Later than usual, The Digest examines Newcastle’s unstoppable striker, Tottenham’s return to goalscoring form and the dilemma up front for Fantasy managers ahead of the penultimate Gameweek:
The Player
A pair of sublime finishes at the Bridge proved the weekend blank at Wigan was just a temporary blip. Papiss Cisse’s outstanding goalscoring record since joining Newcastle back in January shows little sign of letting up – last night, the former SC Freiburg man demonstrated he’s capable of producing world-class finishes as well as grabbing the occasional six-yard tap-in for Alan Pardew’s side.
With nine goals in his six appearances prior to the double Gameweek, Cisse was transferred in by over 90,000 Fantasy managers but failed to fire against the Latics, hitting the woodwork twice as his scoring streak came to an unexpected end. Up against a buoyant Chelsea side, many had expected him to struggle but last night’s double highlighted just what sort of player Pardew has acquired in the winter window.
A tally of 13 goals in 12 games, with maximum bonus points in six of his last eight appearances, Cisse’s confidence is sky-high right now and the scene is set for him to possibly have a major say in the destination of the title. City arrive at the Sports Direct Arena in desperate need of the three points prior to their Gameweek 38 home match with QPR – Roberto Mancini’s men have returned three clean sheets in their last four, but Cisse could well spoil their ambitions this Sunday. It’s by no means a straightforward fixture for the in-form forward and, with a trip to Goodison to follow, he could barely ask for a trickier end to the campaign – David Moyes’ side have seven clean sheets in their last eight at home. Only 9,000 Fantasy managers have snapped up his services so far but, with an average 8.4 points per game, plenty more will want a piece of the action prior to Saturday’s deadline.
The Team
Tottenham were hardly in the best of form prior to their double Gameweek. Harry Redknapp’s side had registered a single win in the previous nine Gameweeks but a pair of fixtures against relegation candidates Blackburn and Bolton proved the perfect platform to re-ignite their push for a fourth place finish.
A return to form saw Spurs rack up six goals over the Gameweek, with Rafael Van der Vaart the main protagonist. A goal against Blackburn means the Dutchman has now notched in each of his last three home starts, while a goal and assist contribution at the Reebok brought his score for the Gameweek to 22 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points. With Gareth Bale also weighing in with a trio of assists and Emmanuel Adebayor bagging a brace against the Trotters, the confidence is back and, with the Fantasy heavyweights amongst the north London outfit flourishing once again, their owners will be in confident mood heading into the final two Gameweeks.
Spurs now travel to Aston Villa – the midlands side have picked up just two points from their last four home matches and are falling flat in their battle to stave off the threat of relegation. Gameweek 38 then sees Fulham arrive at the Lane; the Cottagers will be boosted by their midweek win at Liverpool but Kenny Dalglish’s decision to rest and rotate proved the home side’s undoing. Three defeats in their last five road trips is more indicative of Fulham’s form and, with the likelihood of a win required to seal their spot in fourth, Spurs are certain to go all out to finish the season in style.
The Talking Point
With eight teams facing a pair of fixtures last time round, forward lines were shaken up and restructured ahead of the double Gameweek. A willingness to hop aboard the Nikica Jelavic and Papiss Cisse bandwagons saw Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney sacrificed by many – the Gunners skipper was shipped out by 84,000 Fantasy managers, while almost 32,000 rid themselves of the United man’s services.
Both, however, look strong captaincy favourites ahead of the weekend’s schedule. Van Persie now faces Norwich at home and, with the Canaries shipping 11 goals in their last three games, Paul Lambert’s side seem to have taken their foot off the gas now their top-flight safety is assured. Arsene Wenger’s men desperately need the points – a win for Chelsea in the Champions League Final against Bayern Munich would mean that only the top three qualify next season. The Gunners are currently in third but can afford no more slip-ups, with Spurs and Newcastle just a single point behind them.
Rooney welcomes Swansea to Old Trafford in United’s final home game of the season. Neck and neck with City in the race for the title, it could well come down to goal difference and, at present, United are eight goals worse off than their neighbours. All-out attack is likely, then, and a look at Rooney’s recent home stats suggests points are on the agenda; he has scored and picked up maximum bonus in each of his last three at Old Trafford – indeed, he has bagged a brace in four of his last six at home, such has been his consistency.
While both players face tricky away trips on the final Gameweek, with Van Persie at West Brom and Rooney at Sunderland, a switch to Sergio Aguero or Carlos Tevez is an easy move, with QPR rolling up to the Etihad. At present, almost 12,000 Fantasy managers have transferred in Van Persie, with 9,000 bringing in Rooney. With so much at stake for both players, entering the Gameweek with only one, or neither, in our starting line-ups this weekend looks a seriously risky move indeed.
