Scout Mission – Gameweek 3

As usual, there are plenty of topics on today’s lunchtime menu as we assess the upcoming round of fixtures. The dilemmas up front for City, Arsenal and Swansea are prominent in our thoughts, as are United’s deepening malaise and Liverpool’s response to Monday’s going over at the Etihad.

Pellegrini’s pleasant Jovetic headache…
We’re not sure if City’s manager will be brave enough to partner the in-form Stevan Jovetic with the pure goal power of Sergio Aguero. Can they work as a pairing, or does Edin Dzeko earn his start by default purely because he has the physical presence to lead a Premier League front line? Saturday’s clash with Stoke will tell us more, not only on Jovetic’s ability to maintain his form, but also the likelihood that we’ll see him forge a partnership with Aguero.

Is Costa the new Aguero?
Reports overnight indicated the Chelsea striker could be out for up to six weeks but the club have since stated his problem is merely minor. Costa was hampered with similar hamstring problems towards the tail end of term for Atletico – with two goals in two appearances there’s no doubting his ability but will the rigours of the Premier League take its toll on the Spain international in the same way they have affected Sergio Aguero? A propensity to pick up injuries may well see many turn to Eden Hazard as a safer Chelsea option if Costa is indeed ruled out for any period of time. We eagerly await Jose’s Friday lunchtime press conference.

How bad can it get for United?
It’s uncertain whether Angel di Maria or Marcos Rojo will feature this weekend as both await work permits. The fanfare surrounding the former’s arrival on Tuesday afternoon was quickly quashed by a cup humiliation at MK Dons only hours later but, with United now set to face each of the promoted sides in succession, surely, you’d think, they can start delivering. Morale could barely be lower right now, though, and a stuttering display at Turf Moor on Saturday could be the final straw for many.

Monk’s approach with Gomis straining at the leash…
The Swansea boss is talking up a move to 4-4-2 with Wilfried Bony and Bafetimbi Gomis paired up in what, on paper, looks a all-powerful strike force, capable of skittling the most organised of rearguards. After back-to-back league wins and with Gylfi Sigurdsson proving so effective between the lines in support of a lone striker, dare Monk make that change? A home encounter with West Brom looks the ideal scenario. As we’ve mentioned earlier this week, until Gomis earns starts, he’s always likely to dent Bony’s pitch time and limit the Ivorian’s appeal.

Sunderland’s potential to deliver over their favourable fixtures…
Adam Johnson and Connor Wickham were off the mark in last night’s cup win over Birmingham and with Seb Larsson in fine form in the centre of the park, Gus Poyet’s side are steadily finding their feet. The home draw against United underlined the resilience on offer from the Wearsiders and with Vito Mannone between the sticks, you’d expect the clean sheets to start arriving as Sunderland prepare for a very encouraging run of matches.

The ticking points bomb that is Dusan Tadic…
Having supplied more crossed balls than any other player in the league, Tadic is dominating as a creative force in Southampton’s lineup. The new boy looks to be on the verge of announcing himself as a key Fantasy asset, just as Southampton’s schedule offers up plum home fixtures. We’re looking to see if Tadic can make the difference against West Ham, with Joey O’Brien likely to be in for a testing afternoon against the Tadic/Ryan Bertrand combination on the Saints’ left-flank.

Chelsea’s resilience under fire…
With all due respect to Burnley and Leicester, the weekend trip to Goodison will provide a far sterner test of Jose Mourinho’s back four and offer us further indication on whether they will stand out as the defence to back at all costs. Branislav Ivanovic will come up against Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines in a battle of the heavy-hitter defenders, with the Serb currently surpassing the Toffees duo as the major consideration for those happy to spend on their Fantasy backline. Romelu Lukaku, sore toe and all, will doubtless be stretching every sinew to ensure that Ivanovic fails to add to his clean sheet tally, whilst proving a point to Mourinho in the process. Add a potential debut for Samuel Eto’o into the mix and Saturday’s clash has some classic ingredients.

Liverpool’s reaction to the Etihad humbling…
As Monday night’s loss at City underlined, the Reds are clearly still a work in progress. Brendan Rodgers’ summer spending spree means his side will take time to settle and with Mario Balotelli now added to the mix, there are numerous options vying for our attention as Liverpool gear up for an excellent run of fixtures from Gameweek 4 onwards. A trip to the Lane is no easy task, though, with Spurs yet to concede under Mauricio Pochettino; a poor performance may dissuade many from loading up on the Reds ahead of that schedule.

Chadli’s rise to rival Lamela and Eriksen…
Not once did the Belgian blink on our radars last season after scoring a single goal in his debut year at Tottenham. In his first start for new boss Pochettino, Chadli doubled that haul as Spurs swept aside a beleaguered QPR and his display suggests the role on the left of the attacking midfield three is only his to lose. As yesterday’s Technical Area piece underlined, Chadli’s brace was no fluke and, like Lamela, he seems to be reinvigorated under the new manager – if he can carry that goal threat forward, that 6.0 price tag in FPL will be quick to climb as we look for genuine contenders in the mid-price bracket.

Wenger’s solution to the Giroud gap…
Alexis Sanchez has now started each of the last two matches up front for the Gunners but, as last week’s second-half display at Everton showed, Olivier Giroud’s physical presence can be crucial at times for the Gunners. The Frenchman may be much maligned but there’s no denying he made the difference for Arsene Wenger’s side last weekend and with fit-again duo Lukas Podolski and Yaya Sanogo offering more robust options than Sanchez, the starting XI at Leicester will be intriguing. If the Chilean nails down the central role and kicks on from his midweek winner over Besiktas, his out of position appeal is bound to bring back the investors, with Giroud stuck on the sidelines for up to four months.