The Digest – Gameweek 10

Our last glance back at Gameweek 10 discusses Arsenal’s free-scoring midfielder, as Fantasy managers scramble to bring Alexis Sanchez on board, whilst we also assess the Hammers’ revitalised playmaker as Big Sam’s side prepare for an excellent run of upcoming fixtures.

The Player

A goal and assist in West Ham’s comeback draw at Stoke continued an excellent start to the season which sees Stewart Downing now sit joint third amongst midfielders in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) standings.

Having served up a single goal, two assists and a couple of bonus points last year, Downing was written off as a Fantasy prospect as Big Sam’s side struggled to make an impact in the final third. A change of approach, allied with a raft of summer signings, has transformed the Hammers into one of the most attack-minded teams in the top-flight – after ten rounds of fixtures, they sit fourth for shots inside the opponents’ penalty box.

Downing has been instrumental to that turnaround. Mainly utilised in the role in “the hole” behind a front two by Allardyce, he sits second only to Cesc Fabregas for chances created this season, with a central berth proving key to his side’s success. Already, Downing’s two goals and four assists are double last year’s returns, whilst 11 bonus points equals his tally from the three previous seasons combined.

Still available for just 5.8, the upcoming schedule suggests the Hammers schemer has plenty more to offer us. Bearing in mind Allardyce’s outfit have swept aside the likes of Liverpool and City at Upton Park in recent weeks, they’ll be full of confidence ahead of four excellent home matches (AVL, NEW, SWA, LEI) and trips to West Brom and Sunderland in the next seven Gameweeks which could well maintain their current top six status.

The Team

A recent switch of formation from Arsene Wenger has proved pivotal to Arsenal’s prospects as the Gunners registered back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Wenger’s decision to move to a 4-4-2 and unleash Alexis Sanchez through the middle has had a significant effect on our Fantasy campaigns. The Chilean has subsequently bagged a brace in each of his two outings in the centre and served up a pair of 16-point returns which have taken him to the top of the FPL standings. The clamour for his signature has earned Sanchez a 0.4 price rise in the last fortnight and shows little sign of abating as he finally settles in his new surrounds and starts to tear up top-flight backlines.

In previous weeks, Wenger has discussed the idea of finding a balance to incorporate Sanchez and also rediscover the solidity that served up 17 clean sheets last time around. Whilst the Chilean has hogged the headlines, the Arsenal defence has returned to form of old, with the new system helping them pick up two successive clean sheets. At 4.8, Calum Chambers is a snip in comparison to his costly defensive team-mates and the right-back’s 18-point haul against Burnley shows he’s capable of serving up the points – like Sanchez, he’s top for transfers in for his classification this week, with almost 90,000 snapping up his services.

With points potential at both ends of the pitch, the Gunners will be heartened by a schedule which pits them against the likes of Swansea, West Brom, Stoke and Newcastle in the next six, whilst a home encounter with United’s porous defence will hold little fear as Wenger’s charges put an indifferent start behind them and start to build momentum.

The Talking Point

Sanchez’ form continues to dominate discussion as Fantasy managers look for ways to accommodate the Arsenal midfielder. Essentially playing as a forward now, his out of position berth looks simply too good to ignore now and even at a price of 10.7 in FPL, he still looks worth the outlay, given that he’s earning extra points for goals and clean sheets due to his classification.

As we discussed in last summer’s Scout Report, Sanchez’ ability to find the net was hugely impressive for Barcelona – over his three seasons at the Nou Camp he converted 30.8%, 25.8% and 31.8% of his attempts on goal from a position on the flank. Now operating through the middle for the Gunners, he has the chance to become Fantasy royalty if he can replicate those levels.

Just like Wenger, the ability to strike that balance in order to benefit from Sanchez’ talents could be crucial to our campaigns and, fortunately, there’s no shortage of cut-price strikers to choose from as we look for ways to free up funds.

Six of the top ten forwards in the FPL standings are priced under 7.0 right now and whilst the likes of Steven Naismith and Leonardo Ulloa have fallen by the wayside in recent weeks, Saido Berahino, Charlie Austin and Diafra Sakho have maintained their form. Tottenham’s in-form Harry Kane could also be worth contemplating if he can finally oust the lethargic Emmanuel Adebayor from the first XI, whilst Sunderland’s Steven Fletcher served a reminder of his goal-getting abilities last night, taking his tally to four in as many matches with a double against Palace.

Typically, snapping up a cheap striker comes with a certain degree of points restrictions but in a season where a handful of cut-price options are keeping pace with the premium picks, it makes it a little bit easier to distribute the funds and splash the cash when a player like Sanchez starts to realise his Fantasy potential.