Spot the Differential – Gameweek 12

We call upon a trio of midfielders this Saturday morning in our usual scour for overlooked Fantasy options. Chelsea’s Willian looks a man in form ahead of the champions’ trip to Stoke, whilst Matt Ritchie and Moussa Sissoko jostle for our attention as Bournemouth host Newcastle in the early lunchtime kick-off.

Willian

Although Chelsea’s attack has looked dreadful at times this season, Willian has escaped the scourge of poor form that’s afflicted much of the champions’ squad. Aside from notching two goals and assists in his previous five leagues starts, the Brazilian midfielder has netted in all but one of the Blues’ quartet of Champions League ties.

Astonishingly, all five of Willian’s goals this term have arrived from free-kicks. Allied to his proficiency from set pieces, Willian places top among Chelsea’s midfield contingent with regards to shots on target (three) and key passes (eight) over the last four Gameweeks, highlighting his attacking potential since returning to the first XI.

Although the Potters have tightened up of late – claiming three clean sheets in their previous four outings – they rank third for big chances conceded (24) this season, which bodes well for visitor’s attacking prospects.

With Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro doing little to justify their premium tags, Willian (6.8) serves as a mid-price option ahead of a schedule which sees Jose Mourinho’s men also play Norwich, Bournemouth, Leicester, Sunderland and Watford in the subsequent six Gameweeks.

Matt Ritchie

In the absence of Callum Wilson and Max Gradel, there’s even greater emphasis on Matt Ritchie (5.6) to discover his groove in the Premier League and showcase the kind of form that saw him amass 15 goals and 17 assists in the Championship last term. Although he’s yet reach top gear for the Cherries, the Scotland international boasts two goals and an assist in six outings and is threatening to emerge as a viable option in the mid-priced bracket.

Over the last two Gameweeks, only Philippe Coutinho and Yaya Toure (both eight) chalked up more attempts than Ritchie (seven), who mustered two shots on target. Moreover, Bournemouth had no issues crafting chances for their forwards over that stretch, considering that only five clubs racked up more key passes (20) since Gameweek 10.

Next up for the south-coast outfit is a home tie against Newcastle United. The Magpies did record a clean sheet in their match-up against Stoke last weekend, but they still rank second for goals conceded (11) and third for big chances conceded (10) in the last four Gameweeks. In addition, Ritchie – who has produced points in each of his last three home matches – will also be encouraged by the fact that the Tynesiders have surrendered the fourth most shots inside the box (100) this season.

Moussa Sissoko

Behind the spotlight-grabbing Georginio Wijnaldum, Moussa Sissoko has been Newcastle’s most impressive midfield performer this campaign. Just 11 Gameweeks in and with four assists to his name, the all-action Frenchman has already surpassed his haul from last term (three assists) and is well on course to match his best season (six assists) on the creative front.

Delving into his underlying statistics over the last four Gameweeks, Sissoko ranked fourth among all midfielders for key passes (14), with only Mesut Ozil, Dimitri Payet (both 18) and Christian Eriksen (15) managing more. His effective distribution ensured that the Magpies placed fourth for shots inside the box (39) and big chances (eight) during that period, marking a significant upturn in their goal threat. Furthermore, his tally of four efforts inside the box matches City’s Kevin de Bruyne and is more than Arsenal’s Ozil (three), for example.

The figures suggest, then, that the 5.7-priced Sissoko could profit from Newcastle’s upcoming trio of alluring fixtures (bou, LEI, cry). Steve McClaren’s troops proved they are capable of scoring big with a 6-2 victory over Norwich City in Gameweek 9, so a road clash against the Cherries – who chart bottom for goals conceded (13) and big chances conceded (15) over the last four Gameweeks – looks conducive to attacking returns.