Julio Enciso

Brighton have started the season in excellent form, but they still have one of the worst disciplinary records in the Premier League. In fact, they have picked up 12 yellow cards in five matches - only Hull, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest have been carded more often than the Seagulls. Fabian Hurzeler wants his men to press strongly in midfield, making this a great matchup to target Enzo Le Fee. 

The Frenchman is averaging 2.38 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions this season, with that figure rising to 2.67 at the Stadium of Light. He has drawn 14 fouls across six competitive appearances, including five during Sunderland’s Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar. The Frenchman sees plenty of possession in Sunderland’s midfield and regularly carries the ball into congested areas. Brighton’s aggressive approach should give him opportunities to attract contact whenever he turns away from pressure.

John McGinn is averaging 2.99 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions this season, and he has been fouled multiple times in seven of his eight starts. Unai Emery has had McGinn starting on the right wing this season, and he usually stays wide to try and stretch the play. 

That should put McGinn directly up against Keane Lewis-Potter, as he has been operating at left-back for Brentford. The 24-year-old prefers playing further forward, so isn’t used to having as much of a defensive responsibility. He has committed nine fouls across his five Premier League starts, averaging 1.91 fouls per 90. This matchup against McGinn out wide looks optimal to target this market again.

Wesley Fofana will have to deal with Evanilson this weekend, and that is a matchup to keep an eye on. The Brazilian international likes to press aggressively from the front, and his foul numbers have increased significantly since Marco Rose took over as Bournemouth manager.

Evanilson averaged 0.88 fouls per 90 across all competitions last season, but that figure has risen to 1.81 this campaign. He has recorded multiple infringements in four of his six starts, including two fouls against both Man City and Liverpool, respectively. 

Meanwhile, Fofana has drawn exactly two fouls in each of his last three league starts, which shows how he can be adept at drawing contact, and alleviating some pressure on his side by getting free-kicks.

Omar Marmoush has started all five league games for Tottenham since arriving from Man City, operating either from the left or through the middle. If he returns to the wing at Old Trafford, he should find himself directly against Diogo Dalot.

Marmoush has drawn at least one foul in each of his last five Premier League starts, and he is averaging 1.88 fouls drawn per 90 for his new club.

The Egyptian is usually quite positive when he gets the ball, looking to turn and beat his man, which can make him a difficult player to contain. Dalot’s foul record has been inconsistent, but his numbers tend to increase when playing against a more direct winger. He committed three fouls against Man City before the international break, and two when facing Tottenham at Old Trafford last season.

It has been a mixed start for Ipswich, who have recorded two wins and three losses in their opening five Premier League matches. The Tractor Boys have looked a bit weak defensively at times, but they have been able to pose a danger in the final third, and Julio Enciso is a key reason for that. 

The Paraguay international has landed this selection in all five starts overall, including two fouls drawn against both Sunderland and Man United - Ipswich had an average of just 39% possession in those matches. Playing at Portman Road against a struggling Fulham side, Ipswich should be able to exert much more control on proceedings, which makes this price appeal.

Ipswich have already been involved in some high-scoring games this season, including a 5-2 defeat against Man United, a 4-2 loss against Arsenal in the EFL Cup and a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace. Over 2.5 goals has landed in five of their seven matches across all competitions so far.

Similarly, this selection has landed in four of Fulham’s seven competitive fixtures. Arbeloa’s side have found the back of the net against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Man United, but they remain without a Premier League clean sheet at Craven Cottage. Ipswich have conceded 11 goals across their opening five league matches, and the most recent meeting between these sides finished 2-2.

There were 11 corners when these sides last met at Craven Cottage, while the reverse fixture at Portman Road produced 14. Fulham are averaging 6.00 corners per game across all competitions this season. However, they are also conceding 5.00 per match, meaning their fixtures have averaged exactly 11 corners overall. 

Arbeloa encourages his fullbacks to advance, similar to his predecessor Marco Silva, which means corners remain a market to target. Ipswich are also likely to contribute - they have recorded at least three corners in all five of their league matches so far, including against Liverpool, Man United and Everton. Expecting chances at both ends of the field, corners should flow at Portman Road.

Julio Enciso has recorded more shots than any other Ipswich player this season, and he has landed this selection in three of his five starts across all competitions. The Paraguay international is averaging 3.69 attempts per 90, highlighting the freedom he has been given under Gary O’Neil.

Enciso usually starts in the number ten position, and he doesn’t usually hesitate to pull the trigger once the space opens up. 11 of his 17 shots in total this season have come from outside the box, but he should be able to find chances of a higher quality nature against Fulham this weekend, as the Cottagers have struggled to limit chances for their opponents so far.

Enciso is also averaging 1.95 fouls drawn per 90, which is the highest figure among regular starters in the Ipswich squad. He has drawn multiple fouls in four of his five starts, and the Paraguay international should find duels against Shea Charles in the middle of the pitch.

After completing a summer move from Southampton, Charles has only recorded one foul across his four league starts for Fulham. However, there is every expectation for that figure to increase as the season progresses. The Northern Ireland international averaged 1.55 fouls and 2.14 tackles per 90 across all competitions last season for Southampton, which shows how he likes to get stuck into challenges and protect the backline.

Josh King is averaging 2.81 shots per 90 across all competitions for Fulham this season, having been entrusted with a significant role in the number ten position by Arbeloa. The 19-year-old has recorded multiple shots in all five starts, landing this selection in four of those appearances, and he already has two league goals to his name.

It hasn’t been the best start to the campaign for Fulham, who have collected only two points from their opening five league matches, but King has been their most promising player, always looking to make things happen in the final third. He leads the Cottagers with seven shots on target from seven appearances across all competitions, and this looks like a favourable matchup for him against Ipswich.