{"id":158888,"date":"2025-11-02T14:28:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T14:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/158888\/"},"modified":"2025-11-02T14:28:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T14:28:11","slug":"sarr-close-defcon-magnets-deliver-in-el-chuckico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/158888\/","title":{"rendered":"Sarr close + DefCon magnets deliver in ‘El Chuckico’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two keen exponents of long throws and set plays met at Selhurst Park on Saturday, with Crystal Palace deservedly coming out on top.<\/p>\n

True to form, both the Eagles\u2019 goals came from dead-ball situations.<\/p>\n

Here are our Scout Notes from \u2018El Chuckico\u2019.<\/p>\n

SARR SHOULD SCORE AS PALACE BOSS THE BEES<\/p>\n

Opta had the xG at a fairly close 0.70-0.54 on Saturday but that was pretty misleading as a gauge of how (im)balanced the match was, with the Eagles better in every department \u2013 not just set plays!<\/p>\n

What the expected goals won\u2019t show, for example, is the passage of play in which Ismaila Sarr<\/strong> (\u00a36.6m) raced clear of the Bees\u2019 defence and played a poor square pass. A shot from himself, or a tap-in for a teammate, would have taken the Eagles clear in the xG stakes.<\/p>\n

Sarr owners should have had at least one attacking return in the bag, even aside from that incident.<\/p>\n

The Senegalese winger broke the Brentford backline again in the second half but hit the post with his gilt-edged opportunity.<\/p>\n

Sarr had earlier chested and volleyed narrowly wide from, you guessed it, another set piece.<\/p>\n

\"El<\/p>\n

Above: Ismaila Sarr leads all other FPL midfielders for non-penalty xG this season<\/p>\n

Jean-Philippe Mateta<\/strong> (\u00a37.7m), bought by over one million FPL managers ahead of Gameweek 10, rewarded his new owners with a goal.<\/p>\n

The unlikely figure of Jefferson Lerma<\/strong> (\u00a34.9m), who will probably bow out of the starting XI next weekend, was at the heart of both Palace strikes. His flick-on was nodded in by Mateta for the Eagles\u2019 opener, while Lerma\u2019s long throw was turned into his own net by Nathan Collins <\/strong>(\u00a34.9m) to seal the win.<\/p>\n

Half of the game\u2019s 16 shots came from set-piece situations!<\/p>\n

DEFCON MAGNETS DELIVER AGAIN<\/p>\n

Of the dozen defenders to bank 10 or more defensive contribution (DefCon) points this season, five of them were on show at Selhurst Park.<\/p>\n

Maxence Lacroix <\/strong>(\u00a35.0m), Marc Guehi<\/strong> (\u00a35.0m), Sepp van den Berg<\/strong> (\u00a34.5m) and Collins all delivered again, with Chris Richards<\/strong> (\u00a34.5m) \u2013 fit enough to start after a midweek injury scare \u2013 the odd man out. Even the American defender was only two contributions away.<\/p>\n

Lacroix really should be joint-top with Marcos Senesi<\/strong> (\u00a35.0m) and James Tarkowski<\/strong> (\u00a35.5m) in the table below, as his DefCon total in Gameweek 3 was rounded up to 10 after the FPL scores had been finalised for the week.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Above: The leading defenders for DefCon (DC) points in 2025\/26<\/p>\n

BRENTFORD\u2019S AWAY-DAY BLUES<\/p>\n

Keith Andrews\u2019 side have been a match for most on their own soil but they\u2019ve toiled away from home, with their only success being a 2-0 win over a shoddy West Ham United.<\/p>\n

They barely lay a glove on Palace on Saturday, with a tame Kristoffer Ajer<\/strong> (\u00a34.4m) header their first shot on target after 57 minutes.<\/p>\n

The visitors only had one more effort in the box in the entire game.<\/p>\n

With three of their next five league matches on the road, and one of their home fixtures against a solid Newcastle United side, they\u2019re not exactly high on the FPL radar at present.<\/p>\n

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