Matchweek four is in the books, and it was filled with plenty of Fantasy intrigue. Of particular note were Southampton, who not only picked up their first win of the season, but also landed three players in our Goal Team of the Week. Another surprising development was the fact that only three defenders made the cut this week for the first time in 2018-19.
Whether or not that means the position will regress to the mean in coming weeks remains to be seen, but the performances of Marcos Alonso, Kyle Walker, and Cedric Soares sure don’t seem to imply there will be a shortage in defender points anytime soon.
GK: Alex McCarthy - Southampton - 1 Game, 6 Saves, 1 Clean Sheet = 10 Points
DEF: Marcos Alonso - Chelsea - 1 Game, 1 Assist, 1 Clean Sheet = 10 Points
This week was just another in a long line of ridiculous ones for the Spaniard. He has now recorded at least one assist every week this season while racking up a goal and two clean sheets in the process. All of that adds up to 37 points, most among all players in the Goal game. Looking forward, Chelsea do face Liverpool and Manchester United over the next five weeks but, with these kinds of attacking returns, Alonso is a must start regardless of opponent.
DEF: Cedric Soares - Southampton - 1 Game, 1 Assist, 1 Clean Sheet = 10 Points
DEF: Kyle Walker - Manchester City - 1 Game, 1 Goal, 1 Goal Conceded = 8 Points
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MID: Sadio Mane - Liverpool - 1 Game, 1 Goal = 8 Points
There was a lot of debate in the preseason regarding whether or not Salah was worth the price tag and, instead, it’s Mane that leads the league in goals at the moment (four). In the early stages, it seems he’s playing further up the pitch and forging a fantastic relationship with Andrew Robertson on the left side. The underlying stats don’t really back Mane to continue his incredible form but it’d take a brave owner to not want multiple entries into this Liverpool attack.
MID: Raheem Sterling - Man City - 1 Game, 1 Goal = 8 Points
MID: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - Southampton - 1 Game, 1 Goal = 8 Points
MID: Eden Hazard - Chelsea - 1 Game, 1 Goal = 8 Points
FOR: Romelu Lukaku - Man Utd - 1 Game, 2 Goals = 12 points
After week’s of stagnant play, the real Romelu Lukaku showed up in match week four. He led the league in goals (two) and shots on target (four) this week, while also ranking top 10 in chances created and accurate assists if you can believe it. For those reasons and his 12 points in the Goal game, the Belgian is our Fantasy Player of the Week. With a decent set of fixtures on the horizon, Lukaku could be a solid own coming out of the international break.
FOR: Glenn Murray - Brighton - 1 Game, 2 Goals = 12 Points
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FOR: Alexandre Lacazette - Arsenal - 1 Game, 1 Goal, 1 Assist = 10 points
Lacazette did not have the debut season he nor many would have hoped, but it’s worth noting that he did still notch 14 goals and five assists in 2017-18. Whether or not he can top that season largely depends on his usage under new manager Unai Emery, but it’s promising that the Frenchman both scored and assisted in his first start of this campaign. It’s probably wise to avoid buying in too heavily on either Lacazette or Aubameyang until we get a clearer picture of Arsenal’s team and tactics but, if they start together, this Arsenal attack will likely be one of the most potent in the league.
