Paddy Power joins Fantasy Managers as we return to Premier League action, sandwiched between an FA Cup weekend and an annoying international break. Make the most of the gameweek while it’s with us then and take a scan of Paddy’s take to see if our bookmaker friends can offer some deciding thoughts around deadline…

Who Will Keep a Clean Sheet?

• Man United 2.10 (BOL)
• Chelsea 2.10 (MCY)
• Everton 2.37 (FUL)
• Tottenham 2.40 (WHM)
• Wigan 2.50 (BIR)
• Stoke 2.50 (NEW)
• Arsenal 2.80 (wba)
• Sunderland 2.87 (LIV)
• Aston Villa 2.87 (WOL)

Chelsea and Man United lead the top of the clean-sheet market this week. Having come through European exertions, the two Champions league quarter-final opponents face no easy ride on the domestic front with fixtures against Man City and Bolton respectively. Chelsea possibly offer the better value here, up against Roberto Mancini’s side who had their own European distraction on Thursday, having been dumped out of the Europa League. City have found goals hard to come by of late, with Carlos Tevez finding the net just once in his last nine games. With a sturdy 0.89gch (goals conceded at home) average, Chelsea look a decent option.

United prospects are tainted by injuries that rid them of all but one of their first choice rearguard. Visitors Bolton are averaging a goal a game on the road and in Daniel Sturridge, have a goalscorer in form. Despite this Chris Smalling in Big Dunc’s “Differential” and at just 4.4 in the Fantasy Premier League, looks more confident with every minute on the pitch and could emerge with profit. Paddy certainly rates his chances.

Spurs should be well rested after qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions league last week and now face West Ham at the Lane. Demba Ba has posed a potent threat in recent weeks, inspiring Avram Grant’s side to a much needed spell of form – he goes into this encounter as a minor doubt however, as does Freddie Piquionne. Harry Rednapp’s side show an 0.77gch (goals conceded at home) average facing The Hammer’s 1.14gsa (goals scored away). Statistic-wise then, this looks the most assured clean sheet outcome.

Paddy rate Everton’s chances over Spurs however. Unusually the Toffees have a better defensive record away from home, leaving Paddy to rely on Fulham’s appalling goalscoring record on their travels (0.86gsa) to justify the skinny price. With Fulham’s recent revival however – we’re not so sure the Mark Hughes’ team will fail to inflict at least some damage on the Goodison cleanie.

Wigan and Stoke also feature on this week’s rankings. Wigan are favoured purely due to a home against a fellow relegation battlers Birmingham, while Stoke entertain Newcastle it what could turn out to be a war of attrition on the Britannia pitch. Both those home sides offer decent value in the low-to-mid price Fantasy bracket, with Antolin Alcaraz and Robert Huth the key targets.

Anytime Goalscorer

• J Hernandez 1.83 (BOL)
• W Rooney 1.83 (BOL)
• R Van Persie 1.83 (wba)
• D Berbatov 1.90 (BOL)
• J Defoe 2.00 (WHM)
• D Bent 2.00 (WOL)
• R van der Vaart 2.10 (WHM)
• M Diouf 2.25 (BLP)
• R Santa-Cruz 2.25 (BLP)
• N Kalinic 2.25 (BLP)
• R Pavlyuchenko 2.30 (WHM)
• F Torres 2.40 (MCY)
• P Crouch 2.50 (WHM)
• A Arshavin 2.50 (wba)
• N Bendtner 2.50 (wba)
• M Chamakh 2.50 (wba)
• D Drogba 2.60 (MCY)
• K Jones 2.62 (NEW)
• A Carroll 2.62 (sun)
• L Nani 2.62 (BOL)
• H Rodallega 2.62 (BIR)
• N Anelka 2.62 (MCY)
• D Drogba 2.62 (MCY)
• K Jones 2.70 (NEW)
• L Saha 2.70 (FUL)
• A Young 2.87 (WOL)
• L Suarez 2.87 (sun)

Javier Hernandez appears to have cemented his starting role alongside Wayne Rooney having seized recent opportunities and left Dimitar Berbatov shackled to the bench. The elusive Mexican is well fancied to start and score by Paddy against Bolton at Old Trafford, sharing the top odds with Rooney, while the Bulgarian Golden Boot pretender is left frozen out fourth in Paddy’s rankings.

Jermain Defoe left his mark at Wolves with two quality strikes to suggest that he;s ready to embark on a run of goals to push Tottenham’s top four ambitions. He will face a West Ham’s defence that boasts an unenviable 2gca (goals conceded away) average, indicating that Spurs and Defoe could see profit. Rafael van der Vaart features just above even money and is the highest listed midfielder this week. If there is to be a goal glut at the Lane, the Dutchman will surely fetch returns.

Darren Bent and Robin Van Persie are also highly fancied; Bent hasn’t seen action in the past two weeks, so should be fresh and eager to add to his 11 goals thus far this season when the Wolves defence pays a visit. Van Persie failed to notch against Barcelona and United; given his prolific form before the injury, you would expect some joy for Van Persie at the Hawthorns.

Blackburn Rovers provide some unfamiliar names to Paddy’s odds list with a trio of strikers – Mame Diouf, Roque Santa Cruz and Nikola Kalinic, all well fancied to find the net against the obliging Blackpool defence at Ewood. While we share the theory behind this, we prefer Junior Hoilett – at longer odds (4.00) with Paddy but in Big Dunc’s “Differential” this week as a choice budget Fantasy option up front.

Paddy’s Scout Specials

We’ve a whole array of Scout Specials for you this week. The Clean Sheet Accumulator offers odds of 14/1 on United, Blackburn and Villa all keeping shutouts in the gameweek.

To back our Scout Pick selections we’ve got a variety of specials surrounding Rafael van der Vaart, Robin Van Persie and Ashley Young.

You can get 13/2 on a Van der Vaart brace at the Lane against West Ham – with 25/1 on the hat-trick. Paddy are offering 18/1 on Ashley Young repeating his brace of goals last time he was at Villa Park. Robin Van Persie meanwhile is at 7/2 for two goals against West Brom, with 14/1 offered on the hat-trick.

Paddy’s Money Back Special

Paddy take the trip to Stamford Bridge for this week’s Money Back Special.
If Fernando Torres or Carlos Tevez scores the last goal in the Chelsea vs City match, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast single on the game.

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