Scout Squad – Gameweek 14

Our Tuesday evening regular returns once again, as we give you an early heads-up on our Scout Picks thinking for the Gameweek ahead. This list of 22 players will also include some names in contention for a place in our Spot the Differential article, though will, of course, be subject to change, depending on the injury situation as the week unfolds.

For Gameweek 14, here’s the players currently on our radar…

Goalkeepers

Ahead of a favourable match-up against Sunderland’s underwhelming attack, Jack Butland (4.7) serves as the prime route into a Stoke defence that recorded five clean sheets in the last six Gameweeks. The England international scooped six bonus points in his previous trio of outings and is our clear frontrunner in the shot-stopper department for the weekend’s fixtures. Watford’s Heurelho Gomes (4.7) will fancy his chances of rebuffing an Aston Villa offense that’s scored one goal in their last trio of home ties.

Defenders

Alberto Moreno’s 4.9 price tag renders him the most attractive route into a Liverpool rearguard that next plays host to a floundering Swansea City outfit (three blanks in five outings). The Spanish left-lays claim to a solitary assist but has fashioned key passes at a better frequency (one every 40 minutes) than any other defender,

Scott Dann (5.2) will look to make amends for his blunder against the Black Cats when Crystal Palace welcome Newcastle United – who’ve netted once in four outings – to Selhurst Park. Like Moreno, Dann stands a great chance of making the final cut for our starting XI in Gameweek 14.

Norwich have recorded just two goals in four matches prior to their home clash against Arsenal, ensuring that Hector Bellerin – as the chief marauder in the Gunners’ back line – remains on our radar.

Notwithstanding West Ham’s heavy defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, Aaron Creswell (5.5) – who’s already just one assist shy last year’s haul (four) – could profit from their enticing home match-up against West Bromwich Albion.

Aleksandar Kolarov (6.3) delivered an assist last time out and remains the most likely source of attacking returns from a Manchester City defence that will be desperate to bounce back when Southampton pay visit.

Everton’s 4-0 victory over Villa marked their first clean sheet since Gameweek 6, alerting us to their defensive prospects throughout an agreeable Christmas schedule. Seamus Coleman (5.9) grabbed his second assist of the campaign against the Villains and will be keen to open his scoring account against a Bournemouth rearguard that conceded six goals in their last two home matches.

Midfielders

Philippe Coutinho (8.4) has flourished under the tutelage of new boss Jurgen Klopp, chalking up four goals, one assist and nine bonus points in his last trio of starts. Should he shrug off the hamstring problem that forced him off early against City, the Brazilian looks nailed-on for our midfield.

In acknowledgement of Alexis Sanchez’s four consecutive blanks, the consistent Mesut Ozil (9.1) is our top pick among Arsenal’s midfield contingent and sure-fire starter for our team. Elsewhere amongst the big hitters, Kevin De Bruyne (10.7) has notched just one assist since Gameweek 10, though remains in contention as we’re likely to go without Sergio Aguero for the visit of Southampton.

Riyad Mahrez (6.7) faces a tough home match-up against Manchester United, yet he’s posted only three blanks across 12 appearances this campaign. Yannick Bolasie’s (6.1) sporadic returns make him a tricky player to judge, but the Eagles’ home tie against Newcastle offers the perfect platform for the DR Congo international to excel.

Tottenham’s exceptional form (12 matches unbeaten) and threat in the final third (13 goals in four outings) shines a brighter spotlight on their chief orchestrator, Christian Eriksen (8.4), ahead of a home clash with Chelsea. The Danish midfielder bagged a brace of assists against the Hammers and could be set to profit if Spurs can prolong Chelsea’s dreadful road form (one win in six).

Ross Barkley earns the nod for Everton’s trip to Bournemouth. The Toffees playmaker arrives on the back of last week’s 19-point haul and faces a defence with a single clean sheet to their name so far.

Favoured over Glenn Murray at the central striker berth, Joshua King (4.6) delivered on his budget potential against Swansea with his maiden goal for Bournemouth. The Cherries’ renewed confidence stands the Norwegian marksman in good stead ahead Everton’s visit to the south coast, given that the Toffees’ defence have a single clean sheet in seven.

Manuel Lanzini (5.4) – who scored a late consolation goal by virtue of some nimble footwork – was arguably the sole positive note for the Irons at White Hart Lane. The Argentine midfielder boasts three goals and two assists in six starts and could thrive in a central role now that Dimitri Payet’s vacated the number-ten berth.

Forwards

With seven goals in his last four, Harry Kane (9.5) seems a certain Scout Picks starter ahead of a home encounter with Chelsea that saw him produce two goals and a pair of assists in a 5-3 win on New Year’s Day last term.

By that same token, the form of Romelu Lukaku (four goals and two assists in three) and Jamie Vardy (12 goals in 10) means that we are very likely to be rolling out a 3-4-3 formation this week. The latter faces the trickiest match-up, but Leicester City will be determined to aid his quest to break Ruud van Nistelrooy’s scoring record.

Our decision to include the above-mentioned trio is likely to leave no room for Sergio Aguero (13.1) this Gameweek. The former Atletico Madrid frontman showcased his unparalleled class with a sublime finish on his return from injury, yet his minutes are likely to be managed by Manuel Pellegrini and Southampton are unbeaten on their travels.

Odion Ighalo (5.6) has directly contributed to all but one of Watford’s last 10 league goals, carding six goals and three assists for the Hertfordshire club. The Nigerian forward will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing a Villa defence that shipped 11 goals in their last five matches and has tallied just two clean sheets across the season.

On Standby

Looking beyond those players at the forefront of our thinking, Roberto Firmino (8.0) could well make the Scout XI if Coutinho fails to shake off his hamstring complaint. The Brazilian delivered a tacit message of intent against the Sky Blues with an excellent performance that yielded one goal and two assists.

Marko Arnautovic (6.0) is enjoying his best season in a Stoke strip from a scoring perspective (three goals in 11 outings) and could punish a Black Cats defence that’s registered just one home shut-out. Nathan Ake (4.4) comes out of the leftfield but his impressive second-half display against United suggests he’ll return to the Watford starting XI for the trip to Villa.

We return to the Bournemouth midfield to select Dan Gosling for their home encounter with Everton. Since Eddie Howe moved to 4-1-4-1 in Gameweek 11, the 4.4-priced Gosling – who scored against Swansea last weekend – has produced more touches (23) and shots (nine) inside the box than any midfielder in the top-flight.

The Community Champion

Having scrapped the weekly vote idea from last season, we now operate a lottery system to pick our weekly candidates. The community member who beats our picks by the biggest margin over the campaign will win a £100 Amazon Voucher and a place in our Contributors and Moderators League for the following season.

Gameweek 13’s community champion Jossy narrowly lost to the Scout Picks by 48 points to 49. Massive stays in the lead to claim the £100 Amazon voucher, then, after beating us by 16 points in Gameweek 6.

Gameweek 14’s Community Champion as selected by our lottery, is Trust John. He is now in his sixth season and already has two top 10,000 overall finishes under his belt.

In addition to a shot at the £100 Amazon prize, FantasyBet are offering a chance for further prizes to Community Champions that are eligible to play their games. More details can be found here.