The Digest – Gameweek 5

Our last glance back at the Gameweek gone by assesses the scintillating form of Man United’s record signing. We also doff our caps to Nigel Pearson’s Leicester after another stirring display and cast an eye over the current lack of resilience shown by last year’s more reliable defences.

The Player

His team may be toiling to pick up the points but there’s no denying Angel Di Maria’s class, or immediate impact on United’s Fantasy potential. A sublime chipped goal against Leicester on Sunday, allied with an assist in the 5-3 loss, took the Argentine’s tally to two strikes and a pair of assists in the last couple of Gameweeks as the bandwagon picks up pace.

While Juan Mata’s pitch time looks to have taken a dive, with Wayne Rooney dropping deep in the Spaniard’s absence, Fantasy managers have turned to Di Maria as a secure option in the Red Devils’ midfield. Now up to 9.8 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), with over 145,000 new owners already on board this week, he may be relatively pricey amongst fellow midfielders, but while Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao have yet to justify their hefty 12.4 and 11.0 outlays, the club’s record signing has quickly found his form in the Premier League.

For all their defensive troubles, Louis van Gaal’s side have still impressed in the final third since moving to a midfield diamond – netting seven times in two matches with the new system in place, compared to two goals in the first three Gameweeks with a 3-4-1-2 formation. Certainly, given that he didn’t net more than seven times in any league campaign for former club Real Madrid, it’s a little optimistic to assume the South American can be quite so prolific, but one look at his assist numbers during his four seasons in La Liga (16, 16, 12, 18) underline just what a talent United have on their hands.

While there’s a fear Rooney, Falcao and Van Persie may ultimately share goals and assists between them, Di Maria’s contribution from the centre of the park is already becoming increasingly difficult to overlook as the standout midfield option in Van Gaal’s new-look side.

The Team

The stunning comeback win against United was merely the latest in a series of displays which suggest the Championship winners are more than capable of holding their own at the top level. For all United’s defensive frailties, let’s not forget Nigel Pearson’s side had already picked up home points against Everton and Arsenal after coming from behind on both occasions and also emerged from the Britannia with all three points – a feat only three teams managed in 2013/14.

Undoubtedly, the Fantasy jewel in the crown is Leonardo Ulloa. The summer signing sits second in the overall FPL standings after five goals in as many matches, and at just 5.7, has already received over 192,000 transfers in – strikes against Everton, Arsenal, Stoke and United underline not only his suitability to the English top-flight but his fixture-proof potential, boosting our faith in him returning points in the allegedly difficult matches.

Bearing in mind Pearson only handed Danny Drinkwater, Esteban Cambiasso and James Vardy their first starts of the season on Sunday, Leicester will fancy their chances of retaining their mid-table berth as the campaign unfolds. Vardy’s speed on the break served up a stunning goal and four assists against United, though his appeal is dented by his classification as a forward, with Ulloa clearly the man in pole position for our consideration.

Drinkwater’s seven goals and five assists in 2013/14 may well bring him onto our radars as a budget midfield option, though, whilst three favourable home matches (BUR, SWA, SUN) in the next seven, allied with trips to Palace, Newcastle and West Brom, could see some turn to Kasper Schmeichel and Liam Moore as cut-price defensive options if Pearson can instil a little more resilience to his never-say-die side.

The Talking Point

United’s King Power capitulation was just one of a number of instances in which the premium priced defences were breached yet again. While the Red Devils shipped five, Merseyside pair Everton and Liverpool leaked three apiece to Palace and West Ham – teams hardly renowned for their cutting edge in the final third. With Chelsea, City and Spurs also conceding, it meant Arsenal were the one side to justify their lofty defensive price tags, as the majority of top-flight back-lines continue to show little sign of tightening up.

A look back at the four most resilient sides from 2013/14 highlights just how quickly fortunes have changed – Chelsea, Arsenal, City and Everton have managed only one clean sheet apiece, while the likes of West Ham, Palace and Sunderland, all solid sides last time around, have yet to replicate the resilience that served us so well previously.

The lack of stability at the back is compounded by the home/away distribution of clean sheets thus far – 17 of the 29 shut-outs in the first five Gameweeks have been registered by teams on their travels. Indeed, after five rounds of fixtures, only three teams – Burnley, Villa and Southampton – have managed more than two clean sheets, with a trio apiece.

In the midst of all this, Leighton Baines has picked the perfect time to remind us of his value as a Fantasy asset. The Everton left-back – who justified his position at the top of last week’s RMT rankings – converted a spot-kick in Sunday’s 3-2 home defeat to Palace to take his tally to a goal, two assists and six bonus points in the last three Gameweeks as he soars up the standings.

While there’s an argument against investing heavily at the back, with many believing budget defenders are the way to go, Baines, like Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, continues to show that in certain cases you get what you pay for. At a time when top-flight back-lines are particularly porous and frustrating Fantasy managers, their consistency is proving to be invaluable.