Spot the Differential – Gameweek 30

With the need to find differentials set to intensify as we enter the final block of the 2016/17 season, we’ve picked out three names who could shine in favourable home matches today.

A mecurial Manchester United midfielder has caught our eye, while a set-piece menace from the champions and a budget midfield option from Southampton complete this week’s selection.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

While Manchester United’s April schedule is so intense it almost guarantees rest and rotation, a recent spate of injury blows appears to have severely dented Jose Mourinho’s options.

The loss of Juan Mata, revealed only late last night, arrives as perhaps the biggest setback. But, while the loss of Mata restricts United’s options, it may just be a blessing for us Fantasy managers. Without the Spaniard, the onus will surely now be on Henrikh Mkhitaryan to step up.

The Armenian is a player we’ve been monitoring all season, in anticipation of his talents coming to the fore. However, he has taken time to settle and, when progress was made, injuries and rotation took their toll on his pitch time.

With Mata’s creativity lost to a groin injury, Mkhitaryan’s starting role now looks far more assured – even with a packed Premier League and Europa League schedule to come.

Like Mata, his underlying statistics indicate that he has the potential to deliver both goals and assists. Mkhitaryan has produced a key pass every 34 minutes, an almost identical rate to Mata. But he betters the Spaniard in terms of goal threat, firing a shot every 31 minutes compared to Mata’s 38.

Mourinho will hope that those numbers will immediately translate to an end product for the visit of West Brom, a fixture which now looks far more testing given United’s cast of absentees.

Set to return after a two-match absence, the 2.5% owned Mkhitaryan now has the opportunity to start justifying his 8.8 price tag and provide a viable partner to Zlatan Ibrahimovic in our squads, covering United’s two double Gameweeks.

The Baggies encounter is his audition and we feel he’ll come through it.

James Ward-Prowse

After receiving his first senior England cap in the 1-0 defeat to Germany, James Ward-Prowse should head into this evening’s home clash against Bournemouth full of confidence.

The Saints midfielder has always offered plenty of potential as a Fantasy asset, mainly due to his prowess from set-plays.

But having previously struggled to hold down a regular starting berth, the 22-year-old has recently found favour under Southampton manager Claude Puel.

The 5.0-priced midfielder has started seven of the last eight league matches, registering two goals and an assist over that period.

Recently, he has been used on the right of an attacking midfield trio in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Given that Bournemouth rank third for the most chances conceded down their left flank over the past four Gameweeks with 16, it may prove to be a favourable match-up for the youngster.

Also, with further kind fixtures to follow at home to Crystal Palace and away to West Brom over the next seven days, Ward-Prowse looks to be a great cut-price option.

Saints will also face at two double Gameweeks during the run-in, with home fixtures against Arsenal and United still to be rescheduled.

So the midfielder, who is sitting in just 0.5% of FPL squads, could be a handy acquisition not just for the short-term, but also for the remainder of the campaign.

Robert Huth

It is the set-piece threat of Robert Huth that has seen us plump for the Leicester City defender as our final choice.

The towering centre-back has registered a goal and an assist over the last two Gameweeks, and could gain further reward when the Foxes host Stoke City this afternoon.

The Potters have conceded ten headed goals this season – only Bournemouth (11) allowed more.

No team has scored more goals from set-plays than Leicester’s four over the last four Gameweeks, while the champions rank third for set-piece attempts over that period with 22, despite playing just three matches.

Huth’s ownership in FPL only sits at 1.4%, perhaps due to the fact Leicester have failed to register a clean sheet since Gameweek 20.

But given that Stoke have failed to score in their last three away trips, this afternoon looks set to present Craig Shakespeare’s in-form side with a reasonable opportunity to claim a shut-out.

The Foxes also face a favourable home fixture against Sunderland on Tuesday night, so as a short-term option with plenty of upside, Huth, who costs just 4.9 in FPL, looks to tick all of the boxes.