As David Moyes’ teamsheet leaves the door ajar for an inspired West Brom to silence Old Trafford, Arsenal, driven on by their Welsh starlet once again, grab their opportunity to set the Premier League pace.
The Game Changer
Aaron Ramsey’s extraordinary ascendency continues. A fourth league goal at the Liberty tonight ensured the points for the Gunners and handed Ramsey’s Fantasy owners a second double figure haul, with the Welshman also assisting Serge Gnabry’s opener.
The clamour for Ramsey will now continue and, after two consecutive 0.3 price rises in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, it seems we’re witnessing one the most rapid and relentless bandwagons since Michu burst on to the scene last season.
With Ramsey’s form showing incredible consistency, it seems assured that Wenger will keep him installed as a key figure in his midfield, despite the availability of Mikel Arteta and the impending return of Santi Cazorla. Rest and rotation may eventually bite, even with that risk, Ramsey remains almost impossible to ignore.
His army of Fantasy owners will be rejoicing this evening. The rest will be wondering if they should swallow their pride and get on board, despite missing the rise of 0.7. While it feels like chasing points, those points show little sign of slowing up.
The Underused
Morgan Amilfitano was United’s chief tormenter at Old Trafford. An outstanding display was capped by his second goal in consecutive matches and was coupled with an assist for the Baggies winner. The Frenchman’s impact on the Baggies has been profound and Steve Clarke appears to unearthed a gem.
With maximum bonus on their way, Amilfitano has brought in 24 points in his three Premier League appearances and is now blinking brightly on our radars as a low-to-mid price midfield asset.
His arrival at the Hawthorns created little publicity, with the signings of Stephane Sessegnon and Victor Anichebe allowing him to land in the midlands without fanfare. Certainly, his statistics over his previous two seasons at Marseille were underwhelming: two goals and seven assists from 60 league games hardly earmarked him for immediate attention from Fantasy managers.
Three matches in, however, and it’s clear that Amilfitano has been rejuvenated and, despite West Brom’s tough schedule, he represents a major consideration for those looking to free up funds from their midfield.
The Selection Poser
We saw rotation in the United lineup prior to matchday one of the Champions League and, today, it materialised again. While we should not detract from the performance of West Brom, the United teamsheet was surely a contributing factor behind their shock 2-1 reverse.
Defensively, David Moyes’ side were far from secure without the assured presence of Patrice Evra and, in particular Nemanja Vidic. The omission of both ahead of Wednesday’s tie with Shakhtar Donetsk came as a surprise. It was anticipated that Rio Ferdinand would be the more likely to be rotated out, with club captain Vidic hailed only this week by Moyes as the best central defender he’s ever managed.
It remains to be seen if the United boss repeats such a policy in matches to come. Clearly he has options and the means to rotate his defence, making it difficult for Fantasy managers to assess the options on offer at a time when their fixtures had suggested the promise of defensive returns. Today’s lineup and result surely calls for a rethink.
In attack, Robin van Persie was kept on the bench until United were forced to chase the game. While the Dutchman was fit enough for selection, Moyes chose to keep him from the fray and presumably preserve him for European action.
Prior to matchday one of the Champions League in Gameweek 4, Van Persie was replaced with 11 minutes remaining against a 10-man Palace and back then, we highlighted the possibility of limited pitch time to come with Moyes protecting his star asset. Moyes’ decision to start without him today not only provided further frustration for his Fantasy owners, denting Van Persie’s stock once again, it surely provided a boost for visitors West Brom, inspiring them to put on a performance that ultimately proved too much for a weakened and out-of-sorts United.
