Scout Notes – Gameweek 34 – Wednesday

Jason Puncheon grabs a goal and assist as Palace secure their top-flight survival with a stunning win at Everton. Romelu Lukaku serves up another blank as Steven Naismith and Kevin Mirallas net the Toffees’ goals. David Silva fails to make the City squad due to an ankle problem as Sergio Aguero delivers an assist upon his first start in four months, whilst Connor Wickham is at the double for Sunderland:

Puncheon the Double Gameweek Star
Whilst Crystal Palace’s run of shut outs came to an end last night, the goal-scoring streak of Jason Puncheon hurtled on. The winger immediately repaid the faith of the 95,000+ Fantasy managers who transferred him in ahead of the double Gameweek by notching a winning goal on Saturday, and followed that up against Everton with yet another strike and an assist to match. With maximum bonus points also secured in both fixtures, Puncheon returned a whopping 23-point haul, making the 5.2 priced wide man the stand-out player amidst the double Gameweek options. With four goals in his last three games, Puncheon’s form shows no sign of abating ahead of Tony Pulis’ on-song side’s trip to Upton Park at the weekend, although subsequent home games against title chasing Man City and Liverpool will have non-owners wondering whether they’ve missed the boat for his acquisition.

Consecutive Blanks for Lukaku
Top of last week’s Captain Poll, the Belgian’s owners were desperate for the striker to produce against Palace last night, having blanked at Sunderland on Saturday. However, it proved another frustrating 90 minutes – especially for those who handed Lukaku the armband – as it was left to Kevin Mirallas and Steven Naismith to grab the goals for the Toffees. His owners will still be hopeful that the Belgian can rediscover the form that accrued two double-figure hauls in Gameweeks 31 and 33 before the season draws to a close, but with a tough fixture list to see out the remainder of the season (MNU, sou, MCI, hul), some may be tempted to part company with the inconsistent Everton frontman.

Aguero Back in the Starting Line-Up
The Argentinian’s first start since Gameweek 23 brought with it a spirited performance and an assist for his side’s first goal, offering Fantasy managers a timely reminder of the impact Aguero could yet have in the remainder of the campaign. Withdrawn before the hour mark, the striker’s game time is still clearly being monitored by his manager, but it would be fair to say that if the City man – who has scored 15 and assisted 10 goals in just over 1,200 minutes of Premier League football this season – is firing on all cylinders, he doesn’t need long to influence a game. And with a double Gameweek still to come for City, the 12.2-priced Aguero’s return to fitness may indeed still change the course of many a manager’s season.

Silva Concern for City
With Yaya Toure ruled out for a fortnight, his team-mate has been the default replacement for many after racking up three goals and four assists in his previous six matches. Over 75,000 have already acquired Silva this week but his omission from the matchday squad last night is a real worry, at a time where the likes of Eden Hazard is also a concern for Chelsea’s home encounter with Sunderland. After the game, Pellegrini admitted

“David Silva has a problem with his ankle which he has had for the past two games. He couldn’t play today following the game on Sunday with only four days to recover. We will see how he is for Monday’s game.”

Certainly, with another few days until City welcome West Brom to the Etihad in the final match of Gameweek 35, Silva’s chances of recovery look good. His manager’s words are somewhat concerning, though, bearing in mind City still have a double Gameweek 37 to play – there’s a possibility the little Spaniard may not play twice that week if last night’s selection is anything to go by, though if the title race goes to the wire, Pellegrini may have to risk Silva, given his side’s toils in last night’s encounter. Samir Nasri notched for the second time in the last three to suggest he could be a safer City alternative if Toure and Silva remain bothered by injury.

Wickham on the Radar as City’s Defensive Fragility Continues
It’s no clean sheet in four games now for City’s rearguard, as Connor Wickham’s two quickfire goals ensured their poor defensive form continued. Five consecutive shut outs between Gameweeks 25-31 saw plenty of investment in City’s backline ahead of their late-season doubles, but Fantasy managers have been left disappointed as the likes of Pablo Zabaleta and Vincent Kompany have not only failed to keep out their opponents, but also been unable to compensate with attacking returns at the other end of the pitch. With another double Gameweek yet to be played, owners of City’s defensive assets are unlikely to sell up now, though the current form of Chelsea’s rearguard certainly offers a source of temptation.

With Steven Fletcher still injured and Jozy Altidore out of favour, Wickham’s prospects of retaining his starting berth for the run-in look likely after last night’s brace. Gus Poyet’s decision to revert to a lone striker system last weekend has benefitted the youngster and, at just 4.6, he may just tempt those Fantasy managers who are looking to free up cash for more midfield big-hitters. Few will touch the Black Cats’ assets for this week’s trip to Chelsea but with a home match in each of the last three Gameweeks, Gus Poyet’s side are still on the radar.