This Much We Know – Gameweek 34

We cast an eye over the weekend’s matches and analyse the lessons learned in our usual Monday lunchtime regular. A number of midfielders are on the radar as injuries threaten to derail two of the most popular options, whilst we already have one eye on the future as the end-of season form helps forge our targets for next term:

Rodallega’s Goals Could Save the Cottagers….
Back-to-back wins over Villa and Norwich suggest Fulham have the stomach for a scrap. The Cottagers are now just two points from safety, with Felix Magath’s decision to hand the Colombian a first-team recall looking a masterstroke. Rodallega has been here before, helping fire Wigan to safety a couple of seasons ago, and whilst rivals struggle to string together the results, the former Latics hitman has fired the winner in each of the last two. With Hull and Palace yet to visit the Cottage, his experience in scrapping for survival looks vital to the London side and potentially hands Fantasy managers a real cut-price option at just 5.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

Salah Shaping Up to be a Real Differential…
Chelsea’s progress in the Champions League is proving beneficial to the young Egyptian for the run-in. Ineligible for European duties, Salah is the only attacking midfielder to play 90 minutes in each of the last two league games as Jose Mourinho shuffles his pack to fight for silverware on two fronts. The Blues boss is clearly taking no chances with Eden Hazard’s calf complaint, allowing Salah – priced at just 5.5 in FPL and owned by 0.4% – the prospect of further game time ahead of home clashes against Sunderland and Norwich in the next three. Having racked up 14 points in his first start at the Bridge, he looks in line for a bandwagon as we look for midfield alternatives.

Stoke Are a Flourishing Force Under Hughes…
Perhaps it’s force of habit, something left over from the Tony Pulis era. Typically at this time of the season, the Potters are still scrapping to pick up the points that would ensure safety – this time around, Mark Hughes’ side may have already clinched survival but they are showing no signs of letting up. A win over Newcastle took their recent record to five wins and a draw in the last seven – compare that to Southampton and the Magpies, two sides in a similar situation, with three and four losses in the last four respectively, and it’s obvious that Hughes’ side are made of sterner stuff. A single goal conceded in the last four at the Britannia will have Fantasy managers eyeing up Stoke’s defensive assets next term, providing they are priced a little kinder.

Pulis’ Eagles Flying High…
A third successive win brought Palace onto 37 points as Tony Pulis’ side edge closer to a great escape. After their first ten fixtures, the Eagles looked dead and buried – three points and no clean sheets ensured they were far from Fantasy teams but the subsequent turnaround, based on a solid defence, will ensure they are another side on our radars next time around. From Gameweek 11 onwards, Palace are second only to Chelsea for goals against (18) and clean sheets (11) and with just a single goals conceded in the last five, survival now looks a mere formality.

Eriksen Is Playing His Way into Next Season’s Squads…
Under Andre Villas-Boas, the Dane looked a disastrous purchase and delivered just a single assist before Tim Sherwood was installed at the helm back in mid-December. A four-match first-team omission over February and March aside, Eriksen has served up a series of devastating displays for the north London club – seven goals, six assists and 16 bonus points in 14 appearances, or an average of 6.8 points per game (greater than any midfielder over the season) since the new manager took charge highlights his potential. Eriksen started off the season at 8.0 in FPL – a similar price next term will surely see him become a staple in many squads.

Silva Looks the Likely Yaya Solution..
The Ivorian’s owners won’t need to look far for a replacement if he’s ruled out with injury. As City anxiously await news on the groin problem that forced Toure off during yesterday’s defeat at Liverpool, David Silva turned in yet another superb performance in the role in “the hole” to offer the obvious alternative for the run-in. The little Spaniard’s goal and assist in the narrow loss took his tally to three strikes, four assists and 10 bonus points in the last six matches – finally delivering the Fantasy points to back up his underlying statistics. Any period of absence for Toure looks likely to end Silva’s differential appeal – currently sitting in 12% of teams compared to his team-mate’s 47%, he’ll be earmarked as the obvious trade by many ahead of City’s favourable last few Gameweeks.

Saints Need a Rodriguez Alternative…
A home game against struggling Cardiff seemed an easy win for Mauricio Pochettino’s side as they looked to recover from the loss of their top scorer to injury. Whilst David Marshall has to take credit for an inspired display between the posts for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, Rodriguez’ goal threat was clearly an issue for the Saints – despite 68% possession and 19 efforts, they lacked the cutting edge afforded by the former Burnley man. Given that Rodriguez will miss the first few months of next term, Southampton need to go shopping in the summer, as Pochettino looks for a replacement for his 15-goal hero.

Rodgers May Need to Reshuffle…
With Jordan Henderson set for a three-match suspension and Daniel Sturridge forced off due to a hamstring problem, Liverpool’s win over City didn’t come without its problems. The only outfield player to start every game for the Merseysiders this term, Henderson’s loss, whilst crucial, could be lessened by the introduction of Joe Allen or Lucas to the centre of midfield. If Sturridge is also ruled out, though, Brendan Rodgers faces a real dilemma – by retaining the midfield diamond, he would need to find a partner for Luis Suarez up front, whilst a switch to 4-3-3, with Philippe Coutinho remaining deeper, could bring another wide man into contention. Iago Aspas and Victor Moses have been peripheral figures up until now, but depending on Sturridge’s prognosis, they may yet have a part to play.