Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 14 – The Strong

Tottenham’s impressive 4-1 demolition of West Ham placed many of their Fantasy assets onto our radars ahead of a kind schedule over the next six Gameweeks. Elsewhere, both halves of Merseyside also look to have form and fixtures in their favour as we begin to plan for the hectic festive period.

TOTTENHAM

With 19 goals from their last seven matches, there are few teams that hold more attacking potential than Mauricio Pochettino’s side right now. Spurs are joint-top for shots from inside the box (44) over the last four Gameweeks and face plum home fixtures against Newcastle and Norwich in the next six. This weekend’s clash against Chelsea also looks reasonable, given the champions have yet to clean a clean sheet on their travels, while West Brom’s backline has struggled to keep teams out at the Hawthorns. The Southampton and Watford match-ups look the trickiest on the upcoming slate, but with the form Spurs are in at the moment, even those fixtures aren’t particularly discouraging. Harry Kane (9.5) looks the obvious target on the back of seven strikes in his last four appearances, but Christian Eriksen (8.4) could be a differential in midfield, with his current ownership standing at 6% in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

Given Tottenham have conceded exactly one goal in each of their last four matches, the appeal of their defensive assets is somewhat limited. Nonetheless, with their most difficult fixtures likely to be against Chelsea and Southampton, teams that have scored three and four goals respectively over the last four Gameweeks, defensive returns do appear likely. Norwich and West Brom both feature in the four teams with the lowest numbers of shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks, while Newcastle have only scored two goals on their travels this season. Given all of Spurs’ defenders also hold some upside with attacking potential, investing in the likes Toby Alderweireld (5.4) or Eric Dier (5.2) could pay off handsomely over the next month or so.

EVERTON

As with Tottenham, it’s the attacking assets on show at Goodison Park that are attracting much of the attention. Roberto Martinez’ men have scored 10 goals in their last two home matches, and while the next three home fixtures (CPL, LEI, STO) are reasonable match-ups, it is worth noting those three sides have conceded less than a goal a game over the last four Gameweeks. The away fixtures (bou, nor, new) are very favourable, and given the Toffees have scored in each of their last three road trips, there’s no reason to believe why the goals should dry up on their travels. Romelu Lukaku (8.9), like Kane, looks the primary target, but midfielders Ross Barkley (6.9) and Gerard Deulofeu (6.3) also warrant some consideration, with the option of doubling up perhaps warranted at this juncture.

At the back, Seamus Coleman delivered a second double-figure haul of the season against Villa and remains the main target, though Leighton Baines is bound to appeal to some upon his imminent return. The 4-0 win over Remi Garde’s outfit was the Toffees’ first clean sheet in seven, though, and their lack of resilience could prove a deterrent. Certainly, the Leicester fixture looks the most difficult match-up in the next six. The best chances for shut-outs could come against Bournemouth and Newcastle, with Crystal Palace dangerous on their travels, while Norwich have scored in five out of six at Carrow Road.

LIVERPOOL

While the Reds haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last four matches, it’s evident that Jurgen Klopp is making Liverpool harder to break down. They’ve allowed the fourth fewest number of shots from inside the box over the same period, and face juicy home fixtures against Swansea and West Brom in the next three, two clubs that feature in the bottom four sides for total goal attempts over the last four Gameweeks.

As already mentioned, Newcastle are a good match-up right now, while Sunderland failed to net in their last home fixture against Southampton. Watford have only scored four goals at Vicarage Road this season, so it’s only the Leicester clash in Gameweek 18 that appears unfavourable. Alberto Moreno (4.9) looks the primary option at the back, with the Spaniard given a license to bomb forward by Klopp, while Dejan Lovren (4.9) should be a regular starter over the coming period, with Mamadou Sakho currently sidelined for a number of weeks due to a knee injury.

There’s also much to like about Liverpool’s attacking potential over the next six Gameweeks. Under Klopp, they’ve thrived on the road, scoring seven times in their last two away matches, and more goals could be on the cards at Newcastle, Watford and Sunderland – three teams who have struggled to keep out quality opposition at home so far this season. West Brom could be a tricky proposition at Anfield, but it’s hard to envisage Swansea’s leaky backline keeping out Liverpool this weekend. While Leicester’s rearguard has improved of late, that match-up still looks pretty favourable for attacking points. Roberto Firmino (8.0) was hugely impressive at the Etihad, but with his place in the starting XI possibly not secure given Christian Benteke (8.3) and Daniel Sturridge (10.1) are now both available, Philippe Coutinho (8.4), providing the hamstring injury he picked up against City isn’t serious, looks the safest investment. As mentioned in Scribbles earlier, the Brazilian has sustained minor damage but remains a doubt for the weekend.

ALSO CONSIDER…

Man United
Goals remain in short supply for United, but the fixtures against West Ham, Bournemouth and Norwich in the next four should provide good opportunities for the likes of Juan Mata (8.8) and Anthony Martial (7.9), who is back in contention for tonight’s clash with PSV after recovering from a foot injury. No team has conceded more shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks than West Ham, while they’ve also let in eight goals over the same period. The Cherries have conceded 10 goals in the last four matches, while Norwich have yet to keep a clean sheet on their travels.

It’s at the back where United’s strength under Louis van Gaal lies, and those same three fixtures, along with the trip to Stoke in Gameweek 18, should represent further opportunities for defensive returns. Chris Smalling (6.7) looks the only “nailed on” member of the United rearguard, so David de Gea (5.6) probably offers the best value for money route into the backline.

Watford
The Hornets next three fixtures (avl, NOR, sun) should present reasonable opportunities for returns at both ends of the pitch. Over the course of the season, those three teams are among the weakest defences in the top flight, and while Sam Allardyce looks to be working his magic at the Stadium of Light, the prospects for Odion Ighalo (5.6) and Troy Deeney (5.1) in the short-term appear pretty bright. The three fixtures thereafter (LIV, che, TOT) are less than favourable though.

Both Aston Villa and Norwich have only managed two goals in their last four matches, so the Watford backline, which has already registered five clean sheets this season, looks well poised to add to that tally over the next three Gameweeks. The fantastic value offered by the likes of Heurelho Gomes (4.7) shouldn’t be overlooked, then.

Crystal Palace
With none of the top sides to face over the next six Gameweeks (NEW, eve, SOT, sto, bou, SWA), Palace assets could still prove solid investments for the coming period, in spite of Monday’s setback at home to Sunderland. It will be interesting to see how their counter-attacking philosophy will fare in a tough match-up at Stoke, but the likes of Yannick Bolasie (6.1) could thrive against Everton and Bournemouth, while the home clashes against Newcastle and Swansea should also offer hope to those holding on to Palace attacking assets.

The Eagles have been much improved at the back in recent weeks, and providing they can cut out the silly mistakes such as the one that cost them against the Black Cats, we could see further defensive returns for the likes of Scott Dann (5.2) and Wayne Hennessey (4.0). Dann also provides a strong set-piece threat, and with no worries over rotation for the centre-back, he could prove a useful acquisition of the festive period. Of their next six opponents, only Everton have been in good goal scoring form of late.

Arsenal
The Gunners are up against four of the more porous defences in the Premier League over the next six (nor, SUN, avl, MCI, sot, BOU), so keeping faith in Alexis Sanchez (11.5), who has blanked in his last four outings, could ultimately pay off. Mesut Ozil (9.1) is offering stronger value at this point though, but with plenty of goals expected over the next few weeks, carrying at least one Arsenal attacker looks well advised.

Norwich and Aston Villa lie towards the bottom of all the attacking statistics, so those two match-ups in particular offer genuine hope of defensive returns. The home clashes against Sunderland and Bournemouth are also very favourable, so premium assets such as Laurent Koscielny (6.0) and Hector Bellerin (5.9), who also hold plenty of attacking potential, could deliver on their hefty price tags. The absence of Francis Coquelin in front of the back four could be a deterrent to any further investment, though.