Gameweek five is officially under way as another deadline passes. Enjoy the calm before the inevitable storm, which may not be far away, with the early game between Stoke City and West Ham United upon us. With a triple header of Stoke selections from Mark in this weeks Scout Picks, many fantasy managers have a lot riding on this one…
The home side hand Jermaine Pennant a start after his impressive substitute appearance against Aston Villa on Monday. No other surprises in the Stoke City line-up, which leaves Eidur Gudjohnsen sitting on the pine.
As for the travellers West Ham, Manuel da Costa gets the nod ahead of James Tomkins, coming in for Tal Ben-Haim who, like Avram Grant, is absent on religious grounds.
Stoke XI: Sorensen, Huth, Shawcross, Faye, Collins, Pennant, Delap, Whitehead, Etherington, Walters, Jones
West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, da Costa, Upson, Gabbidon, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Piquionne, Obinna, Cole
After the Stoke and West Ham tussle, we have a healthy dose of five 3pm fixtures to pore over. There’s a Midlands derby between West Brom and Birmingham, Newcastle visit Goodison, and Sam “Big Fish, Small Pond” Allardyce’s Blackburn host Fulham. Spurs’ first taste of Champions League football is followed by the visit of Wolves, and Bolton’s trip to Villa Park completes the afternoon line-up. Then it’s over to the Stadium of Light for the 5:30pm game between Sunderland and Arsenal.
We’ll be back for tomorrow games, when Wigan host Man City and Sky showcase three of the top four, and Liverpool. For today however, the Dugout Discussion is open for business as your safe place for celebrating and/or despairing.