This Much We Know – Gameweek 16

We cast an eye back over the weekend’s nine fixtures now for signs of lessons learned. Manuel Pellegrini’s festive tinkering, Jordan Henderson’s impact under Jurgen Klopp, Bournemouth’s cut-price midfielders and Harry Kane’s downturn in output are all on the menu as we prepare for the curtain to fall on Gameweek 16 later tonight.

Pellegrini will take risks to give rests…
The City boss had hinted at player fatigue after the Gameweek 15 loss at Stoke, suggesting that his side’s recent toils in the top-flight were down to an inability to rotate due to injuries. Seven days later, with City having also played in the Champions League in midweek, Pellegrini benched both Aleksandar Kolarov and Kevin de Bruyne for the home win over Swansea. The festive schedule and upcoming Capital One Cup duties means the Etihad side have seven domestic matches in the next 33 days and judging by Saturday’s team sheet, we can expect more tinkering.

Henderson may be the best bet under Klopp….
Whilst the Liverpool manager continues to chop and change his options in the final third, Jordan Henderson served a timely reminder of his talents from the centre of the park. In his first league start under Jurgen Klopp, Henderson racked up 13 points, courtesy of a goal, assist and maximum bonus, as he wastes little time picking up from last year’s six goals and ten assists. Priced at just 6.5 and with Watford, Leicester, Sunderland and West Ham up next, Henderson showed just why many feel his energetic style of play will be tailor-made for the German’s pressing tactics.

The Cherries picks are playing themselves off the bench…
Successive wins over Chelsea and United backed up the underlying numbers as Eddie Howe’s side continue to benefit from a recent switch to 4-1-4-1. Over the last four Gameweeks, Junior Stanislas (three goals, one assist) and Joshua King (two goals, one assist) are proving more than just cheap fifth midfielders and are staking a viable claim for a place in our starting line-ups. Granted, the next four (wba, CPL, ars, lei) are far from straightforward but benching Bournemouth’s main men right now is clearly a risky tactic, judging by their recent improvement.

Kane has got us worried…
It’s three successive blanks now for the Spurs frontman as the goals start to dry up again. Kane exploded into life with seven strikes between Gameweek 10-13 but has since managed just three shots inside the box in the subsequent trio of league fixtures. With the supply line starting to dry up, there are concerns he’s returned to the form that saw him score just once in the first nine fixtures. Defeat to Fiorentina in the Europa League would certainly ease the schedule and lessen the chances of fatigue.

The Deulofeu vs Barkley battle is not easily settled…
Gerard Deulofeu’s on-pitch understanding with Romelu Lukaku was in evidence yet again at the weekend, as the young Spaniard teed up Everton’s top scorer to score for the sixth league match in succession. Impressively, Deulofeu has earned points in six of his nine league starts this season and has now provided assists for six of Lukaku’s 12 league goals – more than any combination in the top-flight this term. Although Ross Barkley may be the more explosive option in the Everton midfield, the Deulofeu-Lukaku partnership is keeping the former Barcelona man in the mix.

Nor is Cabaye vs Bolasie….
The Frenchman picked up points for the first time in seven attempts by firing the only goal of a 1-0 win over Southampton as he moved up to joint-eighth amongst midfielders. Cabaye’s spot as Palace’s go-to Fantasy option remains under threat from Yannick Bolasie, though. Having provided the pass for the Eagles’ weekend winner, the DR Congo international is undoubtedly their form player – having served up three goals, an assist and three bonus points in the last five Gameweeks, he now faces Bournemouth, Swansea and Villa in the next five.

Ighalo will be hard to drop….
A tenth strike of the season away to Sunderland means the Watford man sits just six points off the top of the forward standings after 16 Gameweeks. In most circumstances, the upcoming five rounds of fixtures (LIV, che, TOT, MCI, sot) would be enough to convince most managers it’s time to consider alternatives but Ighalo’s outstanding form – at a time when the vast majority of strikers are faltering – is making a very persuasive case for retaining his services. Over the last four Gameweeks, he’s fired 13 shots on target – that’s at least twice the number of all bar two forwards and just one less than Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane (seven apiece) combined.

Fellaini is fast becoming United’s Plan A…
The Belgian has now started the last three in all competitions as Louis van Gaal attempts to halt United’s decline. With Wayne Rooney still sidelined through injury, Fellaini’s goal threat came to fruition against Bournemouth on Saturday – indeed, he leads all midfielders for shots inside the box (eight) in the last two Gameweeks as his aerial threat becomes increasingly prominent. With three home clashes in the next four, Fellaini could continue to take advantage of the injury situation, though the weekend defeat suggests the Red Devils will struggle for shut outs if the likes of Chris Smalling fail to make it out of the treatment room.

McClaren’s super subs could narrow our options….
The 2-1 win over Tottenham sets Newcastle up perfectly for a run of four home fixtures in the next six as Steve McClaren looks to maintain momentum after steering his side out of the drop zone. Frustratingly, the Magpies manager’s pair of late changes places major question marks over their attack ahead of that schedule, though, with both Ayoze Perez and Aleksandar Mitrovic throwing their hats in the ring for a start at home to Villa this weekend by bagging a goal apiece at the Lane. With that duo set to battle it out with Papiss Cisse and Siem de Jong for the central roles up top, Georginio Wijnaldum’s acquisition looks more appealing– having scored all seven of his league goals at St James’, the Dutchman seems a relatively hassle-free route into the Magpies’ improving attack.