Fantasy Football: The best FPL performers during GW6

After another weekend of Premier League football, the results are in for the top scorers in FPL for game week 6 – with some big performances coming across the league with some big results alongside them.

A hattrick from Patrick Bamford led to a 3-0 victory for Leeds over Aston Villa – with Bielsa’s side being the only club to score more than 2 goals for GW6. Wins for Leicester over Arsenal, Southampton over Everton, and Liverpool over Sheffield United changed the shape of the Premier League table, with all clubs now having lost a game this season after just six games.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the biggest performances from the weekend and find out which players topped the points charts on FPL for each position…

Goalkeeper: Kasper Schmeichel – 10pts

The Dane recorded his best points return of the season on Monday, with the Foxes running out 1-0 victors over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. His performance earned himself a clean sheet, adding 4 points to his final total, as well as being awarded the maximum bonus points after the match with an extra 3.

Schmeichel earned the obligatory minimum minutes points, along with an extra point for making 4 saves during the game – taking his final total to 10 points. Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris followed a close second with 9 points, but it was the extra bonus point for the Leicester keeper that put him top of this goalkeeping table for GW6 of FPL.

Defender: Kurt Zouma – 9pts

Soccer Football – Champions League – Group E – Chelsea v Sevilla – Stamford Bridge, London, Britain – October 20, 2020 Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma in action Pool via REUTERS/Mike Hewitt

The Frenchman has found himself top of the FPL table for the second time this season, totaling 9 points for his performance against Chelsea on Saturday.

The game finished with a 0-0 draw, giving Zouma 4 points for his clean sheet – this was followed by a bonus three points awarded to him at the end of the game for his performance. On top of that, he was awarded the obligatory 2 points for playing the minimum amount of minutes – taking his final total to 9 points.

Toby Alderweireld followed in a close second along with Reece James who both earned themselves 8 points – but it was Zouma who found himself on top at the end of GW6.

Midfielder: Wilfried Zaha – 13pts

The Ivorian had a fantastic game against Fulham on Saturday with a goal and an assist in the Eagles 2-1 win over the Cottagers.

His contributions to the goal tally awarded his return with 8 points for his goal and assist – which was joined by the obligatory 2 points for playing the minimum amount of minutes during the game.

The midfielder was also awarded a bonus three points for his performance, taking his final tally to 13 points for GW6. He was closely followed by Heung-min Son and James Ward-Prowse, who both tallied 11 points, but it wasn’t enough to take Zaha off the top spot.

Forward: Patrick Bamford – 17pts

The Englishman probably enjoyed one of the best games of his career against Aston Villa on Friday, scoring his first Premier League hattrick.

His three goals in the club’s 3-0 victory earned him 12 points towards his final total, along with a bonus three points after being awarded the Man of the Match award. Along with that, his obligatory 3 points for playing the minimum amount of minutes took his final total to 17 points for GW6 – a fantastic haul.

The closest competitor for the top spot was Danny Ings, who managed 10 points, but was nowhere near Bamford who cleared the competition and finished top spot in FPL for the weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs could bring back Marcus Edwards as his exit is ‘inevitable’

Former Spurs wonderkid Marcus Edwards left Tottenham Hotspur last summer and some fans have been scratching their heads ever since.

Edwards has shown his old club exactly what they have been missing at Vitória de Guimarães this season. The talented winger is without a doubt a case of ‘one that got away’ from Spurs in recent years. For whatever reason, it never seemed to work out for him in north London and he moved to Portugal instead.

According to A Bola, as per Sport Witness, Jose Mourinho is eager to bring him back to Tottenham this summer, with his departure from the Portuguese club described as ‘inevitable’.

Mourinho wants to rectify the mistake made by his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino, who let Edwards slip through his grasp last year. The Argentine compared him to Lionel Messi but he never really got a chance to prove himself in London and was subsequently shipped out to the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques.

The 21-year-old, who plays on the right wing, has played 23 games in Liga NOS this season, scoring six goals, supplying five assists, taking 1.7 shots per game, averaging 1.4 key passes and completing 3.1 dribbles per game on average (WhoScored).

He enjoyed another eye-catching performance over the weekend as he supplied a beautiful assist in the 2-1 win over Gil Vicente.

However, Daniel Levy could face some competition from Manchester United, who have been interested in the winger for a while.

His release clause is reportedly worth €15m (£13.5m) but he won’t cost Spurs that much. In fact, they’d only have to pay the Portuguese side half the price, as they will receive half of the profits if he is sold.

Regardless, Vitória de Guimarães will make a huge profit either way, as he joined the club as a free agent.

Spurs have a lot of options on their wings, including Son Heung-min, Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn, and whether or not Levy will be willing to splash the cash on the Tottenham academy graduate remains to be seen.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Marcus Edwards in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

Newcastle United: Mark Douglas reveals insight on Jeff Hendrick transfer

Mark Douglas has revealed some insight into the Tyneside club’s transfer pursuit of former Burnley ace Jeff Hendrick.

According to a tweet from the journalist, he understands that the Magpies are “pushing” to sign Hendrick as a free agent and sources close to the deal are “hopeful” that a deal can be finalised in the summer window.

This comes after a recent report stated that the Magpies look set to sign him, so all signs look to be pointing at Hendrick playing his football at St. James’ Park in the 2020/21 season. Indeed, the central midfield player is now available on a free transfer after failing to agree on a new deal with Sean Dyche’s Clarets.

With no transfer fee to pay, the potential capture of Hendrick may well be a decent bit of business for Steve Bruce’s side. Across the last four campaigns, the 28-year old has played in 122 games in the Premier League, scoring nine goals and providing five assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Indeed, he has plenty of experience in the top flight behind him, which may prove useful for the upcoming term.

Hendrick is also a well-established senior international, as he has played in 54 matches for his native Republic of Ireland since his debut back in 2013 under Giovanni Trapattoni, netting twice (via Transfermarkt).

The midfielder would provide some healthy competition for the likes of Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Sean Longstaff in the middle of the park, and so Newcastle should maybe look to pounce soon before any other clubs come in for him.

Geordies, would Hendrick be a good signing for Newcastle? Comment below with your views!

Alan Hutton raves about Rangers target Vaclav Hladky

Speaking to Football Insider, Alan Hutton has waxed lyrical about Rangers’ rumoured transfer target, Vaclav Hladky.

What did he say?

According to reports, the Gers are eyeing up a move for the goalkeeper this summer, following his recent departure from St Mirren.

And Hutton has insisted Steven Gerrard’s side could be making a really shrewd signing by moving for Hladky, admitting that he has been left impressed by his performances.

He said: “I’m actually big admirer of Hladky, I think he’s done unbelievably well at St Mirren, any time I’ve seen them he’s been one of their standout players.

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“If you look at the lower teams, the keeper is a massive part of what they do and how they get points up on the board. He’s been an unbelievable player for them for the last little while so it doesn’t surprise me Rangers have been sniffing around him.

“Especially a free agent, it ticks the box if they’re spending a lot of money on Hagi and they can get a player they need for the squad on a free, it’s the ideal situation for them. I think he’d be a great addition to the squad.”

Squad depth

With Allan McGregor the club’s only senior option in between the sticks at the moment, it makes total sense for the Gers to go after Hladky, especially on a free transfer.

Whether it’s to challenge McGregor for the starting spot at Ibrox, or simply to provide some much-needed squad depth, Hladky seems like the perfect signing in terms of addressing a major concern, and also being financially viable.

With finances set to be tight across the board for Scottish sides, picking up little gems either on frees, or well below their value, is the way to stay ahead of the market. And Ross Wilson and co could do exactly that with Hladky.

Chelsea: Predicted XI for Frank Lampard’s final Champions League push

After a disappointing result at Anfield, Chelsea have one last try at securing their top four position in the Premier League.

Manchester United have crept into third place, on level points with the Blues but ahead by goal difference. Leicester are also lurking just behind in fifth, one point adrift from a Champions League spot.

Chelsea simply must get a result against Wolves or risk slumping into the Europa League for another season. With that being said, it’s more than likely that Frank Lampard will go full-strength to try and round off the campaign with a victory on home soil.

Transfer Tavern has predicted how the West London outfit could line up at the Bridge, including three changes…

After his tremendous impact against Liverpool which saw him bag a goal and an assist, there’s no way Lampard will leave Christian Pulisic on the bench tonight. He now has six goal contributions since the restart and will undoubtedly cause a headache for Nuno Espirito Santo’s back-line. He should be accompanied by an unmoved Olivier Giroud and Willian.

Mason Mount suffered a very bad day at the office on Wednesday. The midfielder, who was playing left-wing, was unable to complete any of his attempted dribbles and lost possession 14 times. Mount also missed a big opportunity to score as well as failing to be successful in any of his seven attempted duels (via Sofascore). Ruben Loftus-Cheek could return to the lineup to replace his England teammate.

Defence is another thing Lampard has been toying with this season, but he must get it right this afternoon. Wolves have proved they can be clinical in front of goal with Raul Jimenez in fine fettle, so he will need his best defenders to keep tight and composed. He could revert back to his usual four across the back and he may even opt to drop Kepa Arrizabalaga who let five past him on Wednesday.

Willy Caballero’s experience and composure during important games could be what gives him the nod over the disappointing Spaniard.

How do you think Chelsea will line up this evening, Blues? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Crystal Palace: Season-defining period could put Eagles in attractive position

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

As things stand, the Premier League table is looking extremely tight.

Just eight points separate fifth to 18th place, and while any team currently outside of the European places could mount a surge up the table between now and the New Year, Crystal Palace are looking extremely well placed to do exactly that above others.

Crucially, the south Londoners have already faced Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Leicester, as well as the other sides currently making up the top ten.

As a result, Roy Hodgson can embark on the festive period with favourable-looking fixtures against Bournemouth, Watford, Brighton, Newcastle, West Ham, Southampton and Norwich, a run that could well leave Palace in a phenomenal position going into the January transfer window if they can yield a few wins.

It may be nothing but merely hypothetical, but if the Eagles can win even a few of these fixtures, then things could be looking pretty interesting ahead of the New Year – Palace are currently just two points off fifth, with no significant injury problems and star man Wilfried Zaha finally finding some form.

Even more significantly, not only could the next seven games determine whether or not Europe beckons or another relegation battle lies at Palace’s door, but with the January transfer window also on the horizon, it could leave the south Londoners in an attractive position for prospective signings.

New faces would presumably much rather jump on a coasting vessel with the wind in its sails, rather than jump into a sinking ship where their job would be to merely shovel the metaphorical water out of the vulnerable craft.

Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman would be left in a fantastic negotiating position should Hodgson oversee a few wins from these next seven games, and having made a £25m bid for Reece James and a £23m bid for Fedor Chalov  back in the summer, it does seem as if the money is there to knit it all together.

In other Crystal Palace news, fans were thrilled for one man in particular in Burnley win…

Marcelino flies to London as Ljungberg’s Arsenal future hangs in the balance

Arsenal are set to face West Ham United this evening in a fixture that could well determine Freddie Ljungberg’s future at the club.

The Swede has endured a dismal opening to his reign with a draw and a defeat to note from his opening two fixtures, leaving him in a precarious situation ahead of a trip to London Stadium.

Ahead of the game, Spanish media outlet Superdeporte have suggested that Marcelino Garcia Toral landed in London on Sunday ahead of a potential move to the capital.

While there is no explicit suggestion that he has arrived for talks over the Arsenal job, his arrival on UK soil so close to the Gunners’ next fixture certainly suggests that something could be brewing in north London.

Discussion over who exactly will succeed Unai Emery continues to run rife and reports from Spain have only added fuel to the fire.

The Spanish manager, 54, has managed Villarreal, Valencia and Sevilla during a stint in management that spans more than 20 years.

His best ever points per match ratio arrived in his most recent role at Valencia as he collected 1.79 per match over a 110 game period.

Garry Monk’s decision on Sheffield Wednesday duo speaks volumes about their future

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Sheffield Wednesday’s senior side haven’t been in action for the best part of two weeks now, but some may have taken in Saturday afternoon’s U23 clash against Wigan Athletic at Hillsborough as some of the first team featured.

Young midfielder Liam Shaw’s second-half strike was enough to share the spoils as the likes of Fernando Forestieri, Moses Odubajo, and Cameron Dawson all started.

While skipper Tom Lees continued his comeback from injury and there was even a place for on loan centre-back David Bates, who is yet to line up in the blue and white stripes in a competitive fixture.

However, there was surprisingly no room for either Jordan Rhodes or Sam Winnall, which is a decision that may hint towards manager Garry Monk’s intentions in the near future.

January is fast approaching after all.

Wednesday’s club-record man has played just 67 minutes of football in the Championship this season while the former Barnsley striker hasn’t managed that much more with 140 minutes, having not even featured for six straight games now.

The pair must surely be heading for the exit door during the winter transfer window as this game would have presented a perfect opportunity to prove their worth to Monk, or at the very least give them some confidence in case they ever need to be called upon.

Atdhe Nuhiu and Forestieri are clearly ahead of them in the pecking order now as they have played at least some part in the last four league matches, so it’s going to be hard for them to break that trend without playing.

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This could suggest that the 40-year-old chief has already made his decision.

Both players have been at the club since 2017, but have only played together on 13 occasions, contributing to zero goals.

Winnall and Rhodes’ journey in south Yorkshire has surely reached the end of the line now

Leeds should remove any thought of signing David Ayala

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Leeds United will have learnt a lot from their 4-0 win against Middlesbrough on Saturday.

The win was described by Phil Hay as Leeds’ best performance of the season, and while United will be desperate to replicate that showing every week, they will have also learnt something from watching their opposition.

Indeed, United have been linked with one of Middlesbrough’s defenders, but after this weekend’s demolition job the Whites may want to rethink their stance on signing Daniel Ayala.

Last month it was reported that Leeds were interested in signing the Spanish defender, but Saturday’s performance should have quickly extinguished any thoughts the Yorkshire club had of signing the former Liverpool man.

It wasn’t Ayala’s poor defensive performance that should have set alarm bells ringing in Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa’s heads.

If we’re being fair, defensively, Ayala isn’t terrible. He was a part of a Boro team that were promoted while conceding just 31 goals, but he isn’t good enough on the ball to play under Bielsa.

The Spaniard had a pass completion rate of just 71.4 per cent, meaning that over a quarter of his passes didn’t find the mark.

Compare that to Leeds’ three first-choice centre-backs this season who all have pass success rates of at least 83.2% and you can see exactly why he wouldn’t work in Bielsa’s system.

Leeds’ game is heavily based around having the ball as they average 59.9% possession this season, so adding someone who is so lax on the ball makes no sense.

Luckily, the people in charge of transfers were able to see Ayala’s poor performance with their own eyes, and if they have any sense about them they will move on from any ideas they had of signing the centre-back.

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Leeds’ Helder Costa problem analysed, will he ever come good?

There was so much excitement around the Leeds United fanbase when Helder Costa first started to turn out for the club.

This was it, the Whites had brought in a proven quality Championship player who could take them to the next level, and to make things even better Andrea Radrizzani had spent £15m in doing so. 29 goals was what he’d brought to a Wolves side in two years in the second tier – that shows his quality.

However, that optimism has quickly faded as Costa’s start to life at Elland Road hasn’t quite gone to plan.

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Indeed, the Portuguese winger was left out of the starting XI for a number of weeks when he first arrived, but an injury to Pablo Hernandez handed him a chance to play for his new club.

It’s fair to say that he’s been less than impressive for Leeds in recent weeks. He’s yet to score a league goal for the Whites, and he only has one assist to his name.

He’s proven his attributes at this level before, but will he ever come good at Leeds United?

We asked our team of writers to give their views on whether or not Costa will prove to be a worthwhile signing

Lewis Blain “The Costa conundrum at Leeds United is a strange one. He has clearly lit up the league in the past with parent club Wolves, where he bagged 15 goals and 14 assists over two seasons, per WhoScored – not quite Anthony Knockaert levels, but very close. “Marcelo Bielsa not believing the 25-year-old fits his system is equally baffling, because why sign him in the first place if it’s not right for how the Argentinian wants to play? I don’t think it is on the player to adapt either. Costa’s pace and power is exactly what he brings to the table, so he shouldn’t lose aspects of that just to please the manager.“The United boss needs to find a way to bring the best out of him and that’s by playing to his strengths rather than casting him out to dry already. You wanted the player, you make it work. Simple.” Kealan Hughes “It is difficult to see Helder Costa performing to the level Marcelo Bielsa wants on a consistent basis, as he simply doesn’t fit his style.“His passing hasn’t been good enough since starting regularly, with an accuracy of 71%, 70% and 60% in his last three games, and that isn’t at odds with the possession-based game that Leeds operate with.“The winger showed in his spell at Wolves that he works best when he is able to run in behind the opposition, but since Leeds often come up against deep defences, he has been less effective. There should be times when he gets an opportunity to do that, and his pace on the counter could be vital away from home, but aside from that he is unlikely to play well consistently.” Matt Dawson “In time, I’m fairly confident Helder Costa will prove to be an astute piece of business for Leeds, he simply has too much quality not to. After all, he contributed to 29 goals over two seasons in the Championship with Wolves. There is clearly a player in there but it’s not as though the rest of the team hasn’t been underperforming either.“Marcelo Bielsa has stated that he doesn’t come in off the wing in a way Pablo Hernandez does which suggests his place could be under threat once the Spaniard returns from an injury layoff. That would be vindicated given he’s yet to score or assist in any league outing he’s started.“It’s incredibly difficult to see how he’ll come good soon but this is a long season and he will play his part eventually. Perhaps he hasn’t been ready to start but it is only October – perspective is needed.“Truth be told, he’s been woeful when he’s started in the Championship but patience is required.” Charles Jones

“I think Marcelo Bielsa hit the nail on the head when he said that his tactics aren’t suited towards a pacy winger like Helder Costa.

“The Portuguese wide man simply doesn’t have the same technical abilities as someone like Pablo Hernandez and until he develops those he will continue to be ineffective on the wing for the Whites as it’s highly unlikely that Marcelo Bielsa will stray away from his tactics in order to accommodate for him.

“Unfortunately, I think Costa won’t be a star for Leeds under Bielsa, but I do think there is a player in there to be unlocked by another team or another manager.”

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