FPL GW 2 Fixture Wise Stats Review | Key FPL Stats that Caught our Eye

In this stats review of Sunday’s games, FPL GW 2 fixtures we’ll take a brief look at how the teams set up and how the game shaped up along with highlighting some key takeaways from individual player performances from a Fantasy Premier League point of view, backed up by underlying numbers and any relevant additional charts that might be thought-provoking. Feel free to check out all our FPL Gameweek 3 blogs here for free.

KEY:
xG = Expected goal, a value assigned to a shot that determines the probability of that shot being scored from a large sample.
xA = Expected assist, a value assigned to the probability that a given chance created would be scored, from a large sample.
xGI = Expected Goal Involvement, the sum of xG and xA for a player.
Value in brackets besides team name = xG total for that team in the given game.

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FPL GW 2 Fixture Wise Review

Southampton (0.73) 0 – 1 (1.53) Manchester United

First up, Manchester United traveled to St. Mary’s fresh off a 5 goal display against Leeds United. Manchester United lined up in a 4-2-3-1 on paper with Anthony Martial coming in for Daniel James. As the average position chart from SofaScore illustrates below, they shaped up as more of a 4-2-2-2 in-game with Mason Greenwood drifting into the space of an inside forward along with Anthony Martial who spent his time just left off centre to accommodate Greenwood’s movement on the right side. Interestingly, this meant that both Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba had equal license to occupy space, turn and create in attacking areas with the defensive cover of a 2 man pivot in Fred and Nemanja Matic behind them.

Southampton lined up in a 4-4-2 with new signing Adam Armstrong playing off of Che Adams who was tasked with coming deeper than his strike partner to press and link up the play. Ralph Hassenhuttl brought on Jan Bednarek for Theo Walcott at halftime in shifting to what looked like an unorthodox 5-3-2 creating overloads on their left side.

The game seemingly was closer than some expected prior to kickoff with Southampton giving a good account of themselves. Manchester United came close twice from set-piece opportunities early on but it was Southampton who took the lead when Bruno was dispossessed in his own half and the ball was worked to Che Adams who’s shot deflected off Fred and beat David De Gea. Manchester United responded well with Paul Pogba looking impressive again. It was his layoff in the box that Mason Greenwood managed to squeeze past Alex McCarthy who may have seen the ball too late, coming through defensive bodies and it squirmed past him into the net.

Pogba then fashioned an opportunity for himself with some delightful footwork before angling a left-footed shot narrowly wide of the post. Bruno Fernandes had 1 shot in the box, a header that was well saved by McCarthy at the near post. Late in the game, Harry Maguire was dispossessed in his own half and Che Adams slid Armstrong in for a great opportunity, his shot saved by De Gea. Jadon Sancho came on as a 60th-minute substitute and showed some nifty footwork but couldn’t provide enough to break down Southampton who were value for the point.

Game stats and Individual Performances of note

Mason Greenwood (MID, 7.6) produced another strong showing that makes him an excellent candidate at his price. Listed as a Midfielder on FPL, Greenwood drifted into zones of an inside forward (Heat Map attached below) producing a match-high 5 Shots, 3 of which were from inside the box. A modest xG of 0.27 but Greenwood continues to demonstrate that he’s an above-average finisher capable of finishing with either foot so if he’s getting shots off from good areas, he’s likely to do well. With Rashford out for potentially 4-6 more weeks with his shoulder injury, Cavani just working his way back to fitness, Martial out of favor with Solskjaer and Jadon Sancho being eased in, Mason Greenwood should be expected to see a healthy amount of game time at least for the next 4-5 Gameweeks.

Paul Pogba (MID, 7.7) followed up his 4 assists against Leeds United with another fine showing. The Midfielder had 4 shots with all of them coming from inside the box. He had 1 statistical ‘Big Chance’ and a game-high xGI of 0.64 (0.45 from xG). Pogba passed the eye test looking lively throughout and had 9 penalty box touches (game-high, vs 3 penalty box touches for Bruno Fernandes). His role over the first 2 games of the season demonstrates more attacking freedom than last season and it remains to be seen if this is a small sample anomaly or a tactical shift from Solskaer (does seem like the latter). Pogba has a reputation for being a ‘streaky’ player but if he continues to put up numbers like these, he could start to make a strong case for representing ‘value’ compared to Bruno.

Bruno Fernandes (MID, 12.0) had a relatively quiet game with 2 shots and only 1 in the box, a header that was well saved. He did create 2 chances and 1 big chance and this is reflected in an xGI of 0.54 of which 0.42 came from xA and only 0.12 from xG. Bruno did look to be operating deeper compared to GW1 against Leeds where has was making regular bursts into the box – this might be a Home vs Away setup quirk but the sample size remains too small to draw conclusions.

Che Adams (FWD, 7.0) and Adam Armstrong (FWD, 6.0) both had strong showings with 2 goal attempts and 1 in the box each. Che also created a big chance for Armstrong which was saved. They ended up on 0.40 and 0.39 xGI respectively and could represent good value as third striker moving forward, especially Armstrong at his favorable price coming off a stellar goalscoring season in the Championship and a heat map (shown below) demonstrating encouraging activity in the area in and around the penalty spot.

Other notable mentions – Luke Shaw (DEF, 5.5) created 2 Chances and 1 Big Chance on his way to 2 Bonus Points in a game without a clean sheet or direct goal contribution for him. While the United defense looks a bit shaky, Shaw continues to look like a haul is just around the corner. Harry Maguire (DEF, 5.5) notched up a Big Chance and will remain a threat from set plays all through the season.

Tino Livramento (DEF, 4.0) is a very talented young right back and bagged a second straight start here. He produced a fine display that included a shot (off-target) and worked himself into an area to cross twice. One to keep an eye on.

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Wolves (1.66) 0 – 1 (1.42) Tottenham Hotspur

Nuno followed up Spurs’ impressive victory over Manchester City by naming an unchanged starting XI in a 4-3-3 with Harry Kane back on the bench. Bruno Lage had Wolves set up in a 3-4-3 with Nelson Semedo back in at right wing-back and Adama Traore and Trincao flanking Raul Jimenez.

Preseason showings had suggested that Wolves might persist into the season with a work-in-progress high defensive line that many believed would play right into the hands of Son. However, Wolves started the game set up more pragmatically and yet were troubled by balls in behind their defenders for every dangerous moment Spurs created. The opening goal came from Dele Alli making a burst beyond the striker into the penalty area and was tripped by Jose Sa as he attempted to take it around him. Dele stepped up to dispatch the subsequent penalty (with Son on the pitch). Wolves grew more dangerous as the game wore on in an impressive offensive display that had everything but the final product. Adama Traore was a livewire throughout causing plenty of problems for Tanganga at right-back while Jimenez and Trincao had good displays, too. Nelson Semedo bombed on, overlapping Trincao consistently as a majority of attacking moves from Wolves stemmed from this combination on the right side (demonstrated below).

Game Stats and Individual Performances of note

Attacking statistic dominance from Wolves in this game can be, at least partially, attributed to ‘game state’ wherein Wolves trailing by a goal for 80 minutes led to the onus to attack on them while Spurs were incentivized to keep their solid defensive shape and counter rather than come out and play from that position of being in the lead. With that caveat, let’s take a look at the key performers

Adama Traore (MID, 6.0) was electric all game long. His unique pace and strength combination were on show as he won plenty of 50-50 balls and muscled his way into a shot opportunity. A shift in his role under Lage has clearly given him much more attacking responsibility as he regularly got into good areas in the box (heat map below), had 4 shots, 3 of them from inside the box, 1 ‘Big chance’, and created 4 chances for his time amassing a game-high 12 touches inside the penalty box. A very promising all-around display where he ended up another match-high xGI of 0.90, 0.64 from xG, and 0.36 from xA. A lack of end product has always been the perception of his game for FPL managers but in this new role, if Traore could start showing some efficiency in front of goal he’d quickly make a mockery of his 6.0 price tag. He shows very well on the eye test and has numbers that back that up. Firmly on the radar for when Wolves embark on a very kind run of fixtures from GW4.

Raul Jimenez (FWD, 7.5) produced an excellent all-around display and went close from a first-time shot that curled just above the bar. He had 5 shots, all from inside the box, and created 4 chances on his way to 0.56 xGI. He also boasted 10 penalty area touches and it seems like only a matter of time before Wolves can start converting from their healthy chance creation over the first 2 games. Jimenez is one to watch as Wolves embark on the aforementioned kind run from GW4 with his efficient shooting and all-around style geared positively towards the Bonus Point System.

Trincao (MID, 6.0) and Nelson Semedo (DEF, 5.0) looked to overload Sergio Reguilon and a vast majority of Wolves final third entries came via this combination. Trincao had 4 shots, 3 in the box but from low danger areas while Semedo produced a display of 2 shots and 2 chances created, looking to overlap and get to the byline often.

Spurs spent a majority of this game being defensively solid and looking to counterattack. Dele (MID, 6.5) won and scored the penalty (Son on the pitch, Kane wasn’t) which was his only shot across the game. Son (MID, 10.0) had 2 shots, both from inside the box, 1 stemming from a rebound of a fine Bergwijn shot, and was subbed off for Harry Kane 72 minutes in. Bergwijn (MID, 6.0) was the furthest forward Spurs player by average position as they looked to use his pace in behind to exploit Wolves’ defensive line on the counter-attack. He looked the liveliest of the Spurs attacking players and had 2 shots, 1 in the box which was well saved. Harry Kane (FWD, 12.4) had a big chance after coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute but failed to beat Jose Sa. With 1 week of the transfer window remaining, it’s perhaps sensible to wait and watch how any potential transfer to City unfolds before committing a big chunk of our budgets to Harry Kane but for a player of his quality, it’s only a matter of time before he gives us a team selection headache.

Hugo Lloris (GK, 5.5) produced 6 saves on his way to a second clean sheet in 2 and bagged all 3 Bonus Points.

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Arsenal (0.34) 0 – 2 (2.90) Chelsea

Chelsea picked up an emphatic win against their bogey opponent in recent times as Romelu Lukaku stole the headlines with a dominant (second) debut for Chelsea. Chelsea lined up in their familiar 3-4-3. Romelu Lukaku was deemed ready to lead the line, flanked on either side by the industry and quality of Mason Mount and Kai Havertz. Ngolo Kante wasn’t fit to start, again, but this didn’t hamper Chelsea from securing their second clean sheet. Arsenal lined up in a 4-2-3-1 with Gabriel Martinelli leading the line and Aubameyang only fit enough to start on the bench.

It was a dominant display from Chelsea who were 2-0 up in 35 minutes, Reece James consistently exploiting the space left behind Kieran Tierney with Bukayo Saka, looking short on match fitness, failing to help out his left-back by tracking James. Lukaku had his strength and back-to-the-goal game on full display, proving to be unmanageable for both Arsenal center-backs and he played a pivotal role in the build of both goals. The first goal came from him holding off a challenge to allow Chelsea to work the ball wide to James in space and Lukaku was on hand to tap in the subsequent cross across the face of the goal. The second was a well-worked move where a dummy from Lukaku allowed Mount to take a touch and pick an excellent pass into James, in space again, who finished with aplomb. Arsenal didn’t have much to celebrate in what looked like a subpar display however there was a silver lining in a good Emile-Smith Rowe showing.

Game stats and Individual Performances of note

Romelu Lukaku (FWD, 11.5) announced his return in style! The Belgian was a constant menace for the Arsenal defense and produced an incredible offensive display(heat map below). Lukaku boasted an incredible 8 shots, 7 in the box (!), 2 ‘Big Chances’, 3 Chances Created, and 1 Big Chance created on his way to mammoth xGI of 1.58, 1.44 of which were from xG! He had a goalbound header exceptionally tipped onto the post by Bernd Leno in the second half following his first-half goal. In a team that will always create chances, Lukaku has the potential to be a template buster especially given Tuchel’s comments suggesting that Lukaku might be immune to rotation to a greater degree than the plethora of attacking midfield options at the club. Any return against Liverpool and we’re almost certainly looking at a bandwagon and multi-price rise, in my opinion.

Mason Mount (MID, 7.5) was putting up elite chance creation numbers even last season but his final assist output was being let down by subpar finishing that plagued the club last season. Mount produced 4 chances created, a huge 3 Big Chances created, 3 shots, and 1 in the box ending with an xGI of 1.20 mainly composed of an xA of 1.07. It was his cross that Lukaku was a fingertip and crossbar away from converting in addition to the assist he notched for Reece James’ goal. There will be concerns regarding rotation and minutes for most Chelsea assets but his reliability, price, and multi-scoring avenues mean he’s currently the next best option for Chelsea offensive coverage in my opinion.

Kai Havertz (MID, 8.5) wasn’t playing the ‘false 9’ role he played at times at the back end of last season but still threatened the goal with regularity. He had 4 shots, all in the box, and 2 ‘Big chances’ with his 0.83 xGI value made up almost entirely of his xG of 0.80 – the highest underachiever of this value so far this gameweek. This suggests that even though he came away with nothing, Havertz had strong underlying numbers to suggest that when he plays, the returns will come. However, with looming rotation concerns and a higher price tag than Mount, it’d take a good degree of consistency of minutes in the side for Havertz to be valued at his price.

Reece James (DEF, 5.5) at right wing-back produced an absolutely monumental display, especially from an offensive standpoint. The defender was a ubiquitous threat (heat map below) and produced an astonishing 4 shots, 2 shots in the box, 1 ‘big chance’, 4 chances created, 1 ‘big chance’ created, and had 9 penalty box touches, second only to Lukaku in this metric. An xGI of 1.19 reflecting his big influence in the final third. Chelsea also followed up on their exceptional defensive form under Thomas Tuchel from last season with their second clean sheets in 2. It remains to be seen if Tuchel will continue to play a wing-back system or shift to a 4 man defense against non-top 6 opposition to make the most of the attacking talent at his disposal but without a doubt, in this current system, Reece James has huge point potential amplified by having a target for his crosses, an aspect of his game going untapped last season.

Others of note: Marcos Alonso (DEF, 5.6) likely standing in for Ben Chilwell created 5 chances, the joint highest by a player this gameweek. Emile Smith Rowe (MID, 5.5) was one of the better Arsenal players on the night and still managed to produce 2 shots, 1 in the box and 4 penalty box touches in an abject Arsenal display. It remains to be seen how the addition of Martin Odegaard will impact him but given a run of starts, he will offer strong value at his price point.

Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL Ahead of FPL Gameweek 3:

FPL Gameweek 2 Fixture Wise Review From FPL Perspective | Eye Test

Check out our Rules and Basics Guide, FPL Chip Strategy, FPL Chips, FPL Team reveals, FPL History, team reveals, FPL Tools here.

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