Scout Notes – Gameweek 16 – Sunday

Luis Suarez tears Tottenham apart as Liverpool turn in their slickest display of the season. Danny Welbeck is at the double as Wayne Rooney drops deeper in United’s comfortable win at Villa, while Gary Hooper is in the goals again as Norwich and Swansea share the points at Carrow Road:

Suarez Dismantles Spurs at the Lane
Having scored in just one of his previous four away games, the Uruguayan was overlooked by many for the armband this weekend. Factor in the loss of Steven Gerrard in the Liverpool engine room and there were concerns that Brendan Rodgers’ side may struggle to break down the Tottenham rearguard – what transpired was nothing short of sublime as Suarez served up an astonishing 22-point haul in his first game as stand-in Reds skipper.

Playing a part in all five of his side’s strikes, with two goals and a trio of assists in the 5-0 hammering, the Uruguayan’s performances have now reached a level previously unseen by Fantasy managers – put into perspective, Robin van Persie averaged 6.9 points per game last term for United; Suarez has so far produced 12.4 ppg in 11 appearances. The Liverpool forward has seven double-figure hauls to his name and, with 16 goals and 10 assists, has played a part in 26 of the 34 goals his side have scored since he returned from suspension in Gameweek 6 – with a home game against Cardiff up next, it’s likely he’ll be the most overwhelming armband favourite in memory.

Henderson Under the Radar
Recovered from the knock picked up in last week’s win over West Ham, the midfielder was fielded as the most advanced of the central midfield three in yesterday’s trip to Tottenham. The only outfield player to start every league game under Brendan Rodgers, Henderson delivered his most impressive showing of the season by bagging a goal and assist in the 5-0 rout. A crucial part of the Reds’ first XI, he has also chipped in with a couple of assists over the last six and, priced at just 5.9 in FPL, may be a real, overlooked alternative to consider in light of his new position. Elsewhere, Philippe Coutinho turned in yet another disappointing display for his Fantasy owners and failed to deliver points yet again. Liverpool have scored 22 goals in their last six league games with the Brazilian back in the XI but, despite his side’s flourishing form, the 8.6-priced midfielder has just a single goal and assist to his name over that period – a clear example, if ever, that picking a player based on the idea of “team coverage” is never guaranteed to bring home the points.

Spurs Fail Miserably at Both Ends of the Pitch
With the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Younes Kaboul and Vlad Chiriches all still sidelined through injury, the Spurs boss watched on as his patched-up backline was dismantled by Suarez and co. Having registered seven clean sheets in the first 10 Gameweeks, Spurs have conceded in every league game since in a run that has seen them ship 16 goals in just six league games as their defensive resolve has quickly fallen to pieces. A recent upturn in attacking intent had produced two goals in each of the last three before yesterday but the statistics are damning for Villas-Boas – his side failed to register a single shot on target and allowed Liverpool their first clean sheet on the road since Gameweek 2. The Spurs boss now faces up to the next three games without his midfield ever-present Paulinho – the Brazilian will miss the midweek cup clash against West Ham, in addition to league games with Southampton and West Brom. However, his manager has revealed the club may consider appealing his sending-off.

Welbeck Shines as Rooney Drops Deep
Having seen Sergio Aguero and Romelu Lukaku fail to live up to our expectations the previous day, Wayne Rooney’s Fantasy owners were optimistic of a bumper haul away to Villa yesterday. Instead, the United forward was handed a more withdrawn role and managed just a single assist in the 3-0 win as Danny Welbeck made the most of a rare opportunity as the champions’ lone striker.

With Robin van Persie sidelined for a month due to a thigh injury, Welbeck certainly staked a claim for another start through the middle at home to West Ham next weekend by bagging a first-half brace before Tom Cleverley added the third. Coming in at just 7.0 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL), Welbeck’s budget-friendly appeal could sway many non-Rooney owners eyeing up a potential replacement for Aguero, depending on the latter’s calf scans. Welbeck’s versatility could prove his downfall, though – despite his impressive showing, he may yet be shifted to the flanks if Moyes opts to restore Shinji Kagawa to his XI. The Japan international missed out through illness again yesterday but, if fit in time for next week, could well be handed the role in “the hole”, thus allowing Rooney the advanced central spot once again.

Rare Clean Sheet for United at Lacklustre Villa
Somewhat incredibly, yesterday was the first time this season Moyes’ side have kept out their opponents on the road. With a single shut-out in their previous 11 Gameweeks, United rolled up to Villa with one of the poorest defensive records in the league but benefitted from their hosts’ worrying inability to find the net. Home games against West Ham and Swansea in the next five, allied with trips to Hull and Norwich hint at further defensive returns and bolster Jonny Evans’ appeal – the 5.0 priced Northern Ireland international has now started eight of the last 10 league fixtures and continues to benefit from injury concerns over the likes of Nemanja Vidic and Chris Smalling at the heart of the champions’ defence.

For the hosts, Paul Lambert has plenty to worry about. Despite handing Christian Benteke another start in a 4-3-3, the Villa boss watched his side fail to score for the seventh time in the last 10 Gameweeks – the only crumb of comfort for Villa is that their schedule (sto, CPL, SWA, sun) remains favourable over the next four. Lambert will need to make do without Gabby Agbonlahor for next week’s trip to the Britannia, though – the forward will serve a one-match ban after picking up his fifth caution of the campaign yesterday.

Hooper’s Scoring Streak Continues
The Canaries summer signing fired home a superb equaliser to earn a share of the spoils at home to Swansea yesterday. Hooper’s long-range effort was clearly the sign of a striker filled with self-belief right now – he’s now scored in four of the last six Gameweeks, which is all the more impressive given that he was a sub for one of those matches. Indeed, Hooper has now struck four of his side’s nine goals from Gameweek 9 onwards and, despite rumours of an imminent return for Ricky van Wolfswinkel, the 6.1-priced former Celtic man will surely continue to lead the line as Chris Hughton’s side prepare to face all of the bottom three (sun, FUL, cpl) in the next four Gameweeks.

Dyer Concern for Swans
The wide man continued his upturn in attacking consistency by grabbing the opener at Carrow Road yesterday. Having recently notched against Stoke and Newcastle, Dyer’s strike was the third time in the last six Gameweeks he has found the net but Michael Laudrup is now sweating over his availability after he was withdrawn before the interval with an ankle injury. Initial x-rays have shown “no obvious break”, according to the club, with Dyer set for further scans later tomorrow before a final diagnosis.

The Swans boss will also be concerned by Michu’s form – the Spaniard was handed the lone forward role but yet again drew a blank as he continues to find last season’s form hard to rediscover – he’s now scored just twice in 12 appearances this term and, with Everton, Chelsea, City, United and Spurs in the next six Gameweeks, few will be willing to go anywhere near Swansea’s assets just now.