Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 27 – The Strong

We turn our attentions to the upcoming four-to-six Gameweeks now and assess those sides with some kind upcoming runs of fixtures. The Saints’ will be hoping to get their prospects of a Champions League finish back on track, whilst Swansea and Sunderland have reason for optimism as the schedule takes a turn for the better.

Southampton

The Saints have stuttered in recent weeks, with two losses in their last four seeing them topple out of the top four for the first time since December. It’s been in the goals department that the issues have resided, with the south coast side having notched just once in their last four. The forthcoming schedule should at least offer Ronald Koeman’s charges a pick-me-up, however, with Crystal Palace, Burnley and Hull rolling up to St Mary’s and enticing away days at West Brom and Everton all on the horizon.

Despite the lack of results, the Saints have upheld their defensive performances recently and have recorded two clean sheets in their last three, and Ryan Bertrand’s return from suspension against the Baggies this weekend should hand them a further boost in that department. The left back is currently available at 5.7, and with Nathaniel Clyne having now risen to 6.1, it is Bertrand who seems likely to garner the majority of the attention in the Saints’ rearguard right now. Toby Alderweireld, at 4.8, also looks an option though it’s uncertain whether he will return in time for this weekend’s trip to the Hawthorns. Fraser Forster is even cheaper at 5.6 for those looking for an option between the sticks.

Further forward, Saido Mane got his name on the naughty list last weekend, but should he purchase a watch between now and Saturday he seems certain to return to the starting XI; with four goals and an assist in his previous five league starts, the Senegalese winger looks the mostly likely man to solve the Saints’ current dilemmas in front of goal. Without a strike since Gameweek 17, Graziano Pelle will be hoping that the kind fixtures offer the opportunity to reinstate his claim as the focal point of his side’s attack.

Swansea

After completing the double over Man United on Saturday, the Swans’ fortunes may be back on the up. It has certainly been an inconsistent start to 2015 for the Welsh side, who had registered just a single victory before last weekend and have clearly been rocked by the loss of star striker Wilfried Bony. Fortunately for Garry Monk’s outfit, the fixtures are also now in their favour, with promising clashes against Burnley, Aston Villa, Hull and Everton awaiting them in their next six as they look to get their season back on the rails and target more than mid-table obscurity.

The return of playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson from suspension on Saturday provided the Swans with the boost they needed to overcome their top four opponents, and the 6.4-rated Icelandic international will now be aiming to find the kind of form that returned a goal and four assists in the first three Gameweeks of the season. That said, Sigurdsson undoubtedly has competition in the Swans’ midfield ranks; Jonjo Shelvey was unlucky to be stripped of a goal against United, though with two assists still accrued, the former Liverpool man underlined his budget potential just in time for the upturn in fixtures. Ki Sung-Yueng did find his name on the scoresheet at the weekend, and has now notched in three of his last six starts.

Meanwhile, after being awarded the winner for his deflection of Shelvey’s long range effort, Bafetimbi Gomis may have been provided with just the bit of luck he needed to kick his campaign into gear; the French forward will certainly be keen to press on and prove his credentials whilst the schedule remains favourable. At the back, the Swans have managed just one shutout in their last eight league outings, though for those predicting a reprise in resilience, Kyle Naughton’s budget-friendly 4.3 price tag ensures that the full back is a low-risk option.

Sunderland

Gus Poyet’s drive to steer the Black Cats clear of the drop-zone continues to stall, with just a single win managed in their last nine league displays. Once a trip to Old Trafford this weekend is out of the way, the hard work is set to really begin however, with vital clashes against fellow basement-dwellers Hull and Aston Villa in Gameweeks 28 and 29. Indeed, should they walk away from those fixtures with the spoils, following home meetings with Newcastle and Crystal Palace could then afford the Wearsiders the luxury of putting some distance between themselves and the bottom three.

With such crucial fixtures now on the agenda, Poyet will be hoping that his backline can preserve the form that has collected two clean sheets in their last four. Owners of Patrick van Aanholt were left rocked by the full back’s omission from the starting line-up last weekend, and with the Black Cats having earned six shutouts in 11 matches without the Dutchman in the starting XI, Poyet may well have made the decision that the former Chelsea man’s raids down the flank are proving too much of a risk at a time when his side can ill-afford to push the boat out. With the uncertainty surrounding van Aanholt in mind, Fantasy interest is likely to focus on Costel Pantilimon in net or the 4.5-valued Anthony Reveillere, who has returned a pair of bonus points in each of the Black Cats’ last two shutouts.

In attack, the likes of Adam Johnson and Seb Larsson could prove canny differentials if they can step up to the plate in those relegation scraps, though Jermain Defoe remains the standout contender for investment; with an ownership at 4.1%, the forward has added a new dynamic to Poyet’s attack since his January move from the MLS, notching two goals and an assist in his five league appearances thus far, and may well prove the Wearsiders’ saviour come May.

Tottenham

Harry Kane’s heroics against West Ham papered over the cracks of what was a rather wobbly performance from Mauricio Pochettino’s side last weekend. Had it not been for the youngster’s late strike, it would have been two losses in two for the North Londoners, who now have to wait until the start of March for their next league fixture due to their involvement in the Capital One Cup final. However, the schedule from there on will afford Spurs and their assets’ Fantasy owners alike plenty of encouragement that they can mount a late season raid on the top four, with a double Gameweek 28 and encounters with Leicester, Burnley and Aston Villa in their next six.

Next weekend’s blank will ensure that managers refrain from investment until this time next week, then, though when that time arrives we can expect interest to soar thanks to the subsequent double. Harry Kane’s 6.3 price tag still looks outstanding value for a striker who has delivered nine goals and three assists in his last seven appearances, though with an ownership of over 46%, the main point of interest round these parts will be on whom to double up the England starlet with. Pochettino’s decision to rest Christian Eriksen at the weekend backfired abysmally, and the influential Dane should be guaranteed starts from here on in, though could be rivalled by Moussa Dembele for our affections in midfield; the Belgian has returned a goal and two assists in the last four Gameweeks in the ‘hole’ behind Kane, and as long as he can hold onto a starting role, looks great value at just 5.2.

Spurs’ backline may have struggled for consistency this season, though Danny Rose highlighted his attacking potential by initiating his side’s comeback against the Hammers on Sunday, and at a mere 4.8, will be blinking on a few radars.

Also Consider

Manchester City
Manuel Pellegrini’s men have exploded back into form in the past couple of Gameweeks, with last weekend’s 5-0 dismantling of Newcastle shining the spotlight on a number of their assets’ talents. What’s more, after closing the gap to just five points at the summit of the league table, the Citizens will now be eyeing up a decent schedule (liv, LEI, bur, WBA, cpl) as a great chance to gain further ground should Chelsea slip up again.

David Silva was the star of the show against the Magpies, walking away with a 17-point haul, and at 9.5, the little Spaniard will have soared up many a manager’s Watchlist as a result. Sergio Aguero has rediscovered his scoring boots in his last couple of appearances, and with those fixtures in mind, could be set to reaffirm his ‘essential’ status over the coming weeks. The clean sheet against the Magpies was City’s first since Gameweek 17, and for those forecasting more of the same Vincent Kompany looks the safest bet, what with the threat of rotation hanging in the air.

QPR
Reeling from defeat in their crucial clash with Hull last weekend, Chris Ramsey’s side now have until two weekends’ time to recharge their batteries and pick themselves back up. A double Gameweek 28 then awaits the Hoops, and though they are pitched against north London duo Arsenal and Spurs, the fact that both fixtures are to be played at home should offer some encouragement. Further vital relegation battles against Crystal Palace and West Brom come further down the line, whilst a Gameweek 30 meeting with Everton at Loftus Road will hold little fear. With that tough double Gameweek in mind, few are likely to be eyeing up the Hoops’ defensive assets, though Charlie Austin’s strike against the Tigers could see the 6.3-rated forward garner attention. Matt Phillips, at just 4.6, has started the last three and delivered three assists in that time, and looks a superb option for our fifth midfield slot at the moment.

Stoke
A last-gasp penalty earned the Potters victory over Aston Villa last Saturday, and Mark Hughes’ men now face three home fixtures in their next four (HUL, EVE, CPL), as well as a trip to West Brom, to keep that momentum building before the schedule takes a turn for the worse in the closing stages of the season. Phillip Wollscheid has started and finished every league outing since his January move to the Potteries, and at 4.5, the centre back could appeal as a short term option. Victor Moses kept his cool to slot that penalty home at the weekend, and is now set to challenge Jon Walters for our affections in the middle of the park. Up top, Mame Biram Diouf scored for the first time since his return from Africa against Villa – his sixth strike of the campaign – though may still struggle for attention in the already overcrowded budget forward bracket.

West Brom
Say what you want about Tony Pulis’ methods, you can’t argue that they have taken effect at the Hawthorns. The Baggies have registered four shutouts in six since the new manager’s installation, and now sit five points clear of the drop-zone.  Maintaining that resilience looks to be the name of the game from here on in, and with Aston Villa, Stoke, QPR and Leicester in their next six, there is a good chance that the Midlanders will continue to deliver the defensive returns. The likes of Ben Foster, Joleon Lescott and Craig Dawson may find homes in plenty of managers’ rearguards, then. The newly-forged strike partnership of Saido Berahino and Brown Ideye, who have collectively tallied three goals and an assist in the last three Gameweeks, could also be set to profit with two of the bottom three most porous defences in the league (QPR, LEI) on the agenda.