Our final take on Gameweek 34 looks at the stunning debut season of a certain Dutchman at Old Trafford, the options available at the Lane for the upcoming double and the fallout from the Luis Suarez charge, with forward lines being rapidly restructured in light of the Uruguayan’s impending suspension.
The Player
For the second week running, Robin Van Persie leaves us little option but to roll out the red carpet after last night’s clinical display helped United clinch the title. A 17 point return against Villa – his most emphatic of the season – puts clear daylight between the Dutchman and Gareth Bale at the top of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) standings, while his three-goal haul also helped Van Persie overtake Luis Suarez in the race for the Golden Boot.
Moving to Old Trafford from Arsenal last summer, many questioned whether he could maintain the form that had produced 269 FPL points in his final campaign at the Emirates, with Wayne Rooney offering real competition up top to share United’s goals and assists. While the former Everton man has toiled for the new champions and has subsequently dropped deeper into central midfield, Van Persie continues to relentlessly rack up the returns. With four games remaining, he is just six goals short of last term’s 30, has equalled the number of assists (13) and has just one bonus point less (44) than his 20111/12 tally; the Dutchman has even taken Rooney’s spot-kick duties, just for good measure.
While much has been made of his recent goal drought, Van Persie has continued to tick over as a Fantasy prospect and chipped in with vital assists in recent weeks – over his 31 starts for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, he has produced attacking returns on 25 occasions, a staggering show of consistency. Starting this season priced at 13.0, he has more than justified his costly valuation and looking ahead to next term, he already looks impossible to ignore. Gareth Bale’s exploits in the Tottenham midfield have the potential to run him close but with Luis Suarez likely to be slapped with a lengthy suspension, accommodating Van Persie in our line-ups will be a priority for many come Gameweek 1 of the 2013/14 campaign.
The Team
The accusations of a “one-man team” continue to be levelled at Tottenham after Gareth Bale was yet again instrumental in a weekend win. This time around it was City the victims, as Andre Villas-Boas’ tactical tweak around the hour-mark saw the Welshman wreak havoc from the right as the hosts came from behind to see off Roberto Mancini’s side in a thrilling second-half comeback.
Despite admitting earlier today he played through the pain barrier on Sunday, Bale looks set to roll up at Wigan on Saturday and with over 122,000 FPL managers already on board this week, the bandwagon is set to reach breakneck speed by the time double Gameweek 36 arrives. Bale’s form, though, means he’s an obvious captaincy contender for the double – few, if any, owners will head into the fixtures against Southampton and Chelsea without the armband attached firmly to the Welshman in light of six sets of double figures in his last eight appearances. It’s who we supplement him with, then, that likely to be the difference in our mini leagues.
While rest and rotation looks an issue for City and Chelsea as they look to pursue silverware, Tottenham can ill-afford to alternate their main men as they look to clinch a third place finish and with Stoke and Sunderland to follow the double, the remaining schedule smiles kindly. Bale may have once again hogged the headlines last weekend but there is a supporting cast all capable of producing.
Jan Vertonghen has staked a real claim for consideration in recent matches, with three goals, a pair of assists and four bonus points in the last five Gameweeks. Clint Dempsey – such a prolific double Gameweek option at Fulham – arrived on radars after scoring the equaliser on Sunday, while Jermain Defoe’s superb finish served a reminder of his eye for goal. It remains to be seen whether Defoe can oust Emmanuel Adebayor from the starting XI – five of his last six appearances have been from the bench – but Sunday’s strike certainly made a case for his inclusion and with Luis Suarez owners shopping around for a new striker, many have decided to take the risk, with Defoe earning 22,000+ transfers in this week so far.
The Talking Point
As Liverpool brace themselves for the FA to act on Luis Suarez’s latest indiscretion, the repercussions of the Uruguayan’s bite on Branislav Ivanovic have been swift to make an impact in Fantasy games. Slapped with a charge of violent misconduct, Suarez could face several matches on the sidelines which will have a knock-on effect on our strategies for next term – the FA admitted yesterday the typical three game suspension for such an incident would be “clearly insufficient” and – providing the Merseyside club choose not to appeal – will meet tomorrow to determine the length of absence.
Already, over 140,000 FPL managers have shed their sides of Suarez but with a current ownership of 33%, he’s still set for significant sales as forward lines are reassembled ahead of double Gameweek 36. It’s not just the Liverpool forward who is set to exit many a Fantasy squad, though. Wayne Rooney’s withdrawn role for United is sure to see his owners react, while there’s even the theory that Ferguson could hand Javier Hernandez more game time at the expense of Van Persie – with the title in the bag and the Golden Boot looking assured, the Dutchman could be used more sparingly over the final four matches.
With Sergio Aguero still hampered by a hamstring problem, Carlos Tevez – with four goals in his last seven – has looked City’s most consistent attacking option and has already been snapped up by over 73,000 FPL managers ahead of the double, far more than any other forward. Other double Gameweek candidates such as Arouna Kone, Romelu Lukaku and Defoe all have the potential to prove season defining in many a mini league over these final four Gameweeks and while Fantasy managers protecting leads will perhaps be more inclined to play safe, those chasing will undoubtedly be tempted to gamble; clearly there is a potential opportunity for those brave enough to spend the points.
