The previous calendar year was a topsy-turvy one for Stephane Sessegnon. A marquee signing from Paris St. Germain in last January’s transfer window, many backed the diminutive midfield dynamo to steal the show in a Sunderland side hardly famed for its flair.
Sessegnon’s difficulties in adjusting to life in England were initially reflected in Steve Bruce’s inability to find a settled home for him in a combative midfield but, when a late-season injury crisis saw the Benin international reborn as a stand-in striker, a flurry of goals made him a key differential as mini-league races reached a crescendo. Carrying that form into a devastating pre-season, hopes were high for a profitable campaign.
By October, that optimism seemed a distant memory; a single assist from the first eight gameweeks brought an average of just 2.6 points per game and saw Sessegnon’s price in free fall. Two double-digit gameweeks were followed by a further prolonged period in the doldrums and, in a game in which consistency is a prized asset, a bulimic tendency towards feast and famine rarely fosters a loyal following. Fierce competition amongst the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) mid-priced midfielders saw Sessegnon fall by the wayside as players with the security of dead-ball duties made the early running.
Martin O’Neill’s arrival on Wearside has breathed new life into Sunderland’s stuttering season and Sessegnon has been a notable beneficiary of the growing confidence at the Stadium of Light. A total of 31 points in his last four games have seen him eclipse Seb Larsson as the side’s top FPL point-scorer. Coupled with this upturn in form is the news that O’Neill is determined to rebuff a growing crowd of suitors and has publicly challenged Sessegnon to become “a proper centre forwardâ€. With Connor Wickham still finding his feet in the Premier League and Nicklas Bendtner cheerfully maintaining his hard-won reputation for unreliability, Sessegnon may get the chance to rise to that challenge with home games against Norwich and Swansea just around the corner.
As wildcard season gathers pace and Fantasy managers look to wring every last penny out of their squads, Sessegnon’s 6.5 price represents a significant saving over Larsson’s 6.9, and with budget upstart James McClean yet to firmly establish himself in the side, Sessegnon looks set to be the prime target for those looking to capitalise on two tempting home ties for a buoyant Black Cats.
