Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 1 – The Strong

Following Wednesday’s announcement of the 2015/16 Premier League fixtures, we’re wasting no time in assessing the prospects of teams over the opening Gameweeks of the season.

In this first “Frisking” of the campaign, we assess those teams handed a seemingly favourable passage through the first month. Championship winners Bournemouth and Europa League challengers Southampton immediately jump out, while Leicester City and Arsenal appear to have been handed the platform to begin strongly after ending the 2014/15 season in superb form.

SOUTHAMPTON

With none of last season’s top six to face in their opening five fixtures, Ronald Koeman’s side look certain to catch our attention as we formulate our 15-man squads. Of Saints’ 15 clean sheets last season, 11 came at St Mary’s, so home encounters against Everton and Norwich could prove prosperous, while trips to Newcastle, Watford and West Brom also look favourable, although Southampton will have to improve their form on the road, having lost their last five away clashes in 2014/15.

With Fraser Forster sidelined until the New Year, Paulo Gazzaniga or Kelvin Davis currently have the chance to play a part in our opening plans. Given that price hikes are predicted for Ronald Koeman’s defensive regulars, a cost of 4.5 or 5.0 would still make a Saints back-up keeper the cheapest route here. If Nathaniel Clyne leaves the club in the coming weeks, new right-back Cedric Soares could also prove a more budget-friendly pick.

Further forward, the plentiful options available to the Dutchman make rotation seem inevitable, particularly with the Europa League qualification rounds to contend with. After his strong finish to last season, many may be prepared to gamble on Koeman’s selection and opt for Sadio Mane in midfield, while Graziano Pelle enjoyed a relatively successful first year in England despite a barren run during the winter months. With new signing Juanmi, the fit-again Jay Rodriguez, Dusan Tadic, James Ward-Prowse and Shane Long also battling for places, investment in Southampton’s attacking assets provides the potential for heartache.

LEICESTER

Having ended last season with seven wins and a draw in the last nine fixtures, confidence in the Foxes’ Fantasy assets will certainly be enhanced by their opening fixtures. Nigel Pearson’s men face home matches against Sunderland and Aston Villa, while trips to West Ham and Bournemouth also offer encouragement of potential returns at both ends.

The home encounter with Tottenham in Gameweek 3 will be tougher, though the likes of Leonardo Ulloa and the newly-capped England international Jamie Vardy will fancy breaching a Spurs defence that managed four clean sheets on their travels last term. Providing Pearson keeps faith in the attack that finished the season so strongly, both Marc Albrighton and Riyad Mahrez could also come into contention in the centre of the park, though it remains to be seen whether out-of-contract Esteban Cambiasso will sign on for another year.

At the back, the likes of Kasper Schmeichel and Wes Morgan will be obvious targets, though set-piece specialist Christian Fuchs could be the pick of the bunch if, as expected, he nails down the role on the left ahead of Jeffrey Schlupp. The Austrian’s prospects would be heightened if Pearson deploys him as a wing-back, though there’s a fear he may come in pricier than his fellow defenders.

ARSENAL

The Gunners are still riding high following their FA Cup success and look to have the most favourable start among the top sides. West Ham visit the Emirates on the opening day, with Liverpool and Stoke also heading to north London over the first five Gameweeks. Road trips to Crystal Palace and Newcastle won’t hold any fear for Arsenal, making Arsene Wenger’s side appear ripe for investment, despite the unfavourable Gameweek 6 clash at Stamford Bridge.

Chile’s progress in Copa America will be closely monitored, with Alexis Sanchez’s involvement in the Gunners opening matches potentially in doubt. His possible absence would strengthen the claims of Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil for a place in our opening five-man midfields, whilst Fantasy managers will be hoping Theo Walcott can oust Olivier Giroud as the lone striker after finishing the previous campaign so impressively.

While rotation will clearly be a concern in midfield and attack, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker look more secure in defence, although the full-back areas are not quite so certain. Nacho Monreal ended last season as the first-choice on the left, with Kieran Gibbs offering strong competition. Meanwhile Mathieu Debuchy will face a fierce contest for the right-back berth with Hector Bellerin. If, as expected, Petr Cech arrives at the Emirates, the Arsenal rearguard could become an even more attractive proposition for Fantasy managers.

BOURNEMOUTH

With the mood still high at the south coast club following promotion to the top-flight, a kind looking schedule during the opening weeks could hand Fantasy managers some helpful bargains. Three home matches over the opening six Gameweeks sees The Cherries entertain Aston Villa, Leicester and Sunderland, with a visit to fellow new boys Norwich also on the agenda. Trips to Liverpool and West Ham will offer sterner tests, but given how friendly the Bournemouth players should be on our budgets, those home fixtures in particular should help attract plenty of would-be suitors.

With Eddie Howe’s men top of the Season Ticker for clean sheets, whoever starts in goal out of new signings Adam Federici and Artur Boruc (who was on-loan with the Cherries last season), should offer a strong option. Right-back Simon Francis looks the pick of the defenders, but Howe is expected to make some new additions in his rearguard before the transfer window closes. In midfield, Scotland international Matt Ritchie will be on many shopping lists on the back of 15 goals and 17 assists last season, with forward Callum Wilson not too far behind, having netted 20 times in 2014/15. On-loan Christian Atsu could also be worth monitoring if he can transfer his form on the international stage with Ghana to the Premier League, although he struggled to make an impact at Everton last season.

ALSO CONSIDER…

Sunderland
The Black Cats were a much improved defensive unit under Dick Advocaat after keeping three clean sheets in their final four matches of 2014/15. Home fixtures against Norwich and Swansea, along with away matches at Leicester, Aston Villa and Bournemouth, should see the likes of Patrick van Aanholt and Costel Pantilimon find their way into many 15-man squads. Their pricing will again be key, though, with hikes to 5.0 possible, which may limit any potential investment. Sunderland struggled for goals last season, so confidence in attacking assets such as Jermain Defoe, Connor Wickham and Sebastian Larsson won’t be high, but with such a favourable schedule, they could prove to be handy differentials during the opening weeks.

Norwich
As with fellow promoted side Bournemouth, Norwich City could provide us with some budget-friendly options in the early weeks of the season. Home fixtures against Crystal Palace, Stoke and Bournemouth should bring the likes of Bradley Johnson, Nathan Redmond and Wes Hoolahan into contention for a fifth midfielder spot. Returns at the back may be tougher to come by, given the Canaries visit St Mary’s and Anfield in the opening six Gameweeks, but should Norwich’s defensive regulars come in at 4.5, those home matches alone make them decent options as we look to balance our 15-man rosters. Reports suggest Tottenham’s DeAndre Yedlin could be set for a loan move to Carrow Road in light of Kieran Trippier’s transfer to the Lane – the US international could be one to watch if favourably priced.

Manchester City
With trips to the Hawthorns and Goodison Park sandwiching their home clash against Chelsea, the opening three Gameweeks may have some Fantasy managers thinking twice before loading up on City assets. Nonetheless, Manuel Pellegrini’s side can score goals against any side on their day, and with home matches against Watford and West Ham to follow, the likes of David Silva and Sergio Aguero are still likely to feature high on our watchlists as we prepare for the new season. The Argentine’s involvement in the Copa America casts doubt as to whether he will feature in the opening Gameweek, making the Spaniard an obvious target. At the back, Joe Hart looks the safest option, although Aleksandar Kolarov ended last season as the first-choice left-back and offers explosive potential should he retain his starting berth ahead of Gael Clichy.