Our usual Monday lunchtime regular is rolled out as we assess the lessons learned from the 10 matches played out over the weekend:
Sturridge is a machine
An incredible run of goals, demonstrating ruthless finishing, has left Luis Suarez in his wake and threatens to snatch the Golden Boot from his team-mate. The scenario is compounded by Suarez’ own form – just a single strike in the previous six compared to Sturridge’s eight goals over the same period pretty much sums up the current state of play across the Fantasy games. Hands up – we were wrong to back Suarez in the Picks but it’s fair to say that we were expecting the Uruguayan to break out and Sturridge to struggle to maintain his strike rate – while both are inevitable, neither looks likely to happen just yet.
Jelavic & Long deliver
The pairing dismantled the Cardiff back four, combining on several occasions, not least for Jelavic’s superbly constructed opening goal, which followed Tom Huddlestone’s early missile. The duo are exceeding all expectations, allowing Steve Bruce to look up the table rather than down from this point on. Fantasy managers have to take notice – the pairing, Jelavic in particular, are strikers of some pedigree that can more than justify their Fantasy price tags.
Snodgrass is the Canary on song
We made it our mission to check out Snodgrass’ performance and tipped him via the Scout Picks bench. He duly delivered. The Scot is undeniably Chris Hughton’s key man as they look to keep themselves away from the relegation trapdoor – showdowns with Villa and Stoke over the next two offer him further chance to deliver at a time when many midfielders are facing blanks. With the following fixtures outstanding, Snodgrass is becoming more difficult to ignore.
Soljskaer can’t plug the gaps
The home battering by Hull is just one in a series of inept performances under the new man in charge. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has cancelled the Abu Dhabi trip, and there’s little wonder – his side have failed to score in five of the seven league games since he arrived in Wales, whilst the Bluebirds have been equally shambolic at the back, conceding at least twice in all but two matches under the Norwegian. Fantasy managers will surely be backing their opponents for goals – starting with Tottenham this coming weekend. They then face Everton and Liverpool after that – Suarez and Sturridge will be licking their lips.
Everton need Lukaku…
The big Belgian’s early withdrawal in the Gameweek 24 loss at Liverpool has coincided with a run which has seen Everton score in only one of their last four fixtures. Okay, so they were facing strong defences, but the Toffees’ confidence in front of goal appears to have dipped and Lukaku’s return will be welcomed by Roberto Martinez. The Belgian was hardly prolific prior to his injury but his physical presence and pace to turn a back four could well be crucial if the Toffees are to re-establish themselves as an attacking force.
…but perhaps not quite as much as City need Aguero
The City goal machine has well and truly stopped firing since the Argentine limped off at Tottenham last month. A meager 1-0 win over Stoke means Manuel Pellegrini’s side have now scored just three times in their last five in all competitions – Edin Dzeko’s miss-of-the-season contender from two yards out sums up City’s toils up top right now. With City set for back-to-back blanks and reports suggesting Aguero will be back in full training tomorrow, Dzeko and Alvaro Negredo are being offloaded in large numbers as Fantasy managers make plans for the Argentine’s return. With none of his fellow frontmen able to step up in Aguero’s absence, City’s title challenge may well just depend on his ability to remain injury-free from here on in.
We’re not so sure about Arsenal and Ozil
Sidelined with a thigh injury, the German’s absence saw Arsenal score more than three goals for only the second time this term as they tore Sunderland apart at the Emirates. Tomas Rosicky was influential in the role in “the hole” and the Gunners display certainly showed Arsene Wenger he can afford to rest his record signing when required. Having seen his decision to bench Olivier Giroud for a couple of games pay off at the weekend as the Frenchman returned with a brace and assist, Wenger may look to utilise Ozil more sparingly for fear of burn-out.
Van Persie and Rooney can make it interesting
While Aguero is undoubtedly set to return to the radar, let’s not write the United heavy-hitters off just yet. Van Persie is showing consistency since he returned to partner Rooney and the latter’s goal, coupled with his new contract, suggests the confidence is back. With Gameweek 29 intact and a double Gameweek 31, United essentially have four fixtures over that run at a time when most clubs play twice – there’s no denying that the champions’ strike pairing are an option to consider and, given their rapid decline in ownership, are ready-made differentials with the potential to explode if David Moyes can get United purring. Admittedly, that remains a big “if”.
Evra is playing for his United future
Recent seasons have seen the Frenchman emerge as an attacking force and a pair of assists at Palace continued that form. Evra has excelled in a very mediocre United defence this term – from a Fantasy perspective he stands out and, had his team-mates demonstrated more defensive resilience, he’d be right up there at the very top of the defender rankings.
Magath has the players on side
Crucially, the new man in charge at the Cottage seems to have his players on board. The Fulham team ran to Felix Magath after scoring at the Hawthorns, whilst the likes of Lewis Holtby has defended the German’s notoriously tough training methods. We hinted at the Cottagers’ potential in our Mission article and made a point to check in this weekend – there are definitely shoots of recovery, but Fulham’s assets have a long way to go before we look to invest.
Nolan doesn’t need Carroll after all
The Hammers skipper may not be boarding the plane to Brazil but he’s certainly making our squads. We didn’t anticipate this run from Nolan while Andy Carroll was suspended but he’s proved the doubters wrong with three goals and an assist in three games without his big sidekick. He’s killed the myth and Saturday’s goal from a Carlton Cole knock-down was reminiscent of several scored alongside Carroll. The latter is now back from his ban and Nolan’s bandwagon is in full flow – 50,000 Fantasy Premier League managers have already snapped him up since the weekend, but if Hull beat Brighton in the cup this evening and postpone his Gameweek 29 clash with the Tigers, there’s little appeal in his upcoming schedule.
Monk has got Swansea scoring
A 3-0 home victory in his first match in charge has been followed by four goals in the last two road trips as Garry Monk looks to go on the offensive. Yesterday’s three goals at Anfield highlighted Swansea’s more offensive approach – they had previously scored four goals in Michael Laudrup’s last nine away games at the helm. Whilst there’s still trouble at the back, things are looking rosier further up the field – Wilfried Bony is starting to show some consistency and Jonjo Shelvey is emerging as an unlikely option, though yesterday’s hamstring injury withdrawal suggests his acquisition comes with risk attached. If Michu can prove his fitness soon, though, he could soon appear on our radars if Monk continues to get goals from his side.
