Fantasy Premier League: Lessons to take away from Brentford’s win against Arsenal

Newly promoted Brentford stunned Arsenal to snatch a 2-0 victory in the Premier League season opener on Friday. 

Brentford, who were playing their first game in the English top-flight in nearly 75 years, produced a clinical performance in front of goal against Mikel Arteta‘s Arsenal.

Arsenal kept Brentford at arm’s length in the opening 10 minutes but Thomas Frank’s side gradually grew into the game. Then the moment finally came when Sergi Canos scored the historic first goal for Brentford in the 22nd minute.  

The result might not be what most fantasy managers would be hoping for. Not only because Arsenal lost but also because last season’s Championship top scorer and one of FPL’s top assets Ivan Toney failed to get on the scoresheet for Brentford.

Let’s take a look at a few of the takeaways regarding Fantasy Premier League from Brentford’s shock victory against Arsenal. 

Arsenal defense cannot be trusted, at least for now.

Although Arsenal last season had a horror show in the league, finishing eighth, they were one of the most miserly defensive units as they conceded only 39 goals, third-best in the league.

Those numbers along with the recruitment of Ben White gave fantasy managers a lot of hope for the upcoming season. But after the first game, those hopes have been put to bed, at least temporarily. The Arsenal defense looked shaky on the break as they conceded the first goal from a major lapse. They were caught on the counter quite a few times although Brentford failed to make most of the chances. 

The defense also looked incredibly shaky during set-pieces.  While Ben White’s presence could eventually solve the problem, for now, Arsenal’s defense can be one to give a miss.

Brentford is a lot more than Ivan Toney

While it’s no surprise that Brentford aren’t completely dependent on one man, what the game highlighted was that they have quite a few capable attacking outlets. At £5.5m, Bryan Mbeumo could be an interesting pick, given he is listed as a midfielder on the FPL website but played alongside Toney in the frontline.

While it would be too reactive to write off Toney as an excellent FPL asset at £6.5m after just one game, managers who haven’t yet opted for him can wait for him to hit the ground running before they bring him in.

Start considering  Brentford’s defensive assets

As FPL managers the worst thing that we can be is overreactive to single fixtures, however, there is no apparent harm in thinking about the future and considering options. 

Against Arsenal, Thomas Frank’s men were extremely compact at the back, giving Arsenal very little to play for. Although the North London club lacked their star attackers in Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexander Lacazatte, Brentford’s defensive shape was commendable. 

One Brentford asset, I would personally be targeting in the future, is Rico Henry. The Englishman, priced at just £4.5m, will be operating as a wingback and was seen taking advanced positions on Friday. If he continues to do that, expect him to grab some important returns soon.

Emil Smith Rowe was excellent. Could be a bargain

The only positive in an otherwise lacklustre Arsenal performance was their new number 10, Emil Smith Rowe. The 21-year-old controlled the midfield from the get-go and looked like the most likely Arsenal forward to get a return. He had few darting runs down the middle and from the wide and if he keeps playing, expect him to grab some assists and goals eventually. At £5.5m there’s not much wrong with what the Englishman is offering briefly.