Wayne Rooney gets amongst the goals again as United replace City at the top of the table. Ashley Young’s good form continues, Victor Moses saves a point for Wigan, while City’s away woes show no sign of abating, with a 1-0 loss at the Liberty Stadium giving Fantasy managers plenty to ponder:
Wayne Rooney
Grabbing both goals in United’s 2-0 win over West Brom, Rooney has now scored seven in his last four league games. Given that he’d netted five times in his previous 16 appearances prior to the Gameweek 24 trip to Chelsea, the about turn in performance is obvious and, as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side step up their bid to retain the title, significant investment is sure to come the forward’s way. One look at the upcoming schedule (wol, FUL, bla, QPR, wig) suggests plenty more goals are on the horizon for Rooney, with yesterday’s brace taking his tally to 20 for the season and leaving him on 165 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points, second only to Robin Van Persie. For many Fantasy managers, Sergio Aguero’s omission from the City first XI at Swansea will be the final straw, with a switch to Rooney now firmly in plenty Fantasy plans.
Ashley Young
His upturn in performances continued at Old Trafford yesterday, with an assist for Rooney’s spot-kick second. With Nani missing out after picking up a knock in training, Young stepped up again for United and has now produced attacking returns in each of his last three appearances- his most consistent streak of the season. Young rose by 0.1 on the back of last week’s display at Spurs, with over 41,000 acquiring his services but, with Antonio Valencia on the verge of a return from hamstring trouble, his first-team role might not be quite so nailed-on. With Nani seeming more of a threat on the left, Valencia could slot back into the United right, leaving Young and the Portuguese star battling it out for the role on the opposite flank. The fact that Danny Welbeck played wide right yesterday, though, shows there’s no point in trying to second-guess Sir Alex Ferguson.
City Away Form
Two goals in the last six away games sums up City’s plight on the road. Yesterday’s 1-0 loss at the Liberty Stadium will continue the steady migration of transfers out, with Fantasy managers snapping up the red half of Manchester instead. While Roberto Mancini’s side have won every home game so far, their away performances are proving far too erratic to justify heavy Fantasy investment. Sergio Aguero –who came on as a first half sub- has now failed to score in nine away games, with a single assist on the road since Gameweek 9. David Silva has picked up just two assists in his last eight away appearances and, overall, has drawn a blank in all but five of his last 14; the Spaniard’s drop in price last week is a clear indication of the current loss in faith.
Joe Hart
The only player to manage every minute of the season for Roberto Mancini’s side, Hart’s penalty save at the Liberty Stadium stretched his lead as the top overall defensive player in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) standings. With 13 clean sheets and just 20 goals conceded, Hart has returned 128 points so far- Michel Vorm is next best keeper with 124 points, while Benoit Assou-Ekotto is best defender, with 117 points. Hart’s chances of a clean sheet were hardly boosted by the absence of City first-choice centre-halves- Joleon Lescott joining Vincent Kompany on the sidelines after picking up an abductor injury.
Michel Vorm
Having conceded in each of their last five at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea’s ability to return home clean sheets was a distant memory. It took a trip from travel-sick City to get Vorm and co back amongst the points in front of their own fans, with a 1-0 win courtesy of sub Luke Moore. Vorm’s defiant display saw him make 8 saves against Mancini’s men, returning the Dutchman’s 35% Fantasy owners a total of 9 points. On the back of last week’s 2-0 win at Wigan, Vorm has now returned successive clean sheets for only the third time this term, though with (ful, EVE, tot, NEW) up next, Brendan Rodgers’ side have a tough time ahead.
Victor Moses
Wigan’s much-maligned wide man had the last laugh at Carrow Road, earning the Latics a crucial point at Carrow Road. While Moses has proven to be a huge disappointment at the DW Stadium with not a single goal or assist at home, his performances on the road have continued to pick up recently. He has now returned attacking points in four of his last five away games, with 2 goals and 2 assists, and, with 91 points, he is second only to Nathan Dyer in terms of “Value” for sub 5.0 priced midfielders.
Wes Hoolahan
With just 57 minutes in his previous three gameweeks, Hoolahan’s starting role against Wigan looked far from assured. Paul Lambert’s penchant for midfield rotation put paid to our plans for Anthony Pilkington in the Scout Picks last Friday- we felt Andrew Surman was more nailed on for a start and this proved to be the case, with the former afforded a 21 minutes second half appearance, much to the frustration of his Fantasy owners. Lambert altered his side’s shape, affording Hoolahan a role behind a front two and the playmaker justified his first-team inclusion with his third goal of the campaign. Lambert’s” horses for courses” policy means Hoolahan could easily return to the Canaries bench for next week’s trip to Newcastle, though; up against the industry of Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye, his chances of inclusion are far from guaranteed.
