Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 11 – The Strong

After a testing first ten Gameweeks, Everton now embark on a favourable run that’s bound to bring Fantasy interest their way. City, Spurs and Palace all have four home fixtures in the next six to heighten their appeal, whilst Southampton should also have every reason for optimism.

EVERTON

While the Toffees have only scored three goals in their last two matches, the fact they’ll be coming up against Sunderland, Bournemouth and Norwich, three teams who feature in the top six for shots conceded in the penalty area over the last four Gameweeks, means we are likely to see that statistic improve over the coming period. Aston Vila have also shipped eight goals in their last four matches, while match-ups against West Ham and Crystal Palace could also yield attacking returns. Romelu Lukaku (8.4) and Ross Barkley (6.8) look primed to produce the goods then, with both players having already impressed in more difficult fixtures this season.

Everton’s defensive prospects have been dented somewhat after Phil Jagielka was ruled out for the next eight to nine weeks with a knee injury. Ramiro Funes Mori (5.5) may be an able deputy, but the organisation provided by their skipper could be badly missed. Sunderland, Bournemouth and Aston Villa all feature among the bottom six teams for goal attempts over the last four Gameweeks, and should offer a reasonable chance of a shut-out. Palace have also been struggling to find the back of the net, only scoring four times in their last four matches, but a clean sheet against West Ham appears more unlikely. Seamus Coleman (5.9) looks the pick of the options at the back, with Leighton Baines’ expected return towards the end of November meaning Brendan Galloway (4.5) only offers a short-term option.

SOUTHAMPTON

With only the trip to the Etihad unfavourable in the next six, having at least one Saints asset for the coming period looks a must. Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Stoke visit St Mary’s, and with the first two of those sides conceding plenty of goals recently, you’d think the likes of Graziano Pelle (8.4) and Sadio Mane (7.9) could significantly add to the 10 goals Southampton have scored in their last four home matches. Meanwhile, Sunderland have allowed the third highest number of shots (38) from inside the penalty area in the last four Gameweeks, and also represent a strong match-up.

Ronald Koeman’s side have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five matches, but with Sunderland, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Stoke all featuring among the six worst teams for goal attempts over the past four Gameweeks, they appear to have the fixtures to turn that poor record around. As already mentioned, Palace are also stuttering in front of goal, so allied to his attacking potential, Virgil van Dijk (5.5) should be pretty high on the shopping lists of Fantasy managers right now, while anyone owning a member of the Saints backline should be pretty hopeful of returns over the coming period.

MAN CITY

The Citizens have been regulars in this section throughout the season so far, and with four home fixtures (NOR, LIV, SOT, SWA) in the next six, the outlook continues to look bright. Norwich visit the Etihad on Saturday having conceded 11 goals in their last four away matches, while Swansea have yet to keep a clean sheet away from the Liberty. City also have to visit Villa Park, with the home side rooted to the bottom of the table, so owning the likes of Kevin De Bruyne (10.5), Raheem Sterling (8.9) and, in the short-term, Wilfried Bony (8.3), should pay off handsomely over the next few weeks.

City have kept a clean sheet in every match that Vincent Kompany (6.3) has played this season, so should the skipper stay away from the treatment table, further defensive returns appear likely for Manuel Pellegrini’s men. Of City’s next six opponents, only Southampton (nine) have scored more than five goals in their last four matches. The Canaries are the only other side of the six, along with the Saints, that feature in the top seven teams for shots inside the box over the past four Gameweeks, so those holding onto members of the City backline should pick up plenty of points over the next month or so.

CRYSTAL PALACE

While only two of Palace’s four home match-ups (MUN, SUN, NEW, SOT) are favourable, Alan Pardew’s side have scored in four of their five home matches so far, against the likes of Arsenal and West Brom’s backlines, suggesting that their prospects for attacking returns remain pretty bright. Sunderland and Newcastle both feature among the top five sides for shots against in the penalty area over the last four Gameweeks, while Southampton have conceded in both of their last two away clashes, albeit against Chelsea and Liverpool. Even United have been vulnerable at times on their travels this season, shipping two goals at both Swansea and Southampton, so the likes of Yohan Cabaye (6.6) and Yannick Bolasie (6.2) look decent mid-price options in midfield.

The Palace rearguard has shown signs of improvement of late, with clean sheets against Watford and West Brom, while they only let in one goal at free-scoring Leicester last weekend. Newcastle have only netted once in their five away matches so far, while Sunderland have failed to score in their last three road trips. United have also registered the second fewest goal attempts out of any team over the last four Gameweeks, while Liverpool are finding goals hard to come by at the moment. So Scott Dann’s 7% ownership in Fantasy Premier League should be looking to keep hold of the centre-back, while Wayne Hennessey (3.9) clearly offers great value if he can retain a starting berth in goal.

ALSO CONSIDER…

Leicester
The Foxes are riding high in fifth place and their next three matches (wba, WAT, new) should provide their leading marksman Jamie Vardy (7.2) with plenty of opportunities to continue his remarkable run of goalscoring form. Whilst the trip to West Brom could be tricky, the Baggies have conceded three times in three of their five home matches so far. Riyad Mahrez (6.5) grabbed an assist on his return to the starting XI against Palace, and remains a great mid-price option in midfield, providing he keeps his place in the side.

Claudio Ranieri’s side picked up their first shut-out of the season against the Eagles, and with West Brom and Watford among the lowest scoring teams in the league, there could be less of a wait for their second clean sheet. Jeffrey Schlupp (5.0) has been playing in an advanced role in midfield of late, enhancing his prospects, while Robert Huth (4.4) looks the leading budget option at the back, though the 3.9-priced Danny Simpson has now started the last three at right-back.

Chelsea
Both of the Blues’ clean sheets this season have come at home, so with the low-scoring Liverpool, Norwich and Bournemouth visiting Stamford Bridge in the next six, further defensive returns could well be on the cards. The three away clashes on the horizon (sto, tot, lei) look more testing, but with the likes of Asmir Begovic (5.0) and Kurt Zouma (5.5) not setting us back too much, it could be time to consider the Chelsea backline once again.

Norwich and Bournemouth have both been on the end of hefty defeats over recent weeks, and with both those two teams to play, along with a leaky Leicester side, the likes of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard (both 11.1) look to have plenty of upside based purely on the fixtures. Neither has shown any consistency this season to justify their premium price tags, so the cheaper Willian (6.8) could also be one to consider.

Tottenham
Spurs have four home clashes in the next six (AVL, ars, WHM, CHE, wba, NEW), enhancing the prospects of both their defensive and attacking assets. Villa will arrive at White Hart Lane in the midst of a six-match losing streak, culminating in the sacking of former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood, while Newcastle have conceded 13 goals in their last four matches. The West Ham and Chelsea backlines are also not among the strongest in the league, so Harry Kane (9.2) and Christian Eriksen (8.4) should be able to build on their recent upturns in form.

Barring the six goals they scored against Norwich, Newcastle have been short of attacking threat this season, while Villa and West Brom are among the least prolific sides in the Premier League. With Mauricio Pochettino doing a great job with the Spurs rearguard this season, having kept four clean sheets in their last seven matches, the likes of Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld (both 5.2) should be able to accrue some decent points over the coming weeks.