The Knee Jerk – Saturday

Liverpool find a familiar cutting edge. Hull’s deadball specialist provides the difference, while an array of doubts come creeping as teamsheets and pose early questions.

The Game Changer

Once again, Daniel Sturridge delivered the winner. Brendan Rodgers’ slick passing outfit failed to produce the volume of chances we saw in the opener against Stoke but it didn’t matter to Sturridge. He took his one major opportunity with typical aplomb and, sharing a pitch with Benteke and his bandwagon, gave us plenty of food for thought.

Two games, two goals and a record that now shows eight strikes in his last seven league outings: with Villa’s strikers starved in the opening period, then denied by Simon Mignolet in the second, Sturridge was left to underline his credentials as a striker option.

Benteke and Tottenham’s Roberto Soldado have tempted big investment, while Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud has emerged as another potential prospect. Sturridge has to be added to that list of those contesting a spot in our forward lines and, with early season fitness doubts seemingly dispersed, he is perhaps presenting the strongest case of all.

The Underused

The search for a budget asset amongst the promoted teams was intense in the pre-season, with Robbie Brady’s name firmly in the mix. Despite the chatter, Brady attracted less than 1% of Fantasy Premier League managers and it was those select few who benefited from his winning spot-kick against Hull today. Brady epitomises a set-piece hogger: central to Hull’s free-kicks and on penalty duty, his delicious left-foot delivery will likely be key to their chances of survival over the season.

Is that enough to tempt investment? Today’s double figure returns should certainly bring him onto the radar for the masses and you have to wonder, while the likes of Ross Barkley and Pajtim Kasami continue to earn suitors in the budget bracket, whether Brady is the most convincing contender for that fifth midfield spot.

The Selection Poser

Uncertainty is building with the teamsheets still providing as many questions as answers.

Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne failed to earn an instant recall at St Mary’s only to emerge from the bench to replace recent bandwagon, Luke Shaw. The left-back was withdrawn having suffered further knee problems in the first half and could yet be an early concern for Gameweek 3.

Another popular budget purchase, the aforementioned Pajtim Kasami, was again deployed up in support of Dimitar Berbatov in today’s early kick-off. The 21-year-old attracted almost 90,000 new owners following his winner at Sunderland – can he really reward that investment? With Darren Bent off the mark from the bench and Bryan Ruiz in reserve, it looks highly unlikely.

Steven Whittaker earned a stay of execution in the Norwich lineup with Seb Bassong still absent, while team-mate Robert Snodgrass disappointed with just a single point return after being left benched by Chris Hughton. It could be very different tale for Snodgrass and Whittaker when the Canaries face Southampton next weekend, however.

Elsewhere, Kevin Mirallas was hauled off for the second match running having squandered further opportunities. It’s too early to get twitchy but the Belgian needs find an end product soon; it may not be long before Roberto Martinez starts to consider Arouna Kone for a role on the right of his three-man attack if chances go on being spurned.