Spot the Differential – Gameweek 19

With just hours remaining until Gameweek 19 is upon us, we turn to a trio of overlooked options for your Monday morning perusal. Chelsea and Southampton’s midfields supply us with a player apiece, whilst Liverpool’s weekend match-winner gets the nod as the Merseysiders roll up to Sunderland.

Christian Benteke

Christian Benteke (8.2) – who replaced the injured Divock Origi at the 38-minute mark against Leicester City – made the most of his opportunity, prodding home from inside the area to claim his fifth goal of the season. As the only fully fit member of the Reds’ attacking contingent, the Belgium frontman looks set to be tasked with leading the line as they embark on a pair of promising road trips (sun, whu).

Despite clocking just 240 minutes over the previous four Gameweeks, Benteke ranks joint-sixth – alongside Harry Kane – for attempts (11) and sixth for penalty-box touches (30), while only a trio of strikers mustered more shots inside the box (10). Liverpool as a whole chalked up eight more key passes (22) than any team last Gameweek, which gives us confidence in Benteke’s supply lines at the Stadium of Light.

In the wake of their 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City, Sunderland are four clear of the field in terms of goals conceded (37), having recorded just three clean sheets throughout the season. In addition, the Black Cats place top for goals conceded (11), second for shots inside the box conceded (42) and top for big chances allowed (14) during the previous four Gameweeks, highlighting their pitiable defensive form.

Sadio Mane

Prior to last Gameweek, Sadio Mane (7.7) was slipping into the shadows, having accrued just one assist across his previous seven outings. Southampton’s 4-0 mauling of Arsenal on Saturday marked a return to form for both team and player, with the Senegal international bagging his seventh assist of the campaign. Indeed, if Saints can sustain the attacking momentum they generated against the Gunners, you’d fancy Mane to be among the prime beneficiaries.

Although Mane’s shot accuracy (8.3%) has clearly curtailed his attacking output over the last four Gameweeks, the wealth of chances he’s able to fashion bodes well for future fixtures. During that time frame, only three midfielders notched more attempts (12), while Marouane Fellaini (11) was the only counterpart to surpass Mane’s haul of shots inside the box (10). Moreover, the former Red Bull Salzburg wide man ranked third for penalty-box touches (24) among his peers.

Southampton’s favourable quartet of upcoming match-ups (whu, nor, WAT, WBA) provides the greatest incentive to invest in the jet-heeled winger. West Ham United have conceded just four goals in as many league ties, yet no side surrendered more shots inside the box (43) over the stretch – playing right into Mane’s strengths. Beyond that head-to-head, the south-coast outfit collide with a Norwich City side that’s mustered just a single clean sheet.

Willian

Despite being Chelsea’s best player throughout their wretched run of form under Jose Mourinho, Willian (7.0) still went into their home tie against Sunderland off the back of seven successive blanks. The tireless Brazilian has since racked up three assists in two starts, furnishing us with a viable route into the Blues’ midfield. Certainly, with Eden Hazard struggling for rhythm and fitness, and Pedro coming in at a prohibitive 8.9, Willian currently boasts the most upside.

In the two Gameweeks since Mourinho signed off, Willian places joint-fourth among midfielders for attempts (six), which represents a significant increase on his shot frequency (one every 31.5 minutes from 54.9) when compared to the rest of the campaign. The ex-Corinthians recruit also charted joint-sixth for key passes (four), illustrating a capacity for Fantasy returns beyond his set-piece proficiency.

Next on the agenda for Chelsea is a road encounter against Louis van Gaal’s floundering Manchester United outfit. Aside from the fact that the Red Devils are in the midst of a three-match losing streak, the Blues will be emboldened in the knowledge that they rank joint-second for shots inside the box (21) and joint-top for big chances (five) over the last two Gameweeks, underlining their rejuvenation in the final third.