Here’s my fantasy premier league GW12 match analysis for Saturday GW12 part 1. The matches are Everton v Liverpool, Arsenal v Southampton and West Ham v Chelsea. I’ll be focusing on line up and player analysis
Fantasy premier league match analysis – Saturday GW12 part 1
Line ups and ratings from the Daily Mail
Everton 3 Liverpool 3
EVERTON (4-3-3): Howard 8: Coleman 7, Jagielka 8, Distin 7, Baines 7 (Deulofeu 50mins 7): Barry 8, McCarthy 7, Pienaar 7: Barkley 8, Lukaku 9, Mirallas 8 (Osman 88).
Subs not used: Robles (GK), Heitinga, Jelavic, Deulofeu, Naismith, Osman, Stones
Booked: Distin, Miralles, Barkley
Scorers: Miralles 8′, Lukaku 72′, 82′ Assists: Baines Mirallas McCarthy
LIVERPOOL (4-1-3-2): Mignolet 8: Johnson 6, Skrtel 7, Agger 6, Flanagan 7: Lucas 8 (Sturridge 79mins): Gerrard 8, Allen 5 (Moses 67mins 6), Henderson 8; Coutinho 6: Suarez 7
Subs not used: Jones (GK), Toure, Luis Alberto, Sakho, Sterling
Booked: Lucas, Allen, Suarez
Scorers: Coutinho 5′, Suarez 19′, Sturridge 89′ Assists: Gerrard Suarez
Lineups:
Everton line up as expected apart from Barkley coming in for Osman
Liverpool kept with a back 4. £4.5m cheapie Flanagan surprisingly played LB ahead of Cissokho. Sturridge wasn’t deemed fit to start. Allen played in midfield instead.
Player Analysis
Defences
An incredibly open game with neither side defending well. Both had horrible defensive stats. 5 goals from set pieces. Flanagan and Johnson marking Lukaku at a corner? Johnson getting caught up the pitch time and time again. Agger and Skrtel just couldn’t handle Lukaku’s runs 2nd half. I had little faith in the Liverpool defence and this didn’t help. Everton certainly have defensive ability. However, seemingly not for the top 4 challenging sides judging from this game and how Chelsea ripped them apart despite losing 1-0.
Barkley
Surprisingly started after being on the bench for the last 2. A game where he was involved alot high up the pitch alot. Played really well I thought from a football perspective. However from a fantasy premier league perspective their was little attacking output in terms of chances created and shots in the box. Its now 6 games without a return. As a cheapie if he can get back into the team he still has some role but only rotation, not as a front line contributor in my mind.
Mirallas
A goal and an assist after not returning for 3 games. Only returned in 4/12 and its a fantasy premier league point every 18.5 minutes which is ok for the value. Home to Stoke next is a good fixture but away to United and Arsenal next will be more of a challenge
Lukaku
Most pen box touches and best shooting stats of anyone. Really impressive performance after a couple of quiet games. Learnt as the game went on and drifted to both wings with good effect. Also learnt how to bisect Agger and Skrtel. Showed last couple of games was a temporary blip. Lukaku will produce. It’s just the wealth of alternatives
Gerrard
can a fantasy premier league midfielder live by set pieces alone. Gerrard is trying. He had no penalty box touches. Also did nothing in the way of shooting but did create chances. However set pieces again showed he can return. Overall return % now up to 50% . Its also returns in 6 of his last 7. it seems you can have a midfielder on set pieces alone but its a pretty expensive investment.
Coutinho
Has had good underlying stats since returning but no returns. Today his stats were ok but he scored. Involvement was poor though and I personally think he’s a little wasted on the left.
Suarez
His usual fantastic self with a goal and assist. Underlying stats ticked all boxes. Did it all, pen box touches, shooting stats created chances.
Sturridge
Suffered as a fantasy premier league player from being in the same side as Suarez. A return to scoring form with an excellent goal. I think he will continue scoring. Suarez though is by far the better fantasy premier league choice.
Arsenal 2 Southampton 0
Arsenal: Szczesny 7; Sagna 7, Koscielny 7, Mertesacker 7, Gibbs 7; Arteta 6 (Rosicky 74), Ramsey 7, Wilshere 7; Ozil 6 (Monreal 81), Cazorla 6 (Walcott 70); Giroud 8
Subs not used: Vermaelen, Fabianski, Bendtner, Gnabry.
Goals: Giroud 22, 86 (pen)
Southampton: Boruc 4; Clyne 6, Fonte 6, Hooiveld 6, Shaw 6 (Davis 46, 6); Schneiderlin 7, Wanyama 6, Lallana 6 (Osvaldo 54, 5); Rodriguez 7, Ward-Prowse 6; Lambert 6
Subs not used: Yoshida, Chambers, Gazzaniga, Reed, Gallagher
Booked: Hooiveld, Wanyama, Fonte
lineups:
Arsenal: Rosicky wasn’t fit so Wilshere started for Arsenal
Southampton: Lovren injured so Hooiveld played CB. Osvaldo only made the bench. JWP started with Lambert the lone striker
Player analysis
Defences:
Arsenals defensive stats were excellent. Southamptons were good considering the opposition. Any fantasy premier league managers holding defensive assets should not be put off by this game.
Ramsey
Had one amazing piece of skill to score. I am impressed with Ramsey on the break and his ability to find space in the box. Additionally when in the double pivot he is getting a chance to play more forward as Flamini and Arteta are sitting with discipline. however, Ramsey is a fantasy premier league player based on form with no underlying stats backing. Additionally he has no history of the returns he is getting. With that being the case when form drops off you have nothing to fall back on to keep having positive feelings. Ramsey is relatively cheap so buying him to cover his form and58% ownership isn’t the end of the world. I’m not getting over dramatic, its only 2 games no return. One of those against Man Utd. Just a watch out that’s all.
Ozil
Probably the most involved attacking player in the game but no real attacking output from it. Either as returns or shots in the box or creating chances
Giroud
2 goals and best shooting stats of anyone. Goals were a bit fortunate with the keeper’s antics and Arteta off the pitch for the pen.
Lallana
Surprisingly subbed but to be honest was quiet apart from 2 attacking chances
Lambert
Did nothing
West Ham 0 Chelsea 3
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Nolan, Tomkins, Collison (Maiga 40), Morrison, Noble (Jarvis 76), O’Brien, Collins, Demel, Downing, J.Cole (Diame 40).
Subs not used: McCartney, Adrian, Taylor, C.Cole
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Mikel, Lampard, Ramires, Oscar (Schurrle 83), Hazard (Essien 84), Eto’o (Ba 79).
Subs not used: Schwarzer, Cole, Mata, Willian.
Goals: Lampard (pen) 21, 82 Oscar 34, Assists: Hazard 2 Oscar
Lineups:
West Ham: O’Brien came in for the injured Rat. Cole started in midfield
Chelsea: Azpilicueta kept his place over Cole. Mikel came in as the sitting midfielder. Chelsea seemed to follow the Arsenal pattern where if there is one disciplined sitter then the rest attack.
Player analysis:
Defences
The West Ham defensive effort was poor. Chelsea’s was ok. The first clean sheet after conceding consecutively in 6.
Nolan
The most forward player in the 4-6-0 system. However this changed after Maiga came on and Nolan produced little.
R Morrison
Reasonably involved in the game but didn’t do anything with it.
Hazard
Very advanced position. Got as many penalty box touches as anyone. Little in the way of shots though. Did create the most chances in the game though. 1 small nail in the “I only turn up at Stamford Bridge” coffin.
Oscar
A goal and an assist and good all round stats. 1st returns in the last 4. Helped his cause greatly.
Lampard
Interesting this. Best shooting stats by some distance. Got same penalty box touches as Hazard. Only Hazard as a midfielder had a higher average position. It seems the positional discipline that Mikel offers gives Lampard far more licence to get forward. Something to look out for at £7.5m. 1st return for 4 games. Also has set pieces and pens. Definitely a watch out.
That’s it, hope your fantasy premier league or the format gameweek 12 is going well
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