Out final nod to Gameweek 36 assesses the security of premium priced stoppers, the flourishing form of Paul Lambert’s Villa and the opportunity to freshen up our five man midfield as a result of the expected absence of a Spanish gunslinger.
The Player
Fantasy managers loaded up on attacking options for the double as many racked up points hits for one last roll of the dice. City’s fixtures had looked particularly enticing but ultimately Roberto Mancini’s rest and rotation policy undid the best-laid plans – with just a single goal accrued over the trip to Swansea and home clash against West Brom, the reliability afforded by Joe Hart ultimately proved crucial.
Recovering from a back spasm to take his place between the sticks, the City stopper was one of only three players – along with James Milner and Samir Nasri – to start both matches as Mancini ensured his key outfield assets were all well rested ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup Final against Wigan. The only double Gameweek player with over 10% ownership to hit double figures, Hart racked up 15 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points – that’s the same as Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko managed between them.
Hart was made to work for his points, though, particularly against the Baggies – a total of seven saves was his highest tally of the season. Indeed, he has now registered save points in four of his last six appearances – previously, he had managed a mere seven save points up to Gameweek 32. The City number one has now mirrored last term’s 17 clean sheets and is three ahead of any other keeper, with Petr Cech next best on 14; those who switched from David De Gea last week will be more than happy with their trade, given the United keeper’s subsequent drop to the bench against Chelsea.
While there’s no doubt the cheap keeper rotation policy is likely to be preferred by the vast majority of Fantasy managers, Hart’s continued resilience and consistency of starts under Mancini certainly affords us a hassle-free route into a defence that has proven, once again, to be the most secure in the top-flight. With only two defenders – Leighton Baines and Patrice Evra – currently bettering Hart’s 149 points, he’s certainly making a strong case for consideration as a one-stop keeper option next time round. With rotation in the top defences looking like an alarming trend as the season’s roll by, it may well be time to reconsider our keeper strategies.
The Team
At times this season, a drop down into the Championship seemed almost inevitable for Villa. Battered 5-0 at City back in November, Paul Lambert’s young side simply looked too inexperienced to survive – the Christmas period was particularly cruel, with an 8-0 annihilation at the Bridge followed by back-to-back hammerings at the hands of Spurs and Wigan as the midlands outfit looked devoid of both ideas and optimism.
Over the past couple of months, however, Lambert’s show of faith has finally paid off. With his raft of summer signings starting to click, Villa have won five and drawn one of their last eight and are now five points clear of the drop zone with just two matches remaining in what is a remarkable turnaround in fortunes.
While Christian Benteke has deservedly hogged the Fantasy plaudits in his debut season, his consistent exploits are likely to earn the Belgian a significant price hike across the Fantasy games next time out – providing Villa can clinch their survival, of course. The last few Gameweeks have hinted at a handful of assets who could well merit our attentions as ready-made differentials next term.
Lambert’s recent move to 4-3-3 has afforded Matthew Lawton the platform to bomb forward from right-back and register a goal and three assists in his last seven. Ashley Westwood is finally settling and has provided a pair of assists in each of his last two, Gabby Agbonlahor has racked up six goals, three assists and 11 bonus points in his previous seven, while young Andreas Weimann has returned three goals and three assists in the last 10 Gameweeks of his breakthrough season.
With survival looking more assured, Villa’s progress next season may well see Fantasy managers turn in their direction with renewed confidence, particularly if Lambert maintains the attacking verve that has been such a feature in recent weeks.
Talking Point
Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure from United dominates the world of football but in Fantasy terms, we’re left assessing our options after the double Gameweek failed to provide the necessary shake-up to the mini-league landscape. While Michu’s hamstring injury in the first match of Swansea’s double Gameweek was ill-timed, his likely absence for the remaining two matches could now provide the next opportunity for change.
Looking at the top five in the overall FPL standings, the double Gameweek has had little impact. Given that the Swansea midfielder had 45% ownership heading into last weekend’s deadline, his absence will have a significant effect for the run in, with Fantasy managers’ choice of replacement looking critical. So far, over 112,000 FPL managers have moved Michu on, with Theo Walcott the preferred replacement ahead of Arsenal’s home clash with Wigan and trip to Newcastle.
Both Gareth Bale and Marouane Fellaini have also been snapped up in huge numbers but as we mentioned in our Midfield Differentials article earlier this week, there are several overlooked alternatives worth considering. With the relegation battle still raging, the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa, Adam Johnson and Robert Snodgrass could prove worthwhile acquisitions, while favourable fixtures for Liverpool and Arsenal means Philippe Coutinho and Tomas Rosicky could make all the difference as the FPL season looks set to go down to the wire in its closest finish in recent years.
Those Fantasy managers who need to take a selection risk now have the chance to do just that and, with an array of mid-price talent available, we could yet see a degree of swing across the mini-leagues for the final two fixtures.
