Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 29

Our weekly regular is somewhat at the mercy of the Premier League schedulers this time round. With Fantasy managers eagerly awaiting new dates for City’s home clash with Wigan and United’s trip to West Ham, we’re working on the premise that neither match will take place in Gameweek 29, as we once again assess the upcoming fixtures across the next four to six Gameweeks.

The Strong

QPR

A first win in seven at Southampton last weekend will have boosted the morale around Loftus Road ahead of a crucial home clash with Sunderland. Harry Redknapp’s side also play host to Wigan and Stoke in the next six Gameweeks, with trips to fellow strugglers Villa and Fulham on the cards – the schedule is certainly smiling kindly on the R’s in their bid to beat the drop. The one downside is a potential blank Gameweek 33 if Everton beat Wigan in the FA Cup this weekend – more on that when we discuss the Toffees below.

Loic Remy looks key to QPR’s prospects. Returning to the first XI after a groin injury, he notched the opener against the Saints and has scored in two of his three starts for the club since moving to London in January. Adel Taarabt’s owners will be concerned after the Moroccan dropped out of the starting line-up for the first time since Gameweek 6 – Junior Hoilett’s display on the left could well keep Taarabt on the sidelines. At the back, Redknapp has concerns over the leg injury that forced Julio Cesar off at the weekend, though, suggesting the R’s may be a little less resilient of the Brazilian is ruled out for any period – Chris Samba’s threat in the opposition box looks a decent shout at 4.9 over the next few.

Norwich

Chris Hughton’s side will dust themselves down after the weekend whipping at United as they prepare for the visit of Southampton this time round. The Canaries boss rolled out a 4-4-2 in the previous home game against Everton and could revert to this formation, having shifted to a 4-4-1-1 in order to operate a little more defensively at Old Trafford. Certainly Grant Holt’s role is guaranteed up top, though Luciano Becchio may earn a first-team recall if Hughton looks to go on the offensive ahead of a run of games which also sees Swansea and Reading arrive at Carrow Road in the next six, in addition to trips to Sunderland and Wigan.

Roberto Snodgrass looks the obvious contender in midfielder – with set-pieces and corners in his locker, the former Leeds man has the platform to flourish over the next few. Seb Bassong offers the best potential of points at both ends of the pitch, while Mark Bunn continues to look a strong cut-price option between the sticks, with John Ruddy still sidelined with a thigh injury.

Newcastle

Alan Pardew’s welcome Stoke to St James’ Park this Sunday as they look to recover from last weekend’s narrow loss at Swansea. Having beaten Chelsea and Southampton in their last two home fixtures, the Magpies will be confident of another win and with Fulham and Sunderland also rolling up to Tyneside in the next five, a climb up the table looks on the cards. Factor in a trip to Wigan and Fantasy faith in Moussa Sissoko and Papiss Cisse is likely to increase, while a possible return to fitness would propel Hatem Ben Arfa onto radars as a real differential. Tim Krul’s ankle injury dents faith in their defence but with a single clean sheet in 10, resilience has hardly been a factor in their recent play – Davide Santon has served up three assists in his last two home games, though, and may appeal to those on the hunt for a sub 5.0 priced defender – we still slightly favour Mathieu Debuchy in the long-term, however.

Liverpool

Home games with Spurs and Chelsea bookend a run of six matches which hold plenty promise for Brendan Rodgers’ troops. In between those two Anfield fixtures, the Reds roll up to three of the current bottom five (sou, avl, rea) and also entertain West Ham – clearly, those four fixtures between Gameweek 30-33 will attract plenty new investors for the Merseyside outfit.

The Luis Suarez bandwagon is in full throttle after his weekend hat-trick at Wigan; with Brendan Rodgers keen to court caution when it comes to Daniel Sturridge’s fitness, the Uruguayan seems the safest option of the two frontmen. Philippe Coutinho’s pair of assists against the Latics has edged the new boy onto Fantasy radars – almost 3.0 cheaper than Steven Gerrard, he looks an in-form option in midfield, while Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique have both made persuasive cases for inclusion at the back in recent matches.

Chelsea

Rafa Benitez’s side are also without a league game this time round, due to the cancellation of their trip to Fulham. Nevertheless, a run of three home fixtures in four (WHM, sou, SUN, TOT) from Gameweek 30 will earn the Blues renewed Fantasy interest, with the first three looking particularly promising. Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Frank Lampard will surely persuade many to get back on board despite all three registering blanks in Saturday’s narrow win over West Brom.

Up front, it still seems impossible to ascertain Benitez’s tactics, though Demba Ba has started three of the last four, with his game time in the league boosted by the fact he is ineligible for European duties. At the back, Branislav Ivanovic and Ashley Cole look the only safe options – Cesar Azpilicueta has played just two of the last four and is a riskier acquisition, though has the upside of greater attacking potential.

Also Consider

Arsenal – granted, the Gunners have a blank this weekend but, once their Gameweek 30 trip to Swansea is out the way, Arsene Wenger’s side than face a trio of home games in three Gameweeks. A home clash with Reading is followed by a visit to the Hawthorns before both Norwich and Everton roll up in Gameweek 33. Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla seem primed for investment but owners of Olivier Giroud (no returns in four) and Lukas Podolski (no starts in four) have reason for concern. With just two clean sheets in 10, though, the Gunners will need to step up in performance at the back to justify any investment.

Wigan – the fixture list is certainly on their side; it’s just a question of whether the Latics can find the form to take advantage. At present, Roberto Martinez’s men have a blank Gameweek this weekend but are then afforded three home fixtures (NEW, NOR, SWA) and trips to QPR and West Ham to reignite their quest for survival. Arouna Kone and Shaun Maloney look decent mid-price prospects up front and in midfield respectively – a run of two clean sheets since Gameweek 11 sums up Wigan’s defence right now and dents investment in Emmerson Boyce, despite his out of position classification.

Aston Villa – another side that have the fixtures to prosper but little form on their side, Villa at least have a fixture this weekend, with a trip to Reading on Saturday afternoon. Paul Lambert’s strugglers then entertain QPR, Liverpool and Fulham in the following four – while faith in their defence is virtually non-existent, Christian Benteke and Charles N’Zogbia have both picked up the points in recent Gameweeks and seem the only ones worthy of our consideration.

The Weak

Tottenham

The fixtures are definitely against Andre Villas-Boas’ side, though there’s no doubt they have the form to overcome a tricky looking schedule. Now unbeaten in 12, the north London outfit now square up to five of the current top eight in the next six Gameweeks; a trip to Liverpool this weekend precedes games against Swansea, Everton, Chelsea and City, with a home clash against Fulham offering the only respite.

Gareth Bale’s ever-growing ownership will have no concerns over such a run, given the Welshman has now returned seven goals in his last five, though elsewhere amongst Villas-Boas’ side, there seems little reason for investment. Aaron Lennon has been relatively steady at home of late, with returns in three of his last four at the Lane, but a run of two clean sheets in nine suggests Michael Dawson may struggle for defensive points, limiting his cut-price appeal.

Everton

David Moyes’ side are also free from league action this weekend, affording them just three fixtures in the next four. The Toffees then meet two of the top three in the following three Gameweeks, with a home clash against City and trip to Spurs on the horizon – factor in a bruising home encounter against Stoke in between and the short-term schedule is hardly tempting. Although their trip to Arsenal has been rescheduled for the midweek of Gameweek 33 – thus currently giving them a double – their home clash with QPR will be shifted to another date if they prevail against Wigan in the FA Cup this weekend, thus reducing their double to a single and leaking the R’s with a blank until another date can be sorted.

Man City

Roberto Mancini’s side are also without a league match in the upcoming Gameweek, with their home clash against Wigan yet to be rescheduled. City then have just one enticing fixture in the next five, though – only the visit of West Brom looks relatively straightforward. In-form Newcastle roll up to the Etihad and could put up a fight, while Mancini’s men face a trio of hazardous road trips as they make their way to Everton, United and Tottenham. Five clean sheets in seven highlights their defensive form prior to this evening’s trip to Villa, while in midfield, Yaya Toure and David Silva could continue to prosper if Mancini perseveres with his recent move to 4-5-1, with Sergio Aguero looking the only secure option up top.

Also Be Wary Of

West Ham – with their home game against United still to be rescheduled, Sam Allardyce’s side have just three fixtures in the next four. Given that two of those matches are trips to Chelsea and Liverpool, investment in the Hammers looks unlikely, though a home game against West Brom holds promise as Sam Allardyce looks to build on last Saturday’s win at Stoke. The Hammers boss will be hoping Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble can recover from the injuries that have troubled them over the last two, while Jussi Jaaskelainen’s owners may have to rely on save points to boost his appeal.

Fulham – unbeaten in their last three now after drawing at Sunderland on Saturday, Martin Jol’s side are without a fixture this weekend as their home game against Chelsea has yet to be handed a new date. The Cottagers then face three road trips in the following four (tot, QPR, new, avl) before playing host to Arsenal – looking at that schedule, only two of the next six Gameweeks afford any real reason for optimism, with the games against struggling QPR and Villa surely earmarked as must-win. Dimitar Berbatov may struggle to continue the form that has produced a goal in three of his previous five, while a single clean sheet in their last six on the road suggests the Cottagers could struggle to keep out their opponents.

Sunderland – the next two look crucial for the Black Cats’ prospects before the fixtures takes a real turn for the worse. Martin O’Neill’s side will be hoping of improving upon a record of one point in four as they square up to QPR and Norwich but after that, investment looks a risky business. Successive games against United, Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton will surely pose problems for the likes of Stephane Sessegnon and Steven Fletcher, while Simon Mignolet’s heroics between the sticks will be key as O’Neill attempts to steer the Wearsiders to safety.