Great Expectations – Michail Antonio

Whilst West Ham playmaker Dimitri Payet made an immediate impact in the Premier League, fellow new boy Michail Antonio took some time to settle.

Snapped up from Nottingham Forest, the winger struggled to stake a claim in Slaven Bilic’s first-team plans and managed just two sub appearances in the first 14 matches.

From Gameweek 15 onwards, though, Antonio started every league match for the Hammers and finished the season with eight goals and seven assists in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), in what ultimately proved to be a hugely impressive first campaign. Indeed, over the last few days, his displays have earned the wide man an improved contract with the Hammers.

Antonio’s pace and power helped the midfielder to effortlessly make the step up to the top flight, while from a Fantasy perspective, it was his ability in the air which made him stand out, with six of his goals coming from headers, bettered only by Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud (seven).

Whilst a total of 126 points wasn’t overly impressive due to those first few months on the bench, Antonio’s average of 4.8 points per appearance – just behind Stoke’s Marko Arnautovic (4.9) – highlights his Fantasy potential for the campaign ahead.

KEY FACTORS

• Once handed his chance, Antonio’s physical attributes saw him acclimatise to the Premier League very quickly. The former Forest man’s versatility is also key to his pitch time and strengthens the likelihood of starts even if Bilic switches to a three-man backline. With James Tomkins and January signing Sam Byram spending time in the treatment room during the second half of the campaign, Antonio was utilised at right-back and right wing-back as well as on the flank. With Byram now undertaking his first pre-season with the club, and the possibility of Bilic bringing in another right-back following Tomkins’ departure to Crystal Palace, there’s every chance that Antonio will be utilised as an attacking midfielder next time around.

• Providing they get through two qualification rounds and qualify for the group stages of the Europa League, Bilic will be looking to add even more quality and depth to the West Ham squad next season. Bearing in mind that Andy Carroll was their top-scoring forward with nine strikes, the Hammers boss will be desperate to strengthen his options up front and the prospect of playing behind a high calibre centre forward looks promising for Antonio, as he looks to improve on last year’s seven assists.

• Finishing seventh in the Premier League last term, and scoring 65 goals, the joint-fourth highest total, many Fantasy managers will be keen to tap into a West Ham side that ranked fifth for both total goal attempts and chances created. Antonio’s average of 269.5 minutes per goal last season was second only to Carroll for the Hammers and ranked ninth quickest amongst regulars midfielders, which is all the more impressive given his stint in defence. Strikes against the likes of Spurs, Liverpool and Man United illustrate his fixture-proof ability as a route into Bilic’s ever-improving attack.

• There’s little doubt Dimitri Payet will remain the top target within the West Ham midfield, with his price likely to escalate to around the 10.0 mark in FPL. While Antonio’s valuation is also set to increase from last term’s initial 6.0, he’s expected to sit in the mid-price bracket at around 7.5, given he ultimately finished on 126 points. Having racked up four double-figure hauls last year – all in front of his own supporters – Antonio could emerge as a real differential if Payet, as expected, remains the most popular West Ham option for Fantasy managers.

• The opening schedule certainly offers Bilic’s side the chance to get quick out of the blocks – indeed, according to our Fixture Ticker, West Ham’s schedule is ranked as the most favourable of all 20 teams across the opening 11 Gameweeks. Although they face trips to Chelsea and Man City in the first three, it’s worth noting that the Hammers earned four points over the corresponding fixtures in 2015/16 and scored twice on each occasion. The remaining matches over that run (BOU, WAT, wba, SOT, MID, cpl, SUN, eve, STO) all look very promising for Bilic’s main men as they look to improve upon last seasons seventh-placed finish. Bearing in mind that Manuel Lanzini will miss the first couple of matches after being called up for Argentina’s Olympic squad this summer, Antonio certainly looks likely to open the season as part of Bilic’s attack.