Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 32 – The Weak

Yesterday we took a look at the teams with Strong schedules to follow over the next four-to-six Gameweeks. Today we take a look at the flipside of the coin, as West Ham, Hull City, and a couple of the current top four prepare for testing times ahead over the short-term:

West Ham

The Hammers host Hull tonight on the back of three straight losses and will be desperate for a turnaround in fortunes as they attempt to scramble to safety. Those four straight wins in February are already a distant memory and one look at the upcoming schedule suggests Big Sam will be preparing to batten down the hatches.

Up next is a trip to Wearside which is winnable enough but the five games following that include Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham. Granted, they do have a home game against Crystal Palace and a trip to West Brom, suggesting that holding defensive assets such as Adrian or Guy Demel for rotation purposes could be a viable tactic. The centre-back pairing is a little up in the air, though, and these fixtures may be the last straw for nervous owners of James Collins or Winston Reid. Attacking partnership Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll may also find Fantasy points hard to come by and are likely to lose owners over the next few weeks.

Hull City

Another solid home victory and clean sheet for Steve Bruce’s team last weekend boosted the points hauls of budget backline options such as James Chester and Curtis Davies. Their owners may find themselves looking to bench the duo soon, though, as the fixtures turn a little sour before picking up again in the final few weeks of the season. A trip to in-form Stoke, a blank Gameweek 34 and a home tie against Arsenal in the next four are only slightly compensated by the upcoming trip of Swansea. Buying into Hull players looks a little ill-advised right now, then –Nikica Jelavic seemed a decent shout for this week’s double and with another pair of fixtures in Gameweek 37, could yet come into consideration as a mid-priced option up top.

Crystal Palace

Another team with a double Gameweek that doesn’t quite compensate for the fixtures. Tony Pulis’ side have picked up just two points from their last five and, with a single goal scored over that run, find themselves firmly back in the relegation dog-fight. A failure to improve their away form leaves the Eagles needing to harvest some points from barren-looking ground if they’re to survive a season in the Premier League for the first time. Owners of Joel Ward and Julian Speroni may be minded to hold on as budget bench fillers, especially with their double Gameweek 34 in mind (home to Aston Villa and away to Everton) but investing in their attack looks a futile tactic.

BE WARY OF

Liverpool
Brendan Rodgers’ outfit are in sumptuous form right now and, having scored at least three times in each of their last five matches, have laid down a legitimate stake as title contenders. Home games against rivals Man City and Chelsea will test those credentials to the full, though the weekend visit of Tottenham will hold little fear for the Merseysiders, bearing in mind they’ve already put five past the north London outfit in their own back yard. Trips to West Ham and Norwich have posed problems for many other sides this season and though Luis Suarez owners will be licking their lips at the prospect of another haul against the Canaries, the schedule is enough to suggest that loading up on Liverpool’s attack may come with some risk attached.

Sunderland
One point and a single goal from their last four fixtures is indicative of the Wearsiders’ recent malaise. After a series of spirited showings, Gus Poyet’s side have taken a step backwards and they will need to quickly rediscover their appetite for a scrap if they are to remain in the top-flight. Despite two double Gameweeks to come, Sunderland’s fixtures look anything but prosperous – showdowns against Tottenham, Everton, Man City, Chelsea and Man United suggest that owners of Vito Mannone may be more reliant on save points than clean sheets whilst Adam Johnson, so disappointing for Fantasy investors since his purple patch back in January, has his work cut out to atone for his sins. Three favourable home matches in the final three Gameweeks, including a double in the penultimate round of matches, will bring them back onto our radars late next month.

Arsenal
A home draw with lowly Swansea, on the back of their drubbing at the Bridge, puts the Gunners’ Champions League qualification bid in jeopardy. Arsene Wenger’s side will need to dig deep to rescue dignity from disgrace over the next two crucial fixtures – Man City at home and away to Everton. The fixtures following that are much kinder but right now, buying into the Gunners doesn’t look an appealing prospect at either end of the park. With Laurent Koscielny’s injury dismantling the effective partnership with Per Mertesacker at the heart of defence, none of the Arsenal backline looks good for these games. In midfield, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tomas Rosicky briefly offered hope and whilst Olivier Giroud scored again to suggest a glimpse of form, it may be better to wait until the fixtures clear for a great run-in before investing.