The Digest – Gameweek 32

Son Heung-min stakes a claim for regular minutes to muddy our thoughts on the Spurs attack, Crystal Palace’s momentum builds ahead of double Gameweek 34, while Arsenal’s double Gameweeks 36 and 37 prompt another Alexis Sanchez rethink.

The Player

Just when the return of Harry Kane seemed to have solved our Spurs’ attacking conundrum for the run-in, Son Heung-min’s performance at home to Watford provides further food for thought.

Prior to the South Korean’s 19 point-haul against the Hornets, it had all looked so straightforward, with Mauricio Pochettino expected to revert to a 3-4-2-1 formation, allowing Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen to run riot from central positions behind the England international.

But while Kane was afforded a half-hour run-out on Saturday lunchtime in order to build up his match fitness, Son turned on the style to stake a serious claim for increased pitch-time.

Stationed on the left of a 4-2-3-1, two goals and an assist – allied with back-to-back strikes in the previous two Gameweeks – have made him the number one transfer target in Fantasy Premier League, with more than 92,000 managers clambering aboard the bandwagon ahead of a plum home clash against Bournemouth.

Granted, Son has struggled to secure a regular role this season, with 11 of his 28 league appearances arriving off the bench. Yet on the back of Saturday’s showing, a spot in the first XI may well be his to lose now.

As evidenced by his 6.7 points per match, Kane – as the number one spot-kick taker – remains our go-to option among the Spurs attacking contingent.

However, the 7.1-priced Son, whose average of 145.5 minutes per goal is more frequent than any FPL midfielder this term, may now offer the best value option and rival the pricier Alli (9.2) and Eriksen (8.8) as the choice route into Pochettino’s thriving midfield.

The Team

A comprehensive 3-0 drubbing of Arsenal at Selhurst Park brought Crystal Palace yet another step closer to survival as the Sam Allardyce effect gains momentum.

Five wins in six, including four clean sheets and victories on the road against the likes of league leaders Chelsea and West Brom, underlines the impact of the Eagles’ new manager, whose side now sit six points clear of the drop zone.

Handily, Palace’s improved form at both ends of the pitch pre-empts a double Gameweek 34, sandwiched between home clashes against Leicester and Burnley.

Admittedly, Allardyce’s side will face Liverpool and Spurs in Gameweek 34, yet recent results clearly highlight that they have the form to prevail.

At the back, the absence of the on-loan Mamadou Sakho for the first match of their double (against parent club Liverpool) diminishes the clean sheet potential on offer from the Eagles’ rearguard, though the likes of Wayne Hennessey (4.3) and Joel Ward (4.8) remain value options. Having returned to training ahead of the weekend, Patrick van Aanholt’s fitness is also worth monitoring, given his keen eye for goal.

Further up the field, Allardyce’s influence has reignited the Fantasy appeal of Wilfried Zaha. At 5.9, the winger is behind only Son and Kane for transfers-in on the back of two goals and three assists in the last five Gameweeks.

On the opposite flank, Andros Townsend’s two goals and pair of assists in five harks back to his end-of-season displays for Newcastle in 2015/16. At less than 2% ownership and priced at 5.8, the former Spurs man looks a ready-made differential, providing he shrugs off a minor heel problem.

Up top, Christian Benteke’s two goals and an assist in three has also turned a few heads – only Kane and Romelu Lukaku have earned more new owners among the strikers since Saturday’s deadline passed.

Allardyce may well have his detractors but, as we’ve seen time and again, his sides have the potential to offer excellent Fantasy value from back to front.

While today’s announcement on double Gameweeks 36 and 37 remains the focal point for most, Palace’s short-term appeal cannot be overlooked. Potential investment, over the next three at least, should afford us time to capitalise on their ascent before we freshen up our squads with the second wildcard in time for the doubles.

The Talking Point

Palace’s emphatic win over Arsenal on Monday evening merely compounded the Alexis Sanchez issue.

The top-scoring FPL player’s seemingly unassailable lead at the summit has been whittled away to just four points in recent weeks thanks to a run of three successive blanks – the first time this season he has experienced such a slump.

Although a recent role on the left clearly hasn’t helped, Sanchez has still thrived on the flank when Olivier Giroud starts – it’s been the installation of Danny Welbeck up front that has proven pivotal in his downfall.

Yet with eight matches still remaining in the final six Gameweeks, can we really rule him out altogether?

While the 26% currently retaining his services may opt to keep him ahead of clashes against Middlesbrough and Leicester City and a north London derby against Spurs in Gameweek 35, non-owners may take a different approach in light of today’s double Gameweek announcements.

Given that Arsenal will play twice in both Gameweek 36 and 37 before hosting Everton on the final day of the season, those still holding their second Wildcards could now wait until Gameweek 36 before considering the Sanchez option as they freshen up their squads for the final three rounds of fixtures.

Going on current form, that seems a sensible solution for those yet to invest, affording instead the chance to bring in Palace or United assets for double Gameweek 34.

There’s no question that, on his day, Sanchez – whose average of 6.8 points per match is more than any regular player this term – remains possibly the most explosive asset around.

Five matches in the final three, including clashes with Man United, Southampton, Stoke City and Sunderland, hand the Chilean a platform to cement his place at the FPL summit.

Yet with rumours over his – and Arsene Wenger’s – future gathering pace, Sanchez’s ability to rise above the chatter and shake off his recent malaise may now have a significant impact on how many of our seasons play out.