Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 12 – The Strong

We now enter another period of the season where a quartet of teams face four home fixtures in their next six Gameweeks. Meanwhile, on the flipside, four sides play just twice in front of their own fans over the same spell.

Crystal Palace, Burnley and Liverpool are the major beneficiaries, while Bournemouth assets also come to the fore thanks to an outstanding run over the next five Gameweeks.

Crystal Palace

(EVE STK bha wba BOU WAT)
The Prospects – Goals
The Eagles may be the lowest scoring side with just four goals, but their upcoming slate should provide the platform for a much-needed renaissance.

Four of the next six are at Selhurst Park, with Everton (10) and Stoke City (11), the two sides who have conceded the most goals over the last four Gameweeks, both providing promising match-ups.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, rank fifth for the most penalty area shots conceded in away matches with 57, and Watford have shipped nine goals in their last three road trips.

Away from home, match-ups with Brighton & Hove Albion and West Bromwich Albion will be tests given that Palace have failed to score on their travels. Yet Christian Benteke is back in training and his possible return to action may well force a reassessment of their attacking prospects.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
No side has given up fewer big chances (three) than Palace over the last four Gameweeks after a move to 4-4-2, suggesting that a first clean sheet of the season is imminent.

At home, Everton arrive at Selhurst Park having only scored twice on the road, while only three teams have produced fewer penalty area shots than Stoke (49) in away matches.

Bournemouth have also struggled on their travels, scoring just four goals and creating a paltry three big chances. But Watford have averaged two goals per match away from home and will be difficult to silence.

Both Brighton and West Brom have scored just six goals apiece in home matches, suggesting that they offer a decent opportunity for an Eagles shut-out away from home.

The Turning Point
Palace have an extended kind run, although back-to-back clashes against Arsenal and Manchester City in Gameweeks 20 and 21 do provide some downside further down the track.

The Verdict
Given his goal threat from set-plays, and the fixtures offering hope of defensive returns, Scott Dann could be a great budget option during this spell. Behind him, Julian Speroni has been named on the teamsheet in each of the last four and is now the cheapest starting goalkeeper in FPL.

Further forward, Wilfried Zaha has two goals from his last four starts playing as a central striker in a 4-4-2, and even if he is moved back out wide when Benteke returns, he may still be a tempting mid-price option. There is even an argument that Zaha could stay up front alongside the Belgian if Hodgson retains his 4-4-2 formation.

Elsewhere, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is creating a stir following his performance for England against Germany, and his stock as the key target in the 4.5 midfielder bracket remains buoyant. However, having departed for England tonight on 41 minutes through injury, investors should wait on a prognosis.

Burnley

(SWA ARS bou lei WAT STK)
The Prospects – Goals
The Clarets are another of the teams to benefit from four home matches in the next six Gameweeks, with Arsenal their only top-six opponent.

But given the Gunners’ away record – conceding 12 goals on the road – there is nothing to fear from an attacking perspective for Sean Dyche’s side.

The other home fixtures are also very favourable.

Swansea City have won only one of their last eight, keeping just two clean sheets, while Watford have leaked goals away from home of late.

Stoke have only managed two shut-outs so far this season and present another promising match-up – particularly with goalkeeper Jack Butland set for a period on the sidelines through injury.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth rank first for the most shots conceded over the last four outings with 63, despite shutting out Newcastle in Gameweek 11.

The second away fixture at Leicester City could be problematic; the Foxes have been relatively solid at home and will provide a more stubborn barrier.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
The defence has been key to Burnley’s success this season, and the upcoming schedule affords them a chance to add to their tally of five clean sheets.

Looking at the home fixtures, Swansea rank bottom for shots (25) and shots on target (6) in away matches. However, Arsenal have netted six times in their last two road trips and will obviously provide a major test of the Clarets’ resilience.

Similarly, Watford are a dangerous side on their travels, with Stoke’s visit to Turf Moor appearing to be a more assured match-up in terms of the potential for defensive points.

In terms of the away fixtures, the Bournemouth clash looks the most likely – the Cherries have netted just three times at the Vitality Stadium.

Leicester have scored four goals in two matches under new boss Claude Puel and will provide a stern examination of the Burnley rearguard.

The Turning Point
Gameweek 19 marks the point when Clarets assets may lose their appeal.

They face Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Liverpool between Gameweeks 19 and 22, while further unfavourable fixtures against both Manchester clubs follow soon after.

The Verdict
Burnley defenders have been gold for Fantasy managers, and even the strategy of doubling up on their assets looks viable over this forthcoming spell.

Stephen Ward remains our defender of choice, although the bonus point potential and close-range threat of Ben Mee is now pushing hard.

Nick Pope, meanwhile, is becoming a very tempting option in goal at just 4.5 with proven save and bonus point potential.

Bournemouth

(HUD swa BUR SOT cry mun)
The Prospects – Goals
The outlook could barely be brighter over the next five Gameweeks, with the Cherries expected to build on their 1-0 win at Newcastle before the break.

They play three of their next four at home, with the Gameweek 12 visit from Huddersfield Town looking particularly promising; the Terriers have conceded five goals in their last two away matches.

Burnley and Southampton will present a tougher challenge, though Saints have only recorded one clean sheet in their last six.

Swansea have let in ten goals at home, with the Gameweek 13 trip to south Wales far from daunting. However, Palace have improved defensively of late, while Man United are yet to concede at Old Trafford.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
Bournemouth’s next three opponents all feature among the five clubs who have produced the fewest shots since the start of the season, promoting investment in Howe’s defence.

With just nine goals from their first 11 matches, the Southampton fixture also looks promising, though Palace have scored twice in each of their last two home encounters and are building confidence.

Although Man United have struggled for goals of late, they will be backed to score on home turf.

The Turning Point
This is a fairly small window for Cherries assets to shine, with matches against Man United, Liverpool and Man City between Gameweeks 17 and Gameweek 19 likely to limit our investment.

The Verdict
Charlie Daniels stands out as the go-to defensive option due to his attacking potential – he’s now dropped to a very affordable 4.8 in FPL.

In attack, Josh King could perhaps be one to watch as a differential.

Liverpool

(SOT CHE stk bha EVE WBA)
The Prospects – Goals
The Reds have been back among the goals over the last two Gameweeks, scoring seven times. They now have the platform to maintain that form.

They play four of their next six at Anfield, although Southampton and Chelsea provide tests from an attacking perspective.

Elsewhere, Everton will pay visit in the derby having conceded ten goals in five away matches. Meanwhile, West Brom are without a win since Gameweek 2, and despite their defensive approach, still appear vulnerable.

Looking at the away trips, Stoke have shipped 11 goals in their last five at home to provide a promising match-up. And, although Brighton have been solid at the Amex Stadium, they have faced fairly weak opposition since conceding twice to Man City on the opening weekend.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
Jurgen Klopp’s side have only conceded once at home, so the prospect of four matches at Anfield surely promotes interest in the Reds’ backline.

Saints have been limited to three goals in four away trips so that match-up stands out, but Chelsea are a tougher proposition.

Everton and West Brom have struggled for goals on their travels to set up further favourable clashes.

While the Liverpool defence is a very different animal away from home having conceded a league-high 16 goals, there is perhaps little to fear from trips to Stoke and Brighton.

The Turning Point
This is an extended run of strong fixtures for the Reds, with only two unfavourable match-ups – against Chelsea and Arsenal – between now and Gameweek 22.

The Verdict
It’s difficult to look beyond Mohamed Salah as the key attacking asset, but Roberto Firmino could be back in the mix as a third forward option, while Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho also present viable double-up options.

At the back, the generously priced Alberto Moreno is our favoured option, and given the Anfield form and the kind home fixtures, he is among the leading budget options during this stretch. However, we should be wary of rotation as we near the busy Christmas schedule, with second-string full-backs Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold doubtless poised for pitch-time.

Also consider…

Manchester United
Aside from clashes against Arsenal and Man City in Gameweeks 15 and 16, the schedule looks strong all the way up to the point when Fantasy managers will be able to utilise the second Wildcard.

The upcoming home meetings against Newcastle and Brighton look crucial for Romelu Lukaku to prevent further sales, while other Man United attackers are currently failing to build a convincing case for inclusion.

With more clean sheets (eight) than any other side, and with the upcoming schedule generally very obliging, Phil Jones remains a key option. Injuries and rotation could be a factor, however, which makes David de Gea’s form a viable alternative as cover of Jose Mourinho’s robust defence.

Chelsea
The Blues are another team that, over the medium-to-long term, should be backed to produce steady and maybe even explosive returns.

Indeed, Liverpool and Arsenal provide the only tests against top-six rivals all the way to mid-February.

Back among the goals against Man United, Alvaro Morata has returned as a leading premium forward option, while Eden Hazard’s number 10 role and spot-kick duties means he has the potential to disrupt the midfield template.

Five assists and 10 bonus points have seen Cesar Azpilicueta gain favour over Marcos Alonso as our preferred defensive option.

Everton
The dramatic 3-2 win over Watford could trigger a change in fortune for the Toffees, with six of their next seven fixtures (cry sot WHU HUD new SWA) providing the platform for a revival.

It’s still difficult to pin down the obvious targets, however, with the lack of form, consistency and the fact that a managerial appointment is still pending, all clouding the issue.

The favourable run also only lasts until Gameweek 18, with the schedule becoming a mixed bag from that point.

Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs do face trips to Arsenal and Man City in the next seven, but the home schedule remains very strong heading into the New Year, while there are also an array of promising away fixtures.

Harry Kane continues to sit on top of our Watchlist rankings, while the fixture list should allow Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen to gain ground and become key factors once again.

Jan Vertonghen is now our favoured defensive option, given the concerns over rotation in both full-back positions.