Rotation and defensive tactics have limited investment this season in Manchester City players not named Carlos Tevez or Joe Hart. Yaya Toure has reached double-digit ownership during the second half of the season as a budget buy and Aleksandar Kolarov saw a mini-bandwagon that lost a wheel (or two) before it ever reached full speed, but City’s Fantasy stew has generally remained lukewarm at best, despite a respectable season that sees them well positioned for a Champions League spot.
The Blue Moon is rising, however, and favorable fixtures and greater clarity regarding playing time have prompted significant discussion in recent days about the City midfield in particular, with some having already taken the leap and others pondering gameweek 35 and 36 purchases. Without question, the fixtures are most enticing. City are half of the season’s only remaining double gameweek, with that double sandwiched between two home fixtures against sides that have struggled mightily on the road (WHM, eve/TOT, STK, bol).
Although Toure and David Silva have earned most of the attention, Adam Johnson has also been added to the mix. We have scoured the stats and numbers to look at some of the pros and cons of each of this trio ahead of this weekend’s Eastlands showdown with West Ham.
Scoring. Although their respective styles are dramatically different, their overall league production this season is nearly identical:
| FPL pts | Goals | Assists | Bonus Pts | |
| David Silva | 123 | 4 | 7 | 16 |
| Yaya Toure | 127 | 5 | 6 | 14 |
| Adam Johnson | 87 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
The goals and assists are basically even, with Johnson trailing in overall points only due to reduced playing time as a result of injuries and rotation.
Playing Time. Breaking it down further, here is a quick look at their playing time in minutes as well as each player’s game count in terms of games in which each played 60 or more minutes, played 1 to 59 minutes, and did not play at all:
| Minutes Played | Played 60+ minutes | Played 1 to 59 minutes | Did Not Play | |
| David Silva | 2157 | 24 | 6 | 3 |
| Yaya Toure | 2516 | 28 | 2 | 3 |
| Adam Johnson | 1248 | 11 | 15 | 7 |
The numbers explain why Toure has been the preferred option thus far as he has been immune to rotation and held a central role in City’s team. However, the numbers may also support digging a little deeper with Roberto Mancini appearing more committed to a set lineup at the moment than at any time previously during the season.
Average Scoring. As the next chart reveals, Toure leads by a small margin in terms of points per appearance, but drops to the back of the pack if the analysis is limited solely to points from games involving more than 60 minutes or to all points per scored per minute of playing time:
| Avg Pts Per Appearance | Avg Pts Per 60+ Minute Appearance | Avg Pts Per 90 minutes | |
| David Silva | 4.10 | 4.46 | 5.13 |
| Yaya Toure | 4.23 | 4.46 | 4.54 |
| Adam Johnson | 3.35 | 5.18 | 6.27 |
A Final Breakdown. Consistent with these season averages, a quick glance at each player’s last five starts shows that – when they have played – all have been productive recently. Silva leads the way with 36 points in his last 5 starts (7,11,2,10,6), followed by Toure with 28 points (8,2,12,2,4) and then Johnson with 26 points (8,5,8,2,3). To be clear, these are each individual’s last five starts, not necessarily City’s last five games – arguably a reasonable approach if you are persuaded that each now hold a starting position. In addition to these point tallies, members accessing the OPTA stats will see that Silva has a commanding advantage in the category of key passes, while Toure holds a nod in successful dribbles. To his credit, Johnson has done well if not superb in both categories despite significantly fewer minutes.
Silva – As long as Tevez remains out, City’s attack should continue to run through Silva, and in turn increase the likelihood of his inclusion in Bonus Points, if not actual scoring. If you have cash to splash, Silva looks to hold an edge over Toure based on most recent form, but it is far from clear that he has a sufficient edge to warrant the expenditure if cash is tight.
Toure – Toure’s primary advantage to date has been his greater assurance of playing time, an advantage that may no longer exist. In any event, you can’t go wrong at the bargain price of 5.8 for an attacking midfielder, and it says something that the numbers are so close given their price difference. While perhaps a slightly more conservative approach, Toure frees up additional funds for your final moves of the season.
Johnson – Three straight starts bode well for Johnson during the run-in. All in all, he represents good value at his bargain price of 5.6 if cash is an issue. That said, he could make way should Mancini opt to start with Edin Dzeko and shift Mario Balotelli to a wide role. A riskier option and the wildcard in the pack.
