The penultimate match of the Gameweek sees Andre Villas-Boas chalk up his first league win as Tottenham manager with a comfortable cruise at the Madejski over Reading. Here’s the Sunday Stock Check…
On the Up
Jermain Defoe
Many had assumed he’d move to the bench this afternoon but Defoe started as the lone forward against the Royals, with Emmanuel Adebayor an unused sub. Having found the net twice, he looks difficult to drop – much to the consternation of Adebayor’s Fantasy owners.
Gareth Bale
Over 184,000 Fantasy Premier League managers had sold on the Welshman after a stuttering start to the campaign but Bale finally came good by bagging his side’s second. With QPR and Villa visiting the Lane in the next three, the suitors are set to come flooding back ahead of the weekend deadline.
The Tottenham Right Flank
The visitors’ pace down the right troubled Ian Harte at left-back for much of the match. Aaron Lennon and Kyle Walker plundered an assist apiece as the veteran was given a bit of a chasing.
Adam Le Fondre
Brought on at half-time as Brian McDermott changed from 4-4-1-1 to 4-4-2, the forward justified his manager’s decision with an assist for Hal Robson-Kanu’s late consolation. While the Reading boss may be eying up a lone striker system ahead of three road trips in the next four, Le Fondre has certainly given McDermott food for thought.
Going Down
Adam Federici
Despite shaking off a knock picked up on international duty, the Reading stopper dropped to the bench to be replaced by Alex McCarthy. With question marks over his game time, Federici is another keeper Fantasy managers will be keen to move on as we reassess our squads in light of the first four Gameweeks.
Clint Dempsey
Villas-Boas claimed both Sandro and Dempsey were jet-lagged before the match but, while the Brazilian was handed 90 minutes, Dempsey managed a brief 13 minute second-half sub appearance. Gylfi Sigurdsson still looks in the driving seat for the role in “the hole” right now, suggesting the US international could be set to lose further Fantasy owners.
Emmanuel Adebayor
A goal for Togo in the midweek internationals hinted at a return to form and fitness but it’s becoming clear that he’ll have to bide his time. Villas-Boas’ decision to stick with Brad Friedel over Hugo Lloris between the posts today was based on the latter’s form in the last game – if he applies the same logic next weekend, Adebayor looks set for another afternoon of bench-warming.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto
The left-back missed the Spurs win with a swollen knee. Reports quote Andre Villas-Boas stating that he may require surgery to clean out the knee which is being troubled by a bone fragment. We await more news but, should that be the case, Assou-Ekotto would apparently face up to a month out.
