With six sides currently facing a blank Gameweek 34, our regular look at Frisking of the Fixtures is slightly affected this week. While there’s every chance those missing matches could be scheduled for the same Gameweek, at present we are leaving those teams to one side and focusing on the sides that presently have a definite fixture in place.
For the moment, we’re also omitting Bolton, due to the uncertainty over their upcoming schedule, in light of Fabrice Muamba’s current condition…
The Strong
Man United
The champions continue to rack at the goals at an eye-catching rate in their attempt to reclaim the title. Sunday’s 5-0 win at Wolves was the latest in a run of games that has seen them net two or more goals in all but one fixture since Gameweek 15. Antonio Valencia’s return looks timely, with the Ecuadorian once again proving a key performer in United’s offensive ploys- priced at 7.5, the transfers-in are already racking up.
Wayne Rooney may have drawn a rare blank but his form remains strong; seven goals in his last five appearances is likely to see plenty more Fantasy managers draft in the forward. Javier Hernandez served a reminder of his differential potential with a brace at Wolves, while Jonny Evans’ goal and clean sheet made a mockery of his 4.8 price tag. With (FUL,bla, QPR, wig, AVL) to follow in the next five, the fixture list continues to offer plenty potential for the red half of Manchester.
Arsenal
An obliging schedule is on the cards for Arsene Wenger’s side, with Robin Van Persie set to be locked in constant battle with Rooney for the Fantasy Premier League captain’s armband. Home games against Villa and Wigan offer the Gunners skipper strong opportunities to rack up the points and extend his lead as the top Fantasy points scorer, while trips to QPR and Wolves are equally enticing. Arsenal also play host to City and Chelsea in the next six but, given that they’ve just seen off Sunderland, Spurs, Liverpool and Newcastle in such resilient fashion, confidence is sky-high right now.
Theo Walcott will surely see an upturn in Fantasy ownership – over 56,000 have drafted the winger in over the past three Gameweeks due to his recent performances. Alex Song’s steady rate of assists offers a decent mid-price option, while Thomas Vermaelen’s eye for goal and Bacary Sagna’s delivery from out wide have been fundamental in the Gunners’ chase of north London rivals Tottenham in the race for third.
Stoke
The installation of Asmir Begovic in goal seems to have steadied the Stoke ship. The Potters arrived at Chelsea last week on the back of a two-match winning run, with no goals conceded; an act of folly from Ricardo Fuller mean the visitors were forced to play most of the match with ten men and narrowly lost 1-0. Stoke’s short-term fixtures look appealing, even with a home game with City this upcoming weekend; given that Roberto Mancini’s side have notched just two goals in their last six away games, a home clean sheet is even a possibility.
Pulis’ side then face two of the bottom three – a trip to Wigan and a home game with Wolves – before heading to Villa. Victories in all three looks feasible, with Matt Etherington’s form on the wing likely to be crucial to their chances. Begovic and the likes of Robert Huth also offer clean sheet potential, with Ryan Shotton a cut-price out of position option, albeit a slightly risky one, given Pulis’ penchant for rotation. Andy Wilkinson is your budget option – with perhaps that little more security than the forward-thinking Shotton.
Also Consider
Swansea – with three straight wins and no goals conceded, Brendan Rodgers’ side are showing no sign of slipping as the season heats up. Home games against Everton and Newcastle, with a trip to White Hart Lane sandwiched in between, would normally be classified as tricky but, given the Welsh side’s form, a couple of wins from those three would not be surprising. Games against QPR, Blackburn and Bolton then follow – the likes of Steven Caulker, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Danny Graham offer cut-price potential right through the spine of the team.
West Brom – the Baggies have three winnable home games in the next five, as Newcastle, Blackburn and QPR all roll up to the Hawthorns. If Peter Odemwingie recovers from a calf problem, investment in the Nigerian looks certain, given his recent form. James Morrison offers cut-price potential in midfield, though with Roy Hodgson admitting he intends to utilise his squad over the remainder of the season, question marks may be raised against many of their players.
The Weak
Blackburn
The next five gameweeks offer Steve Kean’s side little optimism as the Ewood Park outfit continue their battle against the drop. A home clash against United affords the champions a chance of avenging the Gameweek 19 reverse at Old Trafford, while Liverpool also pay visit to Lancashire, with the Reds beginning to return to form following Steven Gerrard’s comeback from injury. Rovers may struggle to pick up points, with just three wins in the last eleven in front of their own supporters.
While the Gameweek 28 win at Wolves boosted the confidence and registered a first clean sheet of the season, Terry Connor’s side are clearly in free-fall. Trips to in-form Swansea and West Brom hardly bode well for Kean’s troops and, with next weekend’s trip to Bolton possibly up in the air, Yakubu and co may find it hard pushed to produce for their Fantasy owners.
Aston Villa
With the midweek home game against Bolton now postponed, Alex McLeish’s side have some work to do if they are to accumulate points over the upcoming Gameweeks. An improvement at the back, with Carlos Cuellar alongside James Collins, has seen them ship just two goals in their last four but the absence of Darren Bent up front has hit hard, with only three goals scored since the end of Gameweek 23.
Currently on 33 points, an upcoming schedule that reads (ars, CHE, liv, STO, mun, SUN) suggests Villa’s season may go down to the wire if they are to avoid the drop. The likes of Cuellar will be pivotal at the back if the Villains are to profit from the next six Gameweeks.
QPR
Mark Hughes’s side have a horrendous run of upcoming fixtures, with the schedule simply merciless on the off-form Loftus Road outfit. Home games against Arsenal, Swansea and Tottenham, in addition to trips to Sunderland, United and West Brom, suggest their Premier League prospects could well be doomed before long. Faith in the likes of Djibril Cisse and Bobby Zamora as Fantasy prospects is likely to quickly diminish over such a punishing period, with points looking particularly hard to come by as Hughes seeks to mastermind an escape from the drop zone.
Also Be Wary Of
Sunderland – in the short term, at least, the Black Cats have three tricky tests in the next four. While this weekend’s home clash with QPR looks promising for the returning Stephane Sessegnon, Martin O’Neill’s outfit then face visits to City and Everton and, with Sunderland picking up a single away clean sheet since O’Neill’s installation, both matches could spell trouble for owners of the likes of Simon Mignolet. With a home game against Spurs sandwiched in between, the Wearsiders may struggle for consistent returns before an upturn in fixtures in Gameweek 34.
Wigan – a glance at the season ticker suggests Roberto Martinez looks to have his work cut out if the Latics are to avoid the drop. Wigan have Liverpool, Chelsea, United and Arsenal in the next six, with a trip to Fulham also thrown in. Indeed, the most favourable fixture in their next six is a home clash against Stoke but with a single home win all season, the clouds are gathering over the DW Stadium right now. Despite renewed faith in Victor Moses after a goal and assist in the last couple of Gameweeks, the 5.0 priced midfielder may well be returning two-pointers once again.
