The Scout Squad – Gameweek 7

This evening we start to look ahead to Gameweek 7 by airing our Scout Squad article – offering a preview of Friday’s Scout Picks selection.

By midweek myself, Mark and Paul list the 18 players we feel have the best chance of success across the four positions, listing them in rank order.

This article will then highlight some of the likely discussions and disagreements that will take place behind the scenes as the Scouts look to back their players and secure a place for them in the Scout Picks XI, as well as our Spot the Differential article.

Finally, we will also use this piece to reveal the Champion who has been selected by our lottery to represent the community and be in with a chance of winning a £100 Amazon voucher.

Goalkeepers

There’s broad agreement this week that Watford’s Heurelho Gomes (5.0) at home to Bournemouth, and 17% owned West Brom’s Ben Foster (4.7) away to Sunderland are well placed for clean sheets.

Watford’s opponents Bournemouth possess the fourth worst goal attempt tally away from home this season, while West Brom have conceded just two goals on the road, the joint best along with Arsenal, Spurs and Everton.

The Merseyside teams are the only major point of difference.

Paul favours Maarten (5.0) Stekelenburg’s shut-out chances against Crystal Palace, while Mark feels that Liverpool’s new number one Loris Karius (4.9), who is in just 0.6% of FPL teams, can keep Swansea City at bay.

Interest in Sunderland’s clean sheet potential is muted, having conceded in every game this season. Nevertheless, Jordan Pickford has been picked by Paul and myself for his 4.0 budget price tag as well as save point potential. The Black Cats stopper currently has the best saves per minutes rate in the Premier League.

Defenders

Despite a poor showing against Burnley on Monday, in which he picked up his fourth booking of the season, Watford’s Jose Holebas (4.5) has been put forward as a budget option by Paul and Mark.

With the fixtures falling kindly for expensive midfield and forward options, his modest price tag is likely to come in handy come Friday’s final Picks selection.

Clean sheets are at a premium this season, so I’ve decided to pick a mid-price quintet that can promise attacking points. Paul and Mark largely agree, with Arsenal’s 24.7% owned full back Hector Bellerin (6.5) featuring in all three of our selections and Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne (5.5) backed by myself and Mark.

Meanwhile, Paul and I also favour Patrick Van Aanholt (5.0) and Seamus Coleman (5.5) – both have that attacking menance to paper over the cracks should Sunderland and Everton concede.

Of those listed, Clyne arguably offers the strongest assist potential for his trip to South Wales, having created more chances than any other defender this term.

There appears to be a disagreement simmering when it comes to the selection of a Manchester United defender.

I believe a wind of change is sweeping across the Red Devil’s backline with Daley Blind (5.6) emerging as the best option, whereas Mark and Paul are remaining faithful to the 12.6% owned Antonio Valencia (5.6).

Bonus point allocation has driven my selection, with the Dutch international earning supplementary points across three matches; he’s currently the top scoring defender in FPL’s Bonus Point System.

Meanwhile, there are 17 other options with more BPS than Valencia, who has earned just five FPL points over the last three matches.

Two assists from corners in last weekend’s 4-1 victory over Leicester City can only strengthen Blind’s cause.

Midfielders

Remember Chelsea? They were the future once, back in the first weeks of the season when they secured three wins on the bounce.

However, in the last two fixtures, they have reverted to their terrible 2015/16 past, losing to both Liverpool and Arsenal via a pair of miserable performances.

Despite their recent form, Paul and I feel Antonio Conte’s side are more than capable of turning it around away to Hull City in Gameweek 7.

Paul remains convinced that Eden Hazard (9.9) is set to punish the 335,646 FPL managers that have jettisoned him since his run of three blanks.

“You have to fancy Chelsea to return to form away to Hull this weekend. A lack of European duties gives the Blues plenty of time to recover from last week’s loss at Arsenal and, given that their hosts have conceded more shots on goal than any side, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa both look decent bets” – Paul.

Willian (7.4)’s assist potential has piqued my interest.

No player has created more chances without assisting over the last four matches, and Hull’s left flank is the worst in the Premier League in terms of keeping out chances.

It appears that Mark is not convinced and instead has opted for Hull’s set piece specialist Robert Snodgrass (5.7) to continue piling the pressure on the Blues.

I’ve plumped for another left-field pick in Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.2).

I fully expect Liverpool to impress again at Swansea but with 14 goal attempts over the last four matches and penalties in his locker, I feel that the 3.6%-owned Sigurdsson could emerge as a differential. The Liverpool defence boasts some strong numbers but has so far frustrated when it comes to returning clean sheets.

There is no disagreement when it comes to Alexis Sanchez (11.1). The 17.5% owned Arsenal player is our unanimous top choice midfielder – unsurprising given that he’s racked up 40 FPL points in his last three Premier League starts.

Liverpool’s midfield also gets the nod, but with so many options, we are undecided as to the best route.

Paul and I favour 9.8% owned Roberto Firmino (8.4) to convert his strong underlying numbers into goals and assists.

Meanwhile, Mark has shuffled back to an old favourite and is backing Sadio Mane (9.0)’s close range shooting. The 14.9% owned Senegalese international tops Liverpool’s shots in the box table.

Paul has hedged his bets and thinks that bringing Philippe Coutinho (8.2) in alongside Firmino is the optimum strategy. The 31.5% owned Coutinho fetched his second double-figure haul against Hull last time out, and only Zlatan Ibrahimovic boasts more goal attempts this season.

“I doubled up on Liverpool’s midfielders last weekend and retain that tactic for the trip to Swansea, with Sadio Mane making way for Philippe Coutinho. Roberto Firmino’s underlying numbers earns him another chance against Francesco Guidolin’s creaking defence” – Paul.

Mark is going solo this week in selecting Manchester City’s 25.2% owned Raheem Sterling (8.6) away to Spurs, who have the best defensive record in the league, conceding just three times.

“Sterling is electric this season – he’s found that extra willingness to beat defenders and also seems to possess a degree of composure when through on goal. City will miss Kevin De Bruyne but, with Spurs occupied by the movement of Aguero, I’m tipping David Silva to keep Sterling fed and for the rejuvenated winger to return again.” – Mark

Forwards

Despite Spurs’ sturdy rearguard, we all believe Sergio Aguero (13.0) will still come away with points at White Hart Lane on Sunday. The 39.3%-owned striker certainly rewarded our selection in Gameweek 6 with a brace away to Swansea.

The same can’t be said for our two other forward picks last week,  Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.5) and the 19.7% owned Romelu Lukaku (9.3).

Both let us down with Gameweek 6 blanks but are set to feature in the Scout Picks again this Friday after taking their place in the top three of our squads.

Gameweek 7 could be different for Ibrahimovic, who has been ditched by more than 139,000 FPL managers this week after failing return points in a 4-1 mauling of Leicester City.

But no player has had more goal attempts without scoring in the last four matches, and the Swede is up against a Stoke City side that has conceded an average of two goals per game on the road.

The Bournemouth backline may have got the better of the visiting Lukaku in Gameweek 6, but Crystal Palace’s defence is likely to be more obliging this Friday when they travel to Goodison Park. The Eagles have yet to keep a clean sheet and have conceded four times in their three away fixtures.

Faith in Chelsea continues into the forward selections for Paul and myself, with 27.1% owned Diego Costa (10.0) taking fourth place in our set of picks. With three goals and an assist over the last four matches, his attacking threat has remained an ever-present, even though Chelsea have failed to convince as a team over that period.

Mark just isn’t prepared to be taking in by our Chelsea optimism and has instead selected Watford’s Troy Deeney (7.0) as a cheaper alternative.

Elsewhere in our selections, I’m so unimpressed by Stoke’s woeful defence that I believe doubling up on Manchester United options, with Marcus Rashford (6.9), alongside Ibrahimovic, is a viable route.

With three goals in his last four Premier League matches, the 7.9%-owned youngster certainly offers good value coverage for this plum tie.

Sunderland’s porous defence at the Stadium of Light has clearly been noted by Paul and Mark.

With eight conceded across three home encounters this season, they feel that Salomon Rondon (6.6) could add to the Black Cat’s defensive woes. With two goals in as many matches, they certainly have strong evidence to back up the 5.5% West Brom striker’s inclusion.

Community Champion

Representing the Community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 7 will be Lateriser12, who has been in sensational form recently with overall finishes of 189, 2212 and 77 in his last three seasons.

The community champion who has the best lead over the Scouts during 2016/17 will win a £100 Amazon voucher (currently we can only offer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com vouchers).

Last Gameweek’s community champion VS10_ is currently in the driving seat to scoop the prize after humiliating the Scout Picks 64 to 32.