This week featuring more clean sheets than an airing cupboard belonging to someone who doesn’t often dirty their bedsheets. A nun perhaps. Or Cliff Richard. Or maybe not. This isn’t working is it? I’ll get on with the weekend preview instead then…

Best For Clean Sheets…
Suddenly, from nowhere, things are really looking up on the clean sheet front. Last week’s Scout Picks returned four clean sheets out of five (paying up on the 8/1 clean sheet accumulator with Paddy Power). Then you look at this week’s fixtures and, on paper, you can see at least four or five strong candidates.

Let’s start with Birmingham against West Ham – this one looks very solid to me. Birmingham go into the game with a patchy home record but they are in form having won three in a row. They’ve conceded just four goals in their last five home encounters and come up against a Hammers side with just one fit recognised striker. McLeish’s budget defenders look very good options this week then.

Then you’ve got Chelsea – the best defence in the league – at home to an Everton side horribly out of sorts with just one win in their last eight. Chelsea have not conceded a single goal at Stamford Bridge in their last five home games, while Everton arrive with injuries yet again. Will Saha be fit enough to start? That’s surely the deciding factor on the chances of a Chelsea cleanie. Even with the Frenchman in the visitors lineup, you have to back Ancelotti’s men for another shut-out here.

Next up we have Stoke at home to Wigan. Yes Stoke are an inconsistent side at the Britannia this season, with two wins and two defeats in their last five. However, they are up against a Wigan side who haven’t travelled well and who have scored just five goals in their last five away games. This is by no means a banker, but a home clean sheet still looks a strong possibility.

There’s more. I haven’t even mentioned Burnley – so strong at Turf Moor, up against an inconsistent aways side in Fulham. Or Sunderland, with four wins and a draw in their last five home games, up against a Portsmouth side with just 2 goals in their last five away trips. Both of those sides throw us budget considerations.

You can even look to United’s injury ravaged defence at home to Villa. The visitors have only failed to score in one game this season but United will have Vidic back to boost their resistance. Plus there is Spurs at home to Wolves. I never back the Spurs defence, but don’t let my pettiness put you off.

In short then, the defensive options for us fantasy managers are plentiful. For once we can actually look for clean sheets first, instead of targeting defenders who promise attacking returns to compensate for disappointment.

Best For Goals…
Not surprisingly then, I’m going to say that goals look slightly thinner on the ground this week. Even so, there are fixtures that leap out and scream goals.

I see Bolton and City sharing a good few at the Reebok. The home side simply can’t keep a cleanie this term and will surely concede to City and their attacking riches. I can see Megson’s side scoring themselves though. Kevin Davies is back from his ban and I’m still backing Matt Taylor to come good like a blinkered fool. I can see a game of goals here – maybe even four or five.

Hull vs Blackburn is another game which might open up. Hull have scored an impressive ten goals in their last five home matches, while Blackburn have conceded a massive sixteen in their last five away. That spells a decent haul for Phil Brown’s men but I don’t think it will come without reply. There’s three or four goals on offer here then.

United will likely need at least two goals to see off Villa. I can easily see O’Neill’s side notching at least one in this game so Rooney, Valencia and Giggs will need to produce if their side is to earn the three points.

Aside from these games, there looks set to be heavy home wins for both Chelsea and Spurs with Everton and Wolves the victims respectively. Sunderland also threaten to break free against lowly Portsmouth, although Steve Bruce’s side have notched just seven goals in their last eight games.

Best For Frustration…
The big fixtures are always the likely candidates here and Liverpool vs Arsenal is no different. Liverpool’s stuttering form and fitness queries over Gerrard and Torres, comes up against Wenger’s list of injuries and the unknown but explosive factor that is Arshavin down the middle. Last season we saw one of the most extraordinary individual performances in Premier League history from the Russian, and an incredible 4-4 draw to boot. This time around we surely cannot expect such fireworks. Instead I see a cagey 1-1 draw with little profit for us fantasy managers.

Seeking out more disappointment? How about all those fantasy managers who have invested in Villa’s Milner and Dunne this week? Both are topping the Fantasy Premier League game’s “transferred in” stats in their positions – both seem likely to leave Old Trafford empty handed. Milner could be a threat to United’s goal from central midfield but he’ll have a real battle on his hands to stand out and get forward. With Villa’s fixtures stiffening over the coming weeks – I can’t help feeling that this week’s investors are too late on this pair.