Our final glance at Gameweek 31 sees us pay tribute to the silk lined goal threat of Fulham’s Bulgarian, the annual resurgence currently underway at the DW and analyse the displays that have transformed a certain Welshman into the new armband darling.
The Player
While Dimitar Berbatov’s classy first half performance is fresh in the memory, it’s difficult to deny him this week’s mantle, having witnessed his damaging two-goal salvo ruthlessly punish QPR’s abject defending.
Fantasy managers had backed the Fulham striker going into the Gameweek: over 70,000 had invested, knowing that early acquisition would stand them in good stead for the Gameweek 33 double fixture. Berbatov’s form of three goals in consecutive matches suggested returns but, having witnessed a dramatic decline in fortunes mid-season, last night’s brace was perhaps beyond our heady expectations.
Much was made of Bryan Ruiz’s absence when Berbatov’s output dipped from Gameweek 12 but, since the Costa Rican’s return in Gameweek 19, the Bulgarian has struck eight goals in 11 league starts. With a double Gameweek in the offing, that kind of form is difficult to overlook.
While both Robin Van Persie and Sergio Aguero stutter in the top bracket, and Daniel Sturridge and Demba Ba struggle with pitch time to show their talents, Berbatov has joined the likes of Rickie Lambert, Christian Benteke and Arouna Kone as a low-to-mid price striker option that is showing valuable consistency. Five goals in four games will guarantee him a continued stream of new investors with his price set to ascend further as we near the Gameweek 33 deadline.
Those who hesitated prior to last night’s encounter will, like Harry Redknapp, be licking wounds and pondering their next move. While investing off the back of strong returns always smacks of chasing points, Berbatov’s form and potential over the next few weeks has to be taken seriously.
Martin Jol’s side appear to have found a new freedom to their play as they look to continue a run of three wins in the last four. While the Cottagers have found the net just once in the last three away trips, visits to Newcastle and Villa can be tackled without the pressure of a relegation fight and, in Berbatov, they have a proven Premier League goalscorer who has clearly rediscovered his pomp.
The Team
A narrow home win over Norwich continued Wigan’s form as the battle to beat the drop gathers momentum. It’s three wins in four now for Roberto Martinez’s men, who have now picked up more points over that period than any other side in the bottom half of the table. Yet again, it seems the Latics only awake from their slumber when springtime arrives – last season’s escape was built on seven wins from the last nine matches and, given their current form, there’d be no real surprise if they repeat the trick.
While recent Watchlist candidate Arouna Kone has justified our faith with four goals in the last four Gameweeks and Shaun Maloney has ticked over without quite scaling the heights, there are a handful of alternatives to consider from Martinez’s side. Antolin Alcaraz’s return from long-term injury has bolstered the Latics’ three-man backline, as has the installation of Joel Robles between the sticks – coming in at 4.0 in FPL, he’s conceded just once in his two league appearances and seems to have ousted Ali Al-Habsi as Martinez’s number one.
Elsewhere, Jordi Gomez has stepped up on his recent first-team return. Preferred to James McArthur in central midfield in the last couple of matches, his smart assist for Kone’s winner against the Canaries highlighted his potential, while Jean Beausejour goes almost unnoticed on the left flank. Owned by less than 1% of FPL managers, the Chilean has scored, assisted or picked up bonus in four of the last six now – with a double Gameweek 36 also on the horizon, Wigan’s assets are likely to blink brightly on Fantasy radars as Martinez looks to belatedly steer them to safety yet again.
The Talking Point
While the first few months of the season vindicated the popular claim that Fantasy managers should “always captain RVP”, the Dutchman’s recent form has gone a long way to disproving that theory. Robin Van Persie’s assist at Sunderland failed to mask a run of a single goal in the last seven Gameweeks as his debut season at Old Trafford stutters over the finishing line. Those who have kept the faith may well have paid the price on two fronts. Not only have they harboured an expensive off form asset but, in many cases, the armband will have stayed with Van Persie at a time when another reliable and even explosive captain contender has come to the fore.
Significantly, over at White Hart Lane, Gareth Bale is now just a single point behind Van Persie in the FPL standings after a sensational series of displays. The shift between the pair has been staggering over the past few matches. From Gameweek 24 onwards, the Dutchman has one goal, four assists, nine bonus points – this equates to 37 points, with just one double figure haul served up. Bale’s extraordinary ascent up the rankings has produced eight goals, three assists and 16 bonus points – a total of 82 points or a difference of 90 points if you’d handed him the armband over that spell. Bale has delivered five double figure returns in his last seven – Van Persie has managed six all season.
Frustratingly for those who have kept Van Persie in their squads and left him with the armband, he’s still getting chances aplenty – the Dutchman is simply failing to find the net, with his goal conversion rate taking a huge dip in recent matches. Bale, on the other hand, has flourished since Andre Villas-Boas took the decision to move him from the flank and into “the hole” behind a lone striker – he’s evolved into a Fantasy force of nature and shrugged off the inconsistency that previously blighted his game. Indeed, his Fantasy returns in this new position are threatening to reach the heady heights once scaled by Cristiano Ronaldo in seasons gone by.
A blank Gameweek 33 for Bale, brought on by Chelsea’s FA Cup win over United yesterday, hands centre stage back to Van Persie. With Tottenham’s trip to the Bridge yet to be rescheduled, United’s double sees them travel to Stoke and West Ham; a pair of games which could potentially allow them to clinch the title. As he attempts to shoot his side to the title, many will revert to the default mode of captaining Van Persie but as the Gameweeks go by, it’s becoming more apparent that Bale’s displays are threatening to kill off that mantra.
