Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 13 – The Strong

With the first set of midweek fixtures just around the corner, this is a good time to take stock of which clubs face the most favourable fixtures over the next six Gameweeks.

The 20 teams have an even split of three home and three away matches, and intriguingly, all of the top five have strong schedules up to second Wildcard and, in some cases, beyond.

The home fixtures for the major title contenders – Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – are particularly favourable, with these four sides standing out as obvious sources of Fantasy talent, albeit expensive ones.

Chelsea

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The Prospects – Goals
The champions have scored ten goals over the last four Gameweeks, and now have the platform to maintain their increased goal output.

The toughest fixture of the next six comes on Sunday, given that Liverpool have only conceded one goal at Anfield in the league this season.

Back-to-back favourable home ties against Swansea City and Newcastle United follow in Gameweeks 14 and 15, though.

The Swans are among the four teams conceding the most shots on target (20) and big chances (10) over the last four Gameweeks, while Newcastle shipped four goals against Manchester United and may struggle to contain the rampant Blues’ attack.

Trips to West Ham United and Huddersfield Town in Gameweeks 16 and 17 also appear very promising.

No team has given up more penalty-area shots (44) than the Hammers over the last four Gameweeks, while Huddersfield have shipped eight goals over the same period.

The six-match run concludes with a favourable home meeting with Southampton – Saints allowed more shots (21) than any other side in Gameweek 12, when they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
The return of N’Golo Kante has yielded two successive clean sheets, and the upcoming fixtures look strong for the potential of Chelsea defenders.

Sunday’s opponents Liverpool will provide a stiff challenge, though, having scored 10 goals in their last three league outings.

But the home match-ups with Swansea and Newcastle in Gameweeks 14 and 15 both offer profit – the Welsh outfit have managed the second fewest number of close-range efforts (22) in away matches, while Newcastle have only scored four goals in six road trips.

Further favourable fixtures follow away to West Ham and Huddersfield in Gameweeks 16 and 17, teams that have managed just six and five home goals respectively.

The Stamford Bridge match-up with Southampton completes the kind run, with Mauricio Pellegrino’s side boasting just three goals from their five away trips, with just ten shots on target.

The Turning Point
The Blues have a serene run for quite some time, with only clashes against Liverpool and Arsenal standing out as tough tests over the next 15 Gameweeks.

Their next nine home fixtures are also very strong, with the schedule favourable all the way up until Gameweek 28.

Verdict
The extended kind run could well merit a full quota of Chelsea assets.

Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata stand out as key premium options over the coming weeks and months, while one of either Cesar Azpilicueta or Marcos Alonso look worthwhile purchases at the back. The latter is currently our preferred option and top of the defenders Watchlist rankings.

Tottenham Hotspur

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The Prospects – Goals
Saturday’s home encounter with West Bromwich Albion starts a run of kind home matches. The Baggies rank third for the most shots on target conceded over the last four Gameweeks, with 21, and have allowed nine goals over that spell.

Trips to Leicester City and Watford in Gameweeks 14 and 15 also seem promising – Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all scored at least twice in victories at the King Power Stadium, while only Everton (12) have conceded more home goals than Watford (11).

The favourable run continues with Stoke City and Brighton & Hove Albion visiting Wembley.

The Potters are third for big chances conceded (17) in away matches, while Brighton have struggled to keep out the top sides.

A visit to Man City in Gameweek 18 is the only tough fixture during this spell, although Arsenal were able to score at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
Mauricio Pochettino’s men have recorded shut-outs in three of their last four matches at Wembley, and have the home fixtures to produce further defensive returns.

Saturday’s visitors West Brom have failed to score in three of their last four on the road.

Stoke and Brighton then travel to Wembley in Gameweeks 16 and 17, and provide reasonable match-ups – the Potters have managed to score in each of their last six, but Brighton have less of a cutting edge, particularly on their travels.

The back-to-back trips to Leicester and Watford in Gameweeks 14 and 15 look trickier, however, based on the fact the Foxes have scored exactly two goals in three of their last four, while the Hornets remain a dangerous attacking side under Marco Silva.

The Gameweek 18 trip to leaders Man City is certainly not expected to yield a clean sheet, though could be a tight encounter.

The Turning Point
The schedule remains extremely favourable all the way up to Gameweek 25, with the home fixtures in particular very promising for Spurs assets.

Verdict
A lack of goals at Wembley does remain a slight concern, though Harry Kane’s underlying statistics, coupled with his fixtures, ensure that he remains at the top of our Watchlist. Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli will need to up their output in midfield, though, considering the host of options available to Fantasy managers in the centre of the park.

At the back, the ever-present Jan Vertonghen looks the go-to option due to the persistent rotation issues at full-back.

Manchester City

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The Prospects – Goals
Pep Guardiola’s side have scored an incredible 40 goals so far, and the next six fixtures should allow them to continue in a similar vein.

Sunday’s trip to Huddersfield is certainly a plum match-up, given that Spurs and Liverpool managed to put four and three goals respectively past the Terriers defence.

The Gameweek 14 and 15 home clashes against Southampton and West Ham also promise big returns.

Saints have let in six goals over their last three road trips, while only Liverpool (16) have conceded more goals in away matches than West Ham (15).

The Manchester derby in Gameweek 16 will present the biggest challenge to the City juggernaut – the Red Devils have only conceded one goal at Old Trafford this season.

But that is followed by a favourable trip to lowly Swansea, who have given up more big chances in home matches (15) than any other team, before the home meeting with Spurs in Gameweek 18 provides a second tricky match-up.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
Huddersfield have only created two big chances over the last four Gameweeks, and should present a very strong opportunity for a shut-out this weekend.

The two home fixtures that follow in Gameweeks 14 and 15 appear equally promising, given that Southampton have netted just twice in their last four, while only four clubs have managed fewer shots than West Ham (38) over the same period.

The tail end of this six-match run isn’t quite as favourable, though, with the Gameweek 16 trip to Old Trafford likely to provide a stern examination of the Man City rearguard.

The visit to Swansea that follows three days later will provide some respite – the Welsh club have scored just seven times this season – but the Gameweek 18 meeting with Spurs seems unlikely to produce defensive returns.

The Turning Point
The Man United and Spurs fixtures are the only tough matches over the next 10 Gameweeks, while the outlook remains strong until back-to-back clashes against Arsenal and Chelsea in Gameweeks 28 and 29.

Verdict
Following the hamstring injury suffered by John Stones, and the concerns over Vincent Kompany’s ability to play through this hectic period, Nicolas Otamendi is now clearly the stand out defensive choice.

With Guardiola continuing to rotate Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus in the central striker role, the midfield double-up with two from Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and David Silva currently remains the optimum solution to cover the potent Man City attack.

Crystal Palace

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The Prospects – Goals
The Eagles are the only team who have a full slate of “favourable” fixtures over the next six Gameweeks.

Saturday’s home clash against Stoke looks hopeful, as the Potters have conceded two goals per game over the course of the season.

The away trips to Brighton and West Brom that follow in Gameweeks 14 and 15 are reasonable, with the Baggies match-up the more promising: they have conceded nine in their last three at The Hawthorns.

Back-to-back home encounters with Bournemouth and Watford follow, with the Cherries fixture looking the trickier of the two. Eddie Howe’s men have now recorded successive shut-outs and are an improving side.

After winning their first three away matches, Watford have conceded nine goals in their last three road trips.

The six-match run concludes with a trip to Leicester, who have only produced three clean sheets all season.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
Palace are yet to register a clean sheet, but should have plenty of opportunities to do so over this run.

The Stoke fixture this weekend may not be particularly straightforward, though, given the Potters’ improved attacking performances.

Away trips to Brighton and West Brom in Gameweeks 14 and 15 look reasonable – they are the two clubs who has managed the fewest number of shots over the last four Gameweeks.

Bournemouth and Watford then visit Selhurst Park, but Howe’s men are on a strong run of form, with four wins in five over all competitions, while the Hornets have been prolific on the road, scoring 12 goals.

The six-match run is ended at the King Power Stadium. Only two teams have managed fewer shots in home matches than Leicester (55), offering some hope of defensive returns.

The Turning Point
The kind run for Palace comes to a conclusion in Gameweek 20, when they face consecutive home matches against Arsenal and Man City.

Verdict
Available at just 4.0 in Fantasy Premier League, Julian Speroni appeals as a budget enabler in goal.

Similarly, the set-piece threat of Scott Dann means he can emerge as a viable option due to his 4.7 price tag, while the in-form Wilfried Zaha can shine in the mid-price bracket.

After returning from injury last weekend, Christian Benteke is worth monitoring as a differential up front.

Also consider…

Manchester United
The Red Devils have a great set of fixtures all the way to the second Wildcard, notwithstanding the clashes with Arsenal and Man City in Gameweeks 15 and 16.

The home fixtures are particularly strong, and can yield both goals and clean sheets.

The injury to Phil Jones makes David de Gea the safe option from the Man United backline, while Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku will be expected to produce consistent attacking returns over the next month and beyond.

Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp’s side are another who face only two unfavourable fixtures (CHE ars) before the second Wildcard becomes available.

The Reds defence has been strong at home but dire on the road, although their away trips (stk bha bou) in the next six offer room for optimism.

Rotation is a concern for budget buys Joe Gomez and Alberto Moreno through this congested period, however.

Further forward, Mohamed Salah looks essential, while the fixtures mean that the midfield double-up with either Philippe Coutinho or Sadio Mane is a viable option.

Two goals and an assist in Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League provided a timely reminder that Roberto Firmino can re-emerge as a third forward option.

Everton
Five of the Toffees’ next six are favourable, with the Merseyside derby in Gameweek 16 the only negative.

Their next three home fixtures (WHU HUD SWA) in particular catch the eye, and are perhaps the most favourable among all 20 clubs.

The two-match ban for Oumar Niasse means that investment in the forward may be on hold until Gameweek 15, with the Senegal international an obvious option for those looking to turn to a 3-5-2 formation as we head towards the festive period.

Right-back Jonjoe Kenny – at just 4.3 – has started the last four matches, and could be a consideration for those kind home fixtures should David Unsworth be confirmed as manager.

Bournemouth
The Cherries remain in our thoughts by virtue of their short-term schedule (swa BUR SOT cry), before the fixtures turn spiteful from mid-December onwards, when they face Man United, Liverpool and Man City.

Now is the time to bring in the likes of Charlie Daniels and Callum Wilson, then, otherwise it may be best to ignore Bournemouth assets, given the tests looming next month.