Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 32 – The Weak

After taking time out to assess those sides with strong fixtures in yesterday’s article, we turn our attentions to those with less promising schedules. United’s chances of nailing down second spot are poised to be put firmly to the test, whilst double Gameweek 31 pair Villa and QPR brace themselves for a tough run of matches ahead.

Aston Villa

With the Villains’ double Gameweek now gone, and a certain Belgian having stolen the headlines, the schedule takes a rather substantial nosedive, leaving those managers who stocked up on their assets in a quandary. The Midlanders take on Spurs at White Hart Lane this weekend, with a blank Gameweek 33 and trip to Man City then to follow in what is a taxing short-term schedule, and their hopes of extending the gap over their relegation rivals will perhaps have to be put on hold until the final four Gameweeks of the season, which includes three encouraging home fixtures (EVE, WHM, BUR).

Those who gambled on Christian Benteke for the double-header were handsomely rewarded with a 23-point haul, but whether the striker can replicate those goal-scoring antics against more imperious opponents remains to be seen. The temptation will certainly be to keep faith with the Belgian for the clash with Spurs, who have conceded in all but one of their last eight, though the proceeding blank could well spark an exodus if he is unable to produce on Saturday. Fellow forward Gabby Agbonlahor delivered an assist for his new band of owners last night, though that is unlikely to be enough to convince many to retain his services, whilst Scott Sinclair’s hamstring injury has put paid to his prospects. Villa’s injury-plagued defence, who have now conceded three goals in two consecutive matches, are set to remain off the radar until those final four fixtures.

QPR

The Hoops accrued a vital four points across their two Gameweek 31 fixtures, leaving them just two points short of safety, though one look at the upcoming schedule suggest that victories may be hard to come by. It’s Chelsea up next for Chris Ramsey’s men, before they, too, are hit by a blank Gameweek 33, which is soon followed by trips to the north west to tackle top four contenders Liverpool and Man City. Encounters with Newcastle and Leicester bring the season to a close, though whether they can reach the penultimate Gameweek with their hopes of survival still intact remains dubious.

As with Benteke, owners of Charlie Austin will now be tentatively weighing up their options, having watched the striker fire in two goals and as many assists across the double. Budget buy Matty Phillips was the unsung hero of the double Gameweek after delivering a 20-point haul and, having served up two goals and seven assists in eight appearances, may have persuaded some to retain as their cheap fifth midfielder. The likes of Austin and Phillips have ensured that QPR have found the net in each of their last eight league outings and with Chris Ramsey clearly looking to go on the offensive as much as possible, that pair could still prosper. That growing attacking impetus has taken its toll on the R’s backline, though – Ramsey’s men have now registered just a single shutout in their previous 15 fixtures, and continue to look an unlikely source of points.

Man United

Louis van Gaal’s outfit have hit top gear in recent weeks, with victories over Spurs, Liverpool and Villa lifting them into third place above their Manchester rivals. The job of securing Champions League for next season is still far from complete, however, with the crucial derby against City coming up this Sunday and a trip to Stamford Bridge to face the league leaders the following weekend. With two more tricky away days (eve, cpl) and a meeting with Arsenal also on the cards in the next six, the likes of Liverpool and Spurs will still be convinced that they can gain ground on the Reds.

A rare blunder by David de Gea against Villa meant that United have now gone two matches without a clean sheet, and with the two most prolific attacks in the league to come in the next couple of Gameweeks, owners of the Spaniard or any of his rearguard team-mates are likely to be reconsidering their options. Juan Mata continues to keep Angel Di Maria out of the starting XI and has now notched two goals and an assist in his last pair of outings, whilst interest in Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera may be kept at a minimum until after Gameweek 33. Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney has delivered four goals in his last five since being moved to his preferred centre forward position, and whilst those managers currently possessing his services are expected to hold onto the in-form England skipper, non-owners may be persuaded to wait until the schedule picks up to splash out the 10.7 required. Robin van Persie’s return to training also threatens to complicate matters here, though Van Gaal will surely be reluctant to tear up his winning formula for now.

Hull

No wins in the last five Gameweeks means that the Tigers have slipped to just one place ahead of the drop zone. If that wasn’t enough for Steve Bruce, his side’s remaining fixtures will surely have the boss on red alert, with a home meeting with Burnley their one remaining blue square on the ticker. Prior to that crucial survival showdown, the next four consists of KC clashes with Liverpool and Arsenal and daunting trips to Southampton and Palace, whilst clashes with Spurs and United round the season off. The odds are certainly stacked against them, then, and Fantasy interest is set to remain at an all-time low. It’s worth bearing in mind that the Gameweek 33 clash with Liverpool could be subject to rescheduling, of course, if the Reds defeat Blackburn in the cup tonight.

Hardly a rich source of Fantasy points this season, Hull’s attack will now have to be in full swing if they are to overcome the horrendous schedule, with the onus on forward duo Abel Hernandez and Dame N’Doye to deliver against the odds. Should Bruce choose to shut up shop and try to hash out as many stalemates as possible, however, the performances of the likes of Allan McGregor and Alex Bruce will prove essential, with the former likely to garner plenty of save points in the coming weeks, though with a number of other budget keepers available elsewhere at the moment, there still seems little reason to pay the Scot much attention.

Be Wary Of…

Arsenal
The Gunners delivered one of their finest performances of the season against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, and owners of their main protagonists will be expecting further reward when they travel to Burnley this weekend. With a blank and clash with Chelsea to follow, however, we can expect to see plenty then jump ship before climbing back aboard in time for a Gameweek 35 encounter with Hull. The situation regarding the Gunners’ rearguard complicates matters further, with Laurent Koscielny rated a doubt due to a thigh concern and Hector Bellerin, Calum Chambers and the recently-recovered Mathieu Debuchy fighting it out for the right back berth. That leaves Nacho Monreal as the sub-6.0 defender of choice, though his starts are never quite guaranteed. Managers are therefore likely to wait until after the Chelsea match to invest, when hopefully those concerns will have cleared themselves up. Further forward, Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey have already earned plenty of new owners since the weekend, as the short-term schedule does little to dissuade managers of their prospects – owning rotation options for the Gameweek 33 blank is clearly essential, then.

Sunderland
The Black Cats ended a seven-match winless streak with a priceless derby victory over their Tyneside neighbours at the weekend, and now sit three points clear of the drop zone. Sunderland’s chances of putting further distance between themselves and their fellow relegation battlers in the coming weeks look slim, however, with the visit of in-form Crystal Palace next up before a blank Gameweek 33 offers a number of their rivals the chance to make up the ground. With three testing fixtures then to follow (sto, SOU, eve) managers are unlikely to pay Dick Advocaat’s men too much attention for the time being, though are reminded that monitoring the likes of Jermain Defoe, Patrick van Aanholt and Costel Pantilimon could pay off handsomely come their Gameweek 37 double against Leicester and Arsenal.

West Brom
After a convincing start to life under Tony Pulis, the Baggies have slipped in recent times and have now tasted defeat in three of the last four Gameweeks. Their dire 4-1 loss to QPR last weekend will be particularly worrying for those managers currently holding their assets, and with a gruelling final set of fixtures now to come, we are unlikely to see any substantial interest head the Midlanders’ way for the remainder of the season. Indeed, once a home meeting with Leicester is out of the way, Pulis’ charges face four of the current top five (LIV, mun, CHE, ars) and a clash with a flourishing Crystal Palace side in a horrendous final six matches that could well drag them back into the relegation scrap. The 4.1-rated Boaz Myhill’s budget appeal between the sticks is not due to last beyond this weekend, then, whilst Saido Berahino will be hard-pressed to add much more to his 12 goal tally, with a number of other budget forward options outshining him at this late stage.