Team of the Season – Juan Mata

A summer of non-stop football ensured Juan Mata started the previous season in a somewhat sluggish fashion. The Spaniard’s participation in both Euro 2012 and the London Olympics gave him little time for recuperation as Chelsea prepared to get their domestic campaign underway in mid-August. While new Eden Hazard was quick to vindicate the Blues’ decision to shell out over £30m for his services with three opening sets of double figure hauls, Mata had picked up just eight points in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game by the time Gameweek 5 came around:

Highly priced across the Fantasy games ahead of last season, Mata had taken the Premier League by storm in his debut campaign at the Bridge. Initially under the guidance of Andre Villas-Boas then subsequently Roberto Di Matteo, the playmaker racked up six goals and 16 assists after arriving from Valencia and with 162 points accrued, had afforded Fantasy managers another premium priced option for our five man midfields.

The Statistics

A rest over the first international break of the season and the Gameweek 4 clash against QPR proved instrumental, giving Mata the time to recharge his batteries and address his poor start. Ahead of Chelsea’s fifth league match, his price had dropped dramatically, slipping from 9.5 to 8.9; a sideways move to the in-form Hazard saw the Belgian’s price soar from 9.5 to 10.3 over the same period, by comparison.

As Hazard began to toil, Mata exploded into form. Producing a goal or assist in each of his next six appearances, he set the tone for the rest of the season as he chased down his team mate and eventually surpassed Hazard’s feats across the Fantasy games. Fears of Mata suffering as a Fantasy force from Rafa Benitez’s rotation never came to fruition – his compatriot handed him 22 starts in 26 fixtures, compared to nine starts in 12 league matches under Di Matteo.

An outstanding strand of consistency saw Mata either score or assist in 21 of his 31 starts (Hazard managed 16 hauls from the same number of first XI appearances), with 11 goals, 18 assists and 27 bonus points bettering his respective tallies from 2011/12. Finishing the campaign on 212 points, Mata was joint-third top scoring player overall in the FPL game and second for midfielders, leaving Hazard trailing in his wake on 190 points. Strangely, the Spaniard kept his most explosive displays for road trips, with five of his six double figure returns coming away from Stamford Bridge – indeed, his only 10+ points haul in front of his own fans arrived on the final day of the season.

The Prospects

Having already plied his trade under three managers in his two seasons in London, there seems little doubt that Mata will continue to flourish regardless of who takes the reins next. A price increase across the Fantasy games seems inevitable and with Hazard likely to match Mata’s initial cost, we’re left with a real dilemma when it comes to the Chelsea midfield. With Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott also offering huge attacking potential, balancing the budgets in our five man midfields may never have been this tricky.

While Bale and Walcott have no obvious, cheaper alternative options in the Tottenham and Arsenal midfields, the end of season form of Oscar may hand us a more budget-friendly option at the Bridge. The young Brazilian netted in three of his final five appearances to suggest he’s now starting to settle – a poor overall first campaign, however, should ensure his cost stays in the mid-price bracket.

Chelsea’s Super Cup duties against Bayern Munich, which are likely to afford them a double Gameweek at the start of the season once again, will result in substantial investment in the Blues main assets right from the off. If the club’s forwards situation stays the same, it’s likely that Fantasy managers will load up on Mata and Hazard to begin with, though with room for just one or perhaps two heavy hitters in midfield to begin with, the greater goal threat of Bale and Walcott could sway many from viewing the Blues playmaker as a must-have.