The Digest – Gameweek 26

After a week’s absence as we barely drew breath between matches, a weather-conscious Digest focuses on Tottenham’s revitalised talisman and on Liverpool’s rise to title contenders. As the British winter plays havoc with the Fantasy schedule, we brace ourselves for the impending impact on the upcoming fixture list:

THE PLAYER

Emanuel Adebayor has seen his season turn around from first-team outcast under Andre Villas-Boas to the most sought-after player in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game this week. A brace and assist on Wednesday evening at Newcastle underlined his consistency and transformation in confidence under the guidance of new boss Tim Sherwood, whilst the absence of Christian Eriksen for the 4-0 win confirms that Adebayor is really the only Tottenham attacking choice going forward.

Eight goals and four assists since earning a recall to the starting line-up over Christmas has led to Adebayor averaging 7.7 points per game since Sherwood’s installation, the same returns commanded by Sergio Aguero over the whole season. Transferred into over 65,000 FPL teams since Wednesday evening, he still offers outstanding value at only 8.1 and looks hard to resist over the coming weeks as Fantasy managers look to navigate their way through blank Gameweeks and rotation risks. The Togolese striker’s contributions have helped Tottenham to seven wins, two draws and only one defeat in the period since his return, as Sherwood’s team stay hot on the heels of the Champions League contenders above them.

With the north London side out of the FA Cup and distracted only by the Europa League, Adebayor’s impact in league games looks essential if Sherwood is to clinch that fourth place spot – a scenario that would arguably cement his own position at the helm for next term. We could well see team-mate Roberto Soldado given pitch time for the Thursday night European games, then, in order to keep his fellow forward fresh for domestic duties.

Tottenham’s goal drought also appears to be over, with a healthy two-per-game average since the turn of the year and enticing fixtures against Norwich and Cardiff next on the calendar. Adebayor also looks a genuine armband contender for Gameweek 28, when City and United face a blank and the other title contenders all hit the road. Fixtures stiffen after this, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal to play in the following five but, given that he’s already notched against the likes of United and Everton and has scored or assisted in seven of his 10 appearances, Adebayor has done more than enough to dispel the doubters.

THE TEAM

Even the biblical weather may not be quite sufficient to bring Victor Moses back into the Liverpool reckoning, as his in-form team-mates wreak havoc on top-flight backlines. Liverpool are rampant and while the top three have started to falter, Brendan Rodgers’ ‘Chihuahuas’ have taken full advantage and now sit just a point behind City and four off the top. The goal machine is also in full flow – the Merseysiders have now scored 66 times in the Premier League this term, just two behind Manuel Pellegrini’s men, 18 more than both Arsenal and Chelsea and 30 more than fifth placed Tottenham.

As we head into the final dozen games, it is significant that Liverpool do not, at present, have a midweek game scheduled between now and the end of the season. Whilst their title rivals have to cope with upcoming European exploits, rest and rotation should be no issue for Rodgers and his team over the run-in – a point that Jose Mourinho has already discussed earlier in the week.

Liverpool arguably have the best fixtures, too, having already played all their rivals away from home and can look forward to Anfield advantage as the remaining head-to-heads against Chelsea, City and Spurs approach. Immediate matches also look enticing, with home games against Swansea and Sunderland sandwiching a visit to Southampton – crucially, this coincides with a period where many rivals face blanks or will look to rotate their squads.

Rodgers’ free-scoring side have shown there’s been method to the madness of throwing your eggs into one Liverpool basket this season. Doubling up on the ‘SAS’ has become a very viable option with Daniel Sturridge outperforming Luis Suarez week after week since returning from injury, as discussed in yesterday’s Scout Notes.

Elsewhere, Steven Gerrard’s class and consistency can no longer be overlooked. Returns in 14 of the last 17 appearances have served his owners well – anyone brave enough to opt for the Reds skipper in addition to Suarez and Sturridge will have been rewarded handsomely in recent matches. With Raheem Sterling offering a budget midfield alternative to his captain at 5.6 in FPL and even Philippe Coutinho starting to find a semblance of consistency, there’s no surprise many are looking to load up on the Merseysiders for the run-in.

THE TALKING POINT

In previous Fantasy seasons, the weather has often played a significant part, with heavy snow the normal source of frustration to managers. Whilst the cold snap may be yet to hit, the midweek winds which caused the cancellation of two top-flight fixtures played havoc with our Fantasy fortunes and saw the biggest variance in team scores of the season so far – welcome to some, but others saw hard-grafted mini-league leads diminish in one fell swoop. The impact does not end there, of course, as the urgently awaited re-scheduling will further shape our transfer planning in weeks to come.

Ironically, this latest twist comes at a time where additional blanks are about to bite in Gameweeks 28 and 29, with the latter still remaining a very foggy picture until this coming weekend’s FA Cup fixtures are decided – a situation we’ve already discussed in this article.

Add to this mix the impending resumption of the Champions League and we have a perfect storm of rotation, blanks, double Gameweeks and fatigue to consider. The fortunate few still holding a wild card will be licking their lips, but will also be faced with the additional dilemma of when to play it. Gameweeks 28- 31 look pivotal and transfers need to be planned very carefully – it is advisable to hold off on any Gameweek 27 trades until the FA Cup matches have been played and the fog clears a little. In particular, the outcomes of the big clashes between Arsenal and Liverpool and Man City and Chelsea will be significant to our planning.

City are a great example of this. Manuel Pellegrini’s side already have a blank Gameweek 28 and, should they beat Chelsea in the cup tomorrow, may face a blank for the following Gameweek – unless their league clash with Villa, currently pencilled in for Saturday March 9, is moved to midweek. They already have a double Gameweek 31, in addition to a further double once the home game against Sunderland is rescheduled. If the Villa match also needs to be shifted to another date, Pellegrini’s side could have three doubles over the last nine Gameweeks but if they continue to progress in the Champions League, rest and rotation could destroy many a best-laid plan and reduce their league line-ups to a guessing game.

With United already missing Gameweek 28 and Chelsea and Arsenal also under threat for Gameweek 29 if they progress, fielding 11 players looks the first objective – clearly, it is wise to hold any player in our squads who has a Gameweek 29 fixture confirmed following the cup matches. At the moment, though, many of the scenarios are hypothetical and we’ll hopefully get a better handle on the situation after the weekend’s matches. The Fantasy season is set to be blown off course a little but, with some careful planning and plenty of articles for your perusal, we should hopefully navigate a safe passage through the schedule’s choppy waters.