This Much We Know – Gameweek 8

We cast an eye over the nine fixtures played out so far in what was one of the most eventful Gameweeks in memory. Southampton’s playmaker, Man City’s mauling of Spurs and Jose Mourinho’s decision to finally rest Diego Costa are amongst our lunchtime topics.

Tadic has the output to back up the stats…
From time to time, there can be certain players – Adel Taarabt and Philippe Coutinho spring to mind over seasons past – who have failed to deliver on the promise suggested by strong underlying statistics. For the first seven Gameweeks, there was a fear that Tadic fell into that frustrating category. For all his dazzling displays for Southampton, the midfielder had served up just three assists prior to Saturday’s visit of Sunderland. Unfortunately for Gus Poyet’s side, Tadic took the opportunity to finally announce himself to Fantasy managers with an incredible 23-point haul, playing a part in five of his side’s eight goals. With four outstanding fixtures to follow, the bandwagon is now in full swing.

Aguero suits a lone striker role…
Manuel Pellegrini’s decision to move to a 4-2-3-1 helped the little Argentine run riot against Tottenham, turning in his most impressive performance of the season by far. With Eden Dzeko dropping to the bench and David Silva tucked in behind, Aguero wreaked havoc as the sole focal point of his side’s attacks with an incredible four-goal salvo – given his numerous options in midfield, the City boss may well consider retaining such a system in order to get the best out of his talisman as the champions start to find their groove.

The Costa hamstring soap opera just won’t go away…
After fielding the Chelsea striker for all but eight minutes of Spain’s two matches over the international break, Vicente del Bosque described the striker’s hamstring problem as “almost in the realm of the mystical”. Jose Mourinho seems to think otherwise, though, and as the pair publicly snipe and bicker over Costa’s availability, Fantasy managers are being caught in the crossfire. Mourinho’s decision to rest Costa for the first time this season at Palace, coupled with Aguero’s haul against Spurs, proved a pivotal moment of the campaign, and with another international break set to take place after Gameweek 11, the Chelsea manager’s mind games will surely continue. We can only hope that once the internationals are out the road, this will become less of an issue – at a price of 11.2, Costa, for all his consistency, is simply too pricey a player to gamble on every week.

Eriksen’s starting to fire..
Lost amidst the Aguero show was yet another goal for the ever-improving Spurs midfielder. Much was expected of the Dane after a strong finish to the previous campaign under Tim Sherwood but he was slow out the blocks, having initially been fielded on the right in the opening few fixtures before being moved back into the middle. Eriksen’s consolation at the Etihad took his tally to three goals in the last five Gameweeks, and although Nacer Chadli has so far proved the better value, the signs suggest the Dane is finally recapturing his top form just as the north London club brace themselves for an excellent run of fixtures.

…as is Sanchez
Arsenal’s season continues to stutter from one poor result to another, with a last-gasp home draw against Hull leaving them 11 points off the summit already. If Arsene Wenger’s side are to take advantage of their upcoming schedule and climb up the table, their summer signing from Barcelona looks increasingly integral to their ambitions. Sanchez’ goal and assist dragged the home side back from the jaws of defeat and took his tally to three strikes and an assist in his last four league starts – yes, he’s far from budget friendly at 10.3, but with a mere 11% ownership, he looks an ideal alternative for those looking to smash the midfield template.

Sakho could be the bargain of the season…
Snapped up for just over £3m by Sam Allardyce, the Senegal international continues to strengthen his position as the best budget striker across the Fantasy games. Whilst the likes of Leonardo Ulloa and Steven Naismith have failed to maintain their early showings, Sakho has now netted in each of his last six in all competitions and has averaged eight points per start for the Hammers this term – that’s higher than Diego Costa has managed for Chelsea. At a price of 5.6, Sakho’s phenomenal value has persuaded only 3% of Fantasy Premier League managers to take the plunge, but if he keeps returning the points on a par with the heavyweights, that ownership will surely soar.

Siggy’s form is a worry…
For some, the Swansea playmaker is now living on borrowed time. This weekend’s home clash with Leicester will ensure Sigurdsson’s owners hold for now, but after returning a fourth blank in the last five in yesterday’s loss to Stoke, there are definite signs that his star is on the wane. Garry Monk’s side square up to Everton, Arsenal and City directly after the Foxes match, and with the options in midfield plentiful, parting company with the Icelandic international certainly looks a viable tactic.

Boyd and Obertan look handy bench warmers…
In a week where Costa’s no-show at Selhurst Park hit Fantasy managers hard, the Burnley and Newcastle midfielders reminded us of the need to have reliable bench fodder to call upon. Boyd’s first strike of the season couldn’t have come at a better time for his owners – as the stats show, though, 10 touches in the box, three efforts inside the area and four key passes against the Hammers suggest his eight-point haul was merited. Obertan’s winner against Leicester delivered 11 points, adding to his assist against Swansea in the previous Gameweek – both players sit at just 4.4 and look the best options around in the budget bracket right now.

The Britannia suits Moses…
His assist for Stoke’s penalty against Swansea may have sparked plenty of controversy but from a Fantasy perspective Moses continues to impress. So often a source of frustration in campaigns gone by, the on-loan wide man seems to have finally found his feet under Mark Hughes, and entrusted with a role on the left of the attacking midfield three, has now delivered an assist in each of the last four Gameweeks. Given that he’s only bettered that tally once in his top-flight career, it seems that the Britannia may just be the perfect fit for the Nigerian international, though the upcoming fixtures look set to provide a stiff test of his new-found consistency.

The Toffees are on the rise…
As the treatment room starts to empty, Everton are finally rediscovering the form that earned them a fifth-place finish last time around. Leighton Baines may have been the star turn, after delivering a 15-point haul, but there’s no coincidence that the return of Seamus Coleman and Ross Barkley helped the Merseysiders turned in their most convincing display of the season. Roberto Martinez’ side served up points from all areas of the pitch – with a second shut-out of the campaign and the likes of Coleman, Barkley and Romelu Lukaku all delivering, investing in the Toffees looks a wise move as the schedule continues to smile kindly.