Our Saturday morning regular has been shifted a few hours forward, as we roll out a trio of overlooked alternatives for your Friday night consideration. Arsenal’s Spanish schemer, Swansea’s big-money summer signing and United’s budget-friendly centre-half all arrive on our radar – crucially, as the fixtures pick up pace over the festive period, all three look strong options for this weekend and beyond:
Santi Cazorla
Despite returning to the Arsenal first-team in Gameweek 8, the little Spaniard remains firmly under the radar. With Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil sitting in 58% and 32% of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams respectively, Cazorla continues to be overlooked yet, with a goal and maximum bonus points in his previous home fixture against Liverpool, he’s starting to hint at the form that harvested 205 FPL points in his debut campaign in England’s top-flight.
Having scored for his country in the recent international break, Cazorla is in fine form as the league leaders seek to take advantage of three home games in four. Certainly, the visit of Southampton won’t be easy but with games against the likes of Hull and Cardiff directly after, he could be set to prosper. Coming in at 9.6 in FPL – with a 2% ownership – Cazorla will set you back 8.7 in the Sky Sports game and 6.0 in the Sun Dream Team, and, as his 12 goals and 13 assists last season suggest, his attacking contribution will be vital as Wenger’s side look to build on a run of four successive wins at the Emirates.
Wilfried Bony
It’s been a stop-start campaign for the Ivorian since arriving on these shores during the summer. Michael Laudrup may have splashed £12m on Bony’s services but a lack of full pre-season has seen him garner more game time in the Europa League, with five starts and five sub appearances in the Premier League an indication of his stuttering domestic campaign.
Nonetheless, the stats are impressive. Over 18 appearances in all competitions for the Swans, Bony has produced 10 goals and three assists and, having bagged a brace in the previous league encounter at home to Stoke, he looks a secure starter against struggling Fulham tomorrow afternoon. Certainly, with Michu still sidelined due to knee and ankle problems, Laudrup can ill-afford to bench the new boy – Bony’s impact is summed up by the fact that his side have scored 11 goals in the five games he has started, compared to four strikes in the other six. At 7.4 in FPL, 8.0 in the Sky Sports game and 3.5 in the Sun Dream Team, he also has games against Newcastle, Hull and Norwich in the next five to maintain his recent rise to prominence.
Jonny Evans
Having started five of the last six at the heart of United’s back-four, the Northern Ireland international looks to have established himself as a regular in David Moyes’ plans. With the new manager utilising Rio Ferdinand somewhat sparingly, Evans has been handed the chance to impress at the back, with his prospects further boosted by Moyes’ preference for Phil Jones in central midfield.
With Jones now a doubt for the weekend trip to Cardiff, Evans is set to slot in alongside fit-again Nemanja Vidic at centre-half as United look to build on the clean sheet accrued against Arsenal in the previous Gameweek. As the fixtures arrive quickly over the festive period, Evans – at 5.0 in FPL, 7.2 in the Sky Sports game and 5.0 in the Sun Dream Team, – seems the least susceptible to his manager’s rotational whims and offers a relatively budget-friendly route into a backline that has a very kind schedule from Gameweek 14 (EVE, NEW, avl, WHM, hul, nor) up until the New Year.
