Having cast an eye over our recommended options in Defence for the next four-to-six Gameweeks yesterday evening, we turn our attentions to midfield. Swansea’s outstanding schedule once again hands us a chief protagonist, while Arsenal’s in-form duo maintain their standing as the short-term schedule starts to stiffen.
Michu holds on to the top spot for yet another week despite a surprising blank in last weekend’s 4-0 rout of Sunderland. With West Ham, Stoke and Newcastle to visit the Liberty, allied with trips to Cardiff and Fulham in the next six, the Spaniard has the perfect opportunity to repay his frustrated owners and atone for a run of three successive blanks – his goal in last night’s Europa League draw with Kuban Krasnodar is hopefully a good omen for Sunday’s clash with the Hammers.
Mesut Ozil’s brace against Norwich highlighted his goal threat ahead of a mouth-watering clash against basement-dwellers Crystal Palace. The German has the class to navigate a tricky sequence of games that include Liverpool and Manchester United and while Arsene Wenger has already looked to rotate his midfield, the German looks irreplaceable in the role in “the hole” as the Gunners look to cement their spot at the top of the table.
Eden Hazard returns as our Chelsea midfielder of choice after finally delivering on his potential at home to Cardiff last weekend. Whilst he’s lacked the consistency of the now identically priced Oscar, Hazard start seems more guaranteed having been selected in Jose Mourinho’s XI every time he has been fully-fit. Oscar, on the other hand, has been benched twice in the last five. Chelsea’s clash against an attack-minded City on Sunday is followed by a very forgiving schedule, with only a home clash against the robust Southampton defence looking tricky as the Blues face off against West Brom, with trips to Newcastle, Sunderland and West Ham in the next six. With too much uncertainty over Chelsea forwards, midfield remains the way to go when investing in Mourinho’s attacking options.
Fielded on the right flank against West Brom in Gameweek 7, Aaron Ramsey was then rested to the bench for Arsenal’s previous game at home to Norwich. Granted, the Welshman still managed to repay his owners with a goal and assist after replacing concussed colleague Mathieu Flamini but his versatility, allied with Wenger’s rotation policy, is enough to see him slightly drop in this week’s refresh. Residing in over 51% of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams now, he still remains outstanding value at 6.9 and is looking for his fourth set of double figures at Selhurst Park this weekend.
Shining a much-needed ray of creativity on Manchester United’s faltering attack, Adnan Januzaj completes our top five. Instrumental in the goal against Southampton’s near-watertight defence, the allure of the 4.9 priced youngster is hard to ignore as his team face Stoke, Fulham and Cardiff in the next four in succession – given his contribution so far, he looks far more than a mere budget “enabler” and, as his 14-point showing against Sunderland demonstrated, is more than capable of outscoring his premium-priced team-mates.
David Silva gets the nod over Yaya Toure as a rout into City’s midfield. While there’s no denying the latter’s remarkable season, fit-again Silva has offered plenty to suggest he could be poised for his most successful season so far in the English top-flight – with returns in four of his five appearances, the little Spaniard’s flourishing understanding with resurgent frontman Sergio Aguero looks could rack up the points over the next few matches.
With a goal or assist in each of the last four, Adam Lallana continues to flourish at a time where Southampton’s forwards are struggling to find any semblance of form. The next three Gameweeks hands him home games against Fulham and Hull, with a trip to Stoke sandwiched in between – at 6.2, he remains very strong value for Mauricio Pochettino’s in-from Saints.
Reaping the rewards in West Ham’s striker-less formations, Ravel Morrison contributed an assist last time out, delivering returns in three of four full starts for the east Londoners. Only a home clash against Chelsea provides a stumbling block in the next six weeks as his team face the likes of Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Norwich – at 4.4, Morrison continues to outperform far pricier options amongst Sam Allardyce’s troops.
Two home games in the upcoming four affords Robbie Brady the chance to return to form after he drew a blank upon his return from injury last weekend. Having played a part in four of his side’s seven goals so far, the 5.2 priced midfielder has offered superb value and, with spot-kicks and set-pieces to boost his prospects, is the only player to have netted more than once for Steve Bruce’s side.
It is with some trepidation that we approach Tottenham’s attacking assets, but Andros Townsend’s form proves impossible to ignore. Continuing where he left off on international duty, England’s latest star notched a goal and gained an additional two bonus points for his efforts against Aston Villa. Hardly shot-shy and with the manager’s praise still ringing in his ears, the 5.7 million winger provides a budget-friendly, if not slightly risky, route into Tottenham’s attack. Paulinho appears central to Andre Villas-Boas’ plans. At 7.0, he is a little pricier than Townsend but as the only midfielder or defender to start every game for Spurs, he certainly offers greater security than Townsend and has strong underlying statistics ahead of home games with Hull and Newcastle in the next three.
Norwich playmaker Robert Snodgrass has yet to find his form but, having dropped to 6.0, offers a real mid-price differential option – he welcomes Cardiff, West Ham and Palace to Carrow Road in the next five. Peter Whittingham remains key to Cardiff’s attacking prospects in spite of a couple of recent blanks. With Malky Mackay changing his forwards in recent weeks, the Bluebirds playmaker looks secure on the left and will be hoping games against Norwich, Swansea and Villa help his prospects – at 5.2, he remands another viable budget option for those looking to save cash in the centre of the park.
Ross Barkley continues to benefit from what is likely to be a season-ending injury to Darron Gibson as he cements his role as the most advanced midfielder in Roberto Martinez’s attacking set up. Away games to Aston Villa and Crystal Palace along with a home clash against Stoke provide the perfect antidote to a fixture list that also sees the Merseysiders face Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United in the next six. Kevin Mirallas sets you back a little more than his Toffees team-mate but is starting to find his form and looks a real differential option on the right of the front three.
Stephane Sessegnon’s recent displays for West Brom help earn him the nod over team-mate Morgan Amalfitano. The latter’s withdrawal on the hour mark against Stoke last week also plays a part in our thinking here, with the Benin international looking a little more secure form game time in the role in “the hole”. Palace, Villa and Newcastle in the next five offset games against Liverpool and Chelsea in the same period but having taken four points over games against United and Arsenal, Steve Clarke’s side will fear no one right now.
