FPL Notes: £3.9m Defender Praise + Why Slot Benched Ekitike
From the benching of a big-money forward to praise for a £3.9m defender, our Scout Notes cover the talking points from the Vitality Stadium.
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SLOT ON WHY HE BENCHED EKITIKE
Arne Slot's decision to bench Hugo Ekitike (£8.9m) on Saturday was primarily due to minute management.
"The thinking is quite simple. We have one number nine available for months to come. We've played many games already and have a lot more to play, so we must manage his minutes to keep him available for the long term. That's why Hugo isn't starting today, but Cody is," Slot explained before kickoff.
This quote suggests that Alexander Isak (£10.3m) won't be available anytime soon.
Despite Isak's absence and Liverpool's two-striker setup, Ekitike remained on the bench at the south coast. Instead, Cody Gakpo (£7.3m) and Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) formed the attacking duo, with a biweekly rotation between these three players likely if the 4-2-2-2 formation persists.
Rotation risks aren't limited to the upfront positions. Slot confirmed that Milos Kerkez (£5.6m) was substituted at halftime because "it wasn't smart to play him another 90 minutes," while Jeremie Frimpong (£5.8m) was running on fumes before his withdrawal.
"It's mostly the same players who have to play. I think it's safe to say that a few of them were very tired at the end. I saw Jeremie [Frimpong] just before I took him off, almost falling over his own feet because he was tired. Some others were in the end tired as well," Slot noted.
GOMEZ INJURY UPDATE
Liverpool's injury woes continued without Ibrahima Konate (£5.4m) on compassionate grounds, as they lost another center-half on Saturday.
Joe Gomez (£4.9m) sustained an injury as Liverpool conceded the opener, received treatment as Bournemouth scored their second, and then hobbled out of the game soon after. Wataru Endo (£4.9m) came on at center-back.
The injury appears to be a "knock," and Konate is expected to return for Gameweek 24.
"Joe got a knock from Ali [Alisson Becker]. His knee went into... I think it was bone on bone. He was just not able to continue, and Ali had quite a swelling in his knee. I don't know if Joe is going to train in two or three days, but it was clear he could not go on today," Slot explained regarding Gomez's injury.
Virgil van Dijk (£5.9m) was at fault for the goal that led to Gomez's injury and then played Alex Jimenez (£4.5m) onside for the second. Despite the blunder, van Dijk is on track for his biggest FPL score of the season, having nodded in a corner for his first league goal of 2025/26 and is set to earn DefCon points after the next refresh.
SZOBOSZLAI: GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT
Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.6m) adopters who joined mid-December have had limited success, averaging just 2.0 points per match between Gameweeks 16-22 and missing out in one of those weeks due to suspension.
However, those who kept the faith were rewarded on Saturday. Szoboszlai provided an assist for Virgil's header and then scored a free-kick goal, resulting in a 13-point haul.
Set pieces, long-range attempts, and minutes are Szoboszlai's main contributions. He didn't have a shot in the box for the 13th league match in 2025/26, so his reliance on long-range efforts is notable.
In other Liverpool attacking news, Florian Wirtz (£8.3m) was relatively quiet but twice flashed efforts narrowly wide. Salah, despite having the most penalty box touches and shots for Liverpool, was wasteful with the ball, but he did provide an assist for Szoboszlai's free-kick.
PRAISE FOR £3.9M DEFENDER HILL
Bournemouth's center-backs were at the heart of their three goals. Marcos Senesi's (£4.8m) long ball set Alex Scott (£5.0m) up for Evanilson (£7.0m) to score the opener, while James Hill (£3.9m) played an excellent through-ball for Jimenez to run onto.
For the winner, Hill's long throw caused chaos in the box, leading to Amine Adli (£5.4m) eventually prodding in.
It appears that budget defender Hill now has a monopoly on long throws, as Andoni Iraola praised his contributions.
"I think we have Antoine before, now we have James Hill. I don't think we have anyone else. So, I think it's good that Hilly can help us in those situations," Iraola said.
The question is whether Hill can maintain his starting spot during this positive run of matches.
This was his fifth successive league start, and while there haven't been any clean sheets, the team's performance has improved, and he has looked composed at the back. It seems that Hill's place in the side is secure.
"I think we've been defending very well lately. I think even the other day against Brighton, we conceded a stoppage-time equaliser but were defending a lot lower. I think we are conceding fewer chances. I know we still have to improve on set-plays, but I think Hilly is very good on the ball and has played various positions for us, including center-back, number six, and right-back. He has taken his opportunity. At the end, he trains very well, and when you train well and are ready for your chance, I'm very happy when you take it," Iraola added.
Both Hill and Senesi earned DefCon points, which should have been five in a row for the £3.9m defender, but the Opta refresh of the data in Gameweek 22 came too late.
Jimenez, meanwhile, was pushed forward to the right wing, 'out of position' due to a lack of fit natural wingers.
"I think he has done a very good job as a winger. You know, I prefer him as a full-back, but I think he's helping us a lot a little bit forward, and he's good," Iraola said regarding Jimenez's performance.
THREE IN FOUR FOR EVANILSON – BUT KROUPI PRAISED
Evanilson scored his third goal in four games.
He's a potential target for the upcoming good fixture run, offering a cheaper alternative to Ekitike, but his lack of ruthlessness is a concern, as he missed two good opportunities.
Evanilson's shot-to-goal conversion rate is just 11.4% over 2025/26, even including his recent goal rush.
The much cheaper Eli Junior Kroupi (£4.6m) is a more natural finisher, starting for the third match in a row and putting in more defensive work in the '10'. He's had just two shots in the last three Gameweeks.
Kroupi's work rate and understanding of the team's needs have impressed Andoni Iraola, who suggests he might be the one to lose his starting spot. Versatile new boy Alex Toth (£5.0m) is waiting in the wings, either as a direct replacement in the '10' or used deeper to allow Scott to move forward.
"I'm very happy with Jun, probably more happy than when he was scoring goals because with his work rate and his understanding of the needs of the team, he's allowing us to play with two number nines. I think he's had to change his game a lot because I think he's a number nine, and we demand a lot of work, but I appreciate it a lot, and I think he's playing many minutes and getting many starts because he's really helping us to be better. As you say, probably he will not appear well the same way if you don't score, but I think if we keep him on the pitch, it's a matter of time before he finds a way to score because he's a great finisher," Iraola said about Kroupi.
