Norwich register their fourth straight Carrow Road victory to extend their unbeaten run to eight. Anthony Pilkington and Bradley Johnson both rack up double figure points hauls, while Seb Bassong’s eye for goal comes to the fore again. Craig Gardner grabs the Black Cats’ consolation, though Steven Fletcher is subbed off at the break ahead of double Gameweek 16…
Canaries Midfield Alternatives
While Wes Hoolahan’s more advanced role in “the hole†and Robert Snodgrass’ set-piece and corner kick duties perhaps boost their appeal amongst Chris Hughton’s midfield, Anthony Pilkington is staking a claim for our Fantasy attention after another crucial goalscoring display. The 5.7 priced midfielder found the net and received the maximum Fantasy Premier League (FPL) bonus points for the second home match running, having scored the only goal in the Canaries’ 1-0 Carrow Road win over United in Gameweek 12. Pilkington’s debut season under Paul Lambert produced eight goals last time round and he’s starting to find his feet once again, as Hughton’s men grow in confidence with every passing Gameweek. Pilkington has now received bonus in four of the past six matches and has picked up 11 for the season already – by comparison, the rest of the Canaries midfield have collected 16 bonus points between them.
Bradley Johnson also made his way onto Fantasy radars by assisting both the hosts’ goals yesterday afternoon. Coming in at just 4.7 in FPL, Johnson also received a couple of bonus points, taking his total to 10 points against Sunderland – he has now produced double figures in two of Norwich’s last three home games. Sitting on 47 points so far, he’s been ticking along nicely and, having started every league game this term under Hughton, offers a consistency of game time that may appeal for those Fantasy managers on the lookout for a cut-price fifth midfielder.
Bassong Bags the Points Again
While yesterday’s 2-1 win saw Norwich concede at home for the first time since Gameweek 8, Seb Bassong once again produced the points for his Fantasy owners with his second goal in the last three games. The summer signing from Spurs has received far less Fantasy attention than left-back Javier Garrido in recent weeks but his consistency has been eye-catching across the Canaries’ eight-match unbeaten run – he has returned six or more points in six of those games and has now climbed to fifth in the FPL defender standings on 59 points. A price tag of 4.6 and ownership of under 3% makes his a strong in-form differential and with games against Swansea, Wigan and West Brom to follow, Hughton’s side will be optimistic of extending their recent streak.
Gardner on the Double Gameweek Radar
There’s no doubt the Black Cats’ defensive appeal has taken a tumble ahead of their upcoming double Gameweek – Norwich had, after all, failed to score more than a single goal since Gameweek 6 heading into yesterday’s match. Fantasy managers will be somewhat reluctant to invest in a defence that looks out of sorts and has a single clean sheet in their last six, against basement-dwellers QPR.
Looking elsewhere amongst Martin O’Neill’s regulars, then, Craig Gardner made his pitch for consideration after firing home the visitors’ consolation. Fielded at right-back at the start of the campaign due to an injury to Phil Bardsley, Gardner has been able to shift to his natural midfield role of late since Bardsley’s recovery and has now produced two goals and an assist in his last four appearances – mirroring the output of Stephane Sessegnon. While many will perceive Sessegnon’s acquisition as somewhat risky due to his 7.4 FPL price tag, Gardner comes in at just 4.9 and is far more budget-friendly, affording us a cheap in-form fifth midfielder heading into the home clashes with Chelsea and Reading.
Johnson Stake a Claim
While Seb Larsson and James McClean have failed to produce any returns since Gameweek 5 and 6 respectively, Adam Johnson seems to be offering a semblance of consistency on the flank ahead of the double. Yesterday’s assist for Gardner’s goal means he has now provided attacking returns in three of his last five appearances – a run of games that has harvested 27 points, equalling Sessegnon’s haul from Gameweek 11 onwards. His 6.8 price tag is perhaps a little steep in comparison to Gardner but is still cheaper than Sessegnon and with an ownership of less than 2%, the former Man City winger could be set for more investment ahead of next weekend’s deadline.
Fletcher Ankle Worry
Having played a part in eight of his side’s 13 goals this season, with six goals and a pair of assists, Steven Fletcher is by far Sunderland’s more popular Fantasy asset going into the double Gameweek. Martin O’Neill will be concerned, however, after the summer signing from Wolves was forced off at half-time in yesterday’s defeat due to an ankle injury. Fletcher’s 8% FPL ownership was expected to rise this week but transfer plans will be put on hold until the Black Cats offer us a prognosis – while a possible absence could Connor Wickham a chance up top, faith in Sunderland’s chances of picking up the points will no doubt take a dip if injury rules Fletcher out. Martin O’Neill offered detail on the injury earlier today…
“He was struggling in the last ten minutes of the first half. I thought there was no point going on with it. I’m not sure of the extent of the damage but we might have a better idea today.It would have been nice to have had him on the field in the second half. He might have been able to finish one of them off but it wasn’t to be.”
