Man City arrive at this double Gameweek knowing that a win against Everton all but cements their Champions League dreams. With seven points separating themselves and Tottenham and just four fixtures left in the Premier League, City would have to self-destruct in order to fail to secure passage into the competition; a path that their ambitious owners so desperately crave.
Given their double Gameweek and the fact many Fantasy Managers will be desperate for late returns to propel themselves above rivals, City’s players will be the source of much investment. As we’ve discussed at length this week, however, caution is required. Roberto Mancini has strongly hinted that at a spell of tinkering is long overdue after fielding the same lineup for three consecutive matches, creating a troubling scenario for Fantasy Managers looking to profit from City’s schedule.
The Prospects
City are currently in mixed form, winning games against lesser opponents (Sunderland, Blackburn, West Ham) but slipping to costly defeats against the bigger sides (Chelsea, Liverpool). If you extract their recent 5-0 humiliation of Sunderland, City have mustered just six goals in seven outings. Away from home the statistics are more damming – just two goals in four games with three defeats in that run; hardly form that suggests we can prepare for heavy attacking returns from Mancini’s men.
Their first gameweek fixture is an away trip – and a tough one. Everton are in a fairly good run of form, winning three and drawing two of their last six – their loss coming at the hands of Man United. The Toffees have lost just three times at Goodison Park this season; it all points to being a testing trip for City who arrive with that shaky away form.
A win at Everton could all but seal the deal for City. If Spurs drop points at home to a Blackpool side scrapping for survival and City earn three points, the fourth spot will be assured. That could mean that Eastlands clash with Spurs on Tuesday could be nothing more than a chance for some of Mancini’s fringe players to get a run out and, in particular, for Carlos Tevez to prove his match fitness ahead of the FA Cup Final date with Stoke four days later.
Whatever the scenario, City look well placed for the win – Spurs have won just one of their last eight Premier League games. Having said that, last season’s 1-0 victory at City courtesy of a Peter Crouch goal will live in the memory ahead of Tuesday’s game; a similarly tight and edgy affair could be on the agenda should both teams go into the fixture with all to play for.
The Likely Lads
Apart from these two fixtures, City have the FA Cup Final against Stoke the following weekend and then they play Tony Pullis’ Potters once again three days later, giving them four games over 14 days. Rotation over that spell of games is pretty much guaranteed. Given City’s strength in depth, finding nailed-on starters for all three league games looks an unenviable task.
The most secure option, who could also bring home some points is probably Yaya Toure. The Ivorian has started their last nine games can play in an attacking midfield role or drop back to protect the back four alongside Gareth Barry and/or Nigel De Jong. That flexibility has him well placed to figure across City’s forthcoming run. Priced at 6.0 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game Toure offers good value, but with paltry returns over his last three games, there is a doubt over his potential to deliver. David Silva is undoubtedly in better form, fetching 10 bonus points in his last five starts and scoring 10, 6, 7 in his last three starts. But priced at 8.5 in the FPL, he is a considerable investment and he could easily be rested against Spurs on Tuesday if results go City’s way this weekend.
At the back you can certainly find reliability in the form of Joe Hart – the goalkeeper has notched up 155 FPL points, putting on top of the current keeper rankings. Sadly, he is already owned by 33% of FPL Managers and with a value of 6.8, a move for the City stopper involves heavy investment with little potential for explosive returns – not the end of season formula we’re looking for. A “vanity transfer” then, made by those Fantasy Managers enjoying the luxury of cementing a mini-league lead, rather than clawing back a deficit.
There are options in front of Hart. Aleksandar Kolarov arrived at Eastlands with this reputation of being some kind of set-piece maestro, something he has failed to live up in his first season in the Premier League – the Serb has just a single goal and assist so far. Although Kolarov generally disappoints, the potential is always there and together with the possibility of clean sheets, he continues to promise hefty returns if he turn his attacking and set-piece influence into returns. Joleon Lescott is a less explosive option – a far stronger defender with the potential for Bonus Points should City gain shutouts, the former Everton man also carries a threat at set-plays. City have scored just two headed goals all season though – not a statistic that suggests we can rely on set-piece conversion from City’s six-footers.
Cheeky Punt
Given the fact that Mancini will rotate and, as explained in our earlier article, Carlos Tevez looks set to return on Tuesday, choosing a City striker is a difficult task. Had the Tevez news not filtered through, you would have put your money on Mario Balotelli as a punt. But given the fact Balotelli could miss out on Tuesday, his potential has been slightly scuppered. At 8.0 we wouldn’t massively break the bank but, with no goals in his last five games, he is certainly a risk.
A wiser move could be Adam Johnson who, priced 5.6, offers great value in midfield considering his burgeoning talent, demonstrated over his run of appearances for City and England this season. But, with one eye on the FA Cup, he could easily fall foul of the impending rotations.
