Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 27 – The Weak

Yesterday we took a look at the teams with Strong fixtures on the horizon for the next four to six Gameweeks. Today we turn the tables and assess those with testing schedules – three of the top four contenders offer less promising looking fixtures, whilst a short-term Wearside exodus may be on the cards as the cups play havoc with our best-laid plans:

Sunderland

Gus Poyet has been earning himself admirers on Wearside, gradually turning round the Black Cats’ fortunes with some increasingly impressive displays. Having steered them from the basement to a place within sight of safety, he may soon see that work undone by the caprice of the fixture list. The next three Gameweeks contain a trip to Arsenal and two blanks, a schedule that may see Fantasy managers unload any Sunderland assets in favour of alternatives with more points potential.

Vito Mannone has been something of a hero since taking over the reins from Keiren Westwood, with no fewer than five double-figure hauls, but few will be investing right now. Likewise, Adam Johnson’s sudden burst into life in Gameweek 21 made him an overnight star among Fantasy managers but these fixtures signal a temporary hiatus for his output – investors will surely return later, though, with Sunderland set for three (as yet unscheduled) doubles from Gameweek 30 onwards.

Arsenal

A sudden wobble in form could not have come at a worse time for Arsene Wenger’s team as they prepare for an extended period of taxing games. The next fixture (SUN) is plum enough but, after that, a trip to Stoke and a blank Gameweek 29 precedes showdowns with four of the current top six.

Fantasy managers have been harvesting clean sheets and bonus points from Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny for some weeks now but these fixtures suggest there are fallow times to come and many will be eyeing up exit routes. Arsenal’s midfield, once the scene of such riches, has fallen on hard times lately and, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has announced his return to first team action with three goals this month, a punt doesn’t look advisable right now. Olivier Giroud’s form had returned slightly but, again, such fixtures don’t warrant investment.

Liverpool

A resounding win over Arsenal at Anfield, followed up by a last-gasp triumph at Fulham have emphasised the credibility of Brendan Rodgers’ top four aspirations. However, for Fantasy managers, the pickings look a little slimmer in light of the fixture list. The next six Gameweeks include a blank, trips to Southampton and Man United and a home game against Tottenham, though of course a future double Gameweek sweetens the deal a little.

Recently the so-called SAS (Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge) has been reaping rewards as Liverpool demolish opponents without mercy. Now owners of the SAS are faced with a difficult conundrum – do they hold the pair or sacrifice one of them for a striker with better prospects? And, if the latter, which one? Suarez was the early-season Fantasy colossus but has recently been outgunned by his partner. It’s a tough call and one that may define many season finishes. Whilst the Reds defence looks a no-go area, Steven Gerrard’s spot-kick and set-piece duties and Raheem Sterling’s budget appeal are likely to be enough for owners to hold for the time being.

BE WARY OF

Man City
The Etihad treatment room may be emptying following untimely injuries to several key players but City’s domestic cup commitments will keep investors away for now. For, whilst their schedule is relatively promising, Manuel Pellegrini’s men have two upcoming blanks to contend with, making their stars expensive benchwarmers. Sergio Aguero is widely expected to return from injury over the next week or two and will be on the radar if he can prove his fitness. Long-term owners of Yaya Toure may grudgingly hold lest they lose out on huge amounts of value but other City assets whose prices have not risen quite so substantially can expect to see sales. After the blanks, though, Pellegrini’s side will have three extra games to play, including one confirmed double Gameweek, a mouth-watering prospect, despite inevitable rotation.

Stoke
Hardly a source of great Fantasy profit this term, few would be considering Stoke players were it not for the fact that they are one of only a few teams with fixtures in both Gameweek 28 and 29. The Potters may have entered a few nervous radars as possible sticking-plasters for thin squads but a quick look at the next two fixtures should inspire caution, at least in the short term. Back-to-back clashes with City and Arsenal suggest that any Charlie Adam-shaped ideas should be exercised at the last minute. However, their excellent fixtures from Gameweek 29 onwards hints that, if he can pick up where he left off against Man United, the Scot might possibly be a worthwhile mid-price differential.

Tottenham
Tim Sherwood’s team are still doing the business, capped emphatically by their recent drubbing of Newcastle at St James’ Park. While they have a nice couple of fixtures up next and an all-important match in Gameweek 29, their appeal is somewhat lessened by the fact that they travel to the Bridge that weekend before squaring up to Arsenal, Southampton and Liverpool. Such fixtures hardly inspire confidence and a common plan for anyone holding born-again Togolese sensation Emmanuel Adebayor will be to get out after the Chelsea game. Their defence has proven more resilient than many expected, with a respectable four clean sheets from the last eight games, but those fixtures don’t look promising and investing at this point looks inadvisable.