The Digest – Gameweek 29

Sergio Aguero steps up his form as City look to chase down Leicester at the summit. West Ham’s bid for a Champions League berth goes from strength to strength, whilst Villa’s dire displays strengthens the idea of backing their opponents for Fantasy points potential.

The Player

A home clash with Aston Villa allowed Sergio Aguero the perfect platform to showcase his captaincy credentials.

Despite hitting the post with a second-half spot-kick, the Argentine still found the net on a couple of occasions as City swept aside the doomed midlands outfit to reignite their title bid with an emphatic 4-0 demolition.

Although he’s been subject to 38,000 transfers in so far this week, Aguero still only sits in 32% of squads – less than half Riyad Mahrez’ 67%, for example – which makes him only the fourth most popular forward in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

Given that City now head to Norwich at a time when up to ten teams could be facing a blank, that low ownership level, relative to the masses, looks set to prove a very handy weapon in rising up the rankings again.

Aguero’s weekend double, his third brace in seven appearances, means he has found the net every 103.2 minutes this term – quicker than any player in the league and almost on a par with last year’s 101.6 minutes, where he scored on 26 occasions.

With a double Gameweek also to be factored in, the in-form City talisman seems set to become increasingly influential over the run-in, both to Fantasy managers and Manuel Pellegrini, as the Etihad side attempt to fire their way back into the title race in the Chilean’s last year at the helm.

The Team

An outstanding comeback win at Goodison meant that West Ham were one of only two teams – along with Liverpool – to emerge triumphant in all three of their fixtures over the hectic last week or so.

After chalking up back-to-back 1-0 victories over Sunderland and Tottenham, Slaven Bilic’s men had to show their mettle at Everton, coming from two down to grab all three points at the death thanks to Dimitri Payet.

Whilst Payet remains the jewel in the Upton Park crown, Michail Antonio’s form makes a double-up worth considering for the run-in. Priced at just 5.4, the former Forest man has also matched Payet for points per game (5.5 to 5.9) – that’s despite being fielded as a right wing-back in each of the last two matches.

Bilic’ side have also impressed at the back in recent matches, racking up three straight clean sheets at Upton Park and boosting our faith in Aaron Cresswell, in particular. Indeed, in their final season before moving grounds, West Ham have now gone unbeaten in 12 in front of their own fans and still have visits from Watford, Palace, Arsenal, Swansea and United to follow.

With a blank Gameweek 30, our interest in Bilic’s chief protagonists is obviously on pause for now but with two doubles still to follow – albeit with a blank Gameweek 35 – many will be plotting to draft in a Hammer or two. Although a Gameweek 31 trip to Chelsea is far from straightforward, West Ham have already beaten the Blues this season and if they can maintain their current form, heavy investment could be on the cards as they look to clinch a top-four finish.

The Talking Point

Having kept City at bay in the first-half, there was no surprise to see the floodgates open after the break as Villa move yet another step closer to sealing their fate in next season’s Championship.

After the 4-0 mauling, Remi Garde conceded that an accumulation of poor results over the course of the campaign means that his players’ confidence is diminishing with every Gameweek right now:

“In our situation we know that conceding the first goal, especially against a very good team like that, it’s not a good sign for us. Playing football is about tactics but also mentality. Probably the mentality of the team – and the players – has been damaged a lot since the start of the season. I think the team is getting more and more fragile game after game because of the scenario of the season”.

Devoid of the spirit and necessary battle to beat the drop, Villa’s role as whipping boys for the run-in is picking up pace.

That thrashing at the Etihad means that Garde’s side have now conceded 15 goals in the last four Gameweeks – that’s six more than any other side. Furthermore, Villa have allowed their opponents 14 “big chances” during that period – opportunities that are expected to be converted – which is again more than any side, highlighting their dire defence.

The only real surprise on Saturday was that Aguero managed to score just twice – thankfully for the visitors, the woodwork prevented that spot-kick from nestling in the back of the net.

As the midlands side slip closer towards relegation, they now brace themselves for a weekend visit from title-chasing Tottenham –
immediately boosting the points potential of Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli.

As they tumble out of the top-flight with barely more than a whimper, backing Villa’s upcoming opponents from week-to-week may well prove a canny tactical ploy as we look to take advantage of the Villa Park malaise.