Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 16 – The Weak

After taking a look at those teams with Strong fixtures to follow over the next four-to-six Gameweeks, we now assess those with tougher upcoming schedules. North east pair Sunderland and Newcastle face some testing times, whilst bottom two Burnley and Leicester also have little reason for festive cheer.

Newcastle

The Magpies proved their mettle by putting an end to Chelsea’s unbeaten run last Saturday, but must now navigate a horrendous next six if they are to further their cause. Alan Pardew’s men face a tricky encounter with Everton at St James’ Park, as well as three of the toughest away trips around as they make their way to Arsenal, United and Chelsea.

With injury and suspension hitting hard, the Magpies are likely to struggle to rediscover the defensive resilience shown between Gameweeks 8-12 anytime soon, meaning that Daryl Janmaat will need to rely on his attacking raids down the right to earn his owners further returns. Further forward, those eyeing up striker Papiss Cisse after his weekend brace are advised to hold off for now whilst his minutes, and the schedule, look uncertain.

Southampton

The Saints are struggling under the strain of expectation after their early season form, and the load could yet increase across the Christmas period. A trip to Burnley is next on the agenda and will at least afford them some respite, but beyond that things still looks unmistakably bleak – Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal make their way to St Mary’s in their next three home encounters, with a visit to Old Trafford lying in wait beyond that.

Without a clean sheet in their last four, owners of Ryan Bertrand and Nathaniel Clyne will have been weighing up an exit route, and that strategy is unlikely to change bearing in mind their imminent schedule. Graziano Pelle, meanwhile, found his scoring boots for the first time in seven appearances against United on Monday, but that return to form could be quickly curtailed, and the Italian will still be hard-tasked to reclaim the plethora of owners he has lost over recent weeks.

Stoke

Saturday’s triumphant win over Arsenal brought a three-match losing streak to a close for the Potters, and a trip to Crystal Palace this weekend will offer them a chance to build momentum. That is sure to come in handy, however, as the fixtures then take a severe turn for the worse for Mark Hughes’ side, who meet Chelsea and Everton in their next two and also face consecutive match-ups with United and Arsenal in Gameweeks 20 and 21.

It would be fair to say that Bojan has finally found his feet at the Brittania, and the former Barcelona starlet – alongside fellow striker Peter Crouch – turned in a great advertisement for their budget forward services against the Gunners. However, both are now sure to be tested against some of the league’s tightest defences in the coming weeks, whilst the chances of the Potters’ own rearguard managing their first shutout since Gameweek 6 looks doubtful. Jon Walters’ recent renaissance – with three goals in four – may struggle to continue over that spell.

Also Be Wary Of…

Arsenal
The Gunners may have underlined their potential in last night’s mauling of Galatasaray, but managers should be cautious before jumping on board without a look at their next five fixtures, which contain three tricky away encounters at Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton. Owners of the suspended Calum Chambers will be even more tempted by the idea of getting rid of the young defender as Mathieu Debuchy returns to action, whilst the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck will have to be at their best for the Gunners to prosper over the festive spell.

Burnley
A 2-0 loss to QPR will have come as a bitter blow to Sean Dyche’s men, who had finally strung together a series of results prior to Saturday’s bottom of the table scrap. A potentially spirit-wrecking next four now awaits the Clarets, who visit Spurs and Man City on either side of home clashes with Southampton and Liverpool. With Christmas rotation on the cards, owners of George Boyd may be forced to call upon his services across those fixtures, though he is likely to struggle to replicate his timely Gameweek 14 strike. Up top, Danny Ings has fetched returns in three of his last four outings but his worth as a budget asset looks set for a stiff test.

Leicester
The Foxes are without a win since Gameweek 5, and their chances of turning that dire form around look slim over the upcoming schedule. Nigel Pearson’s side face a trip to West Ham sandwiched in between two home meetings with Man City and Spurs in their next three, and whilst Leonardo Ulloa has showed glimpses of his early season with a goal and two assists in his last three, the striker – who is expected to recover from a calf knock – will have his work cut out to maintain that form in the lead up to Christmas.