The Scout Mission – Gameweek 10

Eden Hazard and Riyad Mahrez’s pitch time are amongst a number of topics to consider this weekend. Liverpool and United’s attacking set-ups and Mesut Ozil’s appeal as an Arsenal double-up candidate are also on our Gameweek 10 agenda…

Van Gaal’s attack….
Louis van Gaal’s decision to restructure his offensive options may have worked wonders for last weekend’s 3-0 win at Everton but it ultimately raised question marks over investing ahead of a decent schedule. Juan Mata was hauled off at the break at Goodison and benched for last night’s trip to Moscow, whilst Anthony Martial has now started the last two on the left flank due to Memphis Depay’s poor form. With Wayne Rooney doing little to justify his premium price tag, more chopping and changing from Van Gaal may persuade many to look elsewhere.

..and Klopp’s….
With his options in the final third somewhat limited last weekend, the Liverpool manager was forced to roll out a 4-3-2-1 system, which saw Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana tuck in behind Divock Origi. Fast forward a few days and Jurgen Klopp could welcome Christian Benteke, Daniel Sturridge and Roberto Firmino to the mix as the Reds entertain Southampton on Sunday. As his options increase, we should get a better idea of the German’s likely regulars this weekend as the treatment room continues to empty.

Ayew and Gomis’s faltering form….
For many, the Swansea pair are on their last chance as Garry Monk’s side head to Villa this weekend. Andre Ayew has one goal in five now, whilst Bafetimbi Gomis has failed to find the net at all over that period, yet both still sit in 19% of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) sides due to their early-season form. Fail to deliver the goods against Tim Sherwood’s strugglers and enough may be enough, despite clashes with Norwich and Bournemouth in the subsequent three.

Mahrez’ minutes….
Will his second-half cameo against Southampton be enough to earn the Algerian a first-team recall for the home encounter against Palace? Mahrez certainly boosted his prospects of a starting role by supplying the assist for Jamie Vardy’s late leveler but he’s now been omitted from the first XI in each of the last two Gameweeks. Should Ranieri look to utilise him as an impact sub off the bench yet again, his 53% owners will surely have to take flight.

…and Hazard’s….
Benched for the home clash against Villa, the Belgian no longer looks a guaranteed starter under Jose Mourinho. Hazard featured in the first XI in all 38 of last season’s league matches but a lack of work-rate saw him drop to the bench as Pedro and Willian took the wide roles against Tim Sherwood’s side. Fantasy managers cannot afford 11.2-priced passengers in their squads and with Alexis Sanchez and Kevin De Bruyne firing on all cylinders in the premium bracket, there’s an obvious route out for Hazard owners if Jose names him amongst the subs again.

Chelsea’s defence against the free-scoring Hammers….
Back-to-back clean sheets in all competitions suggests that Mourinho’s men are finally rediscovering the resilience that saw them grind their way to the title last term. West Ham have scored at least twice in all but one of their matches under Slaven Bilic, though, and represent a real test of their visitors’ defensive improvement this weekend. If they can keep out Dimitri Payet and co., though, the Blues backline could soon be back on our radars as the fixtures take a turn for the better.

Lanzini as a fifth midfielder….
The Argentine has remained under the radar this season as a result of Dimitri Payet’s performances for West Ham. Shifted to a central role against Palace last time out, Lanzini served up a goal, assist and maximum bonus at Selhurst Park to serve notice of his potential. Since being installed to the first XI in Gameweek 4, he’s produced 31 points in six appearances – more than five points per start. The Hammers are scoring for fun right now and if he delivers against Chelsea, Lanzini – priced at 5.3 and owned by only 0.2% of FPL managers – could be an ideal solution for those hunting a cut-price midfielder.

Ozil, not Walcott, as our second Arsenal midfielder….
With Alexis Sanchez already a given, much of the focus around these parts has been on Theo Walcott as a valid double-up option in the Gunners midfield. Mesut Ozil, however, could be the answer for those managers still concerned about the Olivier Giroud-shaped shadow that hovers over Walcott’s security of starts. Back-to-back double-figure hauls against United and Watford have strengthened the German’s appeal and another big display against Everton this weekend could finally see him emerge out of the differential bracket.

Murray and Mbokani as cut-price frontmen….
Their defences may have taken a pasting last weekend but the Bournemouth and Norwich frontmen have continued to flourish. Murray and Mbokani have now netted in each of the last two Gameweeks and, at just 5.6 and 5.7 respectively, are starting to suggest they could be valid options to Watford’s Odion Ighalo in the budget bracket. Both are owned by less than 0.5% of FPL managers and with many managers keen to leave a route back open for Sergio Aguero, another goal haul could help ease the transition back to the Argentine.

The Magpies’ momentum….
Steve McClaren’s side picked the perfect time to find their form ahead of this weekend’s Wear-Tyne derby by putting six past Norwich at St James’ last weekend. Georginio Wijnaldum has understandably been the most sought-after Magpies asset after scoring four times against the Canaries but there’s more than just the Dutchman to monitor as the schedule turns kind. Newcastle have notched nine times in three outings since moving to 4-4-2 and we’ll be keeping a keen eye on Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ayoze Perez and even Moussa Sissoko as differentials going forward.

Lens under Big Sam….
The Dutchman will surely be handed an immediate start as Sam Allardyce looks to get one over on his former side in his first home match at the Black Cats’ helm. Lens has been the one positive in yet another dire season for the Wearsiders – playing a part in five of their eight goals, he’s blanked in just three of his eight outings. At just 6.4 and with some decent fixtures in front of him, can Allardyce get him firing as a viable option for our midfields?

Sterling as a De Bruyne alternative….
A hat-trick against Bournemouth saw the former Liverpool man soar past his team-mate in the FPL standings after he was handed a role up front by Manuel Pellegrini. The City boss retained a 4-4-2 for the home encounter with Sevilla last night, though it was De Bruyne who proved the hero by netting a late winner. At 8.8 to the Belgian’s 10.5, though, Sterling’s relatively budget-friendly price tag has certainly turned heads and another role up front against United may well promote him in our thinking ahead of forthcoming clashes against Norwich and Villa in the absence of Aguero.