The Digest – Gameweek 1

Our final look at the opening Gameweek of the season casts an eye over Chelsea’s attacking impetus after last night’s demolition of Burnley. Swansea’s in-form playmaker is much in-demand as the fixtures turn kind whilst United’s dismal opening day defeat has already sparked an exodus as Fantasy managers take stock.

The Player

Gylfi Sigurdsson spoiled the opening day party at Old Trafford to spark the first major bandwagon of the 2014/15 campaign. Prior to the United clash, we were concerned over a move to the right flank in Swansea’s final friendly, whilst the form of Bojan Krkic had many eyeing up a home/away rotation pairing to avoid the so-called tougher fixtures.

Sigurdsson’s goal and assist, allied with maximum bonus, underlines just how deadly he can be when fielded in his preferred position. Having struggled to find his form at Spurs, a return to the Liberty – where he averaged 5.7 points per game for the Swans in 2011/12 – has immediately reinvigorated his Fantasy prospects.

Moving up to 6.1 in price in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, Sigurdsson is poised to rise again before the weekend deadline arrives, but even then, that cost looks a bargain when you analyse his fixtures. Buoyed by their 2-1 triumph against United, Garry Monk’s side now face four home showdowns in the next six Gameweeks, as Burnley, West Brom, Southampton and Newcastle all roll up to the Liberty, and with a trip to Sunderland also included in that run, it’ll take nerves of steel to turn our backs on the playmaker right now.

The Team

Last season, Chelsea’s problems in the final third cost them dearly. Jose Mourinho’s side finished just four points behind champions City despite scoring over 30 goals fewer than their title rivals but last night’s display at Burnley suggests the Blues’ summer signings could be the final pieces of the jigsaw.

With Cesc Fabregas dictating play in the centre of the park and Diego Costa’s predatory instincts already in evidence, Chelsea were in cruise control despite an ineffectual display from Eden Hazard. Mourinho’s decision to hand Andre Schurrle the right-wing berth also paid off as the German slotted home an outstanding team goal – as we mentioned in this morning’s Scout Notes, Schurrle, at 7.5, had a better minutes-per-goal record than any team-mate last term, and if he can steer clear of his manager’s rotation, seems an enticing midfield prospect.

The form of their attackers is likely to keep the spotlight away from Mourinho’s backline right now. A defence that delivered 18 shut-outs in the season gone by looks primed for investment, but the arrival of Filipe Luis places question marks over the likelihood of rotation at the back. For now, home clashes with Leicester, Swansea and Villa in the next five Gameweeks should keep the focus on Fabregas and co further up the field whilst we look for signs of consistency of selection amongst Mourinho’s illustrious backline.

The Talking Point

You can’t say he didn’t warn us. Swansea’s win over United may have caused shock waves around the Premier League but it was perhaps no real surprise to Louis van Gaal – only last month the Dutchman admitted that “every club where I have been, I’ve struggled for the first three months”.

United were heavily backed across the Fantasy games heading into the opener with the Swans after a 100% record over the summer, including a 3-1 win over Liverpool. With injuries hitting hard, though, Van Gaal’s patched-up first-team look far from the finished product and Fantasy managers are already having second thoughts. Juan Mata is second only to the injured Ross Barkley for transfers out this week, with many trading out the Spaniard after a number of similarly priced alternatives such as the afore-mentioned Fabregas, Aaron Ramsey, Raheem Sterling and David Silva all delivered.

With Wayne Rooney residing in almost 50% of teams, it’s perhaps understandable that a double-up doesn’t appeal to many, though the fixtures are still very much in United’s favour. Van Gaal’s team face just one of last term’s top eight in the next seven matches but, as Saturday’s stumble suggests, they are struggling for the form to take advantage of such a run.

A change of formation during the Swansea defeat also indicates Van Gaal is still far from certain over his options at the moment, and with less than two weeks until the transfer deadline, the Red Devils boss is apparently set to invest heavily in alternatives to his current crop. Another couple of performances like last weekend’s and the same could easily be said for Fantasy managers.