The Suspension Tightrope – Gameweek 11

Five players plunged from the Suspension Tightrope in Gameweek 11, and there was a big name with big ownership figures among them.

Nobody comes bigger than Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.1), according to the man himself at least, but his fifth booking of the season was a kick in the teeth for the 28.8% of Fantasy Premier League managers who have stuck by him through thin and thinner in recent weeks.

The Swede finally broke his six-match league goal drought with a brace in the 3-0 win at Swansea City, only to pick up the caution that means he will sit out the home clash with Arsenal which follows the current international break.

The subsequent fixtures – West Ham and Spurs at home, Everton away – are a mixed bag, suggesting that many more FPL managers will finally cut their losses on Zlatan, particularly those needing to find the funds to bring the red-hot Eden Hazard (10.1) into their squads.

More than 70,000 managers have already jettisoned Ibrahimovic since the weekend – only Raheem Sterling (8.1) has been ditched by more.

Two popular defenders will also miss Gameweek 12.

The 12.8%-owned Bournemouth man Adam Smith’s (4.8) second consecutive booking tipped him over the disciplinary edge and out of a trip to Stoke. With Arsenal away and Liverpool at The Vitality Stadium to follow, it looks like a good time to be off Bournemouth defenders, however.

Watford’s 9.3%-owned Jose Holebas (4.8) had been precariously balanced on the tightrope for four Gameweeks and finally succumbed during the 6-1 drubbing by Liverpool.

His parting shot prior to a ban for the visit of Leicester was a -2 score, but the 380,000+ managers with Holebas in their squads might want to hold on to him as Watford, who had kept three consecutive clean sheets before the Anfield massacre, go on to face Stoke and Everton at home and West Brom away.

The former Greek international’s fall from grace leaves Diego Costa (10.5) as the longest surviving tightrope treader. He’s now played six straight matches, including an EFL Cup substitute appearance, with the threat of a ban hanging over him.

Gareth Barry (4.6), who made it a seventh consecutive Premier League season with five or more bookings, and Mark Noble (6.2) were the other two tightrope tumblers. The Hammers’ captain has been booked five times domestically in every season back to ’07/08, including a year in The Championship.

And Sunderland midfielder Steven Pienaar’s (4.9) two yellows at Bournemouth also preclude him from Gameweek 12 action.

Joe Allen’s (5.4) stock has been rising since a Gameweek 6 goal against West Brom.

The Stoke midfielder now has 18.2% of FPL managers backing him, but is one yellow away from a ban following a caution in Saturday’s draw at West Ham just as he looks poised to benefit from a strong fixture run into December involving Bournemouth and Burnley at home and Watford away.

Joining him on the tightrope is Sunderland’s Lynden Gooch (4.3).

The duo will find little space on the rope, as there are a number of occupants still teetering: Paul Pogba (8.2); Aleksandar Kolarov (5.8); Danny Rose (5.9); Yohan Cabaye (5.6); Sam Clucas (4.7); Danny Simpson (4.9); Valon Behrami (4.5); Craig Dawson (4.8); Marouane Fellaini (5.8); Robert Huth (5.0); Jan Vertonghen (5.7) and Ryan Shawcross (4.9).

Spurs midfielder Moussa Sissoko (6.7) is available again after doing his time for violent conduct, while United’s Ander Herrera (6.3), Everton’s Idrissa Gueye (5.0), Middlesbrough’s Gaston Ramirez (5.3), Stoke’s Marko Arnautovic (7.2), West Brom’s James McClean (5.0) and West Ham centre-half Winston Reid (5.0) are also back in contention next time out.

Hull City striker Adama Diomande (4.6) is now two matches into his three-stretch for striking an opponent in the EFL Cup.

The Men In Black
The four penalties awarded in the Gameweek slightly bucked the trend of the 3.3 (now 3.4) average per round of fixtures.

All were converted, by Jermain Defoe (three from three), Charlie Austin (two from two) and a first penalty success for the returning Harry Kane. Christian Benteke made it one from two for Crystal Palace, the Eagles’ first successful penalty from three attempts this season.

Middlesbrough remain the only team not to have been awarded a penalty, and Boro are one of two teams yet to concede a spot-kick. Palace are the other.

Mike Dean delivered a table-topping seventh penalty award of the season, from nine matches in charge. He now leads the averages all on his own at 0.78 penalties per match.

There was no outing for Roger East (0.75 from four) and a blank for Michael Oliver (0.60 from 10) to leave them trailing in Dean’s punishing wake.

Mark Clattenburg (three in seven), Martin Atkinson (two in nine) and Graham Scott (one in 2 two) were the other men pointing to the spot while simultaneously waving away the protests.