Spot the Differential – Gameweek 23

We call upon the services of three overlooked Fantasy options this Saturday morning as the minutes tick down to the Gameweek 23 deadline. Newcastle’s lone frontman earns the nod away to Watford, whilst we turn to Sunderland and Everton’s midfield ahead of plum home clashes with Bournemouth and Swansea respectively.

Aleksandar Mitrovic

Despite carding just one win over the last four Gameweeks, Newcastle have upped their level of performance game by game, culminating in a 2-1 victory over West Ham United in the previous round of fixtures. Excluding Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic (6.2) has arguably been the biggest catalyst for the Magpies’ improvement in the final third.

The Serbian frontman lays claim to a solitary goal in six outings, yet his underlying statistics highlight his latent potential. Since Gameweek 19, only Harry Kane has chalked up more attempts (18) than Mitrovic (17), while the Toon recruit ranks top – ahead of Sergio Aguero (14) – for shots inside the box (15) and joint-top for shots on target (eight). Added to that, only three forwards recorded more key passes (eight) during that timeframe, illustrating his creative qualities.

Considering that the Tyneside outfit ranked second for shots inside the box (41) and top for shots on target (24) over the last four Gameweeks, they’re well placed to punish a Watford team that’s reeling in the wake of four straight defeats. Beyond the Hornets clash, Newcastle travel to face an Everton unit that’s conceded more home goals (20) than any team in the league.

Adam Johnson

Having failed to make any noise on the Fantasy scene since the 2013/14 season, Adam Johnson (5.8) has thrust himself back into relevancy with four assists in three outings, putting him well on course to surpass a career-best haul of assists (nine). Although Sunderland continue to ship goals at an alarming rate, they rank joint-top for goals (eight) since Gameweek 20, paving the way for cut-price differentials like Johnson to emerge.

Over the last four Gameweeks, only seven midfielders tallied more key passes than Johnson (nine) and only three recorded more through balls (three), underlining his pivotal role in the Black Cats’ build-up play. Certainly, if Jermain Defoe can maintain his purple patch (five goals in three), there’s every chance Johnson will be the man delivering the crucial final ball.

Next up for the Wearsiders is a home clash against Bournemouth, who rank joint-fourth for goals conceded in road fixtures (21). Moreover, only Norwich City have surrendered more big chances (35) on their travels than the Cherries (32), which suggests that Sam Allardyce’s troops will be afforded their fair share of scoring opportunities at the Stadium of Light.

Kevin Mirallas

In light of Gerard Deulofeu’s rise to prominence and Roberto Martinez’s propensity for rotation in wide areas, Kevin Mirallas (6.8) struggled for pitch time in the first half of the season, managing just two starts.

However, the illusive winger looked close to his best against Chelsea last Gameweek, expertly lashing home his second goal in three outings and employing his lively dribbling skills to outfox a dazzled Blues’ rearguard. Indeed, during yesterday morning’s press conference, Roberto Martinez lavished praise on the Belgian’s recent showings, raising hopes that he can nail down that left wing berth from here on in.

Illuminating the Belgian’s rich potential for attacking returns, Philippe Coutinho was the only midfielder that racked up more attempts (12) than Mirallas (nine) across their last two outings. Furthermore, the former Lille recruit ranks fourth for shots inside the box (five) and joint-top for shots on target (five) from that perspective. Taking the campaign as a whole, Mirallas possesses the third-best shot frequency (one every 22.1 minutes) among midfielders who’ve recorded 20 or more attempts.

For all the Toffees’ defensive travails, they netted seven goals in their last quartet of match-ups and rank second for home goals (23) ahead of a home encounter against Swansea City, who’ve posted just one clean sheet on their travels. Everton then welcome a Newcastle side that’s allowed the joint-fourth-most goals in away fixtures (21), so the stage could well be set for Mirallas to grace the scoresheet and help fire the Toffees up the table.