The Knee Jerk – Sunday

Cardiff upset the odds and battle back to grab the points at City’s expense in their first home match in the Premier League. Andre Villas-Boas shifts to 4-3-3 for the visit of Swansea, while Michael Laudrup tinkers with his forward options once again:

The Game Changer

An emphatic 4-0 win at home to Newcastle on Monday evening saw Fantasy managers loading up on City’s attacking assets ahead of a trip to Cardiff. Plenty anticipated a walkover in light of the Magpies mauling – almost 65,000 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) snapped up Sergio Aguero while over 76,000 opted for Edin Dzeko ahead of this afternoon’s showdown in Wales.

Compared to the visitors’ front two, Fraizer Campbell was no more than an afterthought but the former United frontman showed his top-flight credentials by bagging a brace and assist to send Pellegrini’s side back to Manchester with their tails between their legs. Andreas’ Cornelius’ return to fitness saw the big Dane warm the bench and although he’ll be pushing for a start, it’s Campbell who remains in the driving seat for the lone striker role, with his cut-price appeal (5.5 in FPL) bound to get the bandwagon rolling over the next few days.

The Underused

A shoulder injury whilst on international duty over the summer kept Aron Gunnarsson far from Fantasy radars as the season approached.

Those looking for a route into Malky Mackay’s midfield had mainly focussed on Kim Bo-Kyung, after the Korean notched three times over the summer but, having recovered in time for the Bluebirds’ final pre-season friendly, Gunnarsson looks a vital component of the Cardiff central midfield three.

Sitting alongside Kim and new boy Gary Medel, the Icelandic international opened his account for the season to serve Fantasy managers a reminder of the attacking threat which produced eight goals and six assists in the Championship last time out. Craig Bellamy, Kim and set-piece taker Peter Whittingham have proven far more popular picks but with a mere 0.3% ownership in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), the 5.0 priced Gunnarsson could be another differential contender worthy of our consideration.

The Selection Poser

While the starting XIs at the Cardiff City Stadium were pretty much as anticipated, Manuel Pellegrini’s decision to replace Edin Dzeko with Alvaro Negredo midway through the second-half will have the Bosnian’s owners on edge ahead of the weekend home clash against Hull. Dzeko’s superb opener maintained his recent form but it was perhaps telling that Sergio Aguero was retained for the full 90 minutes against the Bluebirds; Negredo’s late goal will also give his manager food for thought as City look to recover from today’s unexpected stumble.

Andre Villas-Boas and Michael Laudrup gave Fantasy managers plenty to mull over at the Lane. The Spurs boss shifted to a 4-3-3 formation and demoted Gylfi Sigurdsson to the subs bench after just one game, with Etienne Capoue joining Mousa Dembele and Paulinho in the centre of the park. Villas-Boas’ spending over the next few days will likely hint at his preferred formation over the season ahead but for Sigurdsson, the signs are already looking ominous. While Andros Townsend staked a claim for inclusion with another strong display on the right, he, too, will be bracing himself for increased competition over the next few days, with two or three new faces anticipated.

Swansea’s Europa League duties continue to affect Laudrup’s selection policy up top. Wilfried Bony was once again named on the bench, with Michu preferred as the lone striker and Jonjo Shelvey tucking in behind – the Ivorian could be set for a Fantasy exodus if this continues for much longer.