With Robin Van Persie and Theo Walcott ruled out of tomorrow’s home match with Sunderland and Cesc Fabregas looking very unlikely to be risked, Arsene Wenger’s side will be deprived of much of the attacking vigour that has propelled them to just four points of the league summit with a game in hand.
In recent weeks the Gunners have relied heavily on the tenacious trio: with Van Persie’s 10 goals in his last seven Premier League fixtures and Theo Walcott’s 5 assists and 2 goals in his last six games. The loss of Cesc Fabregas in midfield meanwhile, was there for all to see in the Carling Cup defeat to Birmingham; the Gunners lacked a leader on that Wembley pitch.
Three points this weekend are a top priority but Wenger will be keeping a firm eye on the Champions League match with Barcelona next Tuesday. While Van Persie and Walcott are out of the picture, any hopes that Fabregas have of making the Nou Camp clash will surely rely on being rested. In their absence, Samir Nasri will resultantly shoulder the attacking burden for the Gunners’ imminent set of fixtures (SUN, wba, BLA, blp, LIV & tot, bol) and, barring a tricky double on Gameweek 33, the run looks relatively straightforward.
Prior to a hamstring injury that saw him miss much of February, Nasri was in outstanding form, particularly before the turn of the year. The midfielder has returned 108 FPL points this season, including 9 goals and 16 bonus points. His dazzling displays have left question marks over his Arsenal future, with teams such as Barcelona allegedly sniffing around.
Intriguingly, the three games in which Nasri has notched up his best Fantasy Premier League returns this season (West Brom (H) 12 FPL points, Man City (A) 14 FPL points, Fulham (H) 15 FPL points) have come when he has been the prominent force in Arsenal’s attack. Across these three fixtures Van Persie has managed just 28 minutes, Fabregas 84 and Walcott 26. In the trio’s probable absence at Sunderland, the stage is all set for Nasri to once again deliver a big performance and hefty Fantasy return.
Given his added attacking responsibilities, Nasri is also likely to take over some set piece duties. Expect him to fight it out with Arshavin and co for penalties and direct free-kicks, enhancing his potential further.
Another factor worth considering is the Frenchman’s drop in FPL ownership. Although hardly a “differential”, with 12.6% of Fantasy Managers holding Nasri in their teams, the player has been transferred out by hundreds of thousands throughout February. His price has, in turn, dropped slightly from a peak of 8.5 to 8.2.
