The Watchlist Updated – The Midfield

Having assessed the latest movements among The Defence yesterday, we now switch our attention to the key targets in midfield ahead of the upcoming double Gameweeks. Arsenal and West Ham offers up options aplenty, whilst Liverpool and City’s weekend scorers are also on the rise.

With two goals and three assists over the last four Gameweeks, and with Arsenal facing a hugely favourable double Gameweek 34 (CPL & WBA), Alexis Sanchez moves back to the summit in our latest update. The former Barcelona attacker looks to be returning to something near his best form and, with the rest of the Gunners upcoming schedule (sun, NOR, mci, AVL) also very promising, looks primed to justify his 10.9 price tag in Fantasy Premier League (FPL). For those looking to use their triple captain chip in double Gameweek 34, Sanchez certainly looks a prime contender.

Sanchez’s Arsenal team-mates Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi feature further down the Watchlist, with Ozil’s appeal fading slightly having blanked in his last four appearances. The German has also created just eight chances over that period, compared to 13 for Sanchez, so despite coming in at 9.7 in FPL, which is 1.2 less than his team-mate, the former Real Madrid schemer’s influence looks to be on the wane. The appeal of both Sanchez and Ozil is that both look likely to be starters throughout the next few weeks, with Arsene Wenger unlikely to rotate his two star men.

Iwobi has burst onto the scene over the last two Gameweeks, scoring in both matches. At just 4.5 in FPL, he could be a real enabler for those using their wildcard this week and, given his form, looks likely to retain his starting berth for the majority of the matches over the next few weeks. The threat from Theo Walcott and Joel Campbell means he may well be susceptible to rotation, but with the fixtures so favourable for the Gunners over the coming period, and with the saving offered by the Nigerian, he will no doubt attract plenty of suitors this week.

Another player to have scored in his last two matches is Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho, who is a major climber on our ladder. The Reds’ fixture list all the way to the end of the season (STO, bou & EVE, NEW, swa, WAT & CHE, wba) is hugely favourable, and setting us back just 8.2 in FPL, the former Inter Milan player is forcing his way into the plans of many FPL bosses, particularly those wildcarding this week. The bonus for Liverpool’s Fantasy assets is that they face a plum home fixture against Newcastle in Gameweek 35, when many other teams face a blank, so it’s no surprise Coutinho is currently the third most transferred in player so far this week with 56,000+ new owners. Roberto Firmino (8.1) is back in training ahead of tonight’s clash with Dortmund, though, and could yet emerge as the favoured Liverpool midfielder, with the former Hoffenheim attacker perhaps offering more of a goal threat.

The big mover among the midfielders is Man City’s Kevin de Bruyne, who made a goal scoring return from injury against Bournemouth and also found the net against PSG last night. The Belgian looks ripe for investment ahead of two favourable home clashes and double Gameweek 34 (WBA, che & new, STO), although his 10.3 price tag in FPL may be prohibitive for some Fantasy managers. Manuel Pellegrini has plenty of options in the attacking midfield areas, with Samir Nasri now also back to full fitness, while forwards Wilfried Bony and Kelechi Iheanacho could be handed some playing time should he choose to curtail De Bruyne’s minutes. Given his immediate impact, though, the Belgian is surely nailed-on for the run-in.

Everton’s Ross Barkley and Aaron Lennon both feature towards the top of the Watchlist, with the former holding the slight edge due to the fact Lennon is deemed more of a rotation risk over the next two Gameweeks, when the Toffees face four matches (wat & cpl, SOT & liv). Barkley has blanked in 10 of his last 11 league appearances, though, and did start in a deep-lying midfield role at Old Trafford, but with Gareth Barry back from suspension for Saturday’s trip to Watford, the expectation is that Barkley will return to his favoured number ten role. Costing 7.1 in FPL, the England international could be worth sticking with, given his explosive potential, having racked up four double-figure hauls so far this term. Lennon is a lot cheaper on the budget at 5.6 in FPL, and is certainly in better form, having scored four goals and registered an assist in his last seven matches. With the likes of Gerard Deulofeu, Kevin Mirallas, Tom Cleverley, Oumar Niasse and Arouna Kone among several options for Roberto Martinez in the wide areas, though, there’s no shortage of competition. Everton do face an FA Cup semi-final against either Man United or West Ham just three days after they play Liverpool in the second match of their double in Gameweek 34 though, which is certainly worth bearing in mind when considering the prospects for all of the Toffees Fantasy assets.

Crystal Palace’s Yannick Bolasie splits the Everton duo, with the Eagles the other club to face back-to-back doubles (NOR & EVE, ars & mun). The 6.0-valued attacker has only delivered one assist in his five appearances since returning from injury, but he has registered 23 penalty box touches over that period, while managing a decent six shots from inside the box. The DR Congo international could be worth including in our 15-man squads, then, particularly if you’re wildcarding this week.

With three goals and four assists over the last six Gameweeks, West Ham’s Dimitri Payet is undoubtedly one of the form players in the Premier League. Available at 8.5 in FPL ahead of a pretty favourable upcoming schedule (ARS, lei & WAT, blank, wba, SWA & MUN, sto), the France international is likely to be a popular choice heading into double Gameweek 34. He’s created 20 chances over his last four matches, more than any other midfielder, and looks worth persevering through the blank in Gameweek 35 if possible, given the double that follows soon after in Gameweek 37. His Hammers team-mate Manuel Lanzini (4.9) replaces Michail Antonio (5.5) as our preferred budget option from east London, with the Argentine hitting his straps over the last two Gameweeks, scoring twice and bagging five bonus points. Having played the last few matches as right-back, Antonio may well return to a more attacking role on the right wing, with James Tomkins available for Saturday’s clash with Arsenal.

Rounding up our ladder this week are Newcastle duo Georginio Wijnaldum and Andros Townsend. The Dutchman holds a slight edge due to his form at St James’ Park, having scored all nine of his Premier League goals on home turf, and with both their Gameweek 34 matches (SWA & MCI) being played in front of their own fans. The former PSV midfielder offers decent value at 6.8 in FPL, and with the Magpies facing a fixture in Gameweek 35, away to Liverpool, followed by two favourable match-ups (CPL, avl), he may prove to be a decent asset over the coming weeks. Townsend outshines his team-mate when delving into the underlying statistics over the last four matches, though, averaging 1.2 goal attempts per match to 0.2 for Wijnaldum, while the England international has created 2.8 chances per match, compared to 1.8 for the Dutch international. Coming in at a cheaper 5.7 in FPL, Townsend could be worth a roll of the dice as a differential, with his current ownership standing at just 0.2% in FPL. With so much at stake for Rafael Benitez’ men, owning one of Newcastle’s attacking assets could really pay off, with their appeal certainly heightened by the fact they don’t have a blank in Gameweek 35, like five of the other clubs who face a double the week before.