FPL notes: Smith Rowe’s fitness, Milenkovic threat, Muniz wasteful

The promotion party was well and truly pooped as Leicester City and Southampton fell to defeats in Gameweek 2.

The standout Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points from each game are covered in this Scout Notes article.

SMITH ROWE CLINICAL…

Top of the FPL transfers in table for Gameweek 3, Emile Smith Rowe (£5.6m) followed up two pre-season strikes with a goal that really mattered on Saturday.

Racing on to an Adama Traore (£5.0m) pass, Smith Rowe finished coolly to put Fulham in front. That is, in fact, his only shot in the box of the season so far. He’s also yet to create a chance.

Smith Rowe was hooked before the 70-minute mark once again. Marco Silva said after full-time that fitness was still an issue but that bit by bit, those stamina levels are moving in the right direction.

“He’s getting the minutes in the tank that he needs, really, in terms of training sessions and games as well. Last season he almost didn’t play. He didn’t have a normal pre-season, I have to say. It’s going to take him a little more time for him to be in the best shape he can be but he’s going to arrive there.

“We know that he can score goals and make assists because the way he can arrive in the box every single time.” – Marco Silva on Emile Smith Rowe

…BUT MUNIZ WASTEFUL

Underlying numbers are not Rodrigo Muniz‘s (£6.1m) problem. He’s had more shots in the box than any other Premier League player since his run in the Fulham XI started properly in Gameweek 23 of last season.

Seven efforts in the Leicester area arrived on Saturday:

Sadly for Muniz, 32 of his last 33 attempts in the box haven’t resulted in a goal. There’s a feeling within the Fulham fanbase that the young Brazilian is a ‘confidence’ striker, hence the nine-goal purple patch last season and the current barren run.

Here, his radar was only just misaligned. A header from an Antonee Robinson (£4.6m) cross was inches out. Most his other efforts, including a bicycle kick, weren’t too far away. He’s not missing by miles; he just need one to go in.

Robinson was denied an assist by Muniz’s miss but got his reward in the end, setting Alex Iwobi (£5.5m) away for the winner.

FAES NETS BUT FOXES LOOK VULNERABLE

A draw against Tottenham Hotspur and a narrow defeat to Fulham suggests Leicester City have held their own so far.

In reality, though, it’s only been opposition wastefulness that has prevented heavier losses. It was Muniz this week, Dominic Solanke (£7.5m) last.

Leicester have conceded more shots in the box, headed efforts and attempts from set plays than anyone after two weeks.

Five of Muniz’s shots, including his two best chances, were headers. Of the seven opportunities that Andreas Pereira (£5.5m) created, five of them from corners.

At the other end, Leicester didn’t carve out much. An xG of 0.11 from open play summed up their efforts. Wout Faes (£4.0m), owned by nearly 10% of Fantasy managers but benched by over 80% of those, was the clean sheet buster this week, nodding in one of three headers he attempted against the Cottagers.

MILENKOVIC CATCHES THE EYE AT BOTH ENDS

Nottingham Forest may have ceded 65% of the possession to Southampton but otherwise pummelled their hosts at St Mary’s.

Morgan Gibbs-White (£6.5m) popped up with the winner, finishing at the second attempt after a cleared corner was recycled.

Gibbs-White was otherwise one of several Forest players who gave ‘decent but not great’ displays, despite the shot count. Anthony Elanga (£5.4m) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.5m) reprised their roles from last season: the former wasting some good positions, the latter trying to bust the xG with efforts from range.

Chris Wood (£6.0m) couldn’t continue his phenomenal shot-to-goal conversion rate under Nuno Espirito Santo but was prominent enough, spurning a couple of back-post chances.

The real eye-catching displays came in defence.

A suspension carried over from last season cost Nikola Milenkovic (£4.5m) a start in Gameweek 1. Promoted to the team on Saturday, he was a rock at the back. Winning all of his aerial duels, he also made more clearances than anyone on show.

And at the other end, he popped up with three efforts – one desperately close to hitting the back of the net as he couldn’t redirect a Wood shot with the goal gaping.

Above: Nikola Milenkovic’s Gameweek 2 shotmap, via StatsBomb

Ola Aina (£4.4m) scooped maximum bonus, while this season’s leading FPL defender for shots is Neco Williams (£4.5m). He had another five efforts on the south coast – one from very close range.

With loanee Alex Moreno (£4.5m) lurking, however, one of those could very well make way from Nuno Espirto Santo’s side soon.

The Tricky Trees have been posting some excellent defensive numbers since Nuno took over, often with little reward. While a clean sheet arrived here, Matz Sels (£4.5m) was barely tested – and it’s question marks about the competency of the Forest goalkeepers that remain pertinent.

SAINTS LACKING CLINICAL EDGE

“We don’t possess the individual quality at the top end of the pitch that they do and that was the big difference today, probably.

“We’re so on top; they have a few breakaway chances ‘cos we’re throwing everything at them. [We have] two balls flash across the face of the goal and the guys have to throw everything at it. They need to sprint and expect to score. Too many guys are watching from behind, really.” – Russell Martin

Russell Martin’s quote above summed up the Saints: ball-hogging but toothless. So much possession – but four of their five shots came from their wing-backs.

Perhaps Martin has to share some of the blame. Do you really want your two main goal threats, who were again playing as ‘split strikers’, recording touch heatmaps like this?

It might not be long until Cameron Archer (£5.0m) gets his chance from the start, even if the jury remains out on him too.

Martin namechecked some even cheaper options in his post-match presser. Hailing young midfielder Tyler Dibling (£4.5m) for another positive cameo, he also said that budget forward Ross Stewart (£4.5m) would be “back very soon”.

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