It started with a morning of insane attacking abandon as the goals and red cards flew around the grounds. It ended in a dire, turgid affair as Portsmouth clung to a point against the Arsenal tide. A funny old Boxing Day then. Let’s take stock…
Chelsea 4 Aston Villa 4
Labelled the game of the season by some. Sky preferred to have their cameras elsewhere and missed eight goals, two penalties and three red cards at Stamford Bridge. Lots of talking points, not least the emergence of Shevchenko and Ballack – two players who have never really proved their worth to Chelsea or fantasy managers, showed just a glimpse of what they’re capable of with goals and FPL bonus points here.
Cech was passed fit to retain his place but will probably wish he hadn’t. In keeping with the recent signs of fragility, the Chelsea keeper was at fault for Villa’s second goal and there must now be question marks over both his fitness and confidence going into the Newcastle game. Elsewhere Grant once again picked Ferreira over Belletti which certainly indicates that the battle for the right-back slot has been won. Pizarro got a start as suspected, alongside Shevchenko as Grant moved to a conventional 4-4-2. Obi Mikel dropped to the bench to make way. Wright-Phillips also started on the bench as Kalou and Joe Cole occupied the wide roles. Makelele was out and will be missing for a fortnight after an ear operaton according to Grant.
Chelsea’s defensive vulnerability in this game came from nowhere. Rock solid going into this, they now look very shaky going into the remaining fixtures over Christmas and New Year. They are without Ashley Cole (pending an appeal) and Carvalho next time out after the dismissals here, while Cech is clearly struggling for form. Alex’s goal may well get him some additional suitors but suddenly, I’m not so sure about Chelsea’s clean sheet potential. Luckily the fixtures have been kind to them, with Newcastle and Fulham as opposition next. Two sides desperately short on form and confidence.
Shevchenko’s brace (and the 3 FPL bonus points) here could attract some attention given that he is almost assured starts in January with Kalou and Drogba at the African Nations. Unless of course, Grant makes the move for Anelka as predicted. Ballack meanwhile, has thrown his hat into the ring for a starting spot with his performance after replacing Lampard before the half-hour mark.
For Villa, Maloney kept his place in the Villa lineup and with some effect, scoring a brace. He is of course, the other Villa player who will get renewed interest following this performance. This was his first Premiership start and his two goals are sure to offer opportunity for more.
Elsewhere it was “as you were” then for Villa. Laursen’s goal here, his fourth in the Premiership, offered another reminder of his value although this was Villa’s fifth consecutive game without a clean sheet, five games which has seen them concede eleven goals. Barry’s penalty late on was his third goal in six games – he’s edging his way back into Fantasy Manager’s affections. In contrast there was no return from Agbonlahor here, his sixth game without a goal or assist.
Injuries and Suspensions
Where do we start? Lampard was subbed on 26 minutes with a thigh injury and replaced by Ballack. Shevchenko picked up a knock late on and was replaced. Both will be doubts for the Newcastle game on Saturday but they’ll doubtless be more detail to come on those two.
Essien picked up his fifth booking of the season. However, he’ll be eligible for Chelsea’s forthcoming Premiership matches, serving his ban against QPR in the FA Cup on Jan 6. Chelsea have further suspension issues following this game however. Carvalho picking up a red and a three-match ban for a two footed challenge here. He’ll miss the Newcastle and Fulham games, plus the FA Cup game with QPR. Ashley Cole also saw red for a handball and will miss the Newcastle game as a result.
Villa lost Bouma to injury late on. Knight’s straight red for a professional foul will see him immediately banned for Villa’s next game at Wigan.
Tottenham 5 Fulham 1
Ledley King passed his fitness test and returned to the Spurs defence as expected. He replaced Chimbonda in central defence who moved back to his familiar right-back role. Ramos made changes in midfield, dropping Boateng to the bench and bringing in Huddlestone. Jenas and Dawson were once again sidelined and Zokora suspended. O’Hara kept his place, as did Keane with Defoe and Bent on the bench.
It was a superb display by Spurs with Malbranque in particular, catching the eye against his former club. Although, in Fantasy terms, Huddlestone’s two goals and an assist here will certainly get him some attention. Keane grabbed a brace Keane bagged his tenth of the season here and continues to offer great returns. Berbatov was out of the goals but chipped in with two assists and also earned the maximum bonus points in the FPL game.
Spurs are clearly on the up and along with Everton, the form side outside of the “big four”. It’s Reading at home and Villa away next for them, games who will certainly test the new Spurs resolve and which promise goals. With King back in defence things could tighten up at the back although both Reading and Villa will pose a goal threat so clean sheets may still be a while in coming.
Lewington made three changes for Fulham, one of them forced. Omozusi was injured so Baird started at right-back. Elsewhere Smertin and Ki-Hyeon got starts with Bouazza dropping to the bench and Davis dropping out of the sixteen entirely.
Dempsey once again stood out here with his sixth goal of the season. Fulham are likely to have a new man in charge in the next fortnight. Until then, aside from Dempsey and perhaps Davies as cheap midfield options, there’s very little worth to be found amongst the Fulham side. They travel to Birmingham next before hosting Chelsea on New Years Day.
Injuries and Suspensions
Volz wil serve a one-match ban for the two yellows he got today and will miss the trip to Birmingham at the weekend. Hughes picked up an injury after the hour-mark and was subbed.
West Ham 1 Reading 1
Curbishley brought Cole back into the side after suspension. Camara overcame a knock to take a place on the bench. West Ham were unchanged aside from that with Spector continuing in central defence alongside Upson. Ferdinand is nearing a return though and was on the bench, while Gabbidon was only absent through illness.
It was at best, a lacklustre performance from the Hammers. Aside from Solano, who grabbed a smart goal here, they were short of creativity. Ashton still looks rusty and there was little understanding with Cole. It’s United and Arsenal next for West Ham and, on today’s performance, it seems pretty clear how those games will go for them.
Reading, once again, were unchanged. That is now six games running with the same lineup. That run will be broken however with the suspension that Gunnarsson will serve after seeing red here. Coppell’s team played well and were in control for long periods before and after the dismissal. Kitson was outstanding up front and Doyle and Hunt always busy. Shorey meanwhile, showed his class coming forward with a smart assist for Kitson’s sixth Premiership goal.
Reading don’t have an easy run of games with Spurs away next, followed by a home game with Portsmouth. However, there could be some value in the usual suspects in their lineup if you’re looking for decent mid-range buys as goals look likely in those games.
Injuries and Suspensions
Gunnarsson’s red card will see him immediately banned for 3-matches. He’ll miss Reading’s next two Premiership games against Tottenham and Portsmouth, followed by the FA Cup match on Jan 5. Cisse will be his likely replacement in midfield.
Birmingham 3 Middlesbrough 0
McCleish recalled Ridgewell after his suspension, choosing to keep Jaidi in defence and dropping Schmitz from the sixteen. Djourou was dropped to the bench – no doubt with his imminent return to Arsenal in mind. That saw a move to 4-4-2 with Forssell partnering Jerome up front. Queudrue came in at left-back with Sadler dropped. Johnson once again kept Nafti on the bench.
Southgate brought back Rochemback after suspension and, as expected, dropped Johnson to the bench. Boro were unchanged elsewhere with Woodgate soldiering on despite suffering recurring cramps in his calf muscles.
The result was tough on Boro, who looked dangerous throughout but once again, lacked a cutting edge. Birmingham meanwhile claimed their first clean sheet in twelve games. McSheffrey is just beginning to catch the eye, he earned a goal and an assist here, plus the three bonus points in the FPL game. However, he is still some way from justifying the expectation and the price tag he’s been allocated in most games. Jerome and Forssell are always worth a look if you’re on a budget. Forssell in particular, when fit and selected, does offer a return. Today’s goal was his third in seven games in which he’s only started three of them. Birmingham’s fixtures however aren’t kind to them. They host Fulham next but after that, travel to Old Trafford and the Emirates.
Things are looking bleek for Southgatge and Boro. Mido’s absence through injury has left them pitifully short of firepower. His impending absence in January to the African Cup of Nations must surely push Southgate into the transfer market for a striker. Until they offer a bigger goal threat, their players offer little value to fantasy managers. Wheater is still perhaps a cheap option at the back but his injury today will need to be monitored before that can be considered. Portsmouth, Everton and Liverpool are not three teams you’d want to take on next either.
Injuries and Suspensions
Boro lost both Aliadiere and Wheater to injury and they were both replaced at half-time.
Derby 1 Liverpool 2
Bywater was a doubt for this game with a shoulder injury and evidently aggravated it in the pre-match warmup. He sat the game out, handing Lewis Price a start in goal. Elsewhere Derby were unchanged from the Newcastle game with Teale proving his fitness to take his place in midfield.
Rafa chose to limit his tinkering to just five changes. Finnan recovered from injury to start having missed the last four Premiership outings. He replaced Arbeloa while Aurelio came in on the left with Kewell dropping out and Riise pushed forward. Babel got a start with Benayoun benched. Alonso made his first start since returning from injury. He came in for Mascherano. Voronin came in for Kuyt while Torres started his sixth consecutive Premiership match.
Derby’s renewed spirit was evident again as Liverpool were made to work for their three points. Torres found the net for the fifth time in seven Premiership games with a goal that simply oozed class. Gerrard meanwhile took it upon himself to win the game for Liverpool and his goal was his fifth goal in seven games. Alonso’s return was marked with a display that earned him the three bonus points in the FPL game.
At the other end of the pitch meanwhile, McEveley’s goal means that Liverpool have not kept a clean sheet for four Premiership matches. It’s City away at the weekend, a game which will doubtless see the likes of Kewell, Benayoun and Kuyt return to the starting lineup. After that Liverpool’s fixtures look pretty decent with Wigan at home, Boro away and Villa at home.
Injuries and Suspensions
Derby lost Pearson to an arm injury after 25-minutes and Moore also picked up a knock and was replaced at half-time.
Liverpool lost Hyypia to injury after 53-minutes.
Everton 2 Bolton 0
Arteta and Cahill were both fit and started for Everton. Moyes moved back to a 4-5-1 system, dropping Johnson to the bench. Neville moved to right-back with Hibbert dropped and Gravesen came into the midfield.
Cahill was amongst the goals again and earned himself the three FPL bonus points. He almost got a touch to Neville’s effort but then scored himself to seal the victory. Like Gerrard, he has five goals in the last seven. In contrast Arteta has not contributed a goal or an assist in his last six starts and has earned just three bonus points in the FPL game in that time. The clean sheet was Everton’s fourth in five games. Of the defenders, Lescott continued to be employed at left-back and impressed again, contributing an assist here.
It’s a tough one next for Moyes’ men – Arsenal at home. After that they enter a run of pretty decent games where they avoid the “big four” until the end of March.
Bolton were unchanged once more although Megson made several changes to his midfield after the hour mark. The lineup is settled then although they’ll doubtless be a number of new signings once the window reopens. They now have a very decent run of fixtures to come with a trip to Sunderland next. That’s followed by home games with Derby and Blackburn and a trip to Newcastle. Those games are likely to see decent returns from Anelkaand maybe Nolan. Diouf is another consideration but he is due to join up with the Senegal squad for the African Nations, after the Derby game. The Bolton defence has also seen recent improvement, particularly at home, making Andy O’Brien a decent budget purchase.
Sunderland 0 Man United 4
United were without Van der Sar and Hargreaves but Ferdinand made a return to the defence. Ferguson chose to rest a number of players. That included Evra with O’Shea getting a start at left-back. Fletcher started in place of Anderson in midfield. Nani came in for Giggs while Tevez was also rested with Saha partnering Rooney up front.
Rooney’s goal was his first in six starts and he also contributed an assist here. Ronaldo, once again, was on the mark and would have claimed two had he been on the field when United’s penalty was awarded. As it was Saha took it and grabbed a brace here.
It was another clean sheet for United then and with Chelsea’s defence suffering suspensions and injuries and Liverpool’s without a clean sheet in four, it’s pretty clear that every Fantasy Manager needs at least one United defender in their lineup to compliment Ronaldo in midfield. That’s particularly true when you look at United’s forthcoming games which show a trip to West Ham next, followed by home games with Birmingham and Newcastle and a trip to Reading. On paper they should be four wins with at least three clean sheets.
For Sunderland, Roy Keane handed young Waghorn a start with Leadbitter dropping to the bench. Yorke kept his place in midfield and Etuhu came back in with Murphy dropping out. More significantly perhaps, Richardson was back available and on the bench. He appeared for Yoke after the hour mark.
It’s Bolton at home next for Sunderland with a trip to Blackburn to follow and a home game with Portsmouth after that. Not incredibly tricky fixtures but then confidence and form is poor at Sunderland right now and there’s little to tempt Fantasy Managers. The form of Richardson on his return to the side could be worth monitoring. It’s also likely that Keane will attempt to bolster his forward line which is struggling to penetrate Premiership defences.
Wigan 1 Newcastle 0
Wigan’s skipper Mario Melchiot was back in the Wigan lineup after serving a 3-match ban. He came in for Boyce as expected. The other change saw Aghahowa on the bench with Sibierski starting alongside Bent. Ryan Taylor, a player I’ve been mentioning in my recent notes, hit the winner with a trademark free-kick. He’s likely to get more attention as a result, however he was subbed on 75-mintues and appeared to be limping away at the end of the game. It’s Villa at home next for a rejuvinated Wigan, followed by a trip to Anfield on New Years Day. Heskey could well make a return in those games.
Allardyce made changes in defence as expected with Taylor and Faye coming into the central roles. Cacapa was on the bench and Rozenhal out of the sixteen. Duff, Emre and Geremi all got starts with Butt and Martins dropped to the bench. Barton was out of the sixteen.
Newcastle were poor once again and Allardyce clearly has problems deciding his best formation and lineup. Owen’s imminent return and Martins’ departure to the African Nations might help at least sort his frontline selection out. In midfield however it remains a mess of options with no clear indication who the preferred personnel are. Similarly, the defence is not even worth considering. It’s Chelsea, City an d then United next – and that trio of games will not make things any easier for Allardyce and Newcastle.
Injuries and Suspensions
Taylor was withdrawn after 75-minutes and was visibly limping away from the bench on the final whistle.
Portsmouth 0 Arsenal 0
Portsmouth were without Johnson and Pamarot through injury so Lauren came in at right-back and Hreidarsson continued on the left. Davis was still sidelined, while Mendes was ill so Hughes was handed a rare start in midfield. Harry also made changes up front with Kanu coming in and Benjani replacing Utaka out on the right in the familiar 4-5-1.
The lineup changes didn’t help as Portsmouth continue to struggle to muster any attacking ambition at home. This was the fourth consecutive clean sheet in five home games for Portsmouth but they have also failed to score in those five matches. The freak 7-4 game against Reading on September 29 was the last time they have scored at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth’s forthcoming fixtures look favourable with a home game with Boro coming next which just screams “clean sheet”. After that they travel to Reading and Sunderland, games which, with their away record, they will look to win. They then host Derby. That lineup of games should alert many Fantasy Managers to the likes of James, Campbell and Distin. However, be warned that the African Nations Cup will have a marked effect on Portsmouth. They’ll lose both Muntari and Bouba Diop ,among others, after the game on New Years Day and that could have a significant impact on the cover given to the back four throughout January’s fixtures.
Arsenal kept the same eleven once again and there was no place in the sixteen for Van Persie. It was a frustrating night for Wenger. Some of his side looked tired – Adebayor in particular. He could therefore shake things up a little against Everton and West Ham with Van Persie a likely factor.
Injuries and Suspensions
Kranjcar picked up a knock and was subbed on 75-minutes.