With Sunderland’s upcoming fixtures affording Fantasy managers a viable route into the conundrum that is Gameweek 34 and double Gameweek 36, Stephane Sessegnon looks primed for investment. The top scoring Fantasy Premier League (FPL) player for Martin O’Neill’s side, Sessegnon has a couple of home games against two of the bottom five and, with the Black Cats performances at the Stadium of Light continuing to impress, the Benin international could be set to profit once again.
Many managers’ transfer plans now turn to the difficult weekend ahead and, with eight sides facing blanks, a tactical alternative is to focus on those with strong fixtures over both Gameweek 34 and 36. One of only three sides with favourable home fixtures in each of those Gameweeks – along with Swansea and West Brom – O’Neill’s outfit face an out-of-sorts Wolves on Saturday before playing host to Bolton in a fortnight’s time. Sandwiched in between is a trip to Villa – a clash that won’t deter Sessegnon’s potential suitors.
Despite their recent hammering at Everton, a look at Sunderland’s contrasting home/away form since the sacking of Steve Bruce indicates just how strong a force the Black Cats are in front of their own fans. While they have picked up 11 points from 10 ten games on the road, the Wearsiders have accrued 20 points from nine home fixtures under O’Neill. Six wins, a couple of draws and a single loss are indicative of their reliable home displays, with Arsenal the only side to escape with the three points.
With two goals, three assists and five bonus points over his eight home appearances under O’Neill, Sessegnon has returned a total of 48 points at the Stadium of Light – an average of six points per home game since Bruce’s dismissal. Indeed, in spite of Sunderland’s poor away form, Sessegnon has remained consistent on the road – a couple of goals, three assists and four bonus points is almost identical to his home returns and will instill plenty confidence ahead of the Gameweek 35 trip to Villa Park.
While a trip to Fulham and home clash with United look tricky, Sessegnon’s short-term fixtures promote him highly in the updated Watchlist rankings and, with Nicklas Bendtner a doubt due to a back injury, he may well be afforded the opportunity to lead the line once again, as O’Neill’s side look to bounce back from the Goodison mauling and finish the season on a high.
