The Digest – Gameweek 17

Watford’s free-scoring frontman maintains his outstanding season by putting Liverpool to the sword at Vicarage Road. Chelsea produce the goods in their first match since Jose Mourinho’s departure, whilst Fantasy managers brace themselves as the schedule gets set to step up pace.

The Player….

A deadly double at home to Liverpool continued Odion Ighalo’s relentless Fantasy season as the Watford man climbed into second spot in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) forward standings.

Having triumphed on their travels against the likes of Chelsea and Man City, the Merseysiders’ arrival at Vicarage Road was expected to pose problems aplenty for Quique Sanchez Flores’ side. Instead, they were swept aside as the 6.1-priced Ighalo took his tally to 12 goals and five assists in the first 17 matches, at an average of 6.8 points per appearance.

In terms of bonus points, the Nigerian’s tally of 22 is more than any striker in the top-flight – when on the pitch, he’s played a part in an incredible 70% of Watford’s goals, such is his importance to their cause. Put into perspective, Jamie Vardy and Romelu Lukaku sit at 50% and 54.58% respectively for on-pitch goal contribution. The underlying numbers also show his output is no fluke – he sits top amongst forwards for shots inside the box (52) and is joint-top with Harry Kane for efforts on target.

Although the competition for a spot in our three-man festive frontlines is increasingly fierce, Ighalo’s form, and value for money, is becoming difficult to ignore. Sunday’s display certainly went some way to dispelling the theory that Ighalo is no more than a flat-track bully and confidence remains high ahead of the Hornets’ head-to-heads with Chelsea, Spurs and City. Deliver again and it surely won’t be long before his 31% ownership takes a considerable hike.

The Team….

After a dismal defence of their title, Chelsea finally showed some signs of recovery with a comfortable 3-1 home win over Sunderland in the first match since Jose Mourinho’s departure.

It’s fair to say that, up until now, the Blues’ displays have been nothing short of disastrous at both ends of the pitch. Indeed, it’s somewhat surprising to learn that Cesar Azpilicueta and Eden Hazard are still owned by 12% and 14% of FPL managers respectively, with the Belgian the biggest disappointment of any Chelsea player on the back of one goal and three assists in 16 appearances.

Whatever the reasons behind their previous form, Fantasy managers can only hope that Guus Hiddink’s arrival will reignite Chelsea’s chief protagonists from here on in. Certainly, Branislav Ivanovic wasted no time in reminding us just why he was such a defensive force in seasons gone by, with a goal and assist against the Black Cats – his first attacking points of the season. If the Stamford Bridge club can rediscover the resilience that racked up 17 clean sheets last year, Ivanovic, and the likes of Kurt Zouma, could finally be worthy of investment.

Last weekend was only the second time that Chelsea had scored more than two goals in a league match this season. With Hazard still sidelined, Oscar and Pedro atoned for Diego Costa’s ongoing failings by bagging a goal apiece, whilst Willian chipped in with a pair of assists to highlight their attacking potential.

Interim manager Hiddink still has a job on his hands to turn around his temporary team’s fortunes but if the Dutchman can take advantage of three home fixtures (WAT, WBA, EVE) and trips to United and Palace in the upcoming five, an upturn in Chelsea’s Fantasy fortunes would broaden our options for the second half of the 2015/16 season.

The Talking Point….

With Gameweek 17 now behind us, Fantasy managers are poised for the busiest period of the festive schedule, which hands us three rounds of fixtures over eight days.

Given that 16 teams will play on Monday December 28, just 48 hours after Boxing Day’s ten fixtures, it’s fair to say that we can expect a greater degree of rest and rotation as fringe players are afforded a chance to impress.

Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores has been quick to concede he’s set to alternate his options as he prepares for a brutal run of fixtures against Chelsea, Spurs and Man City in the next three:

“This is the first time I will ever manage in this type of situation. The recovery of the players is going to be very important in the next two weeks. But I have a squad and I would like everyone to play. Between Chelsea and Tottenham there will be no time for the players to recover, we have only one day. So of course other players will appear in the starting XI and I am happy with that situation.”

Although we can expect Flores to keep faith in the likes of Odion Ighalo, by rotating elsewhere, the Hornets could struggle to nullify the danger of Harry Kane in Gameweek 19, just two days after they roll up to Stamford Bridge.

Targeting those teams with opponents who are hit hard by injury could also prove a canny tactic. Bournemouth, for example, are short of options and have numerous players stuck in the treatment room – they travel to Arsenal just two days after hosting Palace and five days prior to a clash against Leicester. With that in mind, the Gunners’ main men look ideal armband candidates in Gameweek 18, with Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud strong options – providing they remain immune to their manager’s tinkering.

Sunderland could also be more affected than most. Big Sam’s men roll up to the Etihad on Saturday on the back of three straight losses, then, four days later, they host Liverpool in the final match of Gameweek 19. Just three days after that, they travel to West Ham.

Whilst ensuring we have strong benches at this time of year is a given, assessing each team’s schedule and injury status could be equally key. Pinpointing those sides who are more likely to be hit hard by the festive period could prove crucial when selecting our armband options and may well make the difference as the fixtures arrive thick and fast.