Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 29 – The Weak

After casting an eye over the sides with strong fixtures over the next four-to-six Gameweeks last week, we now take a look at those with testing schedules to follow. Our selection presumes that the missing Gameweek 33 fixtures for Arsenal, Sunderland, Aston Villa and QPR are likely be dropped into the schedule no later than Gameweek 34, leaving our article’s six-Gameweek range unaffected.

Man United

Danny Welbeck returned to haunt his former club in the FA Cup on Monday night, ensuring that the Red Devils will now be solely focused on their league campaign for the remainder of the season. The lack of distractions may well be a blessing, however, with a gruelling fixture list now on the cards. Up next for Louis van Gaal’s men are back-to-back encounters with Spurs and Liverpool, before an Old Trafford meeting with Aston Villa offers a moment of reprieve. It would be fair to call that the calm before the storm, though, with the visit of Man City and a trip to Chelsea then on agenda in Gameweeks 32 and 33. Considering that United have now lost two of their last four in all competitions, Louis may well have to be at his luckiest if his side are to make it out the other side of that schedule with a Champions League spot in hand.

With over 36,000 managers having already jumped ship, Angel Di Maria’s senseless red card on Monday has ensured that plenty have finally lost their patience in the inconsistent Argentine. Indeed, with just one assist accrued in the last three Gameweeks, the former Real Madrid man has looked a long way from his best, and with the upcoming fixtures in mind, many may have been contemplating an exit strategy anyway. Wayne Rooney, on the other hand, has steadily climbed our Watchlist in recent weeks after being shifted back to a central forward role in light of Radamel Falcao’s recent woes and, resultantly, the England international grabbed a brace against Sunderland two weekends ago. The United skipper was on the scoresheet again against the Gunners in the FA Cup, and with Spurs having now kept just a single clean sheet in their last nine league displays, his current crop of owners are likely to keep faith for the time being.

United’s rearguard have experienced similar success in recent times, registering consecutive clean sheets for the first time since September. The imperious form of David de Gea has been central here, though the Spaniard’s 23% ownership may decide there is better value elsewhere between the sticks over the next five Gameweeks, with the likes of Ben Foster and Costel Pantilimon standing out as far more enticing short-term options.

Newcastle

The Magpies have failed to find any consistency over recent weeks, with their last five results reading two defeats, two draws and a victory. The bumpy spell is set to continue, with trips to on-song Liverpool and rivals Sunderland allied with home clashes against Arsenal and Spurs in their next five. Although they appear immune to the threat of succumbing to a relegation battle, the Tynesiders are sure to have a tough time in bringing what has already been a lacklustre season to a close.

Marauding right-back Daryl Janmaat has been the chief protagonist amongst the Magpies’ ranks this season, having registered 31 more points than any of his backline team-mates, with Leighton Baines the only defender to have contributed more assists than the Dutchman thus far. What’s more, John Carver’s installation at the helm has instilled a renewed resilience at the back, and the Geordies have now conceded more than once in just a single fixture since Gameweek 23 onwards. With the tricky schedule in mind, however, clean sheets are likely to be at a premium, and only Janmaat looks deserving of further attention. Further forward, Papiss Cisse’s suspension due to last Wednesday’s incident with Jonny Evans is due to hand Carver a dilemma, with alternative strikers Emmanuel Riviere and Ayoze Perez woefully out of goal-scoring form. Managers are advised to keep their distance.

Burnley

The Clarets are without a win since Gameweek 21 and, if their forthcoming schedule is anything to judge by, they look unlikely to end that rut anytime soon. Sean Dyche’s charges take on Man City, Spurs and Arsenal at Turf Moor and head down to the south coast for a clash with Southampton in an ominous next four, and hopes of breaking out of the bottom three before Gameweek 33 will be slim. Nonetheless, a superb final run-in awaits, and Dyche is likely to be more intent on maintaining his side’s spirits – and goal difference – over the imminent fixtures than wantonly pursuing three points.

The Lancashire outfit have now recorded just one shutout in their last 17 league outings, and with a wealth of in-form budget backline assets on offer right now, few will be eyeing up the Clarets’ main men here. Likewise, the current form of Matty Phillips, Ki Sung-Yueng and Victor Moses has seen George Boyd fall out of favour as a fifth midfield option, and with just a single assist to show for his last eight appearances, Burnley’s record signing will struggle to regain a Fantasy foothold before the close of the season. Danny Ings is a doubt for the City clash this weekend due to a knock, and having blanked in his last three, is now likely to face the axe until the schedule brightens up again.

Be Wary Of…

Liverpool

The Reds have to wait almost a month for their FA Cup quarter final replay with Blackburn, meaning that planning ahead from a Fantasy perspective is a slightly tricky affair. Should they emerge victorious from that encounter, a blank Gameweek 33 and double Gameweek 34 could well be on the cards, but so much uncertainty is in the air surrounding that period, managers’ attentions are likely to be honed upon their more imminent schedule.

A trip to Swansea this weekend is proceeded by back-to-back meetings with Man United and Arsenal and Brendan Rodgers’ men will be hard-pushed to maintain their high-flying defensive form – indeed, the likes of Martin Skrtel and Alberto Moreno may struggle to replicate their recent displays. Midfield trio Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson are currently displaying the kind of form that will tempt managers regardless of the fixture list, though shelling out 11.2 for Daniel Sturridge still looks somewhat risky on the back of two starts in six appearances. Should the forward nail down a spot in the first XI and build some momentum ahead of a possible double Gameweek, however, we should see heads begin to turn his way.

Stoke
Consecutive wins and shutouts have earned the Potters supremacy over their mid-table rivals in the past couple of Gameweeks, and with West Brom and Crystal Palace up next for Mark Hughes’ side, hopes will be high that they can continue to perform at both ends of the pitch. However, the schedule rather stiffens between Gameweeks 31 and 33, with away days at Chelsea and West Ham allied with Southampton’s visit to the Britannia sure to put the Midlanders’ mettle to the test. Phillipp Wollscheid is a doubt for this weekend with the groin injury that forced him off against Everton, ensuring that Marc Wilson is the star attraction in the Potter’s backline, though with Ryan Shawcross potentially returning, Hughes could have a real dilemma on his hands if Wollscheid is also passed fit. With the fixture list in mind, though, any investment here looks set to be short-term orientated. Meanwhile, managers eyeing up Victor Moses after his pair of strikes in the last three Gameweeks must bear in the mind that the winger is ineligible to face his parent club Chelsea in three weekends’ time; again, however, short term investment certainly looks an option.

Southampton
Sadio Mane’s winning strike against Crystal Palace was only the second time the Saints have tallied on the scoresheet in their previous six league outings, and with the disciplined rearguard of Chelsea up next for Ronald Koeman’s outfit, that lack of goal threat will have to change if anything is to be wrought. The Blues have now conceded just once in their last three, and even Mane’s band of owners may be contemplating a bench spot for the Senegal international on Sunday. Ditching the Saints’ assets altogether ahead of the weekend looks unwise, as once the trip to Stamford Bridge is out of the way a generous trio of fixtures then awaits (BUR, eve, HUL), though with a trip to Stoke and home clash against Spurs following directly after, it’s anything but plain sailing for the struggling south coast side right now, and popular defensive picks Nathaniel Clyne and Ryan Bertrand could be set for a spell of rotation from their managers.