Ronaldo keeps United on track. Arsenal falter once more. Torres and Gerrard are at it again. Wigan only need 10-men to earn another clean sheet against Bolton. Things are getting squeaky at the top and bottom. Here’s my notes on another weekend’s merriment.
Arsenal 1 Middlesbrough 1
Team Lineups
Wenger welcomed back Eboue, Toure and Van Persie for this one. Eboue came in on the right of midfield with Fabregas shifting back to a central role and Gilberto dropping to the bench. Senderos also slipped to the bench with Toure starting alongside Gallas. Van Persie got a start up front, with Bendtner also kept in reserve.
Southgate kept faith with the Boateng/Shawky central midfield pairing with Arca kept on the bench and Rochemback out of the sixteen on the eve of a two-match ban. Aliadiere came in up front after serving his four-match suspension. Alves was still out through illness while Mido was kept on the bench.
Notes and Form
Arsenal continue to stutter then with United maintaining form and Chelsea closing. It’s four straight draws now with the fantasy form of Fabregas and Adebayor still a concern. Fabregas did at least earn an assist and was back amongst the FPL bonus here. As for Adebayor, it’s now four straight Premiership games without a goal and things are getting sticky. Defoe and Yakbubu appear to offer stronger form, while Torres’ consistent form is likely to make Adebayor owners twitch over the “transfer” button.
Arsenal now enter a run of tough games, with Chelsea, Liverpool and United to come in the next four. Time for Fabregas to live up to his “big-game player” reputation.
A good result for Boro who were also unlucky at Villa Park in midweek. Still little to get excited about in their lineup however, particularly with the evil run of fixtures to come for them in the next month. In the short-term though it’s Derby at home which could mean it’s worth sniffing around Wheater, Downing, Tuncay and Aliadiere for a weeks return.
Injuries and Suspensions
Clichy took a knock late on and was replaced by Senderos.
Derby 0 Man United 1
Team Lineups
Jewell was without skipper Stubbs at the back so Leacock started having replaced him at Chelsea in midweek. Ghaly was dropped to the bench, while Pearson dropped out of the sixteen. Jones and Earnshaw got starts in their place in a 4-4-2.
Ferguson was without Ferdinand who was suffering from back problems, so O’Shea was drafted in at right-back. Brown shifted to centre-back alongside Vidic. Elsewhere the midfield saw the usual rotation with Anderson, Giggs and Park getting starts here. Scholes kept his place but Hargreaves dropped to the bench while Nani and Tevez dropped out of the sixteen to make way for the other pair. Ronaldo was pushed up alongside Rooney. Foster started in goal for the injured Van der Sar and the suspended Kuszczak as expected.
Notes and Form
Ronaldo did the business again for his 22nd goal of the season. It was also another clean sheet for the United defence who have now kept 17 in all, only Chelsea can equal that. Ferdinand’s absence is a concern but I’ve written more on that here. Elsewhere the United midfield remains an unpredictable rotating thing with little to offer the fantasy manager. Up front Tevez was once again rested which is another major cause of concern. He was being shipped out by managers in the FPL 24-hours later so patience is obviously wearing thin. Clearly Ferguson feels he can be sacrificed and with Saha fit (for this week at least), it seems likely this policy will continue, particularly with the Champions League still on the fixture list.
Foster did well but is unlikely to be in the side for Wednesday’s game with Bolton. Kuszczak returns from suspension and Foster has remarked only today that he doesn’t expect to be above him in the pecking order and anticipated that he’ll be out on loan very soon.
Liverpool 2 Reading 1
Team Lineups
Rafa brought Arbeloa back into the eleven at right-back, shifting Carragher back to partner Skrtel in the centre. Hyypia dropped to the bench. Alonso returned in midfield to replace Lucas who dropped out of the squad.
Coppell kept an unchanged lineup for the third game running, so Kitson remained on the bench with Long starting with Doyle up front.
Notes and Form
Liverpool’s form continues, although they were made to work for this one. Gerrard and Torres were in the points again – Torres with number 20 of the season and Gerrard with his 10th assist. No FPL bonus for the Liverpool skipper though, the first time he’s gone without in 5 games.
Skrtel is looking a decent bet at the back. He seems established alongside Carragher with Hyypia clearly slipped down the pecking order. With Agger out for the season, Skrtel offers some value. Liverpool’s forthcoming fixtures in the short-term are tough however, it’s United, Everton and Arsenal in the next three. That kind of run may even test the output of Gerrard and Torres.
For Reading, Long seems likely to be dropped from the starting lineup next time around after throwing his shirt to the ground having been been hauled off by Coppell. Kitson seems odds on to start for Reading’s next crucial home game with Birmingham next weekend.
Reading’s fixtures look promising. It’s three home games in four to come and the opposition look kind. Birmingham, Blackburn, Newcastle and Fulham make up the next four opponents. The likes of Shorey, Hunt and Kitson look good bets then if you’re looking for cheap options across the positions for the next month.
Portsmouth 2 Aston Villa 0
Team Lineups
Harry was without Sol Campbell through injury so Lauren started at left-back with Hreidarsson moving to the centre alongside Distin. Diarra returned to the midfield for Mendes after missing the midweek win over Birmingham. Baros started with Defoe up front once again with Kanu benched.
Notes and Form
Pompey’s defence continues to offer value – this was their third clean sheet in the last 5 and this against a side who had failed to score in just 2 games all season before this one. Campbell continues to pick up niggling injuries so Johnson and Distin offer the most assured returns, with Hreidarsson profiting from Pamarot’s absence. In the short-term however, Hreidarsson appears to offer good value.
A small caveat to Pompey’s defensive strength is that both Muntari and Bouba Diop are now suspended for the next two games. Portsmouth never looked as protected at the back when the pair were away at the African Cup of Nations, so this should be considered for those looking to buy in for the Spurs and Wigan games.
In attacking terms Defore continues to flourish. It’s 6 in 6 now for the former Spurs man. He offers almost irresistible mid-price value. Diarra got the 3 FPL bonus here but elsewhere there are few attacking options worth noting from a fantasy perspective.
Portsmouth’s fixtures are certainly worth noting however. They have a missing fixture for gameweek 33 with the West Ham game rescheduled due to the FA Cup semi with West Brom. However, that could yet slot back into the gameweek. Regardless, Redknapp’s side do not play a side currently above them in the table from now until the end of the season.
Another blip for Villa following on the back of a rather fortunate draw at home to Boro. Their fixture list should provide plenty of opportunity for a change of fortunes though. They play United in a fortnight but that aside, they face Sunderland, Bolton, Derby and Birmingham over the next five. Young is certain to profit from that run of games while Carew, Barry, Agbonlahor and Laursen should also get some interest and figure in my rankings.
Injuries and Suspensions
Muntari will serve a two-match ban for seeing red here. He’ll miss the trip to Spurs next weekend and because this is his second dismissal of the season, the ban will be extended to a second game so he’ll also miss the Wigan fixture. Mendes likely to start in his place.
Bouba Diop will also miss 2-games having picked up his 10th booking of the season here. Like Muntari, he’ll miss the Spurs and Wigan games and return for the Cup semi.
Mellberg also got a red and will serve a similar ban. He’ll miss Villa’s game with Sunderland next weekend which will mean that Gardner will once again start at right-back in that one although he is struggling with back injury so Villa have problems.
Sunderland 0 Chelsea 1
Team Lineups
Keane brought Reid into his midfield with Richardson dropping out of the sixteen. O’Donovan came in up front alongside Jones with Murphy also missing out on the sixteen. Carlos Edwards made a return after recovering from a broken leg with Stokes making way.
Grant left his full-backs intact for once, sticking with Ferreira and Cole. Carvalho did drop to the bench though, with Alex getting his first start in just over a month. Obi came in for Makelele in midfield, while Anelka dropped out of the sixteen with Drogba starting up front. Essien, Wright-Phillips and Shevchenko were on the bench.
Notes and Form
Keane’s men continue to slip into the mire of relegation. Jones moved up to 10 games without a goal here but really should have ended his drought here, missing a golden opportunity from six-yards out. He’s still owned by over 100,000 managers in the FPL but if McFadden or Forssell flourish against Newcastle tonight, I’m sure we’ll see plenty of them hitting the sale button. Forthcoming fixtures do look kind for Sunderland and Jones though, so perhaps a little more patience is warranted.
A third straight win and a sixth clean sheet in 8 games for Chelsea who continue to up their game for the title run-in. Terry reminded us that he can score goals to reinforce his position at the top of my rankings. There were some concerns in Grant’s lineup though. He left the full-backs alone, which only goes to make it even more impossible to predict his decision game-to-game. He also rested Carvalho to the bench and brought in Alex – perhaps with the fact that Carvalho is sitting just two bookings from a suspension, in mind. The Drogba/Anelka situation is also still impossible to read. It seems likely that Anelka will return against Spurs on Wednesday, but it’s far from certain. This kind of uncertainty rules both these potential fantasy heavyweights out of the reckoning for now at least.
West Ham 2 Blackburn 1
Team Lineups
Curbishley was once again without Upson, so Spector continued at centre-back. Ferdinand played despite scares that he may have suffered ligament damage in training. Boa Morte was serving a one-match ban for his red at Anfield so Solano got a recall. Parker once again kept Noble on the bench and Ashton and Zamora started as they did at Anfield.
Hughes brought Dunn back into his starting lineup and Reid recovered from a knock to start alongside him. That meant that Emerton returned to right-back with Ooijer shifting alongside Samba and Khizanishvili dropping to the bench. McCarthy was relegated to the bench with Roberts getting a start up alongside Santa Cruz in attack.
Notes and Form
West Ham get back on track after 3 straight 4-0 drubbings. Cutting through the Freddie Sears fanfare, it’s Ashton who caught the eye here with a goal and an assist. Could he perhaps end the season with a flourish and offer some value? Perhaps not yet. With the Portsmouth home game rescheduled, West Ham now have three straight away games at Everton, Sunderland and Bolton to come next. Pretty tough.
Blackburn remain inconsistent and aside from Bentley, offer little value. Even he has registered just a goal and an assist in the last 8. In the short term, games against Wigan and Reading next appear to offer potential for the likes of Bentley and Santa but after that its Spurs, Liverpool and United in an evil run.
Injuries and Suspensions
Emerton limped off at half-time with a groin injury and he will be a doubt next weekend.
Fulham 1 Everton 0
Team Lineups
Hodgson made one change – opting to bring in McBride to lead the line up front with Dempsey dropping to the bench. Johnson pushed up alongside McBride in a more traditional 4-4-2.
Moyes selected the same eleven that started the game in Fiorentina with Johnson up front with Yakbubu in a 4-4-2. Cahill was still sidelined with hip and back injuries.
Notes and Form
A vital win for Fulham, only their second in 19 games in all competitions. This was also their first clean sheet in 5. The result won’t have fantasy managers rushing to sign up their players, however, one look at their forthcoming fixtures suggests that they could well be worth a look. Games against Newcastle, Derby, Sunderland and Reading come next before a home game with Liverpool.
That run of games will see Bullard continue to push up my midfield rankings for the next five. His midfield partner Davies is also well worth considering as a cheaper option. He contributed his fifth assist for the goal today, to go with the five Premiership goals he’s notched this season. The goalscorer, McBride, is also worth a look as a low-to-mid price striking option.
McBride’s goal was only the third that Everton have conceded in the last 10 and this was only the third game in 15 that Moyes’ side have failed to score. Indeed, Everton looked hungover in this one, rarely threatening the Fulham goal. Their players still represent good value over the next 5 games given their fixtures. They host West Ham next before the crunch game with Liverpool at Anfield. After this they host Derby before travelling to Birmingham. They then play host to Chelsea.
As mentioned earlier, there’s a concern over Cahill – he is struggling with a hip injury and also has the distraction of another International game with Australia before the Liverpool game. Johnson limped off with a groin injury here and could be a doubt for next weekend. Outside of these two, Yakubu still goes into the West Ham game with 3 goals in his last 4 Premiership outings and is certainly a very decent mid-price option along with Portsmouth’s Defoe. Arteta and Pienaar are also options. As for the defence, the appeal of Lescott and Jagielka will dip over the next 5 with Liverpool and Chelsea lying in wait. However, there is still potential of at least 2-3 clean sheets in there and they still offer comparative value.
Injuries and Suspensions
Everton lost Johnson to a groin injury after just 14-mintues. He will have the injury assessed later today according to the club.
Wigan 1 Bolton 0
Team Lineups
Bruce was able to name an unchanged side for the third game running after Heskey overcame a foot injury to take his place up front with King. Koumas kept both Taylor and Kilbane on the bench once more.
Megson made nine changes having rested players against Sporting in midweek. He was unable to call on Jaaskelainen who he later revealed was out for the season with a back injury. Al Habsi started in goal again then and will play the rest of the season. Steinsson did pass his fitness test however and came in for Hunt at right-back. O’Brien returned for Meite in central defence while Gardner returned from injury for Samuel at left-back.
Nolan, Campo, Taylor and Cohen came into the midfield with Adranik, Guthrie, Stelios and Joey O’Brien dropping out. Diouf and Davies were recalled up front for Helguson and Vaz Te who started in midweek.
Notes and Form
Wigan have now kept 5 clean sheets in the last 6 Premiership games, making their defenders prime fantasy targets over the next five. Scharner continues to offer the best value but with Koumas facing a 3-match ban for the red received in this game, Taylor could well earn a recall in the left midfield role. He would therefore offer great value as a defender playing in midfield and providing the bulk of Wigan’s set pieces.In attacking terms Wigan are still struggling. Heskey’s goal here was his second of the season and Wigan have scored just 3 in the last 5.
Their forthcoming fixtures could be worse although three of the next four are away from the JJB pitch which has perhaps served as an advantage over recent games. They travel away to Blackburn, before a trip to Portsmouth, home clash with Birmingham and a visit to Chelsea. Their fifth game is a home clash with Spurs.
That run of games will see Scharner’s ranking position dip a little but Taylor is set to enter the rankings should he be lined up for the Koumas role.
Bolton’s form is pretty woeful. They’ve won just 2 of the last 11 Premiership games and they go into the trip to Old Trafford without a clean sheet in 4. They are also struggling for goals with just 4 in the last 7. It’s not looking good for Megson’s side although they do follow the United game with 3 home games in 4. That’s unlikely to cause any real interest in their players although, if Bolton are to stay up, then Taylor will surely have to contribute a few goals soon and could be worth considering for those home games.
Injuries and Suspensions
Koumas will serve a 3-match ban for the red received in this game. He’ll miss games against Blackburn, Portsmouth and Birmingham. His absence is likely to open the door for Taylor or Kilbane to return. Steve Bruce has announced that the club with contest the decision however, with referee Steve Tanner, already agreeing to examine footage.
Cohen picked up an injury and was replaced on 41-minutes.
Man City 2 Tottenham 1
Team Lineups
Dunne played through the pain of his gashed shin to take his place in defence. Onuoha returned alongside him. Hamann was serving the first of a two-match ban so Ireland started, while Castillo came in for Vassell.
For Spurs, Lennon returned to the right of midfield with Huddlestone dropping to the bench. Hutton came back in after being cup-tied in Europe. Dawson came in for King was rested and Ramos started with both Berbatov and Keane, leaving Bent on the bench.
Notes and Form
A change of fortune for City, quite literally fortune if you consider that Sven was about to sub Ireland just seconds before he scored the equaliser. A first win in four games then for them then, having gone three without scoring. Petrov’s return from suspension should give them the extra impetus they need in attacking terms from here on, but three away games in four will test them as they seek to get their European ambitions back on track. It’s Bolton, Birmingham, Chelsea and Sunderland next but as I mention, only the Chelsea game is at Eastlands.
Tottenham’s form remains sketchy with 2 wins and 2 defeats in the last 4. They now have 4 home games in 5 though, starting with Chelsea on Wednesday. Keane rediscovered the goal touch with his second goal in six here in addition to the 3 FPL bonus points. He and Berbatov remain very decent targets over that run of home games, although Keane is still threatened by rest and rotation via Bent – even Keane showed his frustration at this when hauled off in the second-half. Huddlestone was a popular signing for the double fixture this week but was rather unfortunately benched by Ramos here. Jenas remains the best bet outside of the front two then, unless you brave the defence which looks strong in spells but is still vulnerable to slip ups without the King/Woodgate partnership.