Gameweek 10

Gameweek nine ticked off……a step up on the previous two gameweeks with an average score of 54……… top score of the week in the Evie Dove League coming from ‘Endo the Line’ with 88 points (awkward), carrying on their hot streak (even more awkward), to quite frankly annihilate the opposition (bordering on rude) in the October Stakes, with the second and third prizes going to ‘To Haaland Back’ and ‘Dom’s Dynamos’. The ‘No Haaland’ strategy continued to pay off, albeit it was a very uncomfortable 85 minutes after he notched an early goal v Southampton, and proceeded to miss chance after chance……….hard lines to all 159 of you that captained him, especially the 18 who were amongst 300k teams in GW9 that triple captained him…..with 74 goals in 75 games I am sure it is only a matter of time before he opens the floodgates again!

Next up for captaincy was Ollie Watkins (12 of you)……whilst 4 of you kept the faith with the season’s top scorer Mo Salah despite the tough fixture…….and it paid off despite him keeping you waiting until the final ten minutes of the gameweek………and great work ‘In the Mudryk’, ‘Get in there boy!’ , ‘Bean Flickers’, ‘Norfolk and Chance’, ‘Buster B’ and ‘Team Burns’, love those Mbeumo and Chris Wood differential captaincies, rewarding you with 30 and 28 points respectively, albeit there is no question……that was definitely a cross ……..sound familiar ‘Inter Pizza’?

On the flip side I was pleased to see that none of you had Ipswich’s Harry Clark, who in the week of the budget introduced his very own triple lock…….penalty conceded, own goal, and sending off…….Boom……Minus 5 points……well dodged everybody!

My favourite moment of the gameweek was our fellow manager Ange Postecoglu’s post match interview…..”why would I be happy with that mate?”………closely followed by Pedro Porro being literally ‘put on his backside’ by Eze…..even more closely followed by Arsenal fans becoming incensed every time a player kicks a ball away, or pulls down a forward advancing vaguely in the direction of the goal…..thank you Luis Diaz and Micky van de Ven for this week’s contribution to Mikel Arteta’s ever increasing blood pressure……..

We also saw the ASSIST OF THE SEASON from Tommy Doyle…… not only did he take out a four man attack but he also set up Cunha for a well deserved Wolves equaliser leading Gary O’Neill to break one of the golden rules of life…… never do maths in public…….. and amazingly in the same gameweek we also witnessed the ASSIST TO THE ASSIST OF THE SEASON……..take a bow Cole Palmer…..that was pretty special……followed by a simply wonderful post match interview which amounted to little more than a shrug of the shoulders. What a player, what a guy…….what on earth were you thinking Pep???????? 

In the Clattenburg trophy, another week of relaxation ensued for ‘Cook Burns Johnson’……the 23/24 champ amazingly eased into top spot once again…….that is a remarkable performance……..’Onana Nana’ and ‘Men with ven’ are strolling along in pursuit. Keep doing what you are doing (nothing).

And of course we wave goodbye to our first Premier League Manager of the season……farewell Erik Ten Hag……genuinely I’m going to miss this guy…..his post match analysis was always great value…….but finally he was done for by a Diogo Dalot missed sitter, and a dodgy penalty……..that was outrageous……we need more refs to be brave enough to withstand the VAR check…..ironic that the only time we saw it happen was in the last minute for Man City in GW8……..surely no-one wanted to see that?!

Talking of which, as we head into GW10 City are top, but according to Pep only have 13 players…….staggering really considering all the FFP breaches……..come on Bournemouth, do the rest of the league a favour and sock it to their tiny squad!! Meanwhile in the Evie Dove League the slate is wiped clean and the November stakes begin…..please don’t let ‘Endo the Line’ have it all their own way again!!

Have a great gameweek everyone……your deadline is 11:00 on Saturday morning. 

All the best from all of us at the Evie Dove Foundation.