Spot The Differential – Gameweek 4

Midfield is where our three differential choices are at this week.

Two players returning from injury-disrupted starts to the season have piqued our interest, while a Southampton midfielder making noise in all of the key attacking metrics may also be worth taking a chance on.

Eden Hazard

The Chelsea midfielder returned to action for Belgium over the international break following an ankle injury so we’re taking this rare opportunity to include Hazard among this week’s differentials.

The 1.6%-owned attacker played 91 minutes across two matches for the national team and produced a goal and an assist in the 9-0 win over Gibraltar.

This afternoon’s trip to Leicester City looks promising for the champions.

Craig Shakespeare’s side feature among the four sides conceding the most shots inside the box (28) and big chances (seven) so far this season.

They have struggled to contain both the Arsenal and Manchester United attacks, conceding six goals in total, although those matches did come on the road.

Antonio Conte’s side also appear to be growing in confidence following impressive victories against Spurs and Everton.

Hazard, who sets us back 10.5 in Fantasy Premier League this season, enjoyed a strong campaign in 2016/17, registering 16 goals and nine assists.

Conte didn’t provide any clues in his press conference as to how many minutes Hazard will be handed at the King Power Stadium, but the Belgium international looks ready to make an impact and is also expected to retain penalty duties.

Willian did play 174 minutes for Brazil over the international break, and given the long flight back to England, may be considered for a rest, although he has been one of Chelsea’s stand-out performers this season.

For those Fantasy managers who want to get in early on Hazard, this is the time to invest.

Nathan Redmond

He may have only returned a single assist so far this season, but the underlying statistics for Nathan Redmond suggest a big points haul could be just around the corner.

The midfielder impressively leads all Southampton players for both total shots (11) and key passes (nine).

The unbeaten Saints host Watford this afternoon.

The Hornets have kept two successive clean sheets, but may have a weakness down their right flank that Redmond can exploit.

They rank second for the most crosses conceded down that side of the pitch with 40, suggesting the pace and trickiness of Redmond could bear fruit at St Mary’s.

Priced at 6.5 in FPL, Redmond has the potential to be one of the leading options in that price bracket.

He returned 126 points last season, thanks to seven goals and one assist, and with Saints creating more this season – they rank joint-fourth for big chances created with six – the prospects look bright.

The fixture list for Mauricio Pellegrino’s side remains very kind all the way up to Gameweek 12, so the England U21 international appears a good option for the longer term, too.

So while he has yet to deliver on those eye-catching underlying statistics, the 6.6%-owned midfielder certainly has the capacity to break out over the coming weeks.

Anthony Knockaert

While Brighton & Hove Albion are still waiting to score their first Premier League goal, the performance of Anthony Knockaert in Gameweek 3 should offer plenty of hope.

Last season’s Championship Player of the Year produced more shots (four) and close-range efforts (three) than any other player on the pitch in the goalless draw against Watford.

He also registered three key passes and, after an injury disrupted pre-season, looks ready to kick on over the next few weeks.

The Seagulls host West Bromwich Albion this afternoon before taking on Bournemouth and Newcastle United in further favourable match-ups.

While the Baggies have only conceded one goal so far, they have looked vulnerable down their left flank.

They have allowed more crosses (54) than any other team down that side of the pitch, something which the skilful Knockaert can take advantage of.

The Brighton midfielder served up 15 goals and eight assists last season, and is now valued at just 5.9 in FPL.

Owned by a mere 1.3% of managers, this kind run of fixtures for Chris Hughton’s men may provide the window to take a chance on their star midfielder.