Say What? – Gameweek 31

Arsene Wenger praises Arsenal’s Goodison goal heroes. Alex Neil discusses Norwich defensive improvement, Francesco Guidolin talks tactics, whilst Rafa Benitez and Mark Hughes heap praise on their weekend strikers.

Wenger discusses Welbeck impact

Danny Welbeck has hit the ground running since his return from the treatment room, bagging three goals and one assist in five outings. The former United man has now started three of the last four as the Gunners’ lone striker and with Olivier Giroud demoted to the bench, looks to have played his way into Arsene Wenger’s first XI for the run-in. The Arsenal manager hailed the frontman’s versatility as key to his appeal before admitting that Welbeck isn’t completely over the knee injury that sidelined him for months earlier in the season.

“He [Welbeck] can play on the flanks and through the middle, so I can play him with Giroud or [instead of] Giroud – that gives so many options. You cannot say you don’t miss a player of that stature for nine months. I believe [he can make a difference]. I had many hesitations to play him before the game because he is still not completely over his knee problem. We have to be cautious but I pushed it because I knew this was now or never [for the title bid]”.

Wenger praises Iwobi progress

Having been afforded a sprinkling of cameos throughout the season, Arsenal youngster Alex Iwobi earned his full Premier League debut at Goodison Park last Gameweek. The 4.5-priced midfielder – who also started against Barcelona in midweek – scored the Gunners’ second in a 2-0 win and mustered three shots inside the box, alerting the Fantasy community to his budget potential as we start to draft up our wildcard plans. Talking up Iwobi’s performance against Everton, Arsene Wenger reckons the youngster’s speedy development has proven impossible for him to ignore:

“He [Iwobi] benefits from his talents, intelligence and attitude. He has been practicing with the players since the start of the season and he has been growing in contact with these players and he is learning quickly from them. Month after month, he developed very well and that is why I integrated him and played him.”

Hiddink on youth players

In response to Diego Costa’s two-match suspension, Guus Hiddink elected to field Loic Remy at the lone striker berth for West Ham United’s visit, frustrating 5,700 Fantasy managers that took a punt on Bertrand Traore – who’d netted two goals in as many outings as the focal point of the Blues’ attack. Speaking on the role of youth players within Chelsea’s set-up, Hiddink hinted that they will have to settle for sporadic appearances from this point on:

“The Premier League is difficult which is why I bring the young players like Traore, Loftus-Cheek and Kenedy in every now and then. It is difficult for them to already be key players. At 19 or 20 years old it is a little too much to ask them to be like those who are years and years here like Lampard, Terry and Drogba. They must be additional to a good team but they can be useful squad players.”

Martinez pleased with Stones return

Owing to the form of Ramiro Funes Mori, John Stones has been consigned to bench duty for the majority of the previous six Gameweeks. He did receive a call to action at half time of the Arsenal match, though, with Roberto Martinez switching to a three-man defence to combat the visitors’ central threat. Discussing Stones’ impact in that fixture, Martinez said the centre-back looked back to his best ahead of a schedule that hands the Toffees nine fixtures in the final seven Gameweeks. Those considering Funes Mori, then, may be somewhat concerned in light of Martinez’ thoughts:

“I thought when he [Stones] came out he looked refreshed, he looked full of energy, like the player he looked like at the start of the season. I think he has come back with a real focus and a real intent of performing well and I think the second half performance, the back three had to do everything, defend, get on the ball and try to play forward and I thought it was an all-action performance. He reacted well and anticipated things very well. He played really well, and he’s refreshed. Our competition for places is as good as its ever been, which makes the Arsenal defeat so hurtful. Unless you can show you are a player to drive Everton forward, it will be difficult to see how you can stay in the side.”

Simpson on Leicester resilience

Across the last 13 Gameweeks, Leicester City showcased their defensive prowess by conceding four fewer goals (six) than any team in the league – despite ranking second for shots inside the box surrendered (114). Moreover, the Foxes recorded three more clean sheets (nine) than any side during that period, making them a rich source of budget defenders. Addressing their newfound resolve since the turn of the year, Danny Simpson explained his team’s dedication to maintaining discipline:

“We just love defending and clean sheets. It is the next best thing to scoring a goal. We come together and praise each other for another clean sheet. We know the lads up there can score goals, but we know if we can keep it shut at the back, it will give us a better chance of winning. I think we have that no nonsense about us. We just love defending. We don’t mind putting it in ‘row z’. You see Huthy (Robert Huth) do it and we all do it. We don’t mess about. We put it out for a throw and regroup.”

Pardew on Adebayor’s struggle to adapt

Emmanuel Adebayor has flattered to deceive following his transfer to Crystal Palace in the January transfer window, registering a solitary goal in seven outings. From a statistical perspective, the former Tottenham Hotspur recruit has chalked up just nine attempts in 406 minutes of pitch time. Adebayor was named in the starting line-up for the Eagles’ home defeat to Leicester but was withdrawn at the break, which Alan Pardewconceded that his side’s approach was at odds with the Togo international’s style of play:

“We needed to get a few more crosses in the box, take a few more risks, try and play through their lines a little bit. Adebayor is not the sort of player that’s going to charge around, that’s not his style. You’ve got to get a good ball in to him and of course we weren’t doing that and it meant he had a game where he wasn’t making any impact.”

Guidolin explains weekend tactics

Francesco Guidolin tinkered with Swansea City’s set-up for their home encounter against Aston Villa. The Italian moved away from a 4-2-3-1 and opted for a 4-3-2-1 system, with Gylfi Sigurdsson stationed on the left of the two central support slots. Assessing the effectiveness of the ploy, Guidolin admitted that the Iceland international – who provided the assist for Federico Fernandez’ goal in a 1-0 win – is better suited to playing in “the hole”:

“I wanted three midfielders and at the moment Mo Barrow is one of the best players. He wants to play on the right and with a striker as well, we moved Gylfi to the left. He is more dangerous playing inside, we had Mo Barrow wide but Sigurdsson played inside. The condition was that he could come in and be number 10 but that he started his movements from the left. I thought he could be dangerous there, but he is a No. 10.”

Benitez hails Mitrovic display

Aleksandar Mitrovic salvaged a point for Newcastle United in the Tyne-Wear derby by netting his second goal in six outings. Despite having a plethora of frontman to choose from, Rafa Benitez has started the Serbian international up front in both his matches in charge and Mitrovic has fired seven efforts – all inside the box – in clashes with Leicester and Sunderland. In terms of harnessing Mitrovic’s talents, Benitez is adamant that the Magpies’ supporting cast need to improve the quality of their service:

“He [Mitrovic] has the potential, so we have to help him a little bit with better crosses, better deliveries, and support him and being closer to him. He will score goals if we do that. We are creating chances, we are attacking and we can be there, so we have to improve this part of the game and then create more chances, and then Mitrovic or Papiss Cisse or the other strikers will score more goals and we’ll be fine.”

Lingard pleased with central berth

Mainly utilised on the right flank by Louis van Gaal, Jesse Lingard was shifted to the role in “the hole” behind Marcus Rashford for the Manchester derby, with Juan Mata moved out wide to accommodate the switch. Pitched at 4.3, Lingard – who has been pinpointed as a possible budget facilitator for the Red Devils’ Gameweek 34 double (AVL & CRY) – relished the opportunity to dictate matters from a more central position:

“It was the manager’s idea to play me centrally. There is a lot of space to exploit behind Yaya and Fernandinho and we had to use that well. I used to like playing number ten when I was younger but as I developed I had to stay on the wing because it is physical in the middle. But I have come into my own now and I can handle it in there now. It wasn’t a confidence thing for me it was a physical thing. I knew growing up I had to play out on the wing because you don’t want to be missing out on the battles in the middle. There are a lot of big lads in there you play against but now I am used to it and I am battling back. Playing against someone like Yaya Toure, a bigger and better opponent, is a test and I was pleased.”

Neil lauds Brady midfield display

Despite being classified as a midfielder by the Fantasy Premier League, the majority of Robbie Brady’s starts have arrived at left-back this season. Nonetheless, Brady lined up on the left side of midfield at West Bromwich Albion and went on to score the only goal of the 1-0 win, securing the Canaries’ first victory since Gameweek 20. Given that he’s devoid of the injured Nathan Redmond for a number of weeks, Alex Neil reckons Brady could become increasingly key in the final third as his side attempt to secure their top-flight survival:

“It is a mixed bag with Rob, sometimes he has played at left-back and had very good games there and the same in left-midfield and there have been other games when he has played at left-midfield and we have struggled to get him the ball. I thought in the first half (at West Brom) he got the ball on a few occasions and I would like to see him get it even more so he can influence the match a bit more because of the qualities. We know what an excellent player he is and he showed that again in the way he was there to pop up with a goal.”

Neil on Klose and defensive improvement

Norwich have tightened up in recent weeks, conceding just three goals and recording two clean sheets in their previous four outings. In part, their increased resilience has been attributed to Timm Klose’s presence in since his transfer from Wolfsburg – the centre-half has produced more clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI) than any defender in the last four matches. Alex Neil heaped praise on the impact of his winter signing and revealed that a tactical tweak has been key to recording back-to-back clean sheets against City and West Brom:

“Yes he [Klose] has made a difference and that is there for all to see. He has been a good signing for us who has improved with every game. He has good experience, he is good on the ball with either foot, he can play left or right and he is a great lad to have in the changing room as well. But what we have done is really just tweak a couple of player movements, in the sense if the ball gets worked into a certain area we make sure we have three defenders in the box at all times, rather than getting dragged into wide areas. The main thing is when the ball comes into our box we are winning our headers, winning our tackles and the lads are covering for each other and making the right decisions. There was always a lapse in concentration that was costing us goals before but I sense a different intensity about the group at the moment.”

Hughes hints at more minutes for Joselu

Making just his seventh start of the league campaign, Joselu notched his fourth goal as Stoke City ran out 2-1 victors over Watford at Vicarage Road. The ex-Hannover frontman ranks top among the Potters forward contingent for goal frequency (one every 210 minutes) and shot frequency (40 minutes), bolstering his case for increased minutes. On that note, Mark Hughes said he intends to afford Joselu more opportunities before the campaign comes to a close:

“It’s his [Joselu] first season and for an attacking player it’s more difficult to make an impression immediately. We’ve bided our time and changed the front three around, it’s probably the one area of the team I’ve changed more than most. Sometimes you forget what opportunities you’ve given players. You look at Jossie’s appearances and he hasn’t had good run of maybe three or four games. But I spoke to him in the week, saying I was definitely going to give him the game against Watford and hopefully, all being well, I will give him more games between now and the end of the season. He’s had to be patient, but you saw against Watford that he was ready to go and was better than in other games. That’s because he’s had to sit out, watch and probably thought `this is what I’ve got to do when I get the opportunity.’ It shows he’s an intelligent footballer and understands what’s required in the Premier League. And he will be better again next year, I’m sure.”

Pulis concerned over Rondon fatigue

Due to the manner in which the international fixtures have panned out, Venezuelan forward Salomon Rondon won’t be back in the country until the Thursday night or Friday morning before the Baggies’ trip to Sunderland, raising doubts over his capacity to start at the Stadium of Light. Considering that the in-form Rondon (who has four goals and an assist in seven) has struggled with fatigue (particularly upon returning from South America) in his debut top-flight campaign, Tony Pulis admitted that he’ll be faced with some tough decisions next week:

“When he’s [Rondon] come back [from international duty] he’s not been as fluid as when he’s been here. He’s had a great run of games, we’ve got him nailed down in respect of what he should be doing, what he shouldn’t be doing. He’s really buddied up close to Saido (Berahino) so they’ve got a good partnership and good relationship going. It will be difficult, but we won’t be the only club that has to put up with it. He’s got two games, the second game is Chile on the Wednesday. He won’t be back until Thursday night or Friday, but what can you do? You can’t do anything about it. You have to accept it and get on with it. As I’ve said before, Salomon will be at his best and most consistent next year. He needs to get used to the country. Everything has to fall in place, and players are not like they used to be. They’re fragile in lots of respects, especially when they’ve come from a different country.”