two great managers in the league.
Tonali’s start to the season couldn’t have gone any better and interests fared how the Italian would assert himself at the Etihad playing against the champions.
Amidst all the hype elsewhere at the other individuals and battles on the pitch, it was indeed Foden who shone the brightest on Saturday.
He played behind Haaland in the absence of De Bruyne in his natural position teeing up Haaland time and again.
The Norwegian missed two chances firing outside while another run of his was brilliantly defended by Schar and the last of the big chance was saved by Pope. They were all chances supplied by Foden.
Foden supplied the assist as well to Alvarez’s goal. His only shot in the match and the only goal in the game, in a cagey affair Foden simply was by some way the best player in the field.
He finished the game with seven chances created and an assist and three Fantasy bonus points. It is hard to see even with the likely incoming of Jeremy Doku if Foden maintains his form in most games.
How he will be benched by his manager Pep Guardiola? In fact, given the players City has this year in the midfield areas, this thus seems to be the season where Foden has to grab the torch and run for the hills. For Fantasy managers, there are few more prettier sights than Foden bagging the points.
