A double from Alexis Sanchez confirms his steady return to the form of last season as a spirited Crystal Palace go down 3-2 at home to Arsenal.
Sanchez’s season-high 15 points won the match for the Gunners, but he continues to exert little influence on Fantasy line-ups.
Uncertainty over his future has meant he has remained an over-priced differential all season.
But the 2.6% of managers who been happy to have 11.8 of their budget tied up in the mercurial Chilean have at least been treated to returns rather more in keeping with his premium price in recent weeks.
Sanchez has now scored six goals since Gameweek 12.
Only Harry Kane (10) and Mohamed Salah (eight) have more, with the same pair bettering his 33 shots and only Kane having more attempts (21 to 15) on target.
Sanchez is also third for key passes (26) over that period and now has three goals from Arsenal’s last two matches.
Just 17,000+ FPL managers captained in him in the win at Selhurst Park last night as their man’s brace and maximum bonus produced a third double-digit haul of the campaign.
But how many of those brave souls, and indeed his overall ownership, manage “ghostship” or inactive teams is unclear.
What is more certain is that Sanchez is homing in on the form that produced a game-high 264 points last season.
Cynics might suggest that this has coincided with the January transfer window, but should he stay an Arsenal player in the short term, Sanchez has the explosive potential to score heavily from an immediate schedule that offers up five very attractive fixtures (wba bou CRY swa EVE) over the next six Gameweeks.
Better news for popular picks
Alexandre Lacazette’s ownership has remained around the half a million mark for the past seven Gameweeks, but his lack of goals for the last five of those has tried the patience of his backers.
Currently sat in 9.4% of FPL squads, his brace of assists last night would have gone some way to rectifying that as it was only the second time all season he’s played a part in more than one goal in a Gameweek.
The other time he managed that feat was against West Brom in Gameweek 6 and his next opponents are the Baggies.
Arsene Wenger reverted to a wing-back system at Selhurst Park, having fielded a flat back four in the three previous fixtures.
That was a relief to the 11.3% of managers have who have made Sead Kolasinac Arsenal’s most owned player, although more than 100,000 sold him on heading into the Palace clash.
The Bosnian returned to the starting line-up for the first time since Gameweek 16 as Wenger’s use of Ainsley Maitland-Niles at left-back came to an end.
Kolasinac produced just a single point as the Gunners conceded twice, but that run of good fixtures to come might persuade some owners to consider holding if he retains his starting berth.
Arsenal’s defensive consistency remains patchy, however.
They have conceded five goals in their last two matches having kept back-to-back clean sheets in the previous pair of fixtures.
But the return to the starting line-up of Shkodran Mustafi hints at better times to come.
The German scored his second goal of the season and was also awarded a bonus point to bring in eight points last night.
And there’s little doubt that the Gunners are a better unit with him in the side.
In his last eight 90-minute appearances for Arsenal, he’s kept seven clean sheets and scored twice.
Injuries and Arsenal’s inconsistency mean that Mustafi is found in just 2.4% of FPL teams.
Yet his average of 5.6 points per match (ppm) is currently better than the likes of big-hitting defenders Marcos Alonso (5.5) and Nicolas Otamendi (5.4).
If he can stay fit and keep his place, the German could be one to watch for that fine set of fixtures through to the start of February.
Zaha soldiers on
Wilfried Zaha’s assist for Andros Townsend’s equaliser kept things ticking over for the Ivorian’s 5.8% ownership.
It was his fourth return from the last five Gameweeks, with a goal and three assists taking him to 58 points for the season.
Zaha was heavily involved throughout the match. Top for key passes (five) and shots in the box (three), he was also level with Sanchez on a match-high four shots.
Since moving up front, he has scored or assisted in six of seven home matches, although that record is about to severely tested.
Palace have scored twice in all of those fixtures, but now face a brutal run at Selhurst Park – five of their next six home opponents involve Man City, Burnley, Spurs, Man United and Liverpool.
They also travel to Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea over that spell.
Townsend’s goal and assist last night brought him a season’s best 12 points – he was also handed two bonus points – and he now has 64 points for the season.
The winger set up James Tomkins for the defender’s first goal of the campaign.
But that punishing schedule is unlikely to prompt investment in Palace assets across the positions
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