Our preview of the weekend fixtures outlines the Scout’s agenda – our points of interest that will come under focus when the Gameweek action gets underway. The Liverpool and United strike pairings, England’s new darling and a pair of young starlets stirring up the budget midfield market are on our hit-list.
Suarez vs Sturridge Part Three
So far, it’s gone the way of Daniel Sturridge. A brace of assists helped the England striker outscore Luis Suarez on his return at the Stadium of Light and Gameweek 7’s maximum Fantasy Premier League (FPL) bonus haul ensured he emerged as victor in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace. Sturridge owners have earned four points more than those who opted for Uruguayan over the past two matches, with the former Chelsea man grabbing an 18-point armband haul against the Eagles. With 1.4 between them in price, Sturridge undoubtedly has the advantage going into the trip to Newcastle – if that one also falls in his favour, it will be interesting to see if the confidence in Suarez takes a dent.
Glen Johnson’s Return
Back in training this week, the fleet-footed right-back has been dearly missed by Brendan Rodgers, who has shifted his formation to compensate for the lack of a suitable replacement. Johnson’s return to the frame could be significant for Fantasy managers, who will have themselves a raiding full-back in an accomplished defence for 5.8 in the FPL – making him the cheapest secure starter in the Liverpool rearguard along with the favoured keeper, Simon Mignolet. It’s uncertain whether Rodgers will persevere with the 3-4-1-2 on Johnson’s return – if he does, and a wing-back role awaits, his potential would be boosted further.
Wenger’s Teamsheet
With Santi Cazorla expected to return and Theo Walcott also rumoured to be in the frame if he can prove his fitness, Arsene Wenger’s burgeoning options are set to hand him an immediate selection headache. Mikel Arteta now seems installed in central midfield alongside the tenacious talents of Mathiu Flamini, so Wenger looks to have three slots to fill with Mesut Ozil surely untouchable for one berth. Aaron Ramsey’s withdrawal on 59 minutes at West Brom raised some minor alarm bells and, with Cazorla, Walcott and Jack Wilshere now competing with the Welshman for two shirts, we look to be heading into a prolonged period of uncertainty when it comes to Wenger’s teamsheet. That may even start with Saturday’s home Emirates encounter with Norwich. Ozil’s owners will certainly be hoping the knee problem sustained against Sweden last night doesn’t force him out or persuade the Gunners boss to rest the German.
Januzaj’s Pitchtime
Having won the three points at Sunderland with two sublime strikes, United’s starlet has leapt onto our radars and earned two FPL price rises. At just 4.9, the youngster is the latest cut-price midfield asset to demand our attention and, potentially, he could go on to rival the bandwagons of both Ramsey and Everton’s Ross Barkley. Much depends on David Moyes. I’m expecting Saturday’s teamsheet to reward Januzaj with another opportunity to impress but events could go either way. Put in another convincing display and a continued run of starts may come his way; fail to reproduce his form at the Stadium of Light and it’s likely we’ll see him earn an hour before giving way to the experience of Ashley Young or Nani. That outcome would cast doubt over his place in the United pecking order and temper the current rate of investment.
The Van Persie & Rooney Tallies
The Old Trafford meeting with the Saints is significant for Januzaj’s Fantasy prospects but perhaps vital to those of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. With back-to-back home matches to come, owners of the United strike pairing will be depending on returns to reward the patience that has seen them resist the allure of doubling on Liverpool’s forward line, or perhaps joining the wave of support for Everton’s Romelu Lukakau. Both Rooney and Van Persie enjoyed profitable international breaks – confidence should be high, then. Draw a blank against resilient Southampton, however, and Fantasy managers will continue to question whether Moyes’ tactics and approach are hampering the potential output of his strikers.
The Arnautovic Starting Role
Handed the job of leading the line in the 1-0 defeat at Fulham, Marko Arnautovic fired in more shots on goal than any other midfielder in Gameweek 7. While that hints at the potential on offer, there are real and growing concerns in the Potteries that Mark Hughes’ tactics have dulled Stoke’s cutting edge further. With just a single goal in their last four league outings, the Britannia clash with West Brom is a vital one, both for Hughes and for Arnautovic’s Fantasy appeal. If he is deployed as the central striker again and succeeds in breaking Stoke’s drought, the Austrian’s bandwagon will surely be underway.
Morrison Against Toure
Ravel Morrison’s form is undeniable. A superb solo effort at Spurs in Gameweek 7 was followed by a brace for England’s Under 21 side this week, as Morrison continues to show the talent that once had Sir Alex Ferguson purring. Fantasy managers are coming round to his appeal now that his starting role is firming up. At just 4.4 in midfield, I’ve been viewing the Hammers prospect as an “enabler” – a bit-part Fantasy asset with a price tag that liberates funds. However, Morrison can be far more than that. Given his form, there’s an argument to suggest that Morrison could be a regular Fantasy starter, even in a 3-4-3. His display against City sharing the pitch with the formidable Yaya Toure, will go a long way to show both Sam Allardyce and us Fantasy managers that he means business and is here to stay.
The West Ham full-backs
Despite decent defensive form, Big Sam has taken to rotating his back four in recent weeks. James Collins has lost out to James Tomkins and now Allardyce seems unsure on his first choice full-backs. Having brought Razvan Rat into the starting lineup, he dumped Guy Demel to the bench in Gameweek 6, only to restore him at the expense of Joey O’Brien for the win at Spurs last time out. Despite some tricky fixtures to come, Fantasy managers will continue to consider the West Ham defence following the shut-out at Spurs. Some clarity on personnel would be useful, otherwise our targets could be limited to Winston Reid and Jussi Jaaskelainen in goal.
Silva’s Impact on City
The influence of David Silva in City’s win over Everton was there for all to see. Returning to Manuel Pellegrini’s lineup for the first time since Gameweek 3, Silva immediately returned an assist while his prompting and probing helped link play and unlock the Toffees defence. City already top the goal charts, without yet providing a key target for Fantasy managers. Another slick performance from Silva, perhaps providing the catalyst for more goals from Alvaro Negredo or Sergio Aguero in the process, could change that.
Townsend’s Domestic Form
As England’s new darling, Andros Townsend will take superb form and confidence into Tottenham’s trip to Villa, just as Aaron Lennon makes a return to fitness to challenge his starting role. Townsend will surely start in the Midlands and will earn further opportunity to cement his starting berth in the light of renewed competition. So far, Fantasy returns have been minimal but the stats in our members area suggest that Townsened’s propensity to shoot will eventually bring rewards once Spurs click as an attacking force. At just 5.5, Townsend could yet emerge as the key differential target in Andre Villas-Boas’ midfield while all the attention has been on Christian Eriksen, Paulinho and Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The Benteke Effect
Paul Lambert is remaining coy on the fitness of his star striker but, having trained and featured on Belgium’s bench, Benteke looks set to play some part against Spurs. I’ll be anticipating an instant impact – a rejuvenation of Villa’s attacking threat following the blank at Hull last time out. His fitness and sharpness will need to be assessed but, if he comes through Sunday’s encounter, there’s no question that Benteke will be back on the radar and force us to reconsider our chosen front three once again.
