This Much We Know – Gameweek 3

Sergio Aguero breaks our hearts and then threatens to snap the template. Meanwhile, Eden Hazard leads a cast of midfield assets just waiting to send us back to the drawing board. Here’s just how much we learned from Gameweek 3….

Aguero may just have ruined everything….
It all seemed so straightforward: you install Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sergio Aguero, captain one of them and wait for the points. Only a seismic event would have us waver from such a policy.

But Aguero may have already caused the first tremor.

His flailing arm, seemingly aimed in the direction of West Ham’s Winston Reid, has the Argentine under the microscope. It will likely be another 24 hours before we are clear as to his fate.

Today’s withdrawal from Argentina’s squad with a calf injury may just offer a clue to the eventual outcome.

It’s purely speculative and perhaps Aguero’s limp did signpost the setback, but you have to wonder if both the player and City are already sweetening the pill, knowing that a charge and ban is imminent.

Certainly it will be easier to swallow for City fans if Aguero is suspended for a period when already declared injured. The blow of missing the Gameweek 4 derby clash with United will be strategically softened.

That won’t be the case for his 53% Fantasy Premier League ownership.

A three-match ban would see Aguero miss Gameweek 4 and 5, serving out the third match in the League Cup tie with Swansea.

Even so, it will surely lead to a shift in the FPL market, with the red flag immediately prompting the masses to contemplate a sale and extensive surgery with the funds he would supply. Further Wildcards would seem likely, floods of investment in midfield heavy-hitters on the cards.

Just as we settled in for a comfortable ride, Aguero has thrown us off course. Perversely, it might just be what was needed.

He who dares, wins…for one week at least…
In fact, if we ever required a reminder that Aguero and Zlatan were not irreplaceable, it arrived courtesy of their Gameweek 3’s blanks.

Both strikers huffed and puffed and ultimately disappointed the 65% of FPL managers who gladly slid the armband around the arm of one of the in-form hitmen.

Instead it was left to the 4% who looked to Eden Hazard to celebrate, whilst Alexis Sanchez also chipped in with a spectacular haul to remind us that, sometimes, the midfield can provide explosive and even consistent returns to make us think twice on settling for a striker.

Hazard completes the tri-force…
The Mancunian hitmen may have let us down, but it’s widely accepted that both Aguero and Ibrahimovic will return to form and be re-established as key Fantasy assets.

Arguably, Eden Hazard has now joined them at the very same level.

Having returned in all three matches so far, the Chelsea man is clearly providing the end product to match his twinkling performances under Antonio Conte.

The underlying numbers aren’t just backing this theory, they’re promoting his current campaign as one that could even outperform Hazard’s Player of the Year form from 2014/15.

There are clear contenders for the heavy-hitting midfielder in our squads but, right now, Hazard is out on his own and still in the ascendancy.

We can add Raheem Sterling to the list….
Acquiring Hazard with the “big two” up front certainly limits the spend elsewhere but we may yet have to find room for Raheem Sterling.

We mentioned in the Scout Mission that it would likely only take a goal to tip us over the edge; to have us believe that Sterling could recapture his Liverpool form and output in the sky blue of City.

He delivered two goals and, again, looked an exciting prospect in a City side clearly bursting with attacking menace.

Sterling’s ownership is already on the rise, a second price hike imminent.

Sanchez and Ozil have arrived…
And then along comes the Arsenal pairing.

Another pointer in this week’s Scout Mission, we were anticipating their arrival – knowing full well that very soon they would have us ponder that big spend up front.

Sanchez was at his explosive best in Gameweek 3 – a 16-point return reminding us that when the Chilean hits form, he can be devastating.

Ozil is a different animal – a plodding points scorer who will methodically go about his business, prompting goals from open play and delivering dead-eye deliveries from set-pieces. The German will rank up there with the very top midfield scorers and maybe rival Sanchez and Hazard.

To compound matters, Arsene Wenger’s side are about to embark on a run of opponents that could see them back established as would-be title contenders.

If there was a time to rip up our teams in order to work in Sanchez or Ozil, it may have already arrived.

The jury is out on Vardy and Mahrez…
Another debate re-opened, Gameweek 3 has made us re-appraise the pecking order between Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.

As the latter stroked a tame penalty at Lukasz Fabianski, Vardy had earlier strode onto a Danny Drinkwater through-ball to fire confidently passed the hapless Pole.

Confidence is something that doesn’t seem to be with the Algerian right now.

Maybe he’s being “shut-down” earlier by defences. Maybe he’s playing a different game, drawing the extra man before releasing team-mates. Mahrez just doesn’t seem to be as direct and destructive – he’s being effective for Leicester City but perhaps not in the way he’ll benefit our Fantasy lineups.

Vardy only knows one way. He’ll find a route to goal somehow and his pace and workrate can be more difficult to lock down than Mahrez trickery.

More significantly, Vardy could now be back on penalties.

Lamela has the devil in him…
While Aguero prepares to go before the FA, Erik Lamela’s apparent attempt to remove Dejan Lovren’s nose from his face drifts under the radar.

Strangely neglected by the press, who are perhaps diverted by Aguero’s FA-bothering act, Lamela seems poised to ride this one out.

However, clearly there’s a side to the Argentine we need to be wary of. Just as we walk a tightrope with Dele Alli’s discipline, Lamela may well give his Fantasy owners one or two concerns over the course of the season when the tide fails to turn his way.

Right now, all is well. Lamela returned an assist in the 1-1 draw on Saturday and continues to offer value amongst a set of Spurs assets currently spluttering and mis-firing.

Leighton may not need the 3-5-2…
We were all looking forward to seeing Leighton Baines handed the freedom of wing-back role by Ronald Koeman.

But now the Dutchman seems to have reverted to a back four, perhaps curtailing Baines’ attacking instincts down the left.

The silver lining appears to be spot-kicks, with Baines apparently restored as the designated taker having stepped up to hit a post against Stoke.

Will Baines hold firm despite that miss?

We’ve seen previously that he’s been a little too polite in surrendering those duties. The left-back’s owners and would-be suitors will hope he’s a little more selfish this time around.

We’re already grapple fans…
These new grappling laws are causing problems on the pitch but off it, us Fantasy managers should position ourselves to embrace them.

Two things seem inevitable whilst confusion reigns. Either we’re going to see more penalties or we’re going to get more goals from set-plays as runners are allowed to run free. Or both.

Either way, our Fantasy teams can prosper. Already on Saturday there were penalties in six of the eight matches played and there have been 13 awarded to this point. There were six spot-kicks after three Gameweeks last season.

Maybe it will settle down. Maybe we don’t want it to.

..and so is Pardew…
Alan Pardew was also quick to point out the upturn in penalties this weekend, ironically having watched Yohan Cabaye fluff his lines from 12 yards in Palace’s home encounter with Bournemouth.

The Eagles boss is another who is anticipating more penalties this season and has suggested that Saturday’s turn of events could persuade him to reconsider his preferred spot-kick taker in order to benefit from the new laws.

Step forward Christian Benteke.

The Belgian has already told Cabaye he’ll be taking Palace’s next spot-kick and his stock would surely be on the rise if he wrestles penalties from the Frenchman.

The Baggies defence will find a way to deliver…
The West Brom defenders are also set to profit from the new law. Tony Pulis’ men will continue to cite set-pieces as a prime route to goal and, with Gareth McAuley, Jonny Evans and Craig Dawson unshackled by clutching markers in the box, there is surely more goals to come.

Failing that, West Brom have already demonstrated that they can deliver at the other end. The only side to match Manchester United’s two shut-outs thus far, the Baggies currently lack the ideas to gamble on attack, relying instead on a firm defence and pace on the break.

Some new signings may change that perspective, although Pulis is maybe too long in the tooth and too wise to shift emphasis.

How we wish Mo Barrow was a midfielder….
The Swansea flyer is clearly a winger and, as such, should be classified as a midfielder. An oversight from the FPL and an unfortunate one given the role that Barrow is set to play for Swansea this season.

The Gambian had Christian Fuchs on toast on Saturday and he won’t be the first to be frazzled by Barrow’s afterburners. We just wonder that, even as a 5.0 striker, whether he could yet play a role as an active enabler on our bench.

…and how we wish Bilic realises Antonio is a midfielder….
While we’re discussing players out of position, let’s go back to dear old Michail Antonio.

Deployed at wing-back by Slaven Bilic at the Etihad, Antonio was re-assigned in the second-half and duly created panic in the City defence, claiming yet another far-post header to bring the Hammers back into the game.

Antonio walked away in celebration stoney-faced as if to prove his point. He might be able to fill in at right-back, but the former Forest man can be a match-winner when allowed to raid the box from the flank.

Sam Allardyce has worked it out. He can’t wait to get those big diagonals launched.