Scout Mission – Gameweek 5

As always, there are plenty of situations for us to monitor for the upcoming Gameweek. This week’s Scout Mission has an eye on the form of Arsenal’s new frontman, Tottenham’s midfield, Louis van Gaal’s frontline options and the battle of the mid-price prospects as Swansea and Southampton go head-to-head at the Liberty.

Welbeck vs the Villa defence…
As strange as it may seem, Fantasy managers will be eyeing up both the Arsenal striker and Villa’s defensive assets ahead of the encounter at Villa Park. Should we see a second consecutive blank for Welbeck, those Fantasy managers who swooped early for the Gunners’ deadline day signing may begin to question his acquisition – all the more so if fellow mid-price forward Graziano Pelle can deliver once again at the weekend. Meanwhile, should Paul Lambert’s side manage another unlikely shut-out against a big side, investment in Alan Hutton will surely be on the up – the full back has already risen to a price of 4.1 this season but still looks excellent value for a guaranteed starter in a rearguard with just a single goal conceded thus far.

Burnley’s opportunity to convince…
Sean Dyche’s men have, up until this point, suggested that they can live at this level, but Saturday’s meeting with Sunderland is the first time they will have faced opponents at Turf Moor that give them the opportunity for three points. Clean sheets in their previous two matches have ensured that The Clarets’ budget defensive options are receiving plenty of interest right now, and this weekend’s encounter could see Michael Duff continue his rise to prominence, as well as offer Kieran Tripper the opportunity to show his potential. However, the Black Cats fixture may also be the first time Burnley’s attacking targets creep on to our radars – Scott Arfield will be hoping to add to his opening weekend goal against Chelsea, whilst the 4.9 priced Lukas Jutkiewicz will need to step up in the absence of fellow forward Danny Ings.

The mid-price showdown at the Liberty…
Two attractive and flourishing teams collide in South Wales, as Garry Monk’s Swansea host Ronald Koeman’s on-song Southampton. A host of mid-price talent is set to be on show, then, with the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dusan Tadic expected to pull the strings in midfield, whilst Graziano Pelle’s growing band of owners will be optimistic that the Italian striker can add to his tally of three goals in his past two appearances. Early form would indicate that the Swans are favourites in Saturday afternoon’s clash, but with seven goals scored and only one conceded in their past two fixtures, Southampton are rapidly emerging as the team to back. The Saints also boast an obliging run of opponents to come after this weekend (QPR, tot, SUN, STO, hul, LEI), and another impressive showing against the Swans would see their assets begin to scale the summit of our Watchlist for Gameweek 6.

Downing vs Sterling…
No really. It may seem a mismatch, but West Ham have played their best football through Stewart Downing so far this campaign. The 5.5-priced midfielder has already accrued 22 points, and is currently rivaling some of the more fancied Fantasy talent in terms of goal threat and creativity thus far. One such player would of course be Raheem Sterling, whose ownership outweighs Downing’s by a whopping 44%, and the youngster looks poised for a return to the starting XI for Saturday evening’s encounter after finding himself on the bench in Liverpool’s loss the Villa last time out. We’ll certainly be watching carefully to see how these two match up, and whether Downing can continue to thrive as a differential in the Hammers’ more enterprising lineup.

More answers from United…
The QPR victory was a showcase but, such was the fragility of the opponent, we didn’t really see Louis Van Gaal’s new United side stretched. The visit to Leicester certainly will, however, with the Foxes having already chalked up two wins and a draw despite their tough opening schedule. Fantasy managers will be offered the chance to further assess Juan Mata’s role in midfield and how Radamel Falcao will be squeezed into the lineup, whilst another impactful display from Ander Herrera and Angel Di Maria will ensure their popularity continues to mount. Meanwhile, in defence, questions marks still remain over whether Van Gaal will be able to switch to three at the back again – Luke Shaw had a 45-minute run out for United’s Under-21 side on Monday night, and could conceivably be handed the left wing back role on Sunday afternoon, allowing Marcus Rojo, Jonny Evans and Tyler Blackett to fill the central berths should their manager switch formation.

Chadli’s challenge to see off Eriksen and Lamela…
Nacer Chadli is offering outstanding value for his 6.1 price tag right now and, having scored three times and fired more close-range attempts than any midfielder, the upturn in interest is understandable. Christian Eriksen’s role as the middle man in the attacking midfield three looks promising, though – after grabbing his first goal of the campaign in Gameweek 4, the Dane’s form is starting to pick up and with a chance created every 37.1 minutes this season, his underlying creative stats suggest that more attacking returns are on the horizon. With Spurs facing a West Brom side that have conceded five in their last two fixtures, all three midfielders will be optimistic of having a say this weekend, though us Fantasy managers will be keen to see one emerge as the elite option in the next few Gameweeks.

A test of Warnock’s philosophy…
The Crystal Palace boss has many pacey weapons at his disposal for Sunday’s trip to Goodison, though it remains to be seen whether he will he go on the attack or show caution and pack the midfield. If it is indeed the former, goals could be on the cards, and Wilfried Zaha, Jason Puncheon and Yannick Bolasie could prove explosive options for managers hunting for midfielders in the mid-to-lower price bracket.

Pellegrini’s shift to 4-5-1…
We saw it at Arsenal and in Munich last night, but will the Chilean stick with his new formation when City welcome Chelsea in Sunday afternoon’s table-topping showdown? With three goals to his name already this season, and having only appeared as a second half substitute in last night’s match, Sergio Aguero seems certain to start at the weekend, meaning that Edin Dzeko would be resigned to the bench yet again if Pellegrini rolls out a lone striker system. However, with Chelsea struggling defensively right now, the City boss could feasibly look to take on the Blues’ rearguard by lining up with two forwards, which would suggest that the 4-5-1 formation is only for certain opponents. If not, however, it’s clear that the 12.1 valued Aguero will stand out as the only feasible source of attacking points in their frontline whilst fit.