Scout Scribbles – Sanchez at the Double

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil fire Arsenal to a 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb. Chelsea’s momentum continues in Tel Aviv. Liverpool are hopeful on Philippe Coutinho’s hamstring injury, whilst Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial are back in the mix for United tonight.

Sanchez and Ozil Dazzle against Zagreb

Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 home win over Dinamo Zagreb courtesy of an Alexis Sanchez brace and Mesut Ozil header. Sanchez, Nacho Monreal and Joel Campbell all claimed assists in the process. Aaron Ramsey entered the fray at the 67-minute mark, setting him up for a potential return to Premier League action next Gameweek.

Speaking to the club’s official site after the showdown, Arsene Wenger explained that he substituted Olivier Giroud and Hector Bellerin as a precautionary measure in the second half:

“Giroud had a little problem with his ankle over the weekend but I decided to give [him] a breather. Hector Bellerin, I took him off because he had a groin problem just before so I had to take them off meaning I could not take Alexis off. We now have five days to recover.”

Pressed on why he chose to keep Sanchez on for the duration of the match, Wenger said that he moved the Chilean into a central berth to relinquish him of his defensive duties:

“I would have loved to do it tonight (rest Alexis) but I [had] two different options. Once it is 3-0 you are not in a position where you need him to work back and when you put him central up front you can spare a bit of energy. It is not like you have to go up and down. I tried to compromise a little bit and give a break to Giroud and not take a risk with Bellerin.”

The Scout Says: Sanchez’s double and assist serves as a timely reminder of his capacity for explosive returns. The 11.5-priced midfielder has posted four consecutive blanks in the league, prompting a sizeable portion of his 38% ownership to contemplate a straight swap with the red-hot Ozil (nine assists in seven outings) ahead of a trio of favourable match-ups (nor, SUN, avl). Last night’s output also strengthened the case for doubling up on the pair, though, whilst the return of Ramsey – who netted in his last league start before succumbing to injury – will provide an extra layer of nuance to the subject of Arsenal midfield coverage. Despite missing the north Londoners’ previous four league clashes, the Welshman still boasts 11 more attempts and nine more shots on target than Ozil, rendering him one to watch over the Christmas period.

Chelsea Building Momentum

Aided by the hosts’ red card in the 39^th minute, Chelsea carded a resounding 4-0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv. Gary Cahill opened the scoring, before Willian doubled the Blues’ advantage with his sixth free-kick goal of the campaign. Oscar and Kurt Zouma added gloss to the scoreline in the final quarter of the match, while the former also joined Baba Rahman in the assist column.

John Terry suffered an ankle injury and had to be replaced by Zouma at the 72-minute mark. Jose Mourinho bemoaned the quality of the pitch in his post-match interview while admitting that Terry is unlikely to feature against Spurs:

“The surface was bad and dangerous. John has an ankle problem that we don’t know yet the dimension of. For John to leave the pitch with the result 1-0 I know already that he is in trouble. My medical department is really good. John is a special guy, with a special desire to recover. But I think to leave the pitch with the result 1-0, I don’t believe too much that he can play (against Spurs).”

Terry wasn’t the only player to fall foul of the supposed substandard playing conditions, as Mourinho revealed that Ramires sustained a muscular injury during Monday’s training session:

“Yesterday we tried to protect (the pitch), we trained just a little bit. But by my surprise Maccabi were training after us, plus the warm-up before the game. The pitch was really bad. Ramires slid and had a muscular injury.”

The Scout Says: Beyond their challenging road derby against Spurs this weekend, Chelsea embark on an alluring quartet of matches (BOU, lei, SUN, WAT). Given that the Blues now have successive wins and clean sheets under their belt, some managers might be enticed by their differential potential over that stretch as the champions’ confidence finally returns after a dire start to the season. Both Diego Costa and Eden Hazard have failed to vindicate their lofty valuations, though Willian, at 6.9, certainly looks a viable candidate for those keen to invest ahead of that fine upcoming stretch. As the cheapest route into the Blues’ backline, the 5.4-priced Zouma – who has started 10 of the last 11 league outings – could enjoy an upsurge of investment in the coming weeks, particularly if Terry is sidelined for any period of time.

Martinez Continues to Be Cautious with Baines

Roberto Martinez has stressed the importance of easing Leighton Baines back into contention. Although the English left-back has recovered from ankle surgery and was afforded a 45-minute run-out for Everton U21s on Sunday, Martinez is wary of welcoming Baines back into the matchday squad until his fitness improves:

“We need Leighton fully fit because when he’s fit and enjoying his football he’s probably one of the best left-backs in world football. We want a big squad and we want that competition for places. Leighton, from a medical point of view, is clear and it’s now about us making sure that we build the match fitness. That’s going to take a bit of time and we need to give him that time to get the best of Leighton for the rest of the season. The challenge now is to get Leighton back fully fit and we’ll take it from there.”

The Scout Says: Priced at 6.1, Baines would rank as the third most expensive viable defender if he could recapture his attacking flair. Last term he placed second among his counterparts for shots on target (nine) and top for key passes (70) – tallying two goals and nine assists along the way – so there’s definite scope for the Merseyside native to factor into our thinking. Ideally, Baines will be afforded a bench role this weekend at Bournemouth, before being reinstated into the starting line-up for a home tie against Crystal Palace. Beyond the Eagles clash, Everton’s subsequent quartet of match-ups (nor, LEI, new, STO) harbour strong clean-sheet potential, bolstering Baines’ case for investment.

Traore Nets Brace for Villa Reserves

Adama Traore netted twice for Aston Villa’s reserves as they ran out 5-2 victors over Fleetwood Town yesterday afternoon.

The Scout Says: Traore made the switch from Barcelona to Villa in a £7 million summer deal but has struggled to exert his influence in the Premier League, carding just four cameo appearances. Although new manager Remi Garde is yet to call up the Spanish winger, he’s well placed to muscle his way into the matchday squad while rotation is rife – perhaps all the more so given that Garde has banished Jack Grealish to train with the development squad after the youngster was pictured partying on the back of the weekend loss at Everton. Regardless, the West Midlanders are devoid of Fantasy appeal at present, having drawn four blanks and conceded 12 goals in their previous six outings. Nonetheless, their schedule from Gameweek 17 through to 25 serves up a procession of agreeable fixtures, ensuring that we’ll keep an eye on any emerging differentials once Garde settles on his likely regulars.

United Attackers Back for PSV Clash

Louis van Gaal confirmed that Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini are back to full health ahead of Manchester United’s Champions League encounter against PSV Eindhoven, but Phil Jones and Ander Herrera remain sidelined through injury. That being said, the Dutch boss insisted that the former trio will have to prove their fitness in training to be considered for a starting role this evening:

“No. That is not automatic. It is decision of the manager. I compare these players with each other and take into account how fit they are and how fit they showed they are in the training session. Fitness is the most important thing and he has to show his fitness and then he has all the privileges that he has. Fellaini and Rooney and Martial have to show on the training ground – their fitness – and then I have to compare players to see who the best for our game plan. Every match is the same procedure.”

The Scout Says: In spite of the Red Devils’ excellent run of fixtures through to Boxing Day (lei, WHU, bou, NOR, sto), it’s hard to make a cogent case for their forwards: Rooney looks a shadow of his former self and has recently been shifted back into the number-ten berth, while Martial averages a shot every 63 minutes and hasn’t scored since Gameweek 6. Ultimately, Man United would need to make vast improvements in the final third (they rank second bottom for attempts in the last six Gameweeks) to compete with the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane in our three-man strike forces.

Reds Optimistic on Coutinho

Philippe Coutinho could yet be fit in time for Liverpool’s home clash against Swansea this weekend after scans revealed the hamstring complaint that forced him off against City last Saturday is a minor one:

The Scout Says: Coutinho has been one of the prime beneficiaries of Jurgen Klopp’s nascent reign on Merseyside, bagging four goals, one assist and nine bonus points in his last three starts. Since Klopp’s first match in charge in Gameweek 9, the twinkle-toed Brazilian charts top among midfielders for attempts (17) and second for shots on target (seven). He’s certainly profited from the Reds’ increased production on the distribution front; over the last four Gameweeks, no side fashioned more key passes (55). Riding high in the wake of a 4-1 win at Manchester City, Coutinho will be relishing the opportunity to take on a Swans rearguard that’s recorded just one clean sheet in its last 11 outings. Looking past that match-up, Liverpool round off the year with a quintet of favourable fixtures (new, WBA, wat, LEI, sun), which bodes well for Coutinho’s attacking prospects, though team-mate Roberto Firmino (8.0) looks the likely target to turn to if his compatriot fails to make it in time for the weekend.

Defoe Expected to Be Fit for Weekend

Reports indicate that Jermain Defoe has avoided damage to his ankle after being forced off late during Sunderland’s win over Palace on Monday evening. The striker – who grabbed the only goal of the Selhurst Park encounter – is expected to be available for the weekend visit of Stoke.

The Scout Says: Sam Allardyce’s decision to switch back to 3-5-2 against the Eagles clearly benefitted Defoe. His winner means he has now scored in each of his last two starts for the Wearsiders – both times in a two-man frontline. Whilst his 5.2 price tag is favourable, the same cannot be said for Sunderland’s fixtures – with Arsenal, Chelsea, City and Liverpool in the next six, few will be prepared to invest in Big Sam’s side, despite the fact they now have two wins and as many clean sheets in the last four.