Here’s our FPL gameweek 4 review where we look back at each game in GW4. We look at the lineups, give some key team indicators and review FPL relevant player performances.
FPL Gameweek 4 review – a look at the games and underlying stats from GW4
Geek note: If you join our Patreon site you will get access to an FPL contributor tracker team which combines the contributors individual teams each week to show their favourite players, transfers and captains. It will always be completed on a Friday/Saturday in a normal gameweek. There will also be a spreadsheet of each managers teams, transfers and captains so you can drill down further.
You also get:
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Graphics are from whoscored.com
Man City 4 Brighton 0
Man City 15 shots xG 2.2 Brighton 6 shots xG 0.84
Lineups: There weren’t many surprises from Pep although you always get the feeling that one of the Silva’s will be on the bench if Pep decides he’s going to play Mahrez at RW. Lineup wise for Brighton Duffy being excluded was the surprise. Apparently for tactical reasons.
Aguero, De Bruyne and D Silva were the stars with Silva in particular taking up advanced positions between the lines or CB/FBs and flicking first time passes to whoever. The disappointment was Sterling who managed just the 1 key pass and didn’t have a shot in the game. You have to go back 16 PL games before the weekend for a game where Sterling didn’t shoot. It’s worth noting that unlike Salah though he’s not a high volume shooter anyway.
Although Brighton only had 6 shots that understated their position in the game. They actually had 46% possession which for a perceived bottom half team is remarkable. Individual errors and ruthless finishing by City undid Brighton though. Trossard was their star and his ability to get forward into shooting positions was something worth noticing.
Burnley 0 Liverpool 3
Burnley 7 shots xG 0.59 Liverpool 15 shots xG 1.18
Lineups: No surprises from either side.
Firmino was easily the star stat wise here. Salah had alot of volume of shots and key passes but little quality chances although he did hit the post and had one bounce of the knee from close range. Mane despite being quiet was ruthless in his finishing and should have had 2 if Salah passed to him just before Mane was subbed.
Burnley never really got going. They decided to avoid the risk of the press by passing long directly over it to the forwards but Van Dijk especially was always winning those battles. They only really got behind Liverpool with a long ball once early on through Wood but he couldn’t finish. Sub Rodriguez had the best chance in his 18 minutes which says alot.
Chelsea 2 Sheffield Utd 2
Chelsea 13 shots xG 2.28 Sheffield 8 shots xG 0.99
Lineups: Lampard continues to spring surprises and here he dropped Christensen for Tomori and Barkley came back in for Pedro. No Kante again through injury. For Sheffield McBurnie started instead of McGoldrick
2 goals from Abraham was the eye catching stat but it’s worth mentioning that it’s 4 goals from 7 shots against 2 promoted teams and both goals today came from defensive errors.
Mount moved to the left of 4-2-3-1 (despite the graphic above Barkley played more centrally and advanced and for all practical purposes it was a 4-2-3-1) and was completely invisible apart from one chance from a Jorginho long ball. To me he seems to be a guy that will create chances by pressing rather than creative passing and so it seems a waste of that skill to have him left. Especially when Barkley appears to have little interest in pressing. Barkley continued his high volume low quality shooting policy today.
Mid Robinson who played as part of a strike partnership was the star for Sheffield and his goal also showed the attacking intent of LWB Stevens who got the assist.
Leicester 3 Bournemouth 1
Leicester 13 shots xG 1.82 Bournemouth 8 shots xG 0.59
Lineups: Perez was dropped as Rodgers went back to his usual 4-1-4-1 with Ndidi at the base of the midfield. Barnes and Albrighton came in. Harry Wilson started on the right in a 4-4-2 for Bournemouth. The formation gives Tielemans so much more scope to get forward and he made use of that today. Vardy and Tielemans were easily the stars here for Leicester.
Only Fraser and Wilson showed up for Bournemouth. Fraser’s average position was very wide though so it was no surprise his goal threat was negligible. Vardys goal said everything about the incompetence of the Eddie Howe led defence. 1 straight ball over the top to Vardy from the Leicester penalty area. His best CB in Ake playing LB. It’s beyond belief really as left footed CB/LB Tyrone Mings sold by Howe gets his England call up Ake moves to LB as the left footed player and in effect accommodates Steve Cook of all people.
West Ham 2 Norwich 0
West Ham 18 shots xG 2.21 Norwich 8 shots xG 0.88
Lineups: No surprises for West Ham. Yarmolenko is making the case for the last midfield spot to be his own. Helped by the injury to Antonio. For Norwich Zimmerman returned at the expense of injured £4.0m def Hanley although Zimmerman also went off injured.
The game was pretty much 1 way traffic and all the West Ham attacking players of Haller, Lanzini, Anderson and Yarmalenko acquitted themselves well. Only Cantwell had a chance for Norwich although his loose pass contributed to the 2nd goal.
C Palace 1 Aston Villa 0
C Palace 22 shots xG 1.43 A Villa 10 shots xG 0.31
Lineups: no surprises from either side. In reality the Palace formation is more like 4-4-2 with Zaha and Ayew advanced. Villa more like 4-1-2-3 with Luiz holding.
Despite the number of shots no one really stood out for Palace as they peppered the goal from just about every player.
Villa were totally ineffective going forward even if they were robbed of a goal/penalty (take your pick) at the end of the game. Against such a normally accommodating injury hit defence it was a worrying performance.
Southampton 1 Man Utd 1
Southampton 10 shots xG 0.77 Man Utd 21 shots xG 1.90
Lineups: Boufal started for Southampton which was provably the main surprise. For Man Utd Lingard went to the bench for Mata and Pereria with Rashford as the CF.
I only saw the highlights of this game but statistically Rashford had the most attacking output with 6 shots and 2 KPs with an xG of 0.98. Adams had 1 good chance but it was a bit of a non event for Ings apart from 1 header saved.
Newcastle 1 Watford 1
Newcastle 13 shots xG 1.04 Watford 13 shots xG 1.05
Lineups: Nothing significant from Newcastle apart from Willems coming in for the injured Matt Ritchie. A load of change for Watford who went to a back 3. Deulofeu was dropped to the bench and Pereyra started. Holebas wasn’t in the squad.
You’d be hard pressed to find a closer statistical game and no one particularly stood out attacking output wise.
Everton 3 Wolves 2
Everton 15 shots xG 1.49 Wolves 8 shots xG 2.00
Lineups: 2 significant changes for Everton with Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi starting. A few changes for Wolves with Vinagre coming in for Jonny, Saiss for Moutinho and Catrone for Jota. Presumably a future sign of Europa league related rotation.
Sigurdsson finally returned with an assist in his 4th game and produced some really good stats. Such is Everton’s reliance on crossing though that his assist came from a move when he found himself on the right side and crossed to Iwobi. Richarlison scored 2 goals from 3 shots, the first a defensive mistake and the 2nd a header from a Digne cross. It was a relatively quiet game from new boy Kean although he did end up with an assist.
For Wolves, Cutrone, Saiss and Jimenez had the best stats output although the standout player was RWB Traore who gave Digne a difficult time although to be fair to Digne Traore is pretty unstoppable unless doubled up against.
Arsenal 2 Spurs 2
Arsenal 26 shots xG 2.03 Spurs 13 shots xG 1.93
Lineups: Emery decided that given that he has 3 world class attacking players who must have cost nearly £200m that he may as well start them and also Kolasinac started after Monreal left in the transfer window. Ceballos was inexplicably left on the bench despite being a pretty good 2 way midfielder. For Spurs Sanchez played RB with Foyth injured still. Eriksen and Vertonghen were finally allowed to play by Daniel Levy as I suspect he won’t be getting a fee this window for either so no need to protect them from injury. Lo Celso and Alli on the bench.
This was one of the most enjoyable bonkers games I have ever seen. Arsenal are the worst defensively and so exposed on the counter attack it was unbelievable. Everytime Son got the ball he turned into about 20 yards of empty field. For whatever reason the only player who resembles a CDM in Torriera was playing high up the field. Xhaka (at the base of the 3 for some reason) tried to compensate by fouling everything that moved. Sokratis seems to be turning himself into his CB partner David Luiz by charging out randomly whenever it suits him. In the middle of all this chaos Guendouzi suddenly turned into a very nifty progressive forward passer. Maybe Kris had it right on an earlier podcast by pointing him out as a £4.5m midfield option.
However when you’ve got a front 3 all playing narrow (Emery turned his team into Klopps Liverpool this week although Xhaka is no Fabinho) with the quality of Pepe, Aubameyang and Lacazette then you’re never out of any game as they were all excellent.
Stats wise Arsenal’s front 3 put up some pretty impressive volume numbers.
For Spurs Eriksen put up the best numbers although through quality rather than quantity. Son was just 2 shots and 2 KPs and if you took out the penalty for Kane his numbers were pretty ordinary again
Geek note: If you join our Patreon site you will get access to an FPL contributor tracker team which combines the contributors individual teams each week to show their favourite players, transfers and captains. It will always be completed on a Friday/Saturday in a normal gameweek. There will also be a spreadsheet of each managers teams, transfers and captains so you can drill down further.
You also get:
Joe’s interactive transfer planner and points projection tool
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