Having analysed those sides with Strong fixtures yesterday, the second half of our weekly guide concentrates on the teams with poor schedules to come in the next four to six Gameweeks. We see warning signs for a couple of north London teams, whilst the out-of-sorts Bluebirds look poised for further problems ahead:
Arsenal
Responding in the best possible way to a disappointing Champions League defeat, Arsene Wenger’s team crushed Sunderland to maintain their league momentum. They’ll need it, though, as they’re staring down the barrel of a ghastly fixture list that looks set to test them to the limit. A visit to Stoke ought to be routine enough but a blank Gameweek follows and precedes three road trips to Tottenham, Everton and Chelsea plus a home game against City.
With 11 clean sheets in the last 19 games, Arsenal’s defensive assets have been hugely lucrative for Fantasy managers but this schedule suggests a more fallow spell to come. With under-fire Mesut Özil missing the Sunderland win with a thigh problem, the Fantasy influence of the Gunners’ midfield looks unlikely to head anywhere but downwards over these fixtures. Olivier Giroud, on the other hand, may present a dilemma, as his brace made it five goals in nine games but with double Gameweek assets pressing for attention, these fixtures could make the decision for many managers. On the plus side, the expected return of Aaron Ramsey will arrive in the middle of the poor fixtures, affording managers a chance to assess his form before the schedule turns better for Arsenal’s run-in.
Tottenham
A blip against the resilient home form of Norwich is hardly reason to write off Spurs; they’re still in fine form and they do have a Gameweek 29 fixture. However, following this week’s visit of Cardiff, they face Chelsea, Arsenal, Southampton and Liverpool in the following four – fixtures that could see their bid for a Champions League place falter and, accordingly, the output of their Fantasy assets could suffer.
Although they’ve kept a few more clean sheets than expected, ownership of the likes of Michael Dawson and Kyle Walker has been steadily sinking and the trend is likely to continue given these fixtures. Christian Eriksen’s sudden fall from grace has been an unpleasant surprise for his owners, bringing Paulinho, with two goals in the last four, onto our short-term radars. The prodigious goalscoring talent of Emmanuel Adebayor, on the other hand, is more of a conundrum. Touted as a Captaincy candidate this week against a defensively frail Cardiff, and likely to be kept by many for his Gameweek 29 fixture, his future beyond that looks uncertain in many teams as double Gameweek options are weighed up against his tricky fixture list.
Cardiff
Ole Gunnar Solksjær finds himself in an unenviable position now. Having failed to make the most of a kind fixture list, most notably conceding seven goals without answer to Swansea and Hull, the Bluebirds face a tricky set of short term fixtures. Trips to Tottenham and Everton plus the visit of Liverpool, all in the next four, mean that it’s hard to see Cardiff climbing to safety anytime soon. They do have a nice Gameweek 29 clash against fellow strugglers Fulham but the combination of their terrible form and the other fixtures is enough of a deterrent.
The budget defender spot has been infuriating for managers since Solksjær arrived. Mark Hudson, Ben Turner and Juan Cala have all taken it in turn to partner Steven Caulker but a complete lack of resilience will ensure many steer clear. In midfield, Craig Noone’s performances have been impressing Fantasy managers enough to warrant a place in many teams but these fixtures may make new investors think twice. The Cardiff strike force has been a no-go area for the majority of the season anyway and these fixtures simply hammer another nail in the coffin.
BE WARY OF
Man City
Stuck in a miserable patch of dubious form with one goal in three games, Manuel Pellegrini may be grateful of a two week break from the Premier League as he looks to get his team back on track. For Fantasy managers, the two blank weeks are an obstacle to be navigated before deciding how to handle City’s double Gameweek 31. From Gameweek 30, they face Hull away, Fulham at home, and also travel to United and Arsenal; fixtures that suggest that going all in on City’s expensive talents might possibly be over-egging the pudding, especially given their simultaneous involvement in three other competitions. Elimination from the Champions League and further confirmation of their two remaining doubles will have a major say in our planning.
West Ham
Another team with a double Gameweek 31 nestled irritatingly within a patch of middling fixtures. Certainly, the Hammers have turned around their form after flirting with the drop zone but their Fantasy value going forward may be open to question, as aside from an appealing double Gameweek consisting of two home games, it would be hard to point to a fixture in the next six weeks that looks ripe for Fantasy profit. Their other four matches are away to Everton, Stoke and Sunderland, with a single home game against Liverpool. The likes of Adrian and Kevin Nolan, so profitable in recent weeks, will come under scrutiny. Perhaps hold but don’t buy might be the sage counsel where they’re concerned.
West Brom
As rumours of camp discontent circulate, the last thing the Baggies need is disunity in the face of a difficult schedule. After a blank Gameweek 28, Pepe Mel has his work cut out to keep his team out of the relegation zone as United roll up to The Hawthorns before his side travel to a revitalised Swansea and the ever-stubborn Hull. Victor Anichebe has had a hand in all of West Brom’s last four goals but a combination of insipid team form and these fixtures ought to persuade against investment for now.
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