Our Watchlist rankings – found in the lower section of your homepage sidebar – have now been updated, bringing you our thoughts on mid-term player picks for the Gameweeks ahead.
The brief headline is – take a look at Arsenal. Despite the confidence-draining drubbing at Old Trafford, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Gunners now have a run of opponents that should present a sturdy leg-up for their top four ambitions.
Arsene Wenger’s defence, whilst ravaged by injury against United, is now reconstructed and revived by much needed new blood; we can only speculate just how the new faces will settle but there’s no denying the fact that, if Arsenal can maintain their possession game over the coming weeks, we should see clean sheet returns – even with Thomas Vermaelen out of the frame.
Going forward meanwhile, Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun have been presented with the fixture equivalent of a playground on which to display their repertoire of flicks and neat one-two’s. Gain a confidence boosting win against the Swans this weekend and we’re projecting a strong goal return for Robin Van Persie and his attacking comrades.
In short, Arsenal coverage looks wise over the next six Gameweeks, but here’s a breakdown of the current Watchlist in full assessing those other player picks currently in our thinking…
Wojciech Szczeny’s selection at the top of our keeper rankings reflects the fixture list and his shot-stopping talents, which should bring significant returns over the next few weeks. West Brom’s Ben Foster maintains a high placing with the Baggies continuing a run of favourable opponents, despite a run of three away games in four – save points will again be key for Foster over this spell.
It’s a similar story with Newcastle’s Tim Krul, who will play behind a defence that has conceded just a single goal in their first three matches – a trio of away games in the next four will test the Magpies’ defensive credentials further. Wolves’ Wayne Hennessey is perhaps the dark horse pick here – he has three clashes at Molineux to come in the next four Gameweeks and, like Krul, is playing behind a much-improved defensive unit.
Jose Bosingwa’s superb start to the season has him ranked as our number one defensive acquisition. He’s got two tough Gameweeks to come but a schedule that picks up rather well after that, presenting further opportunity for the raiding full-back to boost his returns. Vincent Kompany remains the most secure and solid component of the Man City defence and with three home games in the next five, he should return on any investment while others rotate around him.
Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen was our choice from Wenger’s back four but today’s news has thrown that theory in the bin and left us with an uncertain mix of options. Per Mertesacker gets the nod – although his rank reflects some uncertainty on how he will settle amongst his new team-mates. Bacary Sagna is more expensive but might just be a safer option to explore.
Newcastle’s Steven Taylor heads up a list of strong mid-price options with Wolves’ Roger Johnson, Villa’s James Collins (with Alan Hutton close as an alternative) and Fulham’s Jon Arne Riise (if fit), all presenting good potential in the coming Gameweeks.
Leighton Baines, previously installed as our top ranked Watchlist defender, suffers a drop while his hamstring injury is assessed. He could be restored in our top five once fit but has a spell of evil fixtures to come from Gameweek 6 onwards. Right now, he’s relegated in our defensive thinking.
Arsenal’s Theo Walcott is the big climber in our midfield rankings, threatening to push David Silva off the top position with his strong start to the season and an array of fixtures which should see the Emirates flyer continue on the goal trail. A slight hamstring injury is a concern but we’d expect Walcott to shrug this off and feature against Swansea this weekend.
United’s Ashley Young holds firm in our top five, joined by the potential of Chelsea’s Juan Mata and Fulham’s Clint Dempsey – both strong attacking talents with the fixtures to help them emerge as early season prospects. We’re taking a punt on Mata, but have already seen enough to suggest that, come the home matches with Swansea and Everton, the Spaniard will emerge as a genuine alternative to the inconsistent Fantasy options presented by Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda.
Samir Nasri and Mikel Arteta offer options for those unable to find the cash for the Silva/Walcott combination. Behind them we have Wolves’ Matt Jarvis who heads up a host of midfield talent in Mick McCarthy’s squad – all of which should prosper in the coming weeks. QPR’s Adel Taarabt and West Brom’s Chris Brunt have yet to announce themselves in Fantasy terms this season – both have the talent and fixtures to put that right.
Up front it’s impossible to ignore Wayne Rooney’s form, despite a tough run of opponents to come. Edin Dzeko has an easier path over the coming Gameweeks and similarly devastating form – like Rooney, it’s hard to build a case against him – only the threat of rotation could dent his prospects but, right now, that seems unlikely.
Robin Van Persie is undoubtedly an unlikely differential – while a large number of Fantasy managers give up on the Dutchman, his forthcoming fixtures deliver a platform that will surely bring him increased goal and assist returns. That’s enough to see him rank above the mercurial talent of Luis Suarez who has to contend with some difficult fixtures – including three away trips in the next four Gameweeks.
Steven Fletcher and Grant Holt both present strong options over the weeks to come within the low-to-mid price bracket. Both have already got off the mark this season and, with attractive home fixtures ahead of them, should repay the Fantasy faith. Shane Long’s calf injury keeps him simmering rather than threatening the top four, while Fulham’s Bryan Ruiz makes an appearance – like Mata, he’s a player we’re backing to make a significant impact on our Fantasy seasons. Right now, he looks a gamble and a differential – that may well change in the weeks to come.
We will break this down further with a series of single player reports over the week – look out for those in the next couple of days.
