Scout Notes – Gameweek 26 – Saturday

Branislav Ivanovic showcases his attacking prowess once again. David Silva inspires City’s five-goal rout. The Baggies hold firm at the Stadium of Light and the new boy continues to impress the Tigers’ faithful. Here’s the notes from Saturday’s events…

Ivanovic guns for top spot

Branislav Ivanovic delivered attacking returns for the fifth time in seven league outings, scoring his fourth goal in six matches for Chelsea in all competitions as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley. Only Eden Hazard (157) and Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez (149) have tallied more Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points than Ivanovic (135), who’s now 15 points clear of team-mate John Terry (120) in the defender rankings. Elsewhere, Hazard notched his seventh assist of the season, Juan Cuadrado came in for Willian in midfield and Diego Costa drew a blank on his return from suspension: the striker fashioned just two shots throughout the 90 minutes.

In defence, centre-back Kurt Zouma earned his second successive league start at the expense of Gary Cahill. The young Frenchman has now started the last seven Stamford Bridge encounters in all competitions, having been benched in the five away matches that surrounded those fixtures. While this pattern of rotation may change – it continues to present Zouma as a Fantasy option, severely denting Cahill’s stock. César Azpilicueta was also rotated to the Chelsea bench as Filipe Luis earned another start – only his sixth of the season in the league.

Due to their involvement in the Capital One Cup final, the Blues now enter a blank Gameweek 27, before facing two tricky match-ups (whu, SOU) in the following Gameweeks. With the home leg of Chelsea’s Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain sandwiched between these two fixtures, manager Jose Mourinho looks set to continue his recent rotation policy. Meanwhile, Nemanja Matic’s red card for “violent conduct” will see him miss league encounters with West Ham and Southampton – raising concerns over potential clean sheet returns in those matches.

Giroud on the march

In the first London derby of the weekend, Arsene Wenger elected to name the same front four that breezed past Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, with Mesut Ozil, Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez supporting lone striker Olivier Giroud in a 4-2-3-1 set-up. Both Giroud and Santi Cazorla netted for the third time in their last five outings, as the Gunners survived a late scare from Crystal Palace to secure their fifth win in six. The 8.4-priced frontman now has three goals to his name in his past two appearances in all competitions, strengthening his claim for a place in our squads ahead of Arsenal’s decent schedule (EVE, qpr, WHU, new).

Budget defender Hector Bellerin (4.6) – who was a doubt before the tie with an ankle complaint – only made the bench, with Calum Chambers stepping in at right-back. Theo Walcott was an unused substitute at Selhurst Park and looks to be struggling to stake a claim for regular starts.

Puncheon Handed Central Role

Palace skipper Mile Jedinak was fit enough to be named on the bench, while Jason Puncheon made it four games without a goal or assist in an unproductive afternoon for the 28-year-old livewire. Puncheon was deployed in a central role alongside Jordan Mutch in a 4-1-4-1 setup, with Dwight Gayle and Wilfried Zaha on the flanks. Yannick Bolasie was kept on the bench until the hour-mark but dazzled in his cameo appearance – he looks destined to start at West Ham next time out as Alan Pardew’s selection headache in the wide positions intensifies.

Sherwood’s Villa taste defeat

Newly installed Villa boss Tim Sherwood named an attacking side in his first match in charge, fielding Gabriel Agbonlahor, Christian Benteke and Scott Sinclair in a front three, with Fabian Delph, Carles Gil and Carlos Sanchez comprising the midfield. Sinclair’s first league goal since August 2012 proved to be a false dawn, as Mame Biram Diouf (close-range finish) and Victor Moses (stoppage-time penalty) conspired to ruin Sherwood’s dream start. Nevertheless, the Villains’ immediate schedule (new, WBA, sun, SWA) throws up ample opportunity for Sherwood to propel his side out of the relegation zone and snap out of a six-game losing streak. Sinclair, with two goals in as many appearances and priced at just 5.2 in the FPL, could yet emerge as an option for our midfields if Sherwood continues to show faith in the former Swansea man.

Jon Walters recovered from injury to spearhead the Stoke attack at Villa Park, with Diouf shifted onto the right flank. Moses’ decisive spot-kick is of interest given that Walters was on the pitch at the time – suggesting that he has now claimed those duties: the goal was the first attacking return from Moses in five league starts since his return to fitness.

Baggies strike duo draw blanks

An insipid encounter between West Brom and Sunderland ended goalless as the Baggies’ in-form striker partnership of Saido Berahino and Brown Ideye failed to make an impact. The 5.6-priced forwards had combined for five goals in their previous two clashes in all competitions but only mustered one shot between them at the Stadium of Light. That being said, a largely favourable run of upcoming fixtures for the Midlanders (SOU, avl, STO) provides hope to those Fantasy managers that invested in the duo in light of their recent form. The Baggies defence continues to flourish, however: the shut-out was their fourth in six league fixtures under Tony Pulis as Craig Dawson and Chris Brunt were again fielded as full-backs.

Van Aanholt Cast Aside

Gus Poyet was able to welcome 35-year-old Anthony Réveillère back into his squad and used his availability to shuffle his defence – retaining Wes Brown in the centre and dropping left-back Patrick van Aanholt to the bench. At just 4.3, the former Chelsea defender emerged as a low-cost option in recent weeks but could now be subject to rotation as Poyet seeks the optimum combination in his rearguard.

Tigers Find Their Bite

For the second week running, Nikica Jelavic and new boy Dame N’doye scored a goal apiece as Hull City ran out 2-1 winners over Queens Park Rangers. The 5.5-priced N’doye has now scored two goals in as many starts and will fancy his chances to perpetuate that form considering the Tigers’ next batch of winnable matches (sto, SUN, lei).

Charlie Austin was back in the side and the scoresheet for QPR – flicking home only his third goal in eight league appearances – his first from open play since Gameweek 17’s hat-trick against West Brom – his last three strikes have all come away from home. Matt Phillips provided the assist for Austin’s header with a superbly flighted right-wing cross. Priced at just 4.6 in the FPL midfield listings, the winger has started the last three under Chris Ramsey and has supplied three assists in that period. Both Phillips and Austin face a blank next weekend but will be on the radar for QPR’s double Gameweek 28, with home fixtures with Arsenal and Tottenham.

Ki unlocks United defence

Sung-yueng Ki tallied his second goal in three starts for Swansea as they recorded a 2-1 win over Manchester United, marking the Welsh club’s first league double over the Red Devils. Gylfi Sigurdsson was reinstated in the “number 10” role having served his three-match ban but created just one chance for his team-mates in 73 minutes. Meanwhile, Bafetimbi Gomis inadvertently broke a run of six starts without scoring when Jonjo Shelvey’s shot deflected off the former Lyon striker in the second half.

Robin van Persie partnered Wayne Rooney – who’s now on an eight-game goalless streak – up top for United, with Marouane Fellaini deployed behind the strikers in a 4-1-2-1-2 formation. Angel Di Maria earned his second assist in two matches to move to ten for the season – he has now gone 11 league starts without a goal. Ander Herrera notched his second strike in two matches in all competitions.

United’s miserable afternoon at the Liberty Stadium was compounded further by news that Robin van Persie left the ground on crutches. The Netherlands striker stayed on the pitch despite injuring himself in the latter stages of the match but required a protective cast on his right leg and foot after further assessment from the medical staff.

Silva going for Gold

Manchester City seized full advantage of Chelsea’s slip-up earlier in the day to put five past an abject Newcastle outfit, narrowing the gap to just five points at the summit. David Silva’s nimble footwork inside the box proved too much for an injury-hit Toon rearguard, as the Spanish playmaker notched two goals and an assist. Silva has now struck seven goals in his last ten league starts, with four assists and 12 FPL bonus points accrued in this spell. His points per game tally of 6.0 is second only to Eden Hazard and Alexis Sanchez in the midfield FPL rankings.

Those Fantasy managers that gambled on Yaya Toure’s differential potential were disappointed as the Ivorian left the Etihad empty-handed while his teammates cashed in. Both Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri bagged a goal and assist, while Edin Dzeko sent a tacit message of intent to the Sky Blues’ latest acquisition Wilfried Bony – who had a 30-minute cameo – with his exquisite half-volley and pair of assists.

Considering Aguero’s three goals in his past two league outings, the Argentine frontman is shaping up to be a prime candidate for captaincy in the coming Gameweeks. Looking beyond a tough match-up against Liverpool next weekend, the champions face a host of lesser opponents (LEI, bur, WBA, cry) leading up to the Manchester derby on Gameweek 32.

As for Newcastle, they’ve now kept just a single clean sheet in their last 14 league outings. Daryl Janmaat is their latest injury concern at the back: he was forced off on 70 minutes to be replaced by fit-again Ryan Taylor. Jack Colback will serve a two-match suspension, missing home encounters with Villa and United, having picked up his tenth booking of the season at the Etihad.