Dec 14

Gameweek 3 Review - Strike it Unlucky

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Our @JWoodfield365 looks back at the challenging GW3 and peruses the major talking points, including the impossibility of Harry Kane scoring in August and late heartbreak for owners of Tottenham defenders. Gameweek 3 was the gift that never gave for many FPL managers. Strikers blanking, defences crumbling late on and shelved players high-scoring were among the exhaustive themes, and the international break likely provides some respite for emotionally-spent managers in need of catharsis.

Strike it Unlucky

Central to GW3's lowly average point score of 43 was the misfortunes of Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku and Sergio Aguero. The three most-captained players of GW3 managed just three points between them, and all had their individual tales of woe. Lukaku's penalty miss humbled his owners following two glorious GWs, Kane huffed and puffed but couldn't blow Burnley's doors down to extend his seemingly unbreakable August goal drought, while Aguero's meagre 24 minutes of action cast further doubt over his value given Pep Guardiola's infuriating rotation policy. Not that their rivals performed much better. Only Roberto Firmino (12) and Alvaro Morata (12) hit double figures amongst the current top 10 point-scoring strikers, although Gabriel Jesus and Tammy Abraham at least both broke their ducks for the season. But that was about it, and managers are facing agonising decisions regarding their frontlines ahead of GW4. Kane is of course the big concern. While the Spurs forward has six September goals in his last three seasons, this likely won't be enough for those planning to cash out and chance their luck with cheaper options. Lukaku's strong start should ameliorate concerned managers following his penalty miss, but with eight strikers tied on two goals, GW4 is a Guardiola-starting-XI-esque unknown as to which strikers are most likely to prove valuable. Of course, it's my job to provide useful tips. So for now, hold tight. Avoid any rash decisions and wait until the transfer window has passed. I'll be back next week with a full GW4 preview and more comprehensive advice on striker selections.

Roses are Reds

Thank heavens for Liverpool. Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, alongside Firmino, rescued FPL managers this weekend with respective eight and 11-point hauls in a borderline uncomfortable decimation of Arsenal. Despite Salah's benching for GW2, the Egyptian's superlative early form has been impossible to ignore. Salah has been the third most-captained manager among the current top 100 (which I talk about more in Episode 4 of FFMag) and along with Mane, the duo have been reliable point scorers when afforded the time to shine. If you've avoided any of Salah, Mane and Firmino so far then stop being stubborn. The trio are gold dust right now.

We Need To Talk About You Know Who

I shirked talking about Kevin De Bruyne last week because, like many, I predicted the new Claude Makelele would finally do something points-wise against Bournemouth. He didn't. So let's talk about Kevin De Bruyne. The most frustrating aspect of De Bruyne's new deep-lying role is that his performances have been exceptional. The Belgian's composure and decision-making make him a logical choice just behind David Silva, but this is obviously disastrous for FPL managers, especially considering his £9.9m price tag. Eight points from three games has significantly nullified De Bruyne's standing as a must-have midfielder, and it's very hard to make a case for sticking with him in GW4.

The Late Woe

Owners of West Brom and Tottenham goalkeepers/defenders endured a pretty rotten GW3. While Stoke's 78th-minute equaliser at the Hawthorns was a bitter blow to owners of Ben Foster and Ahmed Hegazi, it was nothing compared to Burnley's stoppage-time leveller at Wembley. Chris Wood's 94th minute goal was as heartbreaking as it gets for FPL managers in possession of any of Spurs' backline. Both Ben Davies and Toby Alderweireld are among the most-selected 11 defenders, although for the 2,339 who transferred in Wood beforehand it was a contrastingly euphoric moment.

Bench Regrets

This author last week advocated against starting Charlie Daniels against Manchester City. That went well. Daniels' rifled left-foot opener for Bournemouth stuck the knife into managers who either benched or transferred out the defender, and even though Man City denied him a clean sheet bonus, the wounds are still likely yet to heal. While hindsight is et cetera, there is quite possibly a lesson to be learned regarding excluding defenders with a knack for a goal in spite of tricky fixtures. **** Gameweek 3 served up a great opportunity for gutsy managers - your choice of captain could have been a real differential. Did you get it right? Let us know in the comments. Be sure to follow Jack for more FPL insight. As we head into the International Break, many FPL managers are thinking about playing their wildcard. If that's you, check out @FPLHollys tips on when to play your wildcard. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type="1_6" layout="1_6" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" mer_position="all" padding="" dimension_margin="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no" element_content=""][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]