Samir Nasri’s brilliance papers over the cracks in the Arsenal back four, while over at the Bridge, Chelsea’s frailties are on show yet again as a Baines-inspired Everton go close to inflicting another home defeat on Carlo Ancelotti’s ailing outfit.
Elsewhere, Carlos Tevez throws off the City shackles with an early goal before throwing a tantrum as Roberto Mancini’s side overcome an in-form Bolton. Over at Ewood meanwhile, Paul Robinson presents a impenetrable barrier, allowing the Rovers set-piece drills to do the rest. Here’s our notes on yesterday’s events…
Samir Nasri continues to sparkle and is pushing himself forward as a Player of the Year contender. The Frenchman justified his place at the top of our Captain Poll with another supreme display of trickery and footwork. Nasri’s superb brace of goals took him to 8 for the season with 4 in his last 3 league outings. He enjoyed an overnight price rise to 8.0 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game but still looks a very strong options for those yet to recruit, particulary while he is able to take centre stage from an injured Cesc Fabregas.
Laurent Koscielny suffered concussion in the first-half and was replaced by Johan Djourou. Even though Arsene Wenger is vague in his statement on Arsenal’s official site…
“[He has] concussion. I don’t know what the medical people will say and how long he will not play.”
There are reports elsewhere of a three-week absence for the French defender, with Wenger again quoted…
“The medical team inform me he [Koscielny] has picked up concussion and could be out for three weeks”
If that is the case, then Djourou seems likely to retain a starting role for matches against United and Stoke – both testing encounters that, in Arsenal’s current defensive form (1 clean sheet in 6), hardly promise shut-outs. On the plus side, the Gunners could be boosted by the return of Thomas Vermaelen from an Achilles injury before Christmas; reports today suggest that the Belgian international is line for a return against Chelsea on December 27.
Man City may have failed to score in their last three games at Eastlands, but Carlos Tevez put the home blues to rest in quick-fire style, opening the scoring in 4 minutes against Bolton.
Yaya Toure, back in the starting XI in place of James Milner after a migraine forced him out last week, supplied the assist for Tevez’s goal. Tevez was awarded the 3 Bonus Points but also picked up a yellow card, which means he’s suspended for next week’s away trip to West Ham.
Aleksandar Kolarov will also miss the trip to Upton Park, the much-fancied and Scout Pick selected left-back frustrated his investors by earning two bookings and will face a one-match ban. Kolarov’s absence next week will continue to leave the full-back situation within City’s squad in doubt. Roberto Mancini chose to start with Pablo Zabaleta at right-back this weekend, relegating last week’s goalscorer, Micah Richards, to the bench. Jerome Boateng failed to make the 18-man squad with Mancini stressing in his post-match comments that it was simply his turn to sit out.
Mancini’s defence remains “most-wanted” as it claimed City’s eighth clean sheet of the season – putting them level with Chelsea in that department. In contrast to Carlo Ancelotti’s men however, City have gathered 4 clean sheets in their last 6 league games – defensively they are unquestionably the form side and have a run of fixtures to help them continue to offer returns in this area. There is potential disruption in central defence however. The back four could be shuffled further following the calf injury suffered by Kolo Toure in yesterday’s game. Toure was replaced by Joleon Lescott on 31 minutes. City have yet to offer a prognosis on the injury.
Seamus Coleman returned to the Everton lineup for the trip to Stamford Bridge. Having lost his place to Victor Anichebe for the home clash with West Brom, David Moyes reinstated him to the right side of midfield to renew his potential to Fantasy Managers as an out-of position asset. It’s not clear if Coleman will hold this role for home matches, although his and Everton’s performance at Chelsea will do his chances of retaining his place no harm whatsoever. A home fixture with Wigan in Gamweek 17 could well reward those who kept faith in the lively Irishman.
On the opposite flank, it was Leighton Baines was the standout performer for an Everton side who put a shaky Chelsea defence to the sword at Stamford Bridge. Baines provided a constant threat down the left, contributing countless crossed balls. It was his centre, headed back across goal by Tim Cahill, that provided the equaliser from Jermain Beckford. Baines gained just a single FPL Bonus Point with Phil Jagielka and Steven Piennaar both placed ahead of him – the pair had strong games but I’m not sure what Baines has to do to gain maximum Bonus.
Chelsea have now kept just a single clean sheet in their last 7 league outings and with a very testing spell to come (tot MUN ars), owners of Carlo Ancelotti’s back four will surely be losing patience. Everton dominated the final stages of the game and Chelsea were hanging on for a point – an alarming sight for those still holding Chelsea’s big attacking assets. Chelsea have scored just 3 goals in their last 6 league outings.
Owen Coyle gave Martin Petrov a start on the left wing ahead of Matt Taylor, as Mark Davies kept his place in centre midfield and again impressed. The Trotters may have been banging in the goals this season, but once again, failed to keep a clean sheet, a run of fourteen consecutive Gameweeks now.
Wigan showed a fighting spirit by twice coming back from behind at home to Stoke. Roberto Martinez made three changes from last week’s team, and Ben Watson, in for Jordi Gomez, bagged an assist from a deflected free kick. On-loan Man United man Tom Cleverley scored for the second league game in a row. Charles N’Zogbia was a constant threat to Stoke and was subsequently awarded the 3 Bonus Points; no surprise there.
Stoke made two changes for their trip to the DW Stadium, with Jon Walters and Danny Higginbotham replaced the injured pair Jermaine Pennant and Andy Wilkinson. Matthew Etherington continued his great recent form by scoring for the third match on the trot in a performance that saw him pick up 2 Bonus Points. £5.0 priced Robert Huth again showed his eye for goal, grabbing his third strike of the season and cementing his claim as something of a bargain, given that clean sheets are so hard to come by this term.
Talking of goalscoring centre-backs, Chris Samba owners have been frustrated by his fellow defender Ryan Nelsen before and so it proved again in the convincing victory over Wolves. It was Nelsen who notched the third goal from Rovers in addition to the assist for David Dunn’s first. Once again Morten Gamst-Pedersen’s set-pieces were key; while the Norwegian notched just a single assist for Nelsen’s goal, his deadball delivery was prominent throughout.
Blackburn kept their fourth clean sheet of the season against Wolves, their second in three matches, but had the woodwork and an outstanding Paul Robinson to thank for that. Robinson was the big climber in our Watchlist rankings this week and demonstrated his worth with a superb display. It was enough for the former Spurs keeper to earn a single Bonus Point; no other keeper has earned more (6) than Robinson this season.
Mick McCarthy made changes to a defence that has failed to keep a clean sheet all season. Richard Stearman was relegated to the bench with Steven Mouyokolo brought into the starting XI. The change had little effect as Wolves conceded 3 goals for the second time in the last 4 league matches. Indeed, McCarthy’s back four have leaked 14 goals in their last 6. Not surprisingly, McCarthy again pointed the finger at his back four in his post-match reaction.
Craig Gardner justified his selection on the Scout Picks bench with his fifth goal of the season to level matters at St Andrews. The former Villa continues to be their key goal threat and remains their leading scorer. At just 5.0 in the Fantasy Premier League, he represents a strong fifth midfielder option given that his starting role is surely cemented in Alex McLeish’s lineup. The Birmingham boss did shuffle things for yesterday’s game however – starting with Jean Beausejour and Lee Bowyer, along with Gardner and relegating Seb Larsson to the bench with Nikola Zigic.
Spurs came into the game at St Andrews on the back of four straight wins, but Birmingham’s battling qualities came to the fore as Alex McLeish’s side came from behind to snatch a deserved draw. Spurs, like Bolton, have still to record a clean sheet since the opening day of the season. Luka Modric got amongst the Bonus Points again; he was awarded 2, to add to his 3 last week.
