There’s no better way to convince the doubters than a comprehensive triumph at the home of your bitter rivals. Paolo Di Canio’s first game in charge of Sunderland may have ended in defeat at Chelsea but, in the match that mattered most to the Wearside faithful, the Black Cats produced emphatically. A 3-0 victory at St James’ Park against a Newcastle side that had won each of the last four at home highlighted the Italian’s immediate impact and with a favourable set of fixtures to follow, survival is very much on the cards:
With two points from their last seven matches under Martin O’Neill, Sunderland were a side in free-fall. Devoid of the talents of injured top scorer Steven Fletcher and without a clean sheet since Gameweek 24, Fantasy managers were content to give the Black Cats a wide berth. O’Neill’s dismissal and the subsequent installation of Di Canio seems to be the shot in the arm Sunderland required, though, and, on the back of last Sunday’s superb display, brings Stephane Sessegnon back onto Fantasy radars.
From a Fantasy perspective, the Benin international has arguably been Sunderland’s most disappointing player this term. With seven goals and 12 assists from his role in “the hole” last time out, Sessegnon racked up 161 points in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game – indeed, a starting price of 8.0 seemed favourable and had plenty flocking to snap up the Black Cats playmaker. As the season progressed, though, he struggled for any semblance of form; without a goal or assist in the opening 11 Gameweeks, his price plummeted before back-to-back goals against Fulham and West Brom in mid-November served a belated reminder of his capabilities.
By the time 2013 came around, Sessegnon had notched just one more time, in a 3-0 home win over Reading. O’Neill’s decision to snap up Swansea’s Danny Graham at the end of January saw Sunderland shift from 4-4-1-1 to 4-4-2, with Sessegnon allocated to the right flank to accommodate the new boy. Initially, the move looked a masterstroke; Sessegnon notched in each of Graham’s first two starts – strangely against West Brom and Fulham again – before stuttering to a halt in a run of poor team performances that ultimately proved O’Neill’s undoing.
Di Canio’s arrival, however, has prompted a change in system and handed the Benin international the chance to influence matters from a central position once more. Tucked in behind a lone striker, his stunning strike at St James’ was supplemented with an assist – only the second time this term he has played a part in more than one goal for the Black Cats. A 13 point FPL haul equalled Sessegnon’s best return of the season and with a strong schedule to follow, he looks a viable contender for our five man midfields once again.
Certainly, the fixtures are firmly on Sunderland’s side. Di Canio’s men have three home games in the next four, with Everton, Stoke and Southampton all rolling up to the Stadium of Light, and with a trip to Villa also factored in, there’s plenty reason for optimism around Wearside right now. Now down to 6.9 in FPL and with an ownership of 3.1%, his mid-price, differential appeal and security of starts looks an intriguing option in a period where rest and rotation are threatening to blight premium priced double Gameweek 36 options such as Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and David Silva. With Fletcher out for the season, Di Canio will be heavily reliant on Sessegnon’s spark to make the difference for the Wearsiders – after Sunday’s display, it’s fair to say things look promising.
