Olivier Giroud nets for the fourth game running before being subbed off with a knee problem. Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney bag a goal apiece for United, Christian Benteke is in the goals once again for Villa, Gylfi Sigurdsson notches twice for Tottenham, while Everton register a third straight clean sheet to earn their first win under Roberto Martinez.
Giroud Knee Concern for Wenger
Arsenal’s lone striker shows no sign of letting up as he netted again for Wenger’s side. However, the Frenchman’s late withdrawal due to a knee problem is a concern for his rapidly growing number of owners.
Giroud rolled up to Wearside having scored in each of his three league appearances and continued his outstanding form with a goal and assist against Paolo Di Canio’s side to vindicate the decision of the 268,000 FPL managers who drafted him in over the recent two-week international break. With two fixtures left of the Gameweek, Giroud is now top-scoring player in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game but his owners will be on edge after Wenger admitted concern on his late injury. With Lukas Podolski and Yaya Sanogo both sideline, and with Nicklas Bendtner far from match fit, Wenger could be forced to move Theo Walcott into the middle if Giroud faces any term of absence. The Arsenal boss was a little cryptic on his forward’s availability for the midweek Champions League clash with Marseille:
“That’s my worry today after the game. We are very thin at the moment. [It is] a knee problem. He is the player at the moment that would be very difficult for us [to replace.]”
Giroud, however, took to social media later in the evening to play down fears over any potential problem. The forward revealed via his twitter account:
“My knee is ok don’t worry! Thanks for your support!”
Giroud’s message was perhaps enough to reassure potential investors. The Frenchman gained over 30,000 new FPL owners so far in the Gameweek with a price rise to 9.0 and in beyond looking inevitable prior to the Emirates meeting with Stoke next weekend.
Ramsey In Bloom As Cazorla Is Laid Low
It’s five goals in six appearances across all competitions now for Aaron Ramsey as he continues to blossom in the Arsenal midfield. An ankle injury to Santi Cazorla allowed Jack Wilshere the chance to move to the left as Mesut Ozil tucked in behind Olivier Giroud but it was Ramsey who proved the Gunners key contributor. His brace of goals against Sunderland helped Wenger’s to their third straight league win. Ramsey enjoyed an immediate FPL price rise overnight to 5.7 as over 40,000 clambered for his services.
As the injuries continue to mount for Wenger, Ramsey is certainly looking more crucial by the Gameweek. With Cazorla now ruled out until October, Wilshere could also earn extra owners ahead of a very favourable run of games, providing he can maintain his own fitness.
Wenger’s post-match prognosis on Cazorla was a real blow to his owners:
“Cazorla has an ankle problem I don’t think he will play before the next international break and will be out for at least a fortnight.”
The Spaniard has just one assist to his name so far this term and suffered a significant ownership loss overnight as over 35,000 shed Cazorla as a result of the injury setback.
Cool Van Persie Ends Run of Blanks
Heavy returns were expected from the lunchtime encounter but, in the end, Van Persie had to rely on spot-kick duties to end his recent domestic drought. The Dutchman’s converted penalty just before the break will keep his owners content but the returns could have been far stronger – the striker had six efforts against ten-man Palace and also hit the woodwork before being subbed with 11 minutes remaining.
A trip to City up next looks tricky but with home games against West Brom, Southampton and Stoke and a visit to Sunderland immediately after the Etihad clash, those holding Van Persie will be banking on strong returns from the armband over the next few Gameweeks. With Wayne Rooney returning unexpectedly and getting amongst the goals, though, many will be eyeing up the latter as a real differential – at present, Rooney is owned by less than 2% of FPL managers.
Ward Laid Low For Palace
Ian Holloway was forced to shuffle his defence for the trip to Old Trafford with Adrian Mariappa drafted in for his debut. The former Reading man replaced Joel Ward at right-back as he was sidelined with a calf injury. Post-match, Holloway revealed that Ward is also likely to miss next week’s Selhurst Park meeting with Swansea. Kagisho Dikgacoi will also miss that match through suspension after seeing red at Old Trafford.
Potters Resilience Remains
In spite of a change in playing style, it seems Stoke will remain as resolute as ever under Mark Hughes. The Potters move to a more possession-based approach looked to have lessened their ability to keep out opponents but yesterday’s goalless encounter with City was their second consecutive shut-out, having won 1-0 at West Ham in the previous Gameweek.
Stoke have now conceded just twice in the opening four matches and while a trip to in-form Arsenal is far from enticing, Hughes’ side then have home games against Norwich, West Brom and Southampton supplemented by a trip to Fulham in the following five, suggesting that Asmir Begovic and his defence could be firmly in profit over the month ahead.
Pellegrini Rotation Kicks In
With as many as five players on the sidelines heading into yesterday’s Britannia clash, Manuel Pellegrini’s options were somewhat limited. Nevertheless, with the Champions League clearly on his mind, the City boss gave a clear indication of his intentions to utilise his squad as the fixtures come thick and fast. Surprisingly, Javi Garcia was preferred to Joleon Lescott at the back, while the likes of Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko were all omitted from the starting XI. Confidence in the City teamsheet took a real dent as a result.
While City’s form is undoubtedly in question right now, it’s clear that, when we do eventually start to consider their assets as a priority, we will need to assess the impact of their Champions League campaign on Pellegrini’s rotation policy.
Sigurdsson Serves a Reminder
The last few weeks have been all about Tottenham’s big-money buys but it was their forgotten Icelandic international who emerged from the fringes of the squad to stake a claim for regular starts.
Handed a chance on the left flank in a 4-2-3-1, Sigurdsson got the nod ahead of Nacer Chadli. With Christian Eriksen fielded centrally behind Roberto Soldado, Andre Villas-Boas had the luxury of leaving Erik Lamela on the bench until the final seven minutes. Now down to 6.9 in FPL, it remains to be seen whether Sigurdsson can retain a regular role but yesterday’s display has surely merited a start for next weekend’s trip to Cardiff. That would seem likely to keep Lamela on bench duty, unless Villas-Boas ousts Andros Townsend, fielding the Argentine on the right flank.
As for Eriksen, his display and assist return will already have Fantasy managers on alert. Priced at 8.0 in the FPL and 7.0 in the Sky Sports effort, the Danish playmaker boosted his stock and will surely be a consideration for the Gameweek 5 trip to Wales. Following the Cardiff clash, Spurs face three White Hart Lane matches in four Gameweeks as Chelsea, West Ham and Hull all make their way to North London. It’s fair to say that Eriksen could well emerge as a key Fantasy target by the end of October, particularly if the likes of Eden Hazard and Theo Walcott continue to falter as midfield assets.
Pardew Moves to 4-3-3
A switch of formation proved pivotal for Newcastle in yesterday’s win at Villa. With Loic Remy fully fit, Alan Pardew shifted from a 4-4-2 and rolled out a 4-3-3, allowing the loan signing to join Hatem Ben Arfa and Papiss Cisse in the front three.
Ben Arfa vindicated our decision to hand him a place in this week’s Scout Picks by grabbing a goal for the second match in succession. With a home encounter with Hull and trip to Cardiff in the following three, he looks poised for further investment in light of yesterday’s display and his new freedom to threaten opponents in the box. Post-match, Pardew’s comments affirmed the Magpies’ new attacking ethos, offering Ben Arfa’s owners some further room for optimism:
“We played very, very well today and I thought some of our play was what it should be at Newcastle. We have a real attacking mode at the club and that’s the type of offensive side I want to put out, but I have been unable to do so really since Demba Ba left. There were some magnificent performances around the pitch and I thought we were excellent.”
Benteke Notches Again
It’s four goals in four Gameweeks for Villa’s hitman after he once again found the net in the Magpies defeat. Win, lose or draw, and virtually regardless of opponent, Benteke carries on racking up the goals that, since the turn of the year, has now seen him score 18 times in 21 league matches – an outstanding run of consistency that somewhat makes a mockery of his current 9.1 FPL price tag. With Norwich and Hull in two of the following three Gameweeks, the bandwagon is picking up pace as the Belgian continues to deliver premium-priced returns for a relatively kind Fantasy value.
Whittingham Key for Bluebirds
Hull’s Robbie Brady may have garnered most of the cut-price Fantasy attention ahead of the Tigers home showdown with fellow promoted club Cardiff but it was the Bluebirds’ own dead-ball specialist who delivered the goods yesterday. We’d mentioned Whittingham’s impressive statistics in last week’s Members midfield article and he backed up our faith with the visitors’ equaliser as Malky Mackay’s side took their unbeaten run to three matches. With Tottenham and Chelsea amongst the next four, the fixtures are something of a mixed bag for the 5.0 priced midfielder but showdowns with Fulham and Newcastle from Gameweeks 6-7 afford Whittingham further chance to pick up the points; yesterday’s strike takes him up to 19 FPL points for the first four Gameweeks.
Connolly Gives Way
While Fantasy managers have shown recent concern on the security of start of centre-back Ben Turner, it was another budget asset, right-back Matt Connolly, who dropped out against the Tigers. New signing Kevin Theophile-Catherine (4.5 in the FPL) was given the nod at right-back and impressed on debut to cast real doubt over Connolly’s start from this point on. Meanwhile, Malky MacKay confirmed post-match that both David Marshall and Craig Bellamy missed Saturday’s encounter through injuries sustained whilst on international duty.
Toffees Hold Firm
Yesterday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea may have only been Everton’s first league win under Roberto Martinez but Everton continue to deliver defensive points aplenty for their Fantasy owners. After opening the season with a 2-2 draw at Norwich, the Merseysiders have now registered three back-to-back clean sheets, with Leighton Baines, in particular, benefitting from the new Bonus Points System (BPS). Granted, Seamus Coleman far cheaper price has made the right-back the prime Toffees target at the back but Baines has now earned seven bonus points across the last three games – only Giroud and Benteke have received more. Given that Baines is yet to produce any attacking returns, he could well be on course for his best ever Fantasy campaign if he continues to benefit at this pace.
Naismith to Benefit From Pienaar Blow
Post-match, Roberto Martinez revealed that Steven Pienaar, absent from Saturday’s victory through a training ground injury, is set to remain on the sidelines. That would seem likely to see match winner Steven Naismith remain in the lineup for the Gameweek 5 trip to West Ham. Everton will, however, have Romelu Lukaku available for that encounter and Martinez’s teamsheet will be of major interest. After gaining a first victory, wholesale changes are perhaps unlikely, suggesting that Lukaku could well start life on the bench – a role that’s become all too familiar to the Belgian.
Jose Rings the Changes
Similarly to City, Chelsea’s bloated first-team squad looks likely to cause us problems in terms of consistency of selection. With the midweek Champions League against Basel clearly affecting his teamsheet, Jose Mourinho made five changes from the previous league match, dropping the likes of Frank Lampard and Oscar from midfield. However, despite altering three of the four attacking players, Mourinho once again failed to see his side find the net. Granted, trips to Old Trafford and Goodison are far from straightforward but the fact that they are without a goal across two away games so far is perhaps a sign that changes to the lineup is disrupting the Blues’ rhythm.
Despite his side’s toils, Mourinho is convinced Chelsea will turn the corner after watching his team miss a multitude of chances:
“We had chances and chances and people with experience in football know this happens week after week in football stadiums. If you don’t score, what you create means nothing, and if you don’t create but you score a goal you can win three points. It is a simple story. Artistic football without goals is not good. I don’t think it is a question of sharpness, but perhaps no killer instinct in this game. We train movement and attacking organisation, we train finishing in situations we think we are going to have. The players are good so soon we will score goals according to the production of the football we have.”
Luiz Draws Praise
The inclusion of David Luiz at the back, with Gary Cahill making way, also casts new doubt over Mourinho’s first choice back four. With Luiz singled out for praise post-match, it would seem the Brazilian is well placed to retain his start from this point on:
“He [Luiz] played very well. What happened in the last minutes with a yellow card when maybe it could be a red is the kind of situation that occurs playing the way we were playing. We are not afraid to lose 2-0 to try to get a different result, but David was solid, very dominant and was building from the back.”
Fantasy managers are now left to assess the impact on both Cahill and John Terry who could be set for rotation, along with Luiz, in the coming weeks. Right now, with continued goal threat from set plays, Branislav Ivanovic looks to be the key option in Mourinho’s defence; the rotation threat from César Azpilicueta is yet to materialise. Ivanovic is owned by over a third of FPL managers although, should Luiz begin to cement a starting role, some may consider the swap with Luiz currently priced at 0.2 cheaper with a similar level of goal threat on offer.
Jol Waits on Ruiz Injury
Fulham’s failure to take their chances was punished late on by Gareth McAuley’s late equaliser for the Baggies. Martin Jol looked on in frustration as the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Bryan Ruiz missed opportunities to seal the three points. Both picked up injuries in yesterday’s match with Berbatov replaced on 77 minutes feeling his hamstring. Ruiz, however, looks to be a more serious setback. The Costa Rican was stretchered from the field in final minute with Jol acknowledging post-match that the injury looks “serious”.
“[Bryan] Ruiz’s [injury] looks quite serious so we have to scan him and wait and see what the problem is. It is with his ankle. I have no idea of the severity of it but we will see…Berbatov had a hamstring [problem]. I don’t think that is serious. He gave us signal that he wanted to be substituted and hopefully it was just in time.”
With Darren Bent sidelined with his own hamstring problem, Fulham’s firepower for the daunting Gameweek 5 trip to Stamford Bridge looks stretched.
Sessegnon Denied Debut
While Steve Clarke was able to give debuts to new signings, Victor Anichebe and Morgan Amalfitano, in the draw at the Cottage, Stephane Sessegnon was denied his opportunity to turn out due to complications with his work permit. The Baggies boss explained the Benin International’s absence post-match:
“When you transfer from one club to another you have to re-apply for your work permit. There was a little glitch in the process yesterday that delayed it and unfortunately for us he was not available for this game. Hopefully it will be resolved over the weekend or early next week at the latest and he’ll be available to face his old club next Saturday.”
The twitter rumour that the delay was caused by the misspelling of Sessegnon’s name on the documents remains unconfirmed.
