Mondogoal Picks – Gameweek 17

The Fantasy Football Scout lineup was swallowed up in the chasing pack and kept out of the Mondogoal money last weekend. However, with the Christmas contests picking up pace, there’s ample opportunity for us all to turn that around and get amongst the money.

As always, Mondogoal has a £5 entry game with a guaranteed £1000 prize pot on offer this weekend and, if you want to try the game out without a stake, there’s also a free to enter game with a £100 prize pot on show.

Mondogoal have also opened up a pair of special Boxing Day contests with signed match balls and shirts from both the Man City and West Ham squads on offer. We’ll have more on those next week.

Mondogoal is a daily and weekly Fantasy Football game – a brand new offering for this season. It not only allows you to play contests based on the Premier League but also all the major top-flight leagues – Serie A, La Liga, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Major League Soccer (MLS). You can even play global contests that span across all the leagues. Mondogoal also supports contests for Champions League and Europa League in midweek.

If you’re yet to get into Mondogoal and fancy a festive flutter, we’ve previously published a comprehensive strategy guide, offering tips to help you get started.

For now, let’s scan the fixture and player list to assess the likely lads that will make up the Fantasy Football Scout XI this weekend….

Saturday’s Picks

Man City’s early kick-off against Palace immediately presents a cast of options for our weekend XI – even without the services of Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko. We’re expecting a “false 9” set up from Manuel Pellegrini and that should allow the City midfield to flourish as a source of attacking point – not least in Mondogoal.

Yaya Toure is expensive at 14.5 million but, arguably, worthy of the outlay given his likely raids forward and his duties from dead-balls. We’re leaning towards Samir Nasri (11.2m) though – a man in sparkling form who could well be trusted with the “false 9” role, guaranteeing him a key influence on this match. For an outside bet, Frank Lampard, at just 8.8 million, looks a worthy punt given his decisive goal against the Foxes.

We have to dip into the City squad for a defender too. Palace have scored just twice in four league outings and it’s hard to see them improving on that record at the Etihad, even with Vincent Kompany absent for the home side. Pablo Zabaleta (9.2) is the weapon of choice here – he looks a certain starter after being rested at Leicester last time out. Eliaquim Mangala, at just 6.8 million, is also a clear candidate given the absence of Kompany.

That’s a chunk of our 100 million budget already spent, making it essential to start hunting for value. Once again the strategy will be to sift the player list for bargains for our defence and in goal: there’s a cast of options on offer. West Ham’s Boleyn Ground meeting with basement-dwellers Leicester and QPR’s home encounter with West Brom provide two likely sources.

Winston Reid looks good value at the back for Sam Allardyce’s men against the Foxes. Available for just 6.0 million, the Kiwi international isn’t as profitable at Aaron Cresswell but the 2.8 million difference can certainly be used elsewhere.

There’s Stewart Downing for starters. The star of Mondogoal’s new campaign (see the movie below) doesn’t need to convince us of his worth – he’s been outstanding at the tip of the Hammers’ midfield diamond and, even at 11.8 million, has to claim a place in our Mondogoal XI against a defence that’s kept just a single clean sheet in their last 12 outings. Given that record, we’re also backing Andy Carroll (9.1m) as value for forward lines, having notched twice in his last home run-out.

QPR are relying on their Loftus Road encounters to keep them afloat and Harry Redknapp will be expecting goals and three points against the Baggies. While the R’s defence is hardly secure, West Brom have notched just twice in the last six and that brings Richard Dunne, at just 5.2 million, into the reckoning – Rob Green, at 6.0 million in goal, is another worthy option.

Tottenham’s White Hart Lane meeting with Burnley is the other clash we’re earmarking for talent. Christian Eriksen returned 19.85 Mondogoal points in the win at Swansea last weekend – his biggest haul of the season. We have to back the Dane for a spot in our midfield ahead of the Clarets clash, then. We’re also struggling to see Burnley break through at the Lane – Sean Dyche’s side have blanked in two of their last three road trips and we’re looking at fit-again Kyle Walker (7.8m) and Jan Vertonghen (7.9m) as options here.

Elsewhere, there looks to be slim pickings on offer in Southampton’s meeting with Everton and Hull’s KC Stadium clash with Swansea. Wilfried Bony is an obvious source of points in the latter, but at 13.5, that price is just too steep to make our selection, particularly with Swansea’s goal threat faltering on the road this season.

Man United’s visit to Villa Park presents the final Saturday fixture and, while Robin van Persie’s form is tempting, like Bony, his price is just that little too steep – 14.4 million seems a risk given that United mustered just three shots on goal on their last road trip.

Sunday’s Picks

Between the sticks, Jak Alnwick’s emergence as Newcastle’s first (or only) choice of keeper has him standout as the cheapest active stopper available in the game at just 4.9 million. The formbook can normally be thrown out in these matches but Sunderland’s run of just two goals in their last five suggests investment in the Newcastle defence may be worthwhile, making the inexperienced Alnwick a risk to consider. Steven Taylor, at just 4.5 million looks another bargain, although his return is far from assured after he missed the midweek Capital One Cup drubbing at Spurs. Check our latest team news on this one. On the flipside, the Black Cats will be looking to exploit Alnwick’s presence in goal and Seb Larsson may just be their key weapon with his dead-ball deliveries – at 7.3 million and 6.15 points per game, the Swede looks a decent shout.

Raheem Sterling’s (10.7m) brace in Liverpool’s midweek win at Bournemouth raises his stock ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Arsenal. Brendan Rodgers would seem certain to continue to deploy the fleet-footed attacker as his lone forward, flanked by Philippe Coutinho (7.0m). Lazar Markovic is also a consideration – he could start at left wing-back against the Gunners and is classed as a 4.2 million Mondgoal forward. Both are worthy options, although, despite Liverpool’s midweek progress, the smart money will be on the Gunners here, with Olivier Giroud (11.2m) looking a temptation given the confidence he carries into the Anfield encounter.

Monday’s Picks

Chelsea’s trip to the Britannia will provide the latest test of their title-chasing credentials and, while the Potters will present an obstacle, it’s difficult to see Jose Mourinho’s men coming away without the result. This one looks tailor-made for Diego Costa to reclaim the crown of Fantasy darling and I’m backing him for at least one strike in an away win: at 10.2 million, the Chelsea hitman appears to offer exceptional value. I’m not so sold on Eden Hazard, out at 18.2 million, given that he’s fetched just two assists on his travels this term. The Chelsea rearguard is always worth backing, though, having earned four clean sheets in five – Branislav Ivanovic remains the pick – he’s priced at 7.9 million for the Gameweek.

The FFS Weekend XI

Finally, as mentioned above, Mondogoal have joined forces with West Ham – one of their official partners – ahead of the weekend fixtures to produce this promotional video. With Big Sam’s side vying for our Fantasy affections for the plum home clash with Leicester, we’ve loaded up on their options and drafted three of the Hammers’ main men into our weekend XI.