Having reached midweek, we turn our attentions to the forthcoming Gameweek. Once again, we outline those players, teams and scenarios that we’ll be closely monitoring and assessing come Saturday’s first whistle.
The United Lineup
David Moyes’ teamsheet at the Cottage is of keen interest. In defence, both Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand returned from recent injuries to provide the platform for a clean sheet in last night’s Capital One Cup tie, while Rafael lined up at right-back having made way for Chris Smalling in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Stoke. It’s unclear whether Jonny Evans will return alongside Phil Jones at Fulham, or if Moyes will call on the experience of Vidic and Ferdinand again having failed to return a clean sheet in five league outings. The right-back role also appears to be up for grabs with Smalling, Rafael and perhaps even Jones, in the frame. Further forward, the performances of Ashley Young, Wilfred Zaha and Adnan Januzaj, with the latter playing the number 10 role in last night’s tie, have given Moyes food for thought. With Nani so ineffective against the Potters, his starting role, along with Shinji Kagawa’s, is surely in question. We’re still watching and waiting for a solid midfield asset to emerge.
Pellegrini’s Rotation
The City lineup is also much anticipated. With Manuel Pellegrini expected to rotate for tonight’s Capital One Cup tie at Newcastle, we would anticipate that the likes of David Silva and Sergio Aguero will be rested ahead of the Etihad meeting with the Canaries. However, with a vital home Champions League meeting with CSKA Moscow looming the following Tuesday, there is real concern that Pellegrini’s rotation may extend to Saturday’s match. Both Aguero and Silva will be backed strongly by Fantasy managers having seen Norwich concede another four goals on their travels at Old Trafford last night. Equally, Pellegrini will have noted that Chris Hughton’s defence has now allowed eight goals in their last two away trips and may consider that he can afford to curtail the pitch time of his leading attacking threats. Having rotated this season and paid the price with league points, the Chilean decision on Saturday will offer us further insight into his current stance on resting prize assets.
Arnautovic Against the Saints
Having opened his account in spectacular style with a dead ball strike at Old Trafford, Arnautovic followed this up with a smart finish as the Potters sneaked past Birmingham in last night’s tie on spot-kicks. Classified as a midfielder and priced at 5.5 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game and 4.9 in Sky Sports, Arnautovic has clear potential as a source of goals if Mark Hughes’ side can establish a significant threat. That’s a big “if” given their current league record, although Saturday’s display at United will surely have handed Hughes reassurance that his side can turn the corner. We’ve been watching Arnautovic for several weeks but this weekend could be pivotal – with two goals in two matches, he now faces up to a Southampton defence that has conceded just a single goal in their last six matches. If the controversial Austrian (who was moved to the role in “the hole” at St Andrews last night) can taint that record, significant acquisition could be on the cards ahead of Britannia meetings with Sunderland and Cardiff in the next four Gameweeks.
Benteke’s Recovery
As Roscola identified in last night’s Frisking the Fixtures, Aston Villa’s strong schedule promotes investment in their Fantasy assets. The issue, however, is that our potential targets are basically restricted to the firepower of Christian Benteke. Having missed a spot-kick and several opportunities to return to the goal trail in the home defeat to Everton, we’ll be monitoring his display against a West Ham defence that has excelled in recent weeks. The tussle with Winston Reid and James Tomkins looks a bruising scenario but, if Benteke emerges with a fifth league goal, there’s little doubt that we’ll see major interest in the Belgian as a new option for our front lines. Elsewhere, we’ll also have one eye on the rest of Paul Lambert’s troops, in the hope that perhaps another name could emerge to tempt interest over a run of healthy-looking fixtures.
Coutinho and the Liverpool Formation
Having just missed out against West Brom, we’re expecting Brendan Rodgers to unleash Philippe Coutinho for the trip to the Emirates. We saw the Liverpool boss tweak his formation against the Baggies, dropping Victor Moses to the bench to bolster his midfield presence. It’s not clear how this will be adapted to harness the talents of Coutinho. Presumably it will be Jordan Henderson making way, although, instead, we may see Rodgers revert back to a four-man defence. Certainly, with Arsene Wenger likely to play with Olivier Giroud as a lone striker, it remains to be seen if Rodgers will be content to counter this with three centre-backs. He’ll surely attempt to flood midfield areas and that may force his hand and see him return to more conventional flat back four. We’ll certainly be looking out for those telling training bib shots later this week.
Barkley’s Minutes
With Ross Barkley subbed on the hour-mark at Villa and Leon Osman impressing, there are now doubts building on the 18-year-old’s security of start and pitch time. As we mentioned in today’s Scribbles , Roberto Martinez has come out and shown a degree of defiance when quizzed on the likelihood of handing his young midfield talent a rest. For now, then, Barkely would seem safe but there is little doubt that he may now feel the pressure to maintain his high level of performance and, should he also earn a fourth booking that would place him on the suspension tightrope, we may start to see some twitchiness amongst the 36% of FPL managers who currently own the Toffees man. His pitch time and performance against Spurs requires monitoring.
Sessegnon’s Potential
Midfield differentials look to be a huge factor right now and, just as Arnautovic carries some potential for Stoke, West Brom’s Stephane Sessegnon is a player with strong attacking intent who could prove a handy acquisition in the coming weeks. While the Baggies are hardly prolific, they have been creating opportunities aplenty, with Sessegnon often central to their attacking ploys. So far, we’ve seen just a single goal from the Benin international but, with Crystal Palace at the Hawthorns this weekend, we’ll be studying Sessegnon’s form very carefully. At just 6.6 in the FPL and with five home fixtures in the next eight Gameweeks, he is clearly a prospect for those giving up on the traditional heavy-hitters. Look out for a Members Monitor article on Sessegnon from Paul in the next 24-hours.
Hernandez vs Michu
Talking of failing heavy-hitters, Michu’s stock is set to come under increased scrutiny for Sunday’s derby clash at Cardiff. The Spaniard has been a bitter disappointment of late, failing to capitalise on plum home fixtures against Sunderland and West Ham. While we’re keeping the faith for now, we’ll be watching for the form of the returning Pablo Hernandez. As yesterday’s “Frisking” revealed, Swansea’s fixtures remain strong, right up until Christmas, so investment in Michael Laudrup’s outfit is worth considering. Having sparkled in the early season, Hernandez could present an intriguing alternative to the 8.9 priced Michu – available for just 5.8, he’s another one of those attacking midfield differentials that could prove so precious as we struggle to break up our template defence and attack.
