This Much We Know – Gameweek 20

We’ve a number of topics to chew over this Monday afternoon after Gameweek 20 came to its conclusion yesterday. Sergio Aguero’s step up in sharpness, Chelsea and United’s improvement, Tottenham’s cut-price midfielder and the Hammers’ options in the centre of the park are all on our agenda.

Alli’s more than a cheap fifth midfielder….
It’s three goals and two assists in the last six now for the Tottenham summer signing, who is clearly thriving since being shifted into a more advanced role. Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to move Alli from the double-pivot into a central support berth behind Harry Kane continues to pay off, with his equaliser against Everton seeing his price rise from 5.0 to 5.4 in the last five Gameweeks. With his consistency of returns, Alli is proving to be far more than just a cheap fifth midfielder and looks an obvious contender for those looking to free up cash to acquire Sergio Aguero up front.

Payet’s return may keep Antonio under the radar….
The Frenchman’s return to action against Liverpool has kick-started a major bandwagon over the last few days, with over 50,000 FPL managers drafting him in already – more than any player in the Gameweek. Having averaged 6.2 points per appearance prior to being sidelined through injury, Payet’s availability is understandably hard to ignore as the Hammers prepare for clashes against Bournemouth, Newcastle, Villa, Southampton, Norwich and Sunderland in the next seven. Nonetheless, Antonio also cannot be ignored. His goal against Liverpool took his tally to two goals and a pair of assists in the last three now and at a price of just 5.2 to Payet’s 7.6, he’s looking like another Aguero enabler in the centre of the park. So far, though, just 4,000 managers have taken the plunge this week, with the return of Payet keeping him firmly in the shadows.

United’s frontmen are worth monitoring….
A 2-1 home win over Swansea helped relieve some of the pressure from Louis van Gaal’s shoulders last weekend, with both Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial getting amongst the goals. Post-match, the Dutchman’s talk of taking more risks is backed up by the numbers – United produced more shots inside the box (16) than any side in the Gameweek and sat second and third respectively for total attempts (19) and touches in the penalty area (38). Although Martial hogged the headlines by also accruing an assist and maximum bonus, Rooney fired eight attempts against the Swans, suggesting that Van Gaal’s decision to afford them a little freedom is paying off.

Chelsea’s recovery continues….
A comprehensive 3-0 win at Palace continued the champions’ upturn in form at both ends of the pitch under Guus Hiddink. Diego Costa, Willian and Oscar all registered a goal and assist at Selhurst Park, meaning that Chelsea have netted at least twice in three of their four matches since Jose Mourinho departed – tellingly, they had scored more than once in just one of the final seven under their former manager. In defence, Chelsea have produced back-to-back clean sheets for only the second time this term. Having been benched against Watford, Kurt Zouma has surely strengthened his claim as John Terry’s central defensive partner again, whilst Cesar Azpilicueta has earned bonus in each of the last two and may be worth the extra outlay, at 5.7 to the youngster’s 5.4.

The Saints are in freefall….
A 1-0 defeat at Norwich means it’s six losses and one draw in the last eight for Ronaldo Koeman’s side, with their Gameweek 18 win over Arsenal the one anomaly. Outwith that 4-0 victory, Southampton have scored a total of just three times in the other seven and conceded on each occasion, with their options at both ends of the pitch dropping rapidly from our radars. Koeman clearly has concerns over Sadio Mane, too. Dropped after turning up late for a team meeting, the Senegal international seems to be itching from a move away from St Mary’s as speculation increases over his future. Handed an 11-minute sub appearance at Carrow Road, Mane’s second example of ill-discipline in as many seasons may well have sealed his fate under the Dutchman.

Aguero looks back in business….
In a week where many of the big-hitters failed to deliver, the City striker stepped up his recovery by bagging the winner and maximum bonus at Watford on Saturday night. Tentatively eased back into action by Manuel Pellegrini with a couple of hour-long appearances in the previous three Gameweeks, Aguero lasted 85 minutes against the Hornets – a clear sign that his manager is now happy with his match sharpness. With four home matches and trips to West Ham and Sunderland in the next six, now may be the time to plan a route for Sergio’s return.

Villa are whipping boys in waiting….
There were no real surprises that the midlands outfit fell to defeat in their proverbial six-pointer at Sunderland on Saturday. Villa have now earned just three points in nine under new manager Remi Garde, with their only clean sheet arriving in the Frenchman’s first fixture in charge. The basement-dwellers now sit some 11 points off fourth-bottom spot and with their manager conceding his side are lacking any self-belief, backing their opponents could prove a canny tactic.

The Foxes defence is atoning for goal drought….
A 0-0 draw at home to Bournemouth extended Leicester’s goalless run to three matches, having drawn blanks against Liverpool and City in the previous couple of Gameweeks. Over that period, Claudio Ranieri’s men have produced a mere nine shots on target – only four teams managed less – and with Jamie Vardy potentially set for minor surgery, many Fantasy managers are mulling over their three-man frontlines. At the other end of the pitch, though, it’s a different matter altogether – the Foxes have conceded just once over that period as Ranieri looks to tighten up. In saying that, it’s worth noting that only Newcastle have allowed their opponents more efforts in the area (40 to 32) in the previous three, suggesting that the King Power outfit have been a little fortunate at the back of late.

Baggies backline goal threat pays off again….
Jonny Evans’ late winner in the midlands derby at home to Stoke means that West Brom’s defenders have now netted five times between them in the opening 20 Gameweeks. Like Evans, Jonas Olsson and Gareth McAuley have notched one apiece, whilst Craig Dawson leads the way on two strikes so far – indeed, the latter and Evans were joint-top amongst defenders in the Gameweek for both touches in the box (five) and efforts in the area (three). Although they’ve managed just seven clean sheets so far, Tony Pulis’ set-piece tactics is ensuring that his backline regulars remain worthy of our consideration for points potential at both ends of the pitch.