Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 29 – The Weak

After we took stock of the teams that boast the most promising upcoming schedules over the next four-to-six Gameweeks yesterday, we now turn our attention to those who seem destined to endure a far tougher period.

West Bromwich Albion’s assets look set for further struggles, while Bournemouth’s fixture list is about to get tougher once Saturday’s home clash against Swansea City has passed.

Four Gameweek 34 fixtures have been postponed due to the FA Cup semi-finals, but, for now, we’re taking the liberty to assume that any side currently with a blank will have their fixture restored in the midweek slot.

West Bromwich Albion

(ARS, mun, wat, SOT, LIV, (-))

The Baggies face three of the top six over the next five Gameweeks, while the other two fixtures on the current slate also provide tests.

The away trip to Manchester City, originally scheduled to take place in Gameweek 34, has been postponed due to City’s progress in the FA Cup, but that fixture may yet re-appear in midweek and remain in the same Gameweek.

Bearing in mind that no team has scored more goals than Southampton’s ten over their respective last four matches, it’s fair to say that clean sheets are likely to remain hard to come by for the Baggies during this period.

Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool all have to be fancied to score given that West Brom have shipped five goals in their last two matches, while the trip to Watford may also prove difficult, as the Hornets have netted six times over the last three outings at Vicarage Road.

The proven goal threat of Gareth McAuley does make the centre-back “fixture proof” to an extent, but all other members of the West Brom backline may now struggle for returns.

The lack of a plum fixture also means Baggies attackers look overdue an exit from our squads.

Tony Pulis’ men won’t be expected to score many goals against Arsenal, United and Liverpool, leaving only the Watford and Southampton clashes as reasonable match-ups.

Having also failed to net in their last two, form has deserted Baggies attackers, so it’s no surprise to see the likes of Matt Phillips, James Morrison, Salomon Rondon and Nacer Chadli all suffering sales – over 76,000 have parted company with Phillips this week, more than any FPL midfielder.

As a side note, having reached the 40-point mark, there are general concerns that Tony Pulis’ men may now slip down through the gears. Incredibly, in the last four seasons, Pulis’ sides have won just once in 20 matches having achieved the 40-point target.

Bournemouth

(SWA, sot, liv, CHE, tot, MID)

The Cherries’ next six fixtures are bookended by favourable home clashes, but the four matches in between could see Bournemouth assets struggle to maintain their recent output.

Chelsea and Spurs lead the way for clean sheets this season with 13 and 12 respectively, so it seems unlikely that Cherries attackers will flourish in those encounters.

Away trips to Southampton and Liverpool also look tough, although Saints have struggled at the back in the absence of the injured Virgil van Dijk.

So once Saturday’s favourable home clash against Swansea City has passed, it remains to be seen if Josh King and Ryan Fraser can maintain their output to remain pushing for a slot in our squads.

Given that the Swans have scored in eight of their nine matches since the appointment of Paul Clement, Saturday’s fixture doesn’t look so favourable from a defensive standpoint.

It’s also difficult to see Bournemouth keeping a clean sheet in any of the following four fixtures, leaving only the Middlesbrough clash in Gameweek 34 where returns appear likely.

Manchester City

(LIV, ars, che, HUL, sot, (-))

It’s in the short-term where there is concern regarding the prospects of City assets, with matches against three of their top six rivals.

Although Pep Guardiola’s attack is capable of scoring against any side, the chances of players such as Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane delivering multiple double-figure hauls over the next three Gameweeks appear slim.

The fixtures against Hull City and Southampton that follow are very favourable, though, so some Fantasy managers may consider holding one City asset over the next few weeks in anticipation of that spell.

Those who piled in on the City attack for double Gameweek 27 will probably look to move one or two of those players on, though.

Guardiola’s defence has improved dramatically over the past month or so, registering four clean sheets in their last five matches.

But they will be severely tested over the next three Gameweeks, with Arsenal and Liverpool both among the four teams registering the most shots from inside the box over the last four matches with 40 apiece, while Chelsea have scored 15 goals in their last five at Stamford Bridge.

With rotation also a concern, members of City’s rearguard look set to remain out of favour by the vast majority of managers.

Also be wary of…

Southampton
Claude Puel’s men face unenviable fixtures away to Spurs and at home to Manchester City, although the three matches in between (BOU, CPL, wba) do present an obvious window for investment.

Manolo Gabbiadini looks set for significant interest come next week, then, with Bournemouth and, more recently, West Brom conceding plenty of goals. However, with striker Charlie Austin edging back to fitness, we perhaps cannot presume that the Italian will command starts over the entirety of the Saints’ remaining schedule.

Those three favourable encounters may also see Southampton register much-needed clean sheets, with Maya Yoshida’s budget price tag of just 4.3 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) making the centre-back a viable option for our five-man backlines.

It’s worth remembering that Saints should face two double Gameweeks later in the season, while their trip to Chelsea, originally scheduled for Gameweek 34, has been postponed due to the Blues’ progress in the FA Cup. Again, that could yet be re-scheduled in midweek to remain in that Gameweek.

Crystal Palace
The Eagles’ upcoming schedule is very mixed, with two promising home fixtures (WAT, LEI) balanced off against four tougher matches (che, sot, ARS, liv).

The Leicester City fixture is clearly looking more difficult now under their new boss Craig Shakespeare, although the Gameweek 33 clash is sandwiched between the Foxes’ two Champions League quarter-final ties.

While Sam Allardyce has seen his side keep two consecutive clean sheets, it’s only this Saturday’s home match-up with Watford that looks favourable at that end of the pitch.

The Palace backline is still struggling to command appeal, then, while the lack of a favourable fixture after the Hornets clash is likely to continue to limit our interest in the Eagles attack.

Chelsea
Difficult matches against both Manchester clubs over the next five Gameweeks may provide a slight downside for Chelsea assets.

United and City have both only conceded one goal in their last four matches, while they are the two teams allowing the fewest number of shots from inside the box over that spell.

The other three fixtures (sto, CPL, bou) are pretty kind, though, and, given their current form, the likes of Eden Hazard, Pedro and Diego Costa are all likely to remain strong options.

The Chelsea defence has been a cause for concern of late, after failing to register a clean sheet in their last five league encounters.

But a combination of some reasonable fixtures and a proven attacking threat means that Marcos Alonso should cling to his place in our squads.