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Southampton 2-0 Everton
- Goals: James Ward-Prowse (£ 5.8 million), Che Adams (£ 5.8 million)
- Attend: Danny Ings (£ 8.5 million) x2
- Red cards: Lucas Digne (£ 6.2 million)
- Cousin: Guard Bow x3, Ings, Adams x2
Southampton secured a convincing victory over a poor Everton side that may be starting to falter under pressure from injuries and suspensions.
Goals from James Ward-Prowse (£ 5.8 million) and Che adams (£ 5.8 million), both created by the Saints’ most popular Fantasy Premier League (FPL) asset, 18% owned Danny Ings (£ 8.5 million), earned the home team a well-deserved victory.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team outscored the visitors by 12-6 and tripled the number of attempts on goal (six to two).
No wonder, then, that the coach was a happy man after the game:
I think overall it was one of our best performances.
However, nothing positive could be found from Everton’s perspective.
Toothless candies
Much of the pre-game talk, at least in Fantasy circles, revolved around the health of the Toffees midfielder. James Rodriguez (£ 8.0 million).
In the end, his now-legendary bruise didn’t stop him from playing, but he might as well have.
The 38.9% playmaker was a peripheral figure for much of the game. On the other hand, that was an advantage for many of the visiting team, as Carlo Ancelotti’s team struggled to cope with the pressure, organization and commitment from Southampton.
The Colombian also appeared to be struggling towards the end of the match, with his coach saying:
I think we have to check it out in the next few days. He was tired at the end, felt his muscle a little. But I don’t think it’s a big problem.
The most possessed player in FPL, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (7.7 million pounds and 56.8%), had a terrible day. Hungry for service, he managed just two penalty area touches and didn’t have a single attempt.
In fact, he touched the ball only 18 times in the entire game. Only one player, Southampton midfielder Ibrahima Diallo (4.5 million pounds), he was less, at 14. But he was on the field for four minutes.
A reservation added to their problems and those of their owners. A decent enough short-term schedule should mean that Calvert-Lewin’s unique approach doesn’t generate too many sales, although there are other reasons why investing in Everton’s assets seems less attractive overall.
In Squad We Can’t Trust
Merseyside derby dismissal of Richarlison (£ 7.8 million) had an impact on the strength and balance of Ancelotti’s team on the south coast.
The Toffees haven’t won a single game without the winger in their squad since moving to the Northwest and that unwanted record was extended Sunday.
Alex Iwobi (£ 5.9m) replaced the Brazilian and was hooked after 45 unconvincing minutes, while a second start to the season for Gylfi sigurdsson (£ 6.9 million) lasted 12 more minutes, but wasn’t much better, although the Icelandic international hit the crossbar with a long-range shot in the first half.
But the real problem came from a hamstring injury that denied the team the experience and expertise of Seamus coleman (£ 5.0 million) on the right hand side.
With three other defenders already on the disabled list, that meant a center half. Ben godfrey (£ 5.0 million) moving to the flank. The experiment did not go well.
Hasenhuttl denied that his team was targeting Godfrey:
No, it was a coincidence that we played more on this side. It is more important that you are dangerous on all sides, flexibility is the key. We pulled them in a bit and played through the lines.
But reality spoke differently, with a left back Ryan bertrand (£ 5.0 million) finding himself way ahead of his teammate Kyle Walker-Peters (£ 4.5 million) and creating three clean shots for the right-back.
Coleman’s absence also had an impact on Rodriguez, who was forced to go much deeper and less central in a futile attempt to provide some sort of help to Godfrey.
As if Ancelotti’s defensive problems weren’t already marked, Lucas Digne (£ 6.2m) gave his boss more pain when he was shown a direct red card for a challenge – part frustration and part spite – over Walker-Peters in 71S t minute.
Hasenhuttl was not happy:
Yes. It was unpleasant. It seemed like he tried to kick it first and then the seal. It was a clear red card.
And neither did Ancelotti:
The red card was a joke, it was not intentional, it sure was not violent. Maybe all this talk all week against Pickford, against Richarlison, affected the decision and if so, it is not fair, it is not fair. We will appeal, for sure.
Intentionally or not, it ended up on a nasty rake on Walker-Peters’ Achilles. And unless the appeal is successful, Digne, which is owned by 18.7%, will not participate in the league again until Game Week 10 at the end of November.
In its current state, Everton cannot afford to be absent, although it offers the intriguing possibility of an FPL budget defender. Niels Nkounkou (£ 4.0m) getting a set or three, with Fabian Delph (£ 4.9 million) another candidate for the position.
But, in just six games, Everton’s squad has been reduced to the basics in places and the loss of Digne is another potential short-term blow for Calvert-Lewin, given the great serve the left-back provides from the left flank. .
Living saints
Southampton is considerably less concerned in that department, with the only side change on Sunday forced by a loan. Theo Walcott (£ 5.8 million) is ineligible to play against his parent club.
Stuart armstrong (£ 5.5 million) filled in pretty well, but it was the Adams and Ings strike partnership that really caught the eye.
The former has scored for the second Gameweek in a row and has won three of his last four starts, while Ings continues to show impressive consistency this season.
His first two assists of the season meant he has produced attacking returns in four of the six games to date.
In terms of value, the pair are plowing remarkably similar furrows: the more expensive Ings produces 4.6 points per million (PPM), the Adams 4.7 PPM cheaper (but less productive).
Both were overshadowed, however, by midfielder Ward-Prowse, who scored his first goal of the season and took home the top bonus award for double-digit loot.
The Saints’ next six games are pretty favorable and the team as a whole is in a good place, with three clean sheets in its last four undefeated games.
That encourages front-to-back side reversal, while the opposite seems true for a worn-looking Everton team.
Southampton XI (4-4-2): McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand; Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong (Diallo 86 ′), Redmond; Ings, Adams (N’Lundulu 89 ′).
Everton XI (4-3-3): Pickford; Godfrey, Mina, Keane, Digne; Doucoure (Gordon 58 ‘), Allan, Sigurdsson (Delph 58’); Rodríguez, Iwobi (Bernard 45 ′), Calvert-Lewin.
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