Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 7 – The Strong

After winning each of their last four, Arsenal look to have the platform to maintain momentum. Meanwhile, it appears that mid-priced and budget options from Watford, Bournemouth and even Stoke City have the potential to provide excellent value across the next month.

All these teams figure in the reckoning as we take a fresh look at the sides with the strongest upcoming fixture schedules over the next six Gameweeks.

Watford

(BOU, mid, swa, HUL, liv, LEI)

Watford assets look set to thrive over the next four Gameweeks, as Walter Mazzarri’s side take on four sides sitting in the bottom seven in the table.

The Hornets attack certainly looks set to flourish in those match-ups, with Hull City, Swansea City and Bournemouth topping the charts for big chances conceded so far, with 17 apiece. Middlesbrough, meanwhile, have shipped seven goals in their last three matches, so the likes of Troy Deeney, Odion Ighalo and Etienne Capoue should be treated to plenty of opportunities to plunder points.

The fixtures also promise defensive returns, with Hull, ‘Boro and Bournemouth ranked in the bottom four for shots inside the box over the opening six Gameweeks. Also, Swansea have only found the back of the net five times, so Mazzarri’s men look to have a good chance of finding a clean sheet or two over the coming weeks.

With Jose Holebas sitting on the Suspension Tightrope with four yellow cards, Miguel Britos or Sebastian Prodl look the defenders target, with Heurelho Gomes the safer option should your budget allow.

Bournemouth

(wat, HUL, TOT, mid, SUN, sto)

Eddie Howe’s side registered an impressive 1-0 victory over Everton last weekend, and with two plum home fixtures against Hull and Sunderland on the horizon, although with three reasonable away trips, Bournemouth players could provide strong value over the next six Gameweeks.

Stoke, Hull, Sunderland and Watford all feature in the top five for goals conceded so far this season, while as already mentioned, Middlesbrough have leaked a few goals of late.

Cherries attackers haven’t hit the heights so far this season, though, with Callum Wilson seemingly the best route into their attack as the expected first choice penalty taker.

The fixtures against ‘Boro, Hull and Stoke appear pretty favourable match-ups for the Bournemouth defence, with those three teams ranked in the bottom five for big chances created, while Sunderland have only scored five goals this season. Watford will provide a stern test this weekend, though, having scored five goals in difficult home clashes against Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United.

Adam Smith is the standout defensive option providing he is passed fit as expected after suffering a facial injury last weekend, while goalkeeper Artur Boruc should continue to offer solid value as a 4.5 option in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

Stoke City

(mun, SUN, hul, SWA, whm, BOU)

After Sunday’s testing trip to Old Trafford, the Potters look to have a particularly soft schedule, with three very favourable home fixtures on the agenda, while West Ham’s current struggles make the Gameweek 11 clash a decent match-up.

Mark Hughes’ men couldn’t have asked for stronger fixtures from a defensive perspective, with their five opponents after this weekend all featuring in the bottom half of the table for goals scored this season.

Sunderland, Bournemouth and Hull also sit in the bottom five for total goal attempts, so while the Potters’ backline has struggled so far this season, they should be able to turn that around over the next month.

Goalkeeper Lee Grant earned his first league start last time out and could provide excellent value at 4.0 in FPL until Jack Butland returns from injury in November. In defence, Glen Johnson may be worth the extra outlay: he offers a decent attacking threat from right-back.

At the other end of the pitch, Stoke face off against some of the weaker defensive units. No side has conceded more goals than West Ham (16), while the Potters five opponents after Man United fill the top five spots for shots conceded inside the box.

With Wilfried Bony still yet to find his feet at the bet365 Stadium, it’s the midfield pair of Marko Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri that could stand out as handy differentials.

Arsenal

(bur, SWA, MID, sun, TOT, mun)

Arsene Wenger’s men have been in red-hot form of late, and now face four favourable match-ups against teams languishing in the bottom half of the table.

The Gunners have scored 12 goals in their last four matches, and as previously pointed out, come up against leaky defences such as Swansea and Sunderland over the coming period.

The Burnley and Middlesbrough clashes may be slightly trickier, but it’s difficult to see the Arsenal attack faltering based on their current form.

Alexis Sanchez should continue to live up to his premium price tag, then, with Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott also viable options at a knock-down price.

Burnley and Middlesbrough feature in the bottom three for big chances created with two and four respectively, so they’re certainly matches in which Arsenal should have strong opportunities to register shut-outs.

Swansea and Sunderland have only managed to score five goals each so far this season, so coming up against four sides with limited attacking threats, all members of the Arsenal rearguard should prove worthy of their premium price tags over the next four Gameweeks.

Also Consider…

Hull City
It’s Hull’s away fixtures over the coming period that stand out, with three reasonable away trips to Bournemouth, Watford and Sunderland.

Those matches certainly look positive from an attacking outlook, with Watford and Sunderland yet to register a clean sheet this season.

Throw in a plum home fixture against Stoke, and this weekend’s home encounter with Chelsea, who have conceded seven goals in their last three matches, and there’s no reason why Robert Snodgrass shouldn’t continue to build on his impressive start to the season.

At the other end of the pitch, those four matches against Bournemouth, Stoke, Watford and Sunderland should provide reasonable possibilities for defensive returns, so budget options such as David Marshall and Andrew Robertson are worth considering.

Liverpool
The Reds face four favourable matches in the next six (swa, WBA, cpl, WAT) and should continue to prosper over the next month or so.

Those fixtures don’t present any kind match-ups from a defensive standpoint, but Jurgen Klopp’s men may be able to accrue some defensive points against those mid-ranked attacks. Loris Karius and Nathaniel Clyne may be worth some consideration, then, with Dejan Lovren a cheaper option.

In attack, the fixtures are more appealing, with goals expected against both Swansea and Watford. West Brom and Crystal Palace have defended relatively well so far this season, but given the form of the Reds attack, those match-ups should also yield returns.

Picking the right Liverpool midfielder remains something of a minefield, though, with Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana all remaining viable options.

West Ham
The Hammers face a kind schedule in the short to medium term, with home clashes against Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Stoke, combining with a trip to Palace.

As already mentioned, Stoke and Sunderland rate as two of the weakest defences this season, so Michail Antonio and Dimitri Payet could continue to thrive despite the Hammers’ malaise.

All three visitors to the London Stadium have struggled for goals so far, perhaps bringing hope we could see improvement in the West Ham defence over the coming weeks. But having conceded 11 goals in their last three matches, it’s difficult to put faith in Hammers defenders, with rotation also a concern.