Samir Nasri’s brilliant form this season has already seen him lauded as one of the favourites for the Player of the Year, with the Frenchman scoring fourteen times thus far, including nine goals in the Premier League. With Cesc Fabregas’ problematic hamstring continuing to plague him, Nasri took on the mantle as Arsenal’s star midfielder in the first half of the season, performing superbly in the Spaniard’s absence. He’s not been without his Fantasy Premier League (FPL) admirers either; Nasri has the third-highest ownership in the game at present, with only Gareth Bale and Andy Carroll finding a place in more Fantasy squads.
However, with Fabregas back fit and Robin Van Persie also re-emerging from the injury room to take his place in Arsene Wenger’s starting XI, is there a possibility of Nasri’s Fantasy potential diminishing? That’s the question many are asking as they ponder that winter wildcard right now. With a fit and ready Fabregas always guaranteed to produce the points, is the idea of two Gunners midfield men overkill?
In this latest Numbers Game article for Members, we analyse Nasri’s impact with and without Fabregas and Van Persie on the pitch, utilising our OPTA data to help provide some answers…

