The Watchlist Updated – Gameweek 36 – The Midfield

As we turn our attention to the latest movements in midfield on our Watchlist following yesterday’s look at the goalkeepers and defenders, the theme remains the same, with Arsenal assets in demand ahead of double Gameweek 37. Elsewhere, though, there are a number of new faces this time around, with Marc Albrighton and Jordi Gomez getting the nod following their double-digit hauls last weekend.

Alexis Sanchez solidified his position as the number one midfielder for the final few weeks of the season after bagging a brace in Arsenal’s 3-1 win at Hull. The 11.3-priced Chile international was in outstanding form at the KC Stadium, registering eight goal attempts, five from inside the box, and creating three chances. With the fixtures (SWA, mun/SUN, WBA) firmly in his favour, it is no surprise to see the former Barcelona man has been transferred in by over 45,000 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers already this week.

Following blanks against Arsenal and Leicester, Eden Hazard returned to the scoresheet in Chelsea’s 1-0 win against Crystal Palace. The Blues remaining three matches (LIV, wba, SUN) are reasonable, and while some reckon Jose Mourinho’s side may not play with the same intensity now the title has been wrapped up, you could also argue they are now afforded more freedom in the final third from this point onwards. For those keen to find a place for Sanchez in the five-man midfields, though, the Belgian could be the fall guy.

Like Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey justified his place on the Watchlist with an impressive performance against Hull, bagging a goal and an assist. The Wales international has managed a decent six shots from inside the box in his last four appearances, and coming in at 8.7 in FPL, looks ripe for investment ahead of the Gunners tasty run-in, provided he shrugs off the knock he picked up on Monday night.

Manchester City’s David Silva moves back towards the top of our ladder after grabbing an assist and maximum bonus in the 1-0 win at Tottenham. The Spanish playmaker created four chances at White Hart Lane, although in his fifth consecutive match without finding the back of the net, he worryingly failed to register a goal attempt. With a decent set of fixtures (QPR, swa, SOT) though, the 9.5-valued Silva could still be set for a strong end to the season.

With a goal and two assists in his last two outings, Marc Albrighton takes over from Esteban Cambiasso as our preferred Leicester midfield option. The 4.2-rated winger has created nine chances over that period, joint highest among all midfielders, while he has also managed a respectable three shots from inside the box. With the schedule (SOT, sun, QPR) still friendly for the Foxes, the former Aston Villa man could provide great value for the final three Gameweeks of the campaign.

Jack Grealish finds himself just behind Albrighton in the pecking order, with his underlying stats not quite as impressive as the Leicester wide man. The 4.3-priced midfielder has created six chances in his last two appearances, but has only registered one shot from inside the box. Aston Villa face two of their final three league encounters at home (WHM, sot, BUR), where they have scored six goals in their last two matches, so Grealish’s prospects do look pretty bright considering his lowly price tag.

With little to choose between Sebastian Larsson and Jordi Gomez, the importance of penalty duties, as shown on the weekend, means we’re backing the latter in our Watchlist rankings. The Spaniard’s 15-point haul against Southampton will prove hard to repeat, bearing in mind his two penalties were the only goal attempts he made in the 2-1 win.Valued at 5.1 in FPL, the former Wigan midfielder could be worth a punt as a differential given his 0.3% ownership, with the Black Cats double in Gameweek 37 (LEI/ars) just around the corner.

Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho is back on our radar after bagging a 13-point haul in the 2-1 victory against QPR. The goal and assist were the Brazilian’s first attacking returns in his last five outings, but with his underlying stats over the last four Gameweeks more impressive than Raheem Sterling’s (22 goal attempts to eight, six shots inside the box to five and 11 chances created to eight), the 7.9-rated midfielder takes over from the England international as our favoured Reds midfield option ahead of their final three matches (che, CPL, sto). With no attacking points in his last three appearances, it probably isn’t a surprise to see Sterling leading the transfers out this week, with over 55,000 FPL managers shedding the midfielder.

Despite failing to back up his double-digit haul from Gameweek 34 in Swansea’s 2-0 win against Stoke, Gylfi Sigurdsson moves up a couple of places on our ladder. The 6.5-priced midfielder has managed eight goal attempts, four from inside the box and created six chances since the Swans switched back to the 4-2-3-1 system in the 3-2 victory at Newcastle, heightening his appeal as a mid-price midfield option. With the fixtures (ars, MCI, cpl) not in his favour, though, the Iceland international may struggle to attract any new suitors before the end of the season.

Kevin Mirallas remains in our thoughts despite blanking in Everton’s 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa. The Toffees face a reasonable run-in (SUN, whm, TOT), and having scored in two of his last three appearances, the Belgian international, priced at 7.2 in FPL, could be worth a shout as a differential given his ownership of just 2%.

Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko sneaks onto the Watchlist by virtue of the Magpies favourable run-in (WBA, qpr, WHM). The French international returned from a two-match ban in the 3-0 defeat at Leicester, and with John Carver’s men in desperate need of a win to ease their relegation worries, we’re backing the 5.8-valued Sissoko to add to his three goals and trio of assists in the next few weeks.

With Man United failing to find the back of the net in their last three matches, Juan Mata sees his stock fall drastically in our latest refresh. The Spaniard’s underlying stats over that period, with nine chances created and three shots from inside the box, mean he stays in our thoughts, but with two of United’s final three fixtures (cpl, ARS, hul) away from Old Trafford, the 8.5-rated midfielder may find himself sacrificed by many of his 9.7% ownership to find a place for the likes of Sanchez and Ramsey.