With double gameweeks again on the agenda, it’s time to listen to those nagging little voices that encourage you to go mad with transfers.
Chelsea provide the main temptation on the menu, with Lampard and Anelka simply dripping with fantasy football calories. Sous-chef Hodgson is serving up some tasty ready-meals at Fulham, while Hull and Portsmouth have some cheap takeaway offerings on the table. Guilty pleasures.
So do you gorge yourself and risk the consequences, or restrain matters with a transfer gastric band? Let this week’s Scout Picks watch your weight and help you decide…
The Defence
Three sides stand out when it comes to clean sheet potential this week, with City at home to Portsmouth, Liverpool facing Bolton and Chelsea at Burnley. They are far from dead certs but appear to offer enough to warrant fantasy selections in the Picks.
Selecting an option from the City defence is tricky right now with Richards and Zabaleta competing for the right-back spot, Bridge with an outside chance of coming back in at left-back and the expensive Toure in line for a return in central defence. Shay Given in goal looks the most reliable option then, so he claims my keeper’s jersey.
In front of him Chelsea are represented by the expensive Ashley Cole with his strong attacking potential. Ivanovic is your cheaper option here but lacks Cole’s goal threat. The Liverpool defence meanwhile is covered by Emiliano Insua who looks to be nailed on for left-back role while Aurelio remains sidelined. There are other options here with Kyrgiakos presenting a slightly cheaper, although less secure alternative, particularly with Agger returning to training this week.
The last two spots in defence are far less clear cut. With the double gameweek, Fulham defenders have enough appeal to make them worthy of consideration. Hodgson’s side can still be tough to break down at the Cottage and fixtures against Villa (who haven’t scored in four league games) and Portsmouth (who are low on confidence, goals and website hits), certainly offer potential. Brede Hangeland is the most obvious selection. Baird offers a cheaper alternative, although he is likely to find himself at full-back rather than the midfield anchor role which he has occupied for most of the season.
I decided turn to a defender with goal potential for the final defensive slot, which finds me turning to Wigan’s Paul Scharner once again. He has failed to bring in regular attacking returns but it’s not for the lack of opportunity. Sooner or later one has to go in off his backside to bring some reward. Everton will provide a fairly substantial obstacle but Scharner still looks worth the risk given the lack of options elsewhere.
If you’d rather bank on clean sheets then your faced with backing the United defence at Arsenal, or looking to the likes of West Ham and Sunderland who have fairly decent home fixtures. Tomkins of West Ham provides some budget value, although he is a slight doubt for the encounter with Blackburn. On the opposite side you could also look at Martin Olsson who may well find himself back on the left of midfield with Samba now back from suspension. I’ve opted to back a West Ham cleanie and go with Tomkins in the end.
The Midfield
The eagle-eyed amongst you will spot that, after backing Fabregas over Lampard in midweek, I’ve switched allegiance for the weekend. Lampard’s brace against Sunderland is without doubt a factor in that; Chelsea’s double gameweek the main justification.
Frank Lampard has returned 8 goals in his last 5 Chelsea outings and has two more fixtures in the gameweek to keep that run of form alive. Some will feel that the boat has sailed on this one, particularly as Drogba could make a return for the Hull game to shake things up. Lampard has thrived in Drogba’s absence though and has the Burnley defence in his sights before the Ivorian is in contention. With Fabregas up against Vidic and the United defence, I’m confident that Lampard can outscore him over his two games.
Liverpool are having to scratch around for every goal right now. There’s no fluidity in their play and confidence is low. However, the fixture computer certrainly says “yes” this gameweek, with an Anfield clash against a Bolton side who will surely give Rafa’s men every opportunity to boost their “goals for” tally. Owen Coyle earned his first clean sheet at home to his former club in midweek but we know from his days at Turf Moor, defending away from home is not his forte. A home win with a couple of goals looks likely and Dirk Kuyt, possibly in the central striker role, looks the best option given that Gerrard is still running on a few empty cylinders.
The Fulham midfield looks a solid option with their double home fixture and has three candidates. Zoltan Gera is your budget option, coming in at just 4.8 in the Fantasy Premier League game. He is perhaps the least secure however, with both Duff and Murphy likely to get more pitch time than the Hungarian. With Johnson and Dempsey absent, Gera is being pushed further forward but with Nevland and Kamara as options up front, he is far from secure in that role. While he is a gamble, Danny Murphy is perhaps the most reliable of the three; he should be on spot-kicks and is perhaps the most likely destination for FPL bonus points. I’m going for Damien Duff though as, for me, he is secure and has the most potential for an “explosive” return over Fulham’s two games.
The final midfield slot is tough. I’d like to back a City midfielder but it seems such a lottery. Wright-Phillips and Petrov carry the firepower but it looks as though only one will start against Portsmouth on Sunday. Petrov looks the favourite with Wright-Phillips starting at Old Trafford in midweek but investment still looks a gamble.
Hull’s Stephen Hunt is a budget consideration with his double gameweek – he remains the one shining light in a world of dimmer switches down at the KC stadium and may benefit from a “hungry” Zaki against Wolves this weekend. He looks a sound-ish investment if you’re really going to town on the double gameweek players.
Elsewhere, Wigan’s N’Zogbia is in flying form and is also worthy of consideration, particularly with his favourable fixtures to come in the gameweeks to follow. I’m going for a player in opposition though, opting for Everton’s Tim Cahill to remain on the goal trail having notched in the midweek win over Sunderland. Everton take strong form to Wigan and are scoring goals away from home having grabbed three at Stamford Bridge and a couple at the Emirates. Pienaar is another midfield option who could return from this encounter.
The Forwards
This always seems to be the easiest area of the side to cover with obvious selections jumping out each gameweek. This time around we have Nicolas Anelka with his two fixtures against obliging defences and strong form looking irresistible. Whilst Carlos Tevez is in perhaps the Premier League form of his career and comes up against a beleaguered Portsmouth at Easltands on Sunday. They simply pick themselves.
There are worthy alternatives available should you choose to turn your back on this pair. If Zola opts to start with Carlton Cole then he is always effective at Upton Park and has good opposition with Blackburn the visitors. Similarly Darren Bent is somehow managing to maintain his ranking at the top of the Premier League scoring charts, despite Sunderland’s shocking form. He hosts Stoke this weekend and looks a good bet to return.
Wigan’s Rodallega will be a favourite as Wigan approach their double fixture in gameweek 26 but could be worth an early look if you fancy Wigan’s chances of troubling in-form Everton. Fulham’s Bobby Zamora looks the main temptation though, with his price and double gameweek. I do worry about his fitness having just returned from a dislocated collarbone and Fulham’s form; they are struggling with injuries right now. In the end I opted for Rodallega with price and future gameweeks in mind.
Paddy Says…
Looking at individual scoring odds and Anelka (5/6) is favourite as an anytime scorer, with Kuyt (10/11) and Tevez (4/6) Paddy’s next shortest odds. Interestingly Tevez (3/1) is the favourite to score two or more goals, with Kuyt (7/2) and Anelka (16/5) trailing just behind. Gerrard (5/4) is their next best bet for a midfield anytime scorer, with Lampard (7/5), Malouda (21/10), Arshavin (23/10), Fabregas (5/2) and Everton’s Cahill (12/5) to follow. Murphy and Gera (4/1) are tied on the best odds for a goal amongst the Fulham midfield, with Duff (11/2) trailing them.
Chelsea and Man City are tied on odds when it comes to clean sheets. Paddy can’t separate those two and then has Liverpool at home Bolton coming next. Outside of those three, like me, Paddy is struggling. They go for Sunderland and West Ham as their next best bets – overlooking Fulham at home to Villa.
When it comes to goals, again it’s Chelsea backed to be the highest scorers, with Liverpool at home to Bolton and City at home to Portsmouth tied on odds. Paddy is also expecting a good few goals in the Arsenal vs United encounter.
They are actually offering an interesting special on this match. “Superstar Galacticous” apparently repays any first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast single bet if either Fabregas or Rooney score the last goal. Seems pretty generous and worth investigating (if you’re 18 or over of course).
As always, the offer of a free £20 bet when you sign up a new account with Paddy Power via this site and bet £10 still applies.