Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 32 – The Strong

Still in the midst of the double-Gameweek maelstrom, we pop our heads above the trenches for a glance at the fixtures heading our way. Despite the lack of a double, Chelsea’s schedule over the next four to six Gameweeks looks particularly favourable, whilst both Manchester sides and a couple of relegation candidates also have reason for optimism:

Chelsea

A powerhouse performance, putting a severe dent in Arsenal’s title hopes, made a mockery of their manager’s insistence that Chelsea are no more than “little horses” in the title race. Their run-in now contains only Liverpool from the top nine teams, giving the Blues a gilt-edged platform for glory and handing Fantasy managers that most sought-after of combinations: form and fixtures. Home games against Stoke, Sunderland and Norwich in the next six promise an abundance of Fantasy points, as do trips to Crystal Palace and Swansea.

A clean sheet against Arsenal was their tenth in 15 games, reiterating the case for Chelsea’s costly backline – Petr Cech looks the only exception amongst a group of rearguard regulars who more than justify their price tags. In midfield, Eden Hazard scored his fourteenth of the season to ensure he remains top dog in the Chelsea midfield, though Oscar’s brace hinted at a possible return to his early-season form. Up top, Samuel Eto’o’s hamstring injury hands Fernando Torres some added game time but, whilst Demba Ba’s prospect of significant minutes looks remote, few will be willing to hand a precious slot in our three-man frontlines to any of Mourinho’s strikers.

Cardiff

Well beaten by Liverpool, Ole Gunnar Solksjær’s side nevertheless gave a decent account of themselves and should take some confidence into their relegation battle. The Bluebirds have a generous set of fixtures to help them out, with home games against Crystal Palace and Stoke in the next four as well as trips to West Brom and Sunderland in the upcoming six.

It looks increasingly as though fears over the influence of Solskjær’s attack-minded style on his defence were well founded – a single clean sheet from 11 games in charge casts doubt over even the most generously priced of defensive assets. However, in midfield, Jordan Mutch has announced himself as a serious budget enabler with his second double-figure haul in three games to steal the limelight from the injured Craig Noone. Up front, Fraizer Campbell’s goal and assist against the Reds repaid his manager’s faith and suggests he could be the most unlikely of differentials.

Stoke City

Football fans could be forgiven for double-checking which team they were watching on Sunday, as Mark Hughes’ side uncharacteristically out-passed, out-gunned and out-played Aston Villa in an emphatic 4-1 away win. Hughes has spent the season gradually converting Stoke’s style of play and they are now starting to serve up the results to match their aesthetically pleasing performances.

The Potters now have three decent-looking home games in the next six (HUL, NEW, FUL) as well a trip to Cardiff, though games against Tottenham and Chelsea are slightly troubling. Fuelled by this new found form, Fantasy managers could find profit in these fixtures.
At the back, Stoke have mustered just one clean sheet in 10 but have conceded more than a single goal just once over that run – these fixtures could convert that resilience into Fantasy points, bringing Marc Wilson onto our radars. Erik Pieters offers added attacking potential but was substituted early with a knock in the Aston Villa game and may face some time on the treatment table.

In midfield, Charlie Adam is available again following suspension and will be hoping to replicate his heroics against United in the coming weeks. Austrian firecracker Marko Arnautovic has also been upping his game recently and presents a kindly priced differential; his early-season bandwagon never got out of the garage but he may yet deliver this time round. And the evergreen Peter Crouch scored his seventh goal of the season, though his consistent lack of explosive potential will not be convincing many managers to jump on board. Peter Odemwingie has also impressed, with four goals in his last six, though a role on the right somewhat dents the 5.4-priced forward’s appeal.

Norwich

A crucial win over Sunderland helped to steady the ship as Norwich do all they can to rack up the points before facing a horrendous run-in. With the schedule taking a real turn for the worse from Gameweek 35, Chris Hughton will be looking to steer his side to safety as quickly as possible and trips to Swansea and Fulham either side of a home game with West Brom could be profitable for the Canaries and Fantasy managers alike.

Another home clean sheet ensures that Martin Olsson remains high on our Watchlist, while Robert Snodgrass has scored or assisted in four of his last five games – he’s clearly essential to the Canaries’ survival and is a snip at just 5.9 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game. Sadly, it’s hard to recommend any of the Norwich strikers, who just aren’t finding their feet right now as their manager continues to rotate.

ALSO CONSIDER

Man City
Normal service was resumed at the Etihad with a comprehensive thumping of Fulham. With no other competitions to distract them and two double Gameweeks yet to follow, only trips to Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton dampen the appeal of Manuel Pellegrini’s side. Yaya Toure’s hat-trick continued his incredible season, while David Silva and Samir Nasri served up an assist apiece. In defence, Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany and Martin Demichelis all look assured of their starts. Buying into the Blues attack looks a little fraught right now though, with Sergio Aguero still sidelined and Alvaro Negredo out of form, though Edin Dzeko is back in contention for this evening’s trip to Old Trafford after recovering from illness.

Man United
With two good wins on the trot following their setback against Liverpool, David Moyes seems confident of finishing the season on a better note. Fixtures are largely on his side too, with the next six including home games against Aston Villa, Norwich, Sunderland and Hull (the latter two comprising a double Gameweek). Only a blank in Gameweek 34 gives pause for thought. Such fixtures bring a strong United backline into consideration, although injury and rotation has blighted the options lately – even the normally reliable Patrice Evra was rested for the West Ham game as Moyes has one eye on Champions League duties. In midfield, Juan Mata is struggling to justify his price-tag, though with Robin van Persie injured, he looks in pole position to continue behind Wayne Rooney – the latter’s weekend double suggests he could be set for a prosperous end to the campaign, with four goals in his last three appearances.

Tottenham
Having clawed back a two-goal deficit to win against Southampton, the north London side showed plenty of the gumption that Tim Sherwood had been calling for. A weekend trip to Liverpool will be a stern test of character but their final six games could scarcely be kinder, suggesting a flourish to the end of Spurs’ season that could be profitable for Fantasy managers. Christian Eriksen was the star of the show last weekend, delivering an 18-point livewire performance that will surely keep him in the starting XI and, at a mere 6.5 in FPL, firmly on our radars at a time when injuries seem to be taking their toll on Emmanuel Adebayor. Younes Kaboul kept his starting berth against the Saints despite Michael Dawson’s return from injury – if the Frenchman can nail down a spot alongside Jan Vertonghen, a price of 4.6 may yet turn heads for those who feel Spurs can serve up the defensive returns over those final few fixtures.