This Much We Know – Gameweek 35

We’ve plenty to mull over in this week’s Monday lunchtime regular. The return of Arsenal’s talismanic Welshman, Liverpool’s young wide man, the worrying form of United ahead of the double Gameweek, Sunderland’s stunning turnaround in fortunes and Everton’s full-backs are amongst today’s topics:

Defences are struggling to cope with Sterling…
Never mind the SAS. Regardless of Steven Gerrard’s potential from the spot and dead-ball situations, Sterling’s price, current form and potential to explode points makes him the midfield option in Liverpool’s title chasing side right now. Jordan Henderson’s suspension has allayed any fears of rotation, and whilst many were expecting another huge points haul from Luis Suarez at Carrow Road, it was Sterling who destroyed the Canaries’ backline to serve up an 18-point return – his highest of the season – ahead of next weekend’s crucial home clash with Chelsea.

Caution is required with the United assets…
After yesterday’s showing at Goodison, can we really invest heavily in David Moyes’ ailing side for the Gameweek 37 double? A disappointing display at both ends of the pitch gave us little reason for optimism and next week’s opponents Norwich will be not only buoyed by their second-half fightback against Liverpool, they’ll also take comfort in a home record which has seen United win one of their last four at Old Trafford and seven times all season. There’s also uncertainty at the back – are Jonny Evans and Alexander Buttner now double Gameweek options as Moyes attempts to plan for next season? Up front, the stats make for grim reading – in their last two matches, United have taken over 11 minutes to fire in an effort on goal – both Sunderland and Crystal Palace have surpassed that.

And with Hull and Villa….
A couple of months back, Villa looked clear of danger but have been dragged back into the mire after a series of poor results. Paul Lambert’s side have beaten the likes of Arsenal, City and Chelsea and are the last team to leave Anfield with any points, yet still teeter just five points clear of the drop zone. With Christian Benteke sidelined for a number of months, few will be willing to gamble on Villa for the run-in – take away the 4-1 win over Norwich in Gameweek 28 and they’ve scored a total of four times in nine of the last 10 matches. Steve Bruce’s charges are equally unconvincing. One goal in the last three and a trio of defeats in four suggest the Tigers have one eye on the upcoming FA Cup Final – with three successive road trips prior to a home game with Everton on the final day of the season, they’ve done little to persuade us they may be worth our attention for the double.

But Sunderland sources could yet prove fruitful…
The performances at the Etihad and Stamford Bridge suggest we could well see the Black Cats emerge as a strong source of points from back to front in the remaining Gameweeks. Gus Poyet’s side looked dead and buried this time last week, but a draw at City followed by their shock win against Jose Mourinho’s men set them up nicely ahead of a run of three Stadium of Light fixtures in the final three Gameweeks, with the attacking endeavours of Connor Wickham, Fabio Borini and Adam Johnson looking just as crucial as Vito Mannone’s heroics in goal.

Ramsey’s stock has gone full circle…
The Welshman is now firmly back on the radar after a superb performance in yesterday’s hammering of Hull. Ramsey’s goal and pair of assists have already earned him a price rise, and with back-to-back home games against West Brom and Newcastle preceding a trip to Norwich, Arsenal’s fixtures suggest his double-figure return at the KC may not be his last before the season draws to a close.

Eriksen is deadly from the deadball…
The Dane’s two assists against Fulham underlined his ability to deliver from set-pieces. While Fulham were abject in their defending, Eriksen’s whipped crosses proved unplayable and are an effective weapon in his armoury as a Fantasy asset. With four goals, five assists and 11 bonus points in his last five appearances, his end-of-season form has been outstanding and underlines just how crucial he will be to our Fantasy plans next term – providing Spurs can retain his services.

Bony will be another “most wanted”….
The Swansea striker took his season tally to 14 for the season as it becomes increasingly clear that he will emerge as a key mid-price asset next term. There’s little doubt that we’ll see a price hike for the Swansea man, but,should his value hover around the 9.0 mark, there’s little doubt that he’ll be of major interest – particularly with the likes of Jay Rodriguez sidelined for up to six months and Romelu Lukaku potentially linked with a move overseas.

The Baines and Coleman Debate Will Rage On…
Both Everton full-backs served up double-figure returns in yesterday’s win over United, with Baines looking to chase down his team-mate at the top of the defender standings after a strong last few Gameweeks. Coleman sits first for defenders on 174 points – a tally beaten by only three midfielders – whilst Baines’ 158 points, third amongst defenders, would be enough to earn him fifth in the midfield rankings. Certainly, a price hike for Coleman looks on the cards next term, but if the Toffees can clinch European football for 2014/15, Roberto Martinez’ midfield rotation may well persuade us to keep him and Baines on our radars. The arguments for both are more than valid – Baines continues to benefit from spot-kicks and set-pieces, yet Coleman’s consistent ability to deliver from open play means he is now just four points away from equalling his team-mate’s best-ever Fantasy haul with three matches remaining.