Gameweek 19 – Best Punts

It was a not so merry Christmas for me and my punts on Boxing Day. Two out of three of my choices were victims of seasonal rotation and the other failed to make an impact. Andrew Robertson was my defensive punt and his Hull side won 3-1 against Sunderland to end their poor run of form. I did predict the Tigers’ turnaround but Robertson was left out of the squad. Being such an attacking threat from full back Robertson would have been in amongst the points in a four goal thriller but Steve Bruce’s rotation meant that was not to be. Jamie Vardy was in a similar situation. He was left on the bench for the opening 75 minutes of Leicester’s clash with Spurs as Nigel Pearson chose to preserve his energy for this Gameweek’s important fixture against fellow strugglers Hull. Vardy came on for the dying moments and impressed, getting shots off and nearly winning a penalty but it was little too late for the Foxes’ forward. My only punt who started the Gameweek was James McArthur but his Palace side were hammered 3-1 at home by a back in form Southampton. The Scotsman played well, one of the highest scoring Eagles’ players in the Bonus Points System, but didn’t get the returns that matter in fantasy football. Oh well, punts are punts as they are likely to fail. Onto another Gameweek as the matches come thick and fast! Here are Gameweek 19’s best punts as I try to regain previous form, ownership figures are correct as of 26th December.

Ciaran Clark

Club: Aston Villa

Position: Defender

Price: 4.3

Ownership: 0.6%

I was very tempted to pick Andrew Robertson again as I believe that should he play against Leicester. However, as I am writing this shortly after full time in Hull’s last fixture on Boxing Day I don’t know enough about the security of his starting position so I have plumped for Ciaran Clark instead. He has turned in some impressive performances lately that have flown under the radar but the versatile defender looks the real deal. This week Aston Villa face Sunderland, who failed to take their success against Newcastle into their clash with Hull, conceding three at home. The Black Cats haven’t scored more than one goal in a match since the 3rd November and lack a cutting edge up front. Villa have had a surprisingly solid defence so far this season, not conceding more than one goal since the same weekend that Sunderland scored more than once. Recent form sets up Villa with a great chance of a shut out this week.

Clark has been a threat in the opposition half as well as a defensive warrior for Paul Lambert’s side. The Irishman has won 31 of his 47 aerial duals and averages a clearance every nine minutes. This solidity makes him a great candidate for bonus points but the main reason I picked him this week was for his attacking threat. He has connected with 11 set pieces this season and netted from one of them.  Clark is equally capable of playing at full back as well as centre back, which gives him the chance to run at defenders.  A likely clean sheet and a great aerial threat makes Clark a hot option this week. I for one am considering bringing him in, especially with a favourable three fixtures coming up.

Marko Arnautovic

Club: Stoke City

Position: Midfielder

Price: 6.2

Ownership: 0.6%

There were quite a few options to choose from for this week’s midfield punt. Philippe Coutinho has impressed in his new, more attacking role and with extra time to recover before Monday he certainly was an enticing option. Leroy Fer of QPR also came into contention with a favourable fixture at home against a struggling Crystal Palace. However, Stoke City’s Marko Arnautovic was the man I went for as his Stoke side welcome West Brom to the Britannia stadium. The Baggies’ defence has been leaky in recent weeks, conceding six in the last three and their boss Alan Irvine is under pressure. The Britannia is never an easy place to travel to and with so little time to recover and prepare West Brom could struggle with the swirling Britannia winds and a tough Stoke side.

Marko Arnautovic looked a little overweight and lacking fitness at the start of the season but Mark Hughes’ recent faith in him has paid dividends. After impressing in the closing 40 minutes against Crystal Palace the Austrian started the tough fixture against Chelsea and followed that with 75 minutes in the 1-0 win over Everton. He was a thorn in Everton’s side throughout his appearance and his stats this season are impressive. In less than 700 minutes Arnautovic has fired off 16 shots at goal and had a goal scoring chance every 43 minutes. He is also a key creator in the Stoke side, with corners and set pieces to his name. After coming off early in the last two matches he will be fresh enough to start and against a porous West Brom side he is certainly a tempting option.

Samuel Eto’o

Club: Everton

Position: Striker

Price: 5.5

Ownership: 1.0%

I wrote that Falcao was the easy option last Gameweek, and indeed he was, and that is still the case this week as the Colombian’s ownership is still below 2.5%. However, I have gone for Samuel Eto’o as a faltering Everton need to improve and the Cameroon international looks set to start. He only played 22 minutes against Stoke and is fresh for this weekend. The Toffees have lacked that cutting edge recently. They have dominated possession, playing Martniez’s preferred style of football, but haven’t carved out many deadly opportunities. Eto’o can create these chances as well as put them away and that is why I believe he will be key for Everton this weekend. Martinez’s side travel to Newcastle this Gameweek and Alan Pardew’s luck has run out as his side haven’t won any of their last six games, conceding eleven in the process. It gives Everton the perfect chance to halt their fall down the table and gather some momentum going into the New Year.

Eto’o normally plays in the whole behind Romelu Lukaku but the big Belgian looks in need of a rest as he finds goals hard to come by. This may afford Eto’o a more advanced role, which he has filled superbly so far this season, for example bagging a brace against Burnley in October. As previously mentioned he is a creator as much as he is a finisher. The forward drifts out to the wings looking to pull the ball back and cross as well as playing through balls, seven so far this season, for the Toffees’ wingers who get in behind their opposing full backs. He has completed half of his attempted dribbles this season, a respectable ratio, and been involved in 40% of Everton’s goals when on the pitch. He will be vital for a struggling Everton side this weekend and could bring home a huge haul.