Craig Bellamy comes back to haunt Newcastle and give the red half of Merseyside a happy new year. Steven Gerrard continues his injury comeback with a clinically taken goal and Daniel Agger’s shoulder prevents Demba Ba from scoring yet again.
Craig Bellamy
Liverpool’s attacking toils have been well documented this season. Only once, prior to last night, had they found the net more than twice in a game and with Luis Suarez serving a one-match ban, it’s fair to say that not too many goals were expected from the home side. While Andy Carroll again failed to deliver, Bellamy served a reminder of his goal-getting abilities in Suarez’s absence by bagging a double- the first Liverpool player to score more than a single goal in a league game this term.
Analysis of his stats is intriguing and certainly suggests the Welshman is more deserving of a first-team place. He has started just five times for the Merseyside club and has scored or assisted in all but one of those appearances, averaging 7 points per game when he’s picked in the Liverpool starting XI. Perhaps surprisingly, he’s failed to make any impact in his eight sub appearances for Kenny Dalglish’s side- no goals or assists certainly dismiss the notion that Bellamy is more capable of changing the game when climbing off the bench late on- when he starts, he delivers. Priced at 7.4, he clearly has the potential but at the moment, his guaranteed game time is frustrating. If Suarez ends up serving his eight-match ban for the Patrice Evra incident, however, plenty will be eyeing up the Welshman.
Steven Gerrard
The introduction of their skipper just before the hour mark seemed to give Liverpool the extra impetus to clinch the three points. Coming on as a sub with half an hour left, Gerrard continues to be eased back into the proceedings following his ankle infection and, once again, it was Charlie Adam who made way, with Jay Spearing completing the ninety minutes. Gerrard grabbed the all-important third goal to give the home side some breathing space and could have easily had an assist, if Andy Carroll hadn’t thumped the bar from a close-range header. From a Fantasy perspective he looked promising, there’s no doubt, but at 10.5 and with two starts all season, Gerrard has a bit to go before he can be considered a viable option, though he could prove a handy-but very costly- differential for those willing to take a punt.
Ryan Taylor
The left-back lasted just forty-five minutes before being replaced by Davide Santon last night. While some reports suggest he was subbed off due to an ankle injury, the club’s official site indicated the switch was tactical, suggesting that Taylor’s inability to deal with the threat of Stewart Downing led to his withdrawal. Either way, it’s a worry for his Fantasy owners. Taylor is the second most popular defender in FPL, with over 32% ownership, but if concerns over his game time continue, many will be forced to look elsewhere. With Mike Williamson and Danny Simpson available for 4.2 and 4.3 respectively in the Newcastle back-four, there are definite alternatives not too far from home.
Demba Ba
His Fantasy backers were ultimately left with no more than a couple of points but Ba was unlucky not to find the net last night. As the slow-motion replays confirmed, he was only a shoulder away from claiming the opener, with Daniel Agger just beating him to the ball to deflect Yohan Cabaye’s header into his own net. Ba then watched on later in the game as Martin Skrtel made a brilliant, sliding goal line clearance to deny his subtle turn and chip past Pepe Reina.
A home clash with Man United beckons before he’s set to depart for the African Cup of Nations but, given that he’ll be back here and available no later than gameweek 26, Ba is likely to be transferred straight back into plenty teams once again, with Newcastle set for some strong home fixtures (WLV, SUN, NOR) from late February onwards.
