Chelsea’s win in yesterday lunchtime’s FA Cup Sixth Round replay over United has a significant impact in our assessment of the fixture list. We roll out our regular look at the upcoming schedule, paying close attention to the next four Gameweeks – a period which sees five clubs handed a double Gameweek 33, with three sides sitting on the sidelines.
The Strong
Arsenal
The Gunners are firmly back on form, with an easy home win over Reading their fifth victory in the last six Gameweeks. Arsene Wenger’s side are now just two points behind Chelsea in the race for fourth and four behind third-place Tottenham – the fixture list affords them plenty optimism as they close in on their London rivals in the hunt for a Champions League spot. Trips to West Brom and Fulham sit on either side of a double Gameweek 33 filled with huge potential which will undoubtedly persuade Fantasy managers to come flocking, with the Gunners set to face both Norwich and Everton at the Emirates.
At the back, the situation is filled with uncertainty – only Per Mertesacker looks an assured route into a defence with three clean sheets in six; Lukas Fabianski’s cut-price appeal holds promise but there’s no guarantee he’s 100% nailed-on. Elsewhere, Santi Cazorla’s popularity will continue to rise – with Theo Walcott still a doubt for the Baggies trip, the little Spaniard is racking up new investors, though if the England winger proves his fitness, he’s surely set to oust Gervinho on the flank again. Olivier Giroud’s return to scoring ways against the Royals brings him back onto Fantasy radars at the perfect time and offers a mid-price option up top who has now started each of the last nine.
Everton
Typically, David Moyes’ men are finding their feet once again as the season heats up. Three back-to-back wins, including two consecutive clean sheets against City and Stoke, are indicative of their flourishing form at both ends of the pitch. A trip to Tottenham this weekend is likely to deter many from investing immediately but following that, Moyes welcomes back Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar from suspension just in time for double Gameweek 33, as the Toffees entertain QPR before heading to Arsenal.
Everton then square up to Sunderland and Fulham – fixtures that undoubtedly lend weight to their chances of finishing strongly, with Leighton Baines back on Fantasy radars after the left-back climbed to the top of the FPL defender standings last weekend. Further up the field, Kevin Mirallas has now scored or assisted in each of his last three home appearances and offers a decent differential alternative for the double, though his classification as a forward is frustrating, given that Moyes utilises the Belgian from the flank.
Man United
Having tasted defeat at the Bridge in yesterday’s FA Cup replay, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side can now knuckle down and concentrate on winning the title. Immediately, they are handed the chance to atone for their display at Chelsea – they welcome City to Old Trafford next Monday, knowing a victory would send them 18 points clear with just seven games remaining. Even if City win at home to Wigan in their next match, then, United would need four points over the double Gameweek 33 to secure the league – trips to Stoke and West Ham won’t deter the huge investment expected here as Ferguson demands a suitable response.
If results don’t go their way beforehand, a home clash with Villa in Gameweek 34 could take them past the winning post – certainly, over the next two Gameweeks at least, rest and rotation looks unlikely, with Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney (if fit) and Patrice Evra’s owners optimistic Ferguson will field his strongest side in order to grab the points. The downside is that if the league is sewn up early, team tinkering could come into play should Ferguson look to hand his squad members more game time over the remainder of the season – a run of six back-to-back clean sheets illustrates their resilience but aside from David De Gea, consistency of selection has made investment in defence a bit of a lottery of late.
Newcastle
Alan Pardew’s side will be smarting after their weekend Etihad hiding but with three home matches in the next four, there’s reason for optimism on Tyneside. The Magpies welcome Fulham, Sunderland and Liverpool and also travel to West Brom – victories in those two opening matches would all but ensure their survival. Luckily for Pardew, his side have won each of the last three at St James’ Park, with Moussa Sissoko and Papiss Cisse crucial to their attacking prospects. The Newcastle manager is also hoping key players such as Tim Krul, Cheick Tiote and Davide Santon could be set for imminent returns from injury as the Magpies look to scramble up the table to safety.
Southampton
Back-to-back home wins over Liverpool and Chelsea highlight the flourishing form under Mauricio Pochettino. Having also seen off City at St Mary’s, the Saints seem primed to pick up the points again as West Ham and West Brom pay visit, while trips to out-of-sorts Reading and Swansea in the next four also look enticing. Rickie Lambert’s relentless thirst for Fantasy points shows little sign of abating – up to 161 points in FPL, he remains outstanding value with 14 goals and seven assists thus far. Jay Rodriguez has now scored or assisted in six of the last eight, while 4.7 priced Morgan Schneiderlin has also picked up under the new manager, with three goals in seven summing up his cut-price appeal.
Also Consider
Reading – with six back-to-back defeats to their name, there’s no doubt the basement-dwellers look doomed. The fixtures, however, somewhat favour Nigel Adkin’s new side, with three home games in the next four; whether they are capable of taking anything from the visit of Southampton, Liverpool and QPR, in addition to a trip to Norwich, is another matter entirely. Adkins rolled out a 4-4-1-1 on his debut away to Arsenal last weekend, with Jobi McAnuff chipping in with his eighth assist of the season; more than any team mate. Pavel Pogrebnyak got the nod as the lone forward after serving a suspension but Reading have done little to justify investment.
QPR – Monday night’s loss at the Cottage was a bitter blow to their survival hopes but even if they fail to beat the drop, Harry Redknapp’s side should have a significant say in the relegation race. Fellow strugglers Wigan and Stoke roll up to Loftus Road, while the R’s also make their way to Reading – although they’re toiling at the back, Redknapp’s side have now racked up nine goals in the last four, with Loic Remy, Adel Taarabt and Andros Townsend all offering differential options up top or in midfield.
West Ham – the Hammers may have a double Gameweek 33 just around the corner but the upcoming four Gameweeks admittedly look tough. Sam Allardyce’s side travel to Liverpool and City, while the double consists of a trip to in-form Southampton and a home clash with United which could, in theory, see the visitors take the title providing results go their way from here on – far from ideal for those eying up their assets. The other Gameweek sees Wigan pull in to Upton Park; Roberto Martinez’s men have started their annual survival bid a little earlier than usual and are already showing strong form. Jussi Jaaskelainen’s owners may be reliant on save points, though George McCartney’s knee injury is likely to see Guy Demel and Joey O’Brien nailed-on at full-back. Kevin Nolan’s recent return from injury could tempt new investors, while Allardyce will be looking to Andy Carroll to maintain a run which has netted goals in each of his last three at home – he is ineligible for the trip to Anfield this weekend.
Fulham – Monday’s win over QPR continued a strong run of form which has harvested three wins and a draw from the last four for Martin Jol’s side. With five goals and 11 bonus points over those fixtures, Dimitar Berbatov approaches double Gameweek 33 in stronger form that any forward with an upcoming pair of matches – a trip to Villa and home clash with London rivals Chelsea both afford further chance of picking up points. The Cottagers have a couple of testing trips to Newcastle and Everton in the next four but Berbatov owners will be anticipating the Gameweek 34 home clash with Arsenal, given that he racked up 16 points at the Emirates earlier in the season. Mark Schwarzer’s third spot-kick save of the season moved the Australian 14 points ahead of any defensive team mate, though Sascha Riether and John Arne Riise have offered decent attacking options from full-back in recent matches.
The Weak
Tottenham
Chelsea’s FA Cup win over United had a significant knock-on effect for Andre Villas-Boas’ side, with Spurs now one of three sides without a fixture in Gameweek 33 after their trip to the Bridge was postponed. On either side of that blank are a couple of testing home ties as Everton and City make their way to the Lane – hardly a straightforward next three Gameweeks for the north London outfit, then, before they travel to Wigan. With Arsenal and Everton’s midfields looking tempting for the double, some Gareth Bale owners may be eyeing up a transfer out – with five double figures in seven, though, the Welshman’s sublime form may see many simply bench him for the blank, given they would almost immediately want him back. Despite two lots of double figures in his last three, interest in Jan Vertonghen is likely to decline on the back of yesterday’s result.
Swansea
Another side to go without a fixture in Gameweek 33, Michael Laudrup’s outfit are struggling for any semblance of form right now. The Swans have tasted defeat in each of their last three and now travel to Norwich and Chelsea in the next four, with a home game against Southampton also on their agenda. Despite scoring for only the second game in 11 appearances, Michu’s owners may be ready to freshen up their midfields – the Spaniard is still owned by over 47% of FPL managers but many may have had enough of his stuttering form. On the other hand, while Spurs have yet to confirm the date of their double, we at least know Swansea’s is pencilled in for Gameweek 36 – affording us time to plan should we wish to offload/acquire any of Laudrup’s assets. With a single clean sheet in seven and three goals scored in the last five, though, form is far from on their side right now.
West Brom
Steve Clarke’s side also face just three matches in the next four Gameweeks and similar to Tottenham, the Baggies have yet to determine when their spare fixture (a trip to City) will be rescheduled. The midlanders face home showdowns with Arsenal and Newcastle next, while a trip to Southampton is also likely to pose problems. While all three upcoming opponents have plenty to play for, West Brom are stuck in limbo – Europe is beyond them and relegation not an issue – with motivation perhaps more of an issue than for most clubs. Romelu Lukaku’s owners may be preparing for an exodus, thought those with Ben Foster in nets will be content to hold, providing they have Gameweek 33 keeper coverage elsewhere.
Also Be Wary Of…
Sunderland – Paolo Di Canio’s start to life in Wearside looks far from straightforward. The Black Cats sit just a single point above the drop zone and are now set for three road trips in the next four, as they make their way to Chelsea, Newcastle and Villa. With a home game against Everton also to consider, Sunderland’s toils may well continue under the new man in charge – Simon Mignolet looks more crucial than ever, though with no clean sheets in seven and with Steven Fletcher injured up front, Fantasy managers will be keeping their distance.
Wigan – the Latics’ survival bid is back on track after three wins in four but Roberto Martinez’s side now face three back-to-back away trips. Wigan travel to QPR, City and West Ham before entertaining Tottenham at the DW in Gameweek 35. Regardless, the likes of Joel Robles, Emmerson Boyce, Shaun Maloney and Arouna Kone may still remain on Fantasy radars until the double Gameweek 36 with Swansea and West Brom edges a little closer.
