Aaron Ramsey fires Arsenal to victory in Dortmund. Samuel Eto’o scores twice for Chelsea but Eden Hazard is dropped from the squad after missing a training session. Michael Laudrup expects Michu to be out for four weeks, Winston Reid is ruled out for West Ham, while Sunderland are into the next round of the Capital One Cup after a win over an under-strength Southampton XI:
Ramsey Keeps on Scoring
Arsenal had their in-form Welshman to thank for another crucial strike as they pulled off a superb Champions League win in Dortmund. Having lost the reverse fixture a fortnight ago, Arsene Wenger rolled out his strongest side and named an unchanged XI from the side that defeated Liverpool at the Emirates last Sunday. Ramsey’s sublime season continued after he scored the game’s only game, with Olivier Giroud picking up the assist as the north London outfit climbed to the top of Group F on goal difference with just two games remaining.
After the game, Wenger had further words of praise for Ramsey’s incredible transition this season.
“He just shows how difficult it is to have assessment on players because one year ago everyone said ‘yes, but Ramsey cannot score goals. He’s in box in the right positions, but he can’t score’. This season he scores game after game. I was always positive with him because when you watched the games again he was always in situations where he could be dangerous. This season he has gained confidence and he has an unbelievable engine to go from box to box. His confidence and his ability of course makes him a dangerous player.”
The Scout Says: It’s 11 goals and five assists in 17 appearances across all competitions for Ramsey now as his prolific campaign continues to thrive. Incredibly, his ownership in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) has almost reached 56%, with over 42,000 managers finally succumbing to his extraordinary consistency. In a year where very few midfielders can string together back-to-back returns, Ramsey has now scored or assisted in seven of the first 10 fixtures – a trip to a United side without a clean sheet since Gameweek 4 will hold no fear for Wenger’s side and with three home games in four directly after the international break, Ramsey’s number of suitors look set to rise and rise.
Eto’o Bags a Brace
Jose Mourinho promised changes after the weekend loss at Newcastle and the Blues boss was true to his word, making six alterations to last Saturday’s XI. David Luiz and Ashley Cole were replaced by Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta at the back, while Willian and Andre Schurrle came in for Eden Hazard and Juan Mata in the attacking midfield positions. With Fernando Torres injured, Samuel Eto’o was preferred to Demba Ba as the lone striker and vindicated his manager’s decision with a pair of goals, while the Senegal striker notched the third just six minutes after replacing Eto’o late in the second period.
Post-match, though, the news mainly centred around Hazard’s absence. The Belgian has established himself as a real favourite of Mourinho’s, and has started every league game he’s been fully fit for, but was left out of last night’s squad after missing a training session on Monday, according to his manager:
“Do I need to clear it up? Willian played fantastic… I don’t want to lie. He (Hazard) is not injured…He forgot the time. That’s the end of story. He’s a kid. Kids make mistakes and fathers have to be clever in the way they educate their sons. He didn’t play. He wanted to play. He was sad because he didn’t play. We won without him. On Saturday, he is back. So, end of story. We know his talent, he will be on the bench or playing, but he will be in the squad for sure.”
The Scout Says: Despite the number of changes, it certainly appeared that Hazard would have been a starter last night if it wasn’t for his training lapse – while Mourinho seems to be proving a point, judging by his statement, there’s sufficient doubt there to question whether he will make an immediate return. Mata once again looks a peripheral figure, though, after hinting at a return to regular game time in recent matches – similarly at the back, Cahill could well have edged ahead of Luiz in the race to partner John Terry. Up top, Eto’o certainly looks in the driving seat for as long as Torres is sidelined – the Spaniard is definitely out for this weekend’s home clash with West Brom, with Mourinho admitting he may be three weeks away from a comeback.
Reid Ruled out for Hammers
West Ham have confirmed Winston Reid will miss the weekend trip to Norwich after sustaining an ankle injury in training. The club have also indicated he is set to miss New Zealand’s upcoming World Cup play-offs against Mexico which take place over the next fortnight, though the Kiwis coach Ricki Herbert has suggested Reid could be out for as long as “six to eight weeks” with the problem.
The Scout Says: With James Collins still injured, Sam Allardyce could be forced to field Dan Potts at centre-half alongside James Tomkins if the Reid reports are true. The Hammers roll up to Carrow Road on the back of three clean sheets in four but Reid, as their only ever-present defender, has been instrumental in that run. With Fulham and Palace also on their agenda over the next four, the chances of further defensive returns still look still but there’s no denying Reid’s loss will dent their prospects – if Potts is indeed handed a chance, he could be worth an option at 3.9 but it’s too early to gauge Allardyce’s intentions.
Kone Set for Lengthy Spell on the Sidelines
Roberto Martinez has confirmed Arouna Kone could miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. The Ivorian last featured as a sub in Gameweek 8 but according to his manager:
“We need to give him a lot of support because he was enjoying his role when he came on against Hull and then he got a nasty incident that is going to keep him away for a long time. He had a loosened body, a bit of cartilage in his knee, so we need to repair that which will take time. We’ve got Darron Gibson reacting really well a couple of weeks after surgery so now he and Arouna are going to work extremely hard to get back before the season ends. We need to give them help and support on that side.”
The Scout Says: The Kone news lessens the competition for the Toffees lone forward role and strengthens Romelu Lukaku’s chances of being handed the full 90 minutes more often. The Belgian (who returned to full training yesterday after recovering from the thigh problem sustained against Spurs) has played the entire match just twice in six appearances but with Martinez seemingly unconvinced on Nikica Jelavic, Lukaku owners will be confident of increased game time.
Laudrup Discusses Michu Injury
Michael Laudrup has issued an injury update on Michu ahead of tonight’s Europa League match with Kuban Krasnodar. The Swansea boss conceded his star midfielder could be out for around a month and has been struggling with knee problems prior to picking up an ankle complaint in the weekend loss at Cardiff.
“Michu, our top scorer last season, has been struggling for a few weeks and is not 100 per cent and unfortunately he is out again for maybe three to four weeks. When I say he has not been at his best, it is because he has been struggling with both his knees for many weeks, but he wanted to play anyway and he is one of our most important players. So with this ankle injury hopefully he can get both his knees sorted as well. He will be away in Spain for a few days for some injections. Three to four weeks was the first medical opinion. But we said Ben Davies would be out for three to four weeks and he is back training with us now (after two weeks). It is always better to do it that way, to say a little more rather than reduce it and say it is three weeks and it ends up being five. “
The Scout Says: The revelation of ongoing knee problems certainly goes some way to explaining why Michu has struggled to reproduce the form of last season. Having drawn blanks in each of the last five league games, it’s clear that the club’s heavy schedule has simply taken its toll on the former Rayo Vallecano player – Laudrup’s admission could well spark a scramble for the exit doors though with few midfielders showing form right now, his owners have a dilemma when eyeing up a suitable replacement.
Jones Out for Baggies
West Brom assistant boss Keith Downing has revealed Billy Jones is set to miss the weekend trip to Stamford Bridge with a hamstring problem. With the Baggies next league game not until Monday November 25, though, Downing was optimistic on a quick return:
“There is a big chunk of time now for him to get it right. But we’re disappointed because Billy’s played well and he’s been one of our best players.”
The Scout Says: The news may be a little worrying for Morgan Amalfitano’s owners ahead of the Chelsea clash. The Frenchman was shifted to right-back in last Saturday’s win over Palace after Jones was forced off – while Steven Reid is available for selection, he has failed to play a single minute this term and it remains to be seen if Steve Clarke would throw him in at the deep end against Mourinho’s side, with Amalfitano proving an able deputy in the back-four last time around.
Cup Boost for Black Cats
Gus Poyet rolled out a strong XI for last night’s Capital One Cup 2-1 win over Southampton. The likes of Adam Johnson and Emanuele Giaccherini returned to the side, with Jozy Altidore handed the role as a lone striker as Steven Fletcher featured as a late sub. In a game that also saw Wes Brown return from injury, Phil Bardsley and Seb Larsson grabbed the goals for the hosts to hand Poyet a much-needed morale boost ahead of the weekend visit of City.
The Scout Says: The likes of Brown and Ondrej Celustka could be set to stake a claim for inclusion this weekend, with the latter set to benefit from Andreas Dossena’s three-match ban. Similarly, Craig Gardner was given the nod in central midfield due to Lee Cattermole’s enforced absence and could continue against City, though Poyet is expected to return to a 4-4-2, with Fletcher back in alongside Altidore. For Southampton’s Fantasy owners, though, Mauricio Pochettino’s line-up suggested he was quite happy to utilise the competition for fringe players – only one player, Jay Rodriguez, retained his starting role from the side that drew at Stoke last Saturday.
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