With the FA Cup Sixth Round also taking place this weekend, there are just four league matches over Saturday and Sunday for Fantasy managers to fret about. A couple more on Tuesday before Wednesday’s feast of four fixtures finally takes us over the finishing line – this Gameweek is one for the patient. As usual, the Scout Selection Committee knocked our heads together to whittle down out final XI. Here’s who we’ve gone for:
With a single goal conceded in his last three games, we’re opting for Mark Schwarzer between the posts. Fulham’s home form has been pivotal to their season so far and with visitors Swansea notoriously poor on their travels, the Craven Cottage match-up looks promising for Martin Jol’s side. The Swans have failed to score in four of their last seven away, suggesting the hosts recent improvement at the back could well be rewarded again.
Last night’s result in Bilbao saw United crash out of Europe and it’s fair to say Sir Alex Ferguson will be looking for an immediate response. A trip to struggling Wolves affords the champions the perfect opportunity to bounce back and with Blackburn picking up their first clean sheet of the season at Molineux last week, Terry Connor’s side look particularly toothless right now. Jonny Evans gets the nod, then, with a 4.7 price tag offering a cut-price route into the visitors’ back-four.
A home game again Stoke turns our attentions to Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Similar to Swansea, the Potters have been heavily reliant on their home form and have failed to score in four of their last six away. The left-back has averaged 5.5 points per game at the Lane, including a couple of double figure returns in his last five at home, and looks set for another strong evening next Wednesday.
A shoulder injury to Richard Dunne has helped spark Carlos Cuellar’s Fantasy prospects into life. So often a peripheral figure this term, a move into the heart of Alex McLeish’s back-four has seen his side concede just one goal in the last three games; Cuellar has picked up bonus points (3,3,2) in each of those matches, excelling alongside James Collins. Add to this the fact that visitors Bolton haven’t scored in any of the last four on the road, and the Spaniard looks a good bet to continue his recent impressive returns.
The top scoring midfielder in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, Gareth Bale is an obvious choice this Gameweek ahead of the home showdown with Stoke. Spurs will be determined to halt a three-game losing streak as they look to strengthen their lead over Arsenal in the chase for third and with Bale already scoring double figures on four occasions at the Lane so far, many have faith in him to perform; he currently sits fifth in the Captain Poll.
Few Fantasy managers would be confident going into this gameweek without the services of Clint Dempsey. The Fulham midfielder has produced attacking returns in nine of his last eleven at the Cottage and has averaged 7.6 points per home game over the course of the season. With the 15 point return in his previous home match still fresh in the memory, Dempsey even tops Bale in the Captain Poll and currently sits in second.
The second half cameo against Sunderland impressed us, the goal against Arsenal more so, but the midweek praise of Alan Pardew convinced us to throw Hatem Ben Arfa into our eleven. The Newcastle boss has been particularly complimentary of the Frenchman’s goal threat and work-rate and with visitors Norwich conceding in every away game so far, Ben Arfa looks set to be unleashed as the Magpies go looking for the three points.
Subject of recent members and Watchlist articles, James Morrison is drafted in once again. The West Brom midfielder has averaged 6 points per game over his last five away starts, with the Baggies form on the road proving profitable. A trip to the DW Stadium, where Wigan have picked up a mere five points in their last twelve, affords the in-form midfielder further chance to impress.
With seven goals, 10 bonus points and an average of 11.5 points per game in his last four appearances, Wayne Rooney has become a near-essential Fantasy acquisition of late. A win at Wolves would stretch his side’s lead to four points before City face Chelsea on Tuesday and with the hosts shipping nine goals in three games since Terry Connor’s appointment, we reckon Rooney will recover from the knock picked up in Spain last night in time to plunder the points at Molineux.
A trip to Goodison is by no means an easy task. David Moyes’ side have clean sheets in each of their last three home games but if there’s one man who can be trusted to breach the Toffees backline, it’sRobin Van Persie. The Arsenal skipper has returned double figures five times away from home already and, with his last road trip earning him 13 points from the red half of Merseyside, he’s impossible for us to ignore.
With fourteen straight wins at the Etihad and an average of three goals per home game, form suggests City will get amongst the goals against Chelsea. We’ve been burned by Sergio Aguero too often lately, so we’re turning our attentions to Mario Balotelli instead. The former Inter man seems to be firmly asserting himself in Roberto Mancini’s first-team plans of late and is the only City striker to feature in the first XI for the last three games. Balotelli has returned attacking points in each of the five games he has started at the Etihad, picking up 10 bonus points along the way; a good omen ahead of Wednesday’s vital showdown.
