Ronaldo stops scoring and 372 managers in the FPL game get rid of him. Fantasy football is a harsh business Christiano. No such problems of Adebayor, he continues to look unplayable as he puts the usually impressive Man City centre-back partnership through the mill to inflict a first Premiership defeat for Sven at Eastlands. Here’s my rambling thoughts on this weekend’s games…
Man City 1 Arsenal 3
Micah Richards returned from his knee injury to lineup alongside Dunne in the centre of City’s defence. Jihai dropped to the bench with Corluka moving to right-back. Sven made one additional change, dropping Vassell to the bench and bringing back Elano to a central role, shifting Gelson to the right of midfield.
Wenger was forced into one change to the side that beat Newcastle in the week. Almunia has suffered a thumb injury so Lehmann made a rare start in goal. Elsewhere, the Gunners were unchanged.
City’s form is faltering. They’ve had just one win in the last eight Premiership fixtures they’ve kept just two clean sheets in the last twelve. They’re also struggling for goals – it’s just eight in eight for Sven’s men. With United and Everton next, the fixtures do little to give them a helping hand. Outside of Petrov then, who is absolutely central to all their attacking play while Elano struggles, there are few fantasy options in the City squad right now.
Adebayor is on a Ronaldo-like run of form. He’s now scored in his last six Premiership games – finding the net eight times and earning nine FPL bonus points in the process. He’s become an essential fantasy purchase and Arsenal’s forthcoming run of games only suggest that the goals will continue to flow. Fabregas was fairly quiet once more but earned his thirteenth assist of the season here. Defensively meanwhile, they conceded only their fourth goal in the last nine Premiership games here.
Arsena will have to do without Toure and Eboue for a while longer as they progressed to the semis of the African Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast. They’ll now almost certain to miss the weekend fixture with Blackburn which will keep Senderos in the side for at least another week.
Injuries and Suspensions
According to the recorded stats, City’s Elano moved on to four bookings here, although the BBC did report that he now had five bookings after the game. That doesn’t appear to be correct but I’ll keep looking into it. If it does prove to be right, Elano will miss the United game next weekend.
Blackburn 0 Everton 0
Hughes was without Samba through suspension so Khizanishvili partnered Ooijer at the back once more. Elsewhere they were unchanged with Derbyshire getting a start with Santa Cruz up front again. McCarthy was an early arrival from the bench, coming on for the injured Dunn on 57-minutes. Tugay also made an appearance on 73-minutes after recovering from a knock to take a place on the bench.
Moyes had Cahill back from suspension. He shook off a slight hamstring injury to take his place just off the frontman, Johnson with Anichebe dropping to the bench. Osman also returned to the lineup after getting over a calf injury. Baines kept his place in the side but moved to left-back with Valente dropped to the bench. Neville remained at right-back with Hibbert benched.
Blackburn continue to struggle for goals at home then. Thats now just two goals in the last five at Ewood. They have however conceded just three over those games. That run is not surprisingly hitting their players fantasy returns – Bentley has just one assist in the last five, Santa Cruz just one goal in five. Arsenal away isn’t the game you need next to help break those kind of runs. Hughes will have Mokoena back from the African Cup of Nations to help shake things up in midfield but will lose Dunn to suspension.
Everton are in fine form. They’ve gone five unbeaten and it’s now four clean sheets in the last five Premiership games. That kind of defensive form has made Lescott’s stock rise even further – he’s now adding clean sheets and FPL bonus points to his goal tally.
Elsewhere, distinct targets are difficult to pin down with so many options open to Moyes. Arteta and Cahill are popular buys, although Arteta has had a disappointing fantasy season and Cahill has gone off the boil in recent weeks. To confuse things further, Yakubu and Yobo are now set to return having been knocked out of the African Cup of Nations earlier tonight. They’ll be available to Moyes at Reading next weekend which will shake up the team selection somewhat. Yobo’s return will certainly impact on the back four. Baines got the vote over Valente at left-back in this match but with the Nigerian back, Lescott could well be moved to left full-back leaving both Baines and Valente in reserve.
Pienaar’s return will also shake up the midfield, while it will be interesting to see if Moyes will go with 4-4-2 now that Yakubu is available to play up with Johnson. It seems likely that Cahill will remain available as an option to Moyes as he was due to join up with the Australia squad for their World Cup qualifier yesterday. He could fly out before the game on Wednesday and miss the Reading game but there is no suggestion of that as yet.
The UEFA Cup campaign, kicking off again after the Reading game, is likely to see Moyes rest and rotate his lineup which suggests that perhaps, Lescott and Arteta aside, there are no certainties in the Everton squad in the weeks to come.
Injuries and Suspensions
Dunn picked up an injury and was replaced just before the hour-mark. He also picked up his fifth booking of the season here and will now serve a ban, missing the Arsenal game on Monday. Gamst Pedersen moved on to four bookings in this game.
Liverpool 3 Sunderland 0
Rafa made changes as expected after the defeat at Upton Park. Most notably, Skrtel came in for his Premiership debut at centre-back alongside Hyypia. That shifted Carragher to right-back and left Finnan on the bench. Arbeloa is still sidelined through injury. Elsewhere Pennant came in on the right for Benayoun and Lucas replaced Kewell on the left. Mascherano returned from suspension for Alonso alongside Gerrard. Kuyt was dropped to the bench and replaced by Crouch up alongside Torres.
Keane resisted the temptation to give Prica a full debut so started with Murphy in midfield and Jones in attack. on his own in a 4-5-1. Chopra came back into midfield for Stokes after serving a one match ban. Richardson returned from injury to replace Yorke who picked up a knock against Birmingham. Richardson’s return however lasted just 7-minutes as he limped off feeling his hamstring and was replaced by Prica, that meant a change in formation to 4-4-2.
This was a first win in six and a first clean sheet in five for Liverpool then. For a while, it looked like Sunderland would frustrate them but Crouch’s opener form a superb Carragher cross set them on their way and lifted their performance. Crouch also earned an assist for Torres’ third in six and twelfth Premiership goal of the season. Gerrard later rounded things off with his first goal in the last six from the spot after Pennant was felled by Nosworthy.
In fantasy terms, it’s really only Gerrard and Torres that are currently worth considering, and given their price, there needs to be more results like this to tempt most to look their way. Sunderland have a woeful record away from home, so Liverpool haven’t turned the corner just yet. Next week’s clash with Chelsea will offer more clues.
As always, Rafa’s team selection causes problems. Skrtel’s introduction as a centre-back partner for Hyypia and Agger on his return, appears to give Benitez the opportunity to shift Carragher to full-back. That puts more doubt over Finnan and Arbeloa on his return from injury.
Sunderland meanwhile, continue to struggle terribly away from home. It’s five defeats in the last five away, with just one goal scored and ten conceded. Their next three against Wigan at home, Portsmouth away and Derby away, are crucial to their survival and they may have to play them without Richardson who returned here but pulled up with further hamstring problems. Jones then, remains the most likely target in their lineup although he is certainly only viable for home games given their current run.
Keane will welcome back Etuhu next weekend with Nigeria now eliminated from the African Cup of Nations.
Injuries and Suspensions
Aurelliio picked up an injury in the first-half and was subbed at half-time. That saw Finnan come on at left-back.
Richardson limped off after just 7-minutes with a recurrence of the hamstring injury that kept him out of the last two. He now seems certain to miss the weekend clash with Wigan. He was replaced by Prica who also picked up a knock later in the game. He was withdrawn on 54-minutes with O’Donovan replacing him.
Portsmouth 1 Chelsea 1
Harry handed Defoe his debut up front. He was partnered by Baros amidst all the Benjani confusion. Distin was sidelined with an injury sustained at Old Trafford on Wednesday so Pamarot continued at centre-back with Hreidarsson starting again at left-back. Hughes came into the centre of midfield with Davis shifting to the right and Lauren dropping to the bench.
Grant recalled Belletti to right-back for Ferreira after he served a one-match ban against Reading. Carvalho was suspended here so Ben-Haim came in alongside Alex. Ashley Cole earned a recall at left-back with Bridge benched. The midfield was left untouched with Ballack once again the driving force for much of Chelsea’s play. Lampard was thought to have a chance of returning to the bench here but that wasn’t the case. His return is imminent however.
Pompey’s inconsistency continues then, although Defoe’s arrival clearly lifted them here. His goal, from a Baros flick-on could be the first of many and he is certainly a very decent mid-price option now he is assured of starts. Bolton away and Sunderland at home could well provide a platform for more goals and a chance for Portsmouth to get their first clean sheet in four Premiership games. In those terms, Pamarot looks likely to have regular starts, either at centre-back in the absence of Distin or Campbell or at left-back having ousted Hreidarsson for the United game in midweek. He is close to a suspension however.
The midfield lineup looks very unsure with Harry waiting for the return of players from the African Cup of Nations. Bouba-Diop will be available for the Bolton game with Senegal now out of the tournament. Utaka will also be available with Nigeria now also eliminated. Countryman Kanu may well be too, although he is carrying an injury. Muntari is through to the semis with Ghana so he’s pretty certain to be out of the Bolton game next weekend regardless of how he gets on in that game.
The performance of Diarra in midfield here caught the eye so he seems almost certain to retain that position. He looks likely to be alongside Bouba-Diop then with Muntari then left to compete the left midfield position with Kranjcar. Davis, Lauren and Utaka would compete a start on the right with the likes of Mendes and Hughes seemingly struggling for starts.
Defoe’s goal was the first conceded by Chelsea in the last four Premiership and this draw came on the back of five straight Premiership wins and nine wins in a row overall. Grant’s lineup has been fairly settled recently, although he rotated his full-backs again here with Belletti and Ashley Cole returning. That’s likely to continue with the Champions League kicking off once more. Indeed the rotation could be widespread with Lampard now close to a return and four players set to return from the African Cup of Nations.
Obi is likely to be available for the Liverpool game with Nigeria now eliminated. He’s also served his four-match domestic ban whiie he’s been out in Ghana. Essien is through to the semi-finals with Ghana so he’s likely to be out of the Liverpool clash. Drogba and Kalou have also progressed to the semis so they too seem likely to miss the weekend game.
After Liverpool, Chelsea miss a Premiership fixture due to the Carling Cup Final. That is a major factor when considering their players and could lead to more than a few managers shipping out the likes of Anelka despite his second goal for Chelsea in this game. I’ve said before though, I fancy Anelka to turn it on against Liverpool next weekend so it may well be worth holding on to him for one last weekend.
Injuries and Suspensions
Davis is just one booking away from a two-match ban having picked up his ninth booking of the season here. Pamarot picked up his third consecutive booking and is also one match away from a one-match ban.
Birmingham 1 Derby 1
McCleish handed Murphy his debut at left-back, dropping Queudrue from the sixteen. He also gave Taylor his first start at centre-back alongside Ridgewell. O’Connor started up front with McFadden , Jerome dropped to the bench. Zarate appeared from the bench after 76-minutes.
Jewell brought in new signing Stubbs for the injured Davis at the back. Robert returned to the left of midfield having sat on the bench for the midweek game with City. Earnshaw once again partnered Miller up front.
Larsson demonstrated his value again with his third Premiership goal of the season here. Kapo also should his worth with a eye-catching performance that earned him three FPL bonus points. He is however serving a one match ban for the West Ham game next weekend. Elsewhere it’s no clean sheet in six for the Birmingham defence who had their best opportunity in weeks to improve on that against Derby. Up front meanwhile they’ve hit just three goals in six games – a record that saw Jerome dropped to the bench today. Games against West Ham, Arsenal and Spurs don’t, on paper at least, provide too many opportunities for improvement.
Nafti and Jaidi will both be in line to return against West Ham with Tunisia out of the African Cup of Nations.
Derby continue to go out fighting and clearly they no longer offer guaranteed clean sheets for the opposition. They’ve now scored in five of the last eight. Despite that, there are still no potential fantasy targets in their lineup.
Injuries and Suspensions
Larsson walks onto the suspension tightrope – he picked up his fourth booking here and will need to last February without picking up another to avoid a one-match ban.
Reading 0 Bolton 2
Coppell gave a full debut to Matejovsky in midfield – Oster dropped to the bench to make way. Doyle moved back out to the right of midfield with Convey making way and dropping from the sixteen. Long was back from suspension and on the bench and he was joined there by Sonko who had returned from the African Cup of Nations.
Megson gave a debut to Cahill at the back alongside Andy O’Brien, replacing Michalik who has left to join Leeds. Campo returned to the midfield after serving a one-match suspension. McCann dropped out of the sixteen with a knock as did Joey O’Brien. Helguson came in to replace him. New signing Rasiak was on the bench along with Diouf who landed the morning of the kick-off having been flown by private jet back from Ghana after Senegal were eliminated from the African Cup of Nations.
There’s ittle to say about Reading once again. They are suffering badly with six consecutive Premiership defeats. Today was a game I expected them to win and kick-on from. The fact they struggled here and failed to score, demonstrates the trouble they are in. Normally they can rely on their attacking prowess to win these games but the confidence is low and they’re now struggling for goals. Everton away next, followed by Villa at home will be difficult games in this form. In March Coppell’s men have a run of decent looking fixtures, until then it’s difficult to justify the inclusion of the likes of Kitson and Hunt in fantasy lineups.
Coppell had Sonko back from Ghana for this one and he is likely to start next time out with Ingimarsson suspended. Bikey plays his Quarter-Final in the African Cup of Nations tomorrow night so he could yet be available next weekend. Fae is almost certain to be out however after the Ivory Coast progressed to the semis tonight.
Bolton are certainly a more interesting proposition. They started with a 4-5-1 here, with Helguson a lone figure up front and Davies and Taylor either side of him. They shifted to 4-4-2 in the first-half, took the lead then played out the second-half back in the 4-5-1 and nicked the second goal. Defensively they were solid throughout against a side who are normally a good bet for a goal. It’s three consecutive clean sheets for Megson’s side and their defenders are certainly excellent low-to-mid price propositions.
I like the look of Cahill. He’ll be a threat from set-pieces (remember that scissor kick at Villa?) and is likely to pick up the plaudits for clean sheets over Andy O’Brien. Cahill earned FPL bonus points from this game – his current price of 4.1 million in that game looks very decent.
Bolton have Pompey at home next which will be far from easy with Defoe buzzing around their backline. You’d still fancy them to keep that tight and cause Redknapp’s side plenty of problems. Taylor will also be worth watching in that one with a point to prove to his old boss. His value may take a hit having missed the penalty in this one, although I suspect he could hold on to spot-kicks despite the miss here. He earned his first assist for the second goal today.
Diouf seems likely to return to the lineup and with Rasiak in reserve and Helguson back, suddenly they have a few attacking options. It will be interesting to see how Megson shuffles his pack with these optons given that, following the Portsmouth game, they take on Athletico Madrid over two legs in the UEFA Cup before facing Blackburn at Ewood. Bolton then take on Liverpool at home before traveling to Old Trafford.
Injuries and Suspensions
Ingimarsson has fallen from the suspension tightrope – he earned his fifth booking here and will miss the Everton game next weekend.
Tottenham 1 Man United 1
Ramos handed Hutton his debut following his big money move from Rangers. He started at left-back with Chimbonda remaining in the side and on the right. Dawson was restored to the centre of defence after serving a one-match ban at Goodison in midweek. That pushed Huddlestone into midfield with O’Hara dropping to the bench. Spurs were unchanged elsewhere.
Ferguson brought back Giggs, Hargreaves and Tevez after they sat out the victory over Portsmouth. Nani and Carrick dropped to the bench to make way. Park dropped out of the sixteen.
Spurs are resurgent right now. Their record over the last five home games is formidable and second only to United – four wins, a draw with 16 scored and 7 conceded. Away from home its far less convincing however, with just 3 goals scored in the last five, although they have conceded just 6 goals in those games. Clearly then, the stats show that Ramos has tightened things up, particularly away from home, to the extent that their strikers have struggled for goals.
Berbatov’s goal here was his first in five starts, while Keane has just one in his last six appearances. Spurs face Derby away next which should offer opportunities for the pair to improve their recent goal form. Berbatov is the better option in the FPL game for me. The bonus points factor appears to give him the slight edge over Keane, certainly while Ramos continues to keep it tight away from home. Berbatov showed at Everton on Tuesday that he can earn bonus points without Spurs finding the net – that’s something that Keane will struggle to do.
After the Derby game Spurs miss a Premiership fixture due to the Carling Cup final. Any potential signings from the Spurs squad should be short-term then. After the Wembley date they have a very decent run of fixtures which could prompt some attention for their forward players but also, dare I say it, for their defence. Woodgate will serve a ban at Derby and is injury prone. Hutton, who picked up 2 FPL bonus points on his debut here, is perhaps a decent proposition. Gilberto could also be worth a look if he comes in at left-back as expected. In midfield meanwhile, Jenas offers a decent mid-price option while Huddlestone could even be worth a look as a budget option in some games if he see’s off Zokora for a central midfield start on his return from the African Cup of Nations. That’s challenge is unlikely to come next weekend after the Ivory Coast progressed to the semis tonight.
Berbatov’s goal was the first conceded by United in four straight Premiership matches. Spurs are also the first side to deny Ronaldo either a goal or an assist in the last seven Premiership games. There’s little need to panic however, United players remain vital to any fantasy lineup and although those who had the balls to select anyone other than Ronaldo for captain this weekend may have got an advantage, there seems little chance that he will go off the boil completely.
Tevez got his fourth goal in the last five Premiership games. He’s a certain starter against City next weekend with Rooney now suspended. He’s certainly a worthy target if you’re looking to offload Anelka or a Spurs striker for the Carling Cup gameweek. United’s fixtures look strong – after the City game, their next four opponents are mid-table or below.
Be warned though, The Champions League will be a factor in Ferguson’s team selection. They face Lyon in France three days before their Premiership clash with Newcastle so their could be some rotation for that game. Similarly, three days after the visit to Fulham, they play the second-leg, so again, Ferguson could rest a few for that game with Lyon in mind. That’s likely to affect Rooney and Tevez rather than Ronaldo while Carrick, Hargreaves, Scholes, Nani, Park and Giggs look certain to be rotated over the next six Premiership games. Evra and Brown could also face some rotation over those games with O’Shea able to fill in on either side. Van der Sar may even sit one out.
Injuries and Suspensions
Huddlestone moved onto four bookings for the season in this game.
United picked up a host of yellows and amongst them was a fifth domestic booking for Rooney. He’ll now miss the City game next weekend along with Evra who already picked up his fifth booking last Sunday against Spurs in the FA Cup. Vidic moved on to four for the season here so he is on the verge of a ban as is some bloke called Ronaldo having picked up his fourth domestic yellow in this game.
Wigan 1 West Ham 0
Bruce opted for King up front with Heskey having attempted to play three strikers at Boro without success. He also made the decision to drop Bramble to the bench, preferring Boyce alongside Scharner in defence. Taylor came back on the left of midfield with Koumas left on the bench with Bramble, Bent and Sibierski.
Curbishley brought Etherington back into the side, dropping Bowyer to bench. Ashton also returned with Boa-Morte dropping out of the sixteen. Their most significant piece of team news concerned the bench where Bellamy returned after two months on the sidelines with an abdominal injury.
Two very inconsistent sides here then who offer little to tempt fantasy managers as a result. The injury to Heskey here could restore Bent to the Wigan lineup while King could be of interest when the fixtures fall favourably. That’s actually the case in the short-term with Wigan facing Sunderland and Derby next before visiting City at Eastlands.
With those fixtures in mind, Taylor is perhaps the top target in their squad having returned to a midfield position here despite being classified as a defender in fantasy games. His role as set-pieces should bring some points even if the clean sheets are lacking. He earned the assist for Kilbane’s goal in this one with a cleverly planned free-kick routine.
West Ham’s next two also look favourable – with a trip to Birmingham followed by home game with Fulham. That’s then followed by a hideous run that sees them face Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs. In the short term then they could be worth a look. Where exactly you look is another question. With so many midfielders in the squad this area is a fantasy minefield. Up front Cole and Ashton are struggling for goals while Bellamy’s return will shake things up. At the back, it’s just one clean sheet in nine now. In the FPL game Green is undoubtedly the best target – he represents a great points per game return, second only to Cech amongst the Premiership first choice keepers, thanks mainly to three penalty saves.
Injuries and Suspensions
Heskey picked suffered further problems with his back injury and was replaced by Bent just before the hour-mark.
Neill picked up his fourth booking for West Ham here.
Fulham 2 Aston Villa 1
Hodgson gave Nevland his debut up front alongside Dempsey as he shifted to a 4-4-2 dropping Volz to the bench. Elsewhere they were unchanged with Davies out on the left of midfield and Bullard mainly on the right. McBride made a return to the bench having played 90-minutes in a reserve friendly in midweek. Kamara was also on the bench having returned from the African Cup of Nations.
Villa were without Young who was serving a one-match ban but had Maloney back from injury to replace him on the left. There were no other changes with Harewood and Gardner on the bench.
A first win for Fulham under Hodgson – this game was all about Bullard . He dragged Fulham back into the game and won them a crucial three points with a Gerrard-like performance here. A goal, assist and three FPL bonus points should get him a lot of attention from fantasy managers and rightly so. He’s likely to be central of Fulham’s general play and set-pieces for the remainder of the season and appears to represent a mid-price bargain. His midfield partner, Davies, also crept up to five Premiership goals for the season here. That’s an excellent return which is likely to find him renewed interest. His booking in this game however will see him banned for Fulham’s next match at Middlesbrough. After that game, Fulham host West Ham and United.
Up front it’s anyone’s guess what Hodgson will do next. Dempsey’s role as a striker looks in serious jeopardy though. McBride’s appearance here and the availability of new signing Johnson, is likely to push him back into a midfield role and severely reduce his fantasy potential.
A first away defeat in five for Villa and a first defeat in eight games. They appeared to have the game sewn up when an own goal from Hughes from a Mellberg flick-on gave them the lead. However, the underestimated Fulham’s resolve and lost the initiative. Young’s supply from the wing and set-pieces was badly missed.
They’ve now gone eleven Premierhship games without a clean sheet while forrmer fantasy darling, Agbonlahor has just one goal in the last twelve Premiership fixtures. Barry’s mid-price potential meanwhile was overshadowed by that of Bullard. It’s no assists or goals in the last three for the Villa skipper.
Will things get better? Maybe. It’s Newcastle at home next, followed by a trip to Reading. There should be points there but again, it’s difficult to pinpoint a potential target. Villa then face a trip to the Emirates, followed by a home game with Boro.
Injuries and Suspensions
Davies picked up his fifth booking for Fulham here and he’ll now miss the game at Boro.
Villa’s Curtis Davies picked up an injury towards the end of the game and was forced off. More alarmingly, Agbonlahor picked up a knock in the first-half and was replaced at half-time.
Newcastle 1 Middlesbrough 1
Keegan had more options with his team selection and put them to use. Barton and Emre both started in midfield with Milner and Rozenhal dropping out. Nzogbia remained at left-back and Smith kept his place up front with Owen with Viduka and Ameobi on the bench.
Southgate had Pogatetz available after he recovered from his ankle injury. He came in for Grounds who dropped to the bench. Cattlermole came into midfield for the injured Tuncay as Boro went with a 4-5-1. Aliadiere was up front on his own then with Mido also sidelined. Lee was on the bench and replaced Cattermole as Boro chased the game.
A first goal and point under Keegan then. Owen finding the net for the first time in six Premiership appearances with a flicked header from an Emre free-kick. He could and should have had two goals here had his first effort not been harshly ruled out for a challenge on Schwarzer. Newcastle and the game didn’t spark into life until that goal went in and Keegan introduced Milner and Viduka.
Keegan’s impact has been muted, partly due to a lack of available players and a tough run of games. He’ll have Beye, Faye and perhaps Geremi back from Ghana next time out as Newcastle go to Villa Park. That’s followed by two home games with United and Blackburn. That doesn’t appear to be a run of games that suggest that Newcastle players are suddenly worth a look.
Boro have now gone six unbeaten and with Mido and perhaps new signing Alves available very soon, red tape permitting, their players are worth considering. Wheater is already a top target of course, although he’s now on the verge of a suspension. Downing’s stock could also rise once they have a centre-forward in the lineup. He’s another mid-price midfielder who is worth monitoring in the forthcoming weeks. Alves meanwhile has an incredible scoring record and it’s certainly worth watching how he settles and feeds off Downing’s service.
Injuries and Suspensions
Wheater is on the verge of a ban having picked up a fourth booking of the season here. Cattermole picked up a knock and was subbed on 70-minutes.