Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 12 – The Strong

The latest international break gives us a chance to take stock and assess the upcoming schedules over the next four-to-six Gameweeks. First up, we take a look at the teams with favourable fixtures, with three of the top four afforded a chance to cement their positions, while investment in a trio of midlands-based sides has the potential to help Fantasy managers hitch a ride up the ranks:

Liverpool

Fresh from a widely-expected thrashing of Fulham, Brendan Rodgers’ men have some tasty looking fixtures ahead to chew on. The Goodison leg of the Merseyside Derby is far from straightforward but the subsequent schedule contains four fixtures (hul, NOR, WHM, CAR) that look ripe for Fantasy points.

Returning from suspension to deliver four double-figure hauls in six weeks, Luis Suárez is a Fantasy behemoth right now and it’s hard to see how any managers can afford to be without him. The Uruguayan’s form is overshadowing Daniel Sturridge, an incredible feat considering the latter has scored in eight of 11 matches, whilst in midfield, Steven Gerrard has now provided two goals and four assists in six games and the undoubted talents of Philippe Coutinho are available for just 8.5 – both look ready-made differentials. A return to a flat back four and the reinstatement of Daniel Agger delivered a first clean sheet in eight attempts but with uncertainty still surrounding the centre-back berths, only Glen Johnson and Simon Mignolet look like safe options at the moment.

Arsenal

With defeat at Old Trafford by the hand of their Dutch alumnus still bitter in the mouth, the Gunners chances of remaining at the summit are helped by a relatively kind short-term schedule. A trip to Cardiff nestled betwixt three home games in the next four (Southampton, Hull and Everton) should be profitable for Arsenal’s popular assets.

Olivier Giroud, so prolific in the early part of the season, has now scored just once in the last seven Gameweeks to give his owners a conundrum in light of these fixtures. Mesut Özil may have been fairly quiet recently but his most prolific displays have come in home games to make a strong case for holding, while Aaron Ramsey’s extraordinary form continues; the Welshman has scored in each of the last three Emirates matches. Fantasy managers hoping to make up ground with a pedigree differential are hoping Theo Walcott returns from injury for the Saints clash. Back-to-back clean sheets prior to the United showdown hinted at an upturn in defensive solidity that could tempt investors in the likes of Wojciech Szczesny and Per Mertesacker.

Stoke

Not normally a team to be associated with six-goal thrillers, Stoke’s recent showdown with Swansea highlighted their attacking potential as Mark Hughes tries to lift them clear of the relegation zone. Beaten just once in the last four, the upcoming fixtures are on the Potters’ side too, with home games against Sunderland, Cardiff and Aston Villa in the next six as well as a trip to Hull – it’s not all plain sailing though, with games against Everton and Chelsea also in that period.

Finding Fantasy assets to capitalise on these fixtures is not an easy task. In midfield, both Jon Walters and Stephen Ireland opened their accounts for the season at the Liberty – the former’s game time is guaranteed, though Ireland has now started the last six in “the hole” and is the cheaper of the two, at 4.7 to 6.1. Austrian firecracker Marko Arnautovic continues to underperform despite showing clear signs of potential, while Peter Crouch has picked up 16 points in three appearances since returning to the XI – at 5.5, he may appeal for those on the lookout for a cheap third forward.

In defence, just three clean sheets so far means that most of Stoke’s backline have offered little of the value from last year but, at 5.0, marauding fullback Erik Pieters has provided two assists in the last three games to bolster his appeal.

West Brom

Denied three points at Stamford Bridge by a controversial penalty, the Baggies are fast developing a reputation as giant-killers. Having pitted their wits against many of the title contenders in the last few fixtures, they now prepare for a schedule that includes four home games (Aston Villa, Norwich, and Hull are amongst the visitors) and a trip to Cardiff in the next six, with Fantasy managers hopeful of returns at both ends of the pitch.

Former Wearside favourite Stephane Sessegnon has started to fulfill the promise his stats were showing, with a goal and assist in the two games since being highlighted in our Monitor article a fortnight ago, while Morgan Amalfitano will be looking to improve upon a record of one assist in the last five. At the back, both Gareth McAuley and Liam Ridgewell offer the attacking potential to supplement an increasing resilience.

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Chelsea
Mired in a nasty patch of insipid form, the Blues are poised for a run of games which could see them back in title contention. Visits to West Ham, Sunderland and Stoke combine with home games against Southampton and Crystal Palace to offer fertile ground for a rebirth.

An assist and contentious penalty against West Brom brings Eden Hazard ahead of Oscar in our Fantasy affections, while Fernando Torres’ imminent return should scupper any Samuel Eto’o bandwagon, despite the latter scoring three times in his last two in all competitions. Without a clean sheet since Gameweek 5, Chelsea’s premium defenders are struggling to offer value for money; John Terry remains the greatest goal threat and although Cesar Azpilicueta has emerge from the cold with a relatively budget price tag, it’s doubtful he can keep ahead of Ashley Cole in the long run.

Newcastle
Having capitulated at Sunderland, Alan Pardew’s side regrouped to deliver back-to-back wins and clean sheets over Chelsea and Tottenham to grab our Fantasy attentions. The Magpies now have some breathing space to build on that form with two home games against travel-sick Norwich and West Brom, in addition to trips to Swansea and Crystal Palace in the next six. With Romelu Lukaku suddenly running out of steam at Everton, a straight swap for the hugely in-form Löic Remy is a popular move this week, despite uncertainty over the impact of his battle with the justice system, while Yohan Cabaye offers a mid-price midfield option with attacking returns in four of the last seven.

With some new-found resilience at the back, Newcastle’s defenders start to look appealing again, though Mathieu Debuchy’s one-match suspension clouds the matter –Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa is likely to shift to right-back and allow Fabricio Coloccini a return to the centre in Gameweek 12 but with Debuchy back the following week and Steven Taylor closing in on a return, uncertainty surrounds the game time of Pardew’s centre-halves. Tim Krul’s masterful display at White Hart Lane reminded us of his save point potential between the sticks, for those on the lookout for a new keeper.

Aston Villa
Paul Lambert’s side are slowly getting back into their stride and displaying an unexpected solidity at the back. The upcoming schedule offers reason for optimism; with their better performances tending to come away from home, three road trips in the next four could be profitable for their counter-attacking style though the opponents – West Brom, Southampton and Fulham – aren’t complete rollovers. A home game against Sunderland also looks good for investment. Yet to get back on the scoresheet after injury, Christian Benteke, at 8.9, is still the star act of the Villains’ show, though their budget defenders are worth considering. At 4.4, Ron Vlaar is the most secure option and has earned bonus every time Villa have delivered a clean sheet but it’s worth noting that Nathan Baker (3.9) has started the last four games.