Before yet another international break is forced upon us, we turn to Gameweek 11 of this season’s Scout Picks, where every Friday, Mark, Jonty, a different member of the community and I pick an XI for the upcoming round of fixtures. Each week, our line-ups go head-to-head and over the course of the season we’ll be keeping a tally of the points as we go along.
Similarly to the last few Gameweeks, we’ve kept the budgets at 83.5 apiece for our starting line-ups.
The Community – Managed by Toon_Army_HTL
Given that Villa have scored just one goal in their last six and have Christian Benteke suspended, West Ham’s Adrian looks a good bet for a clean sheet. Cesar Azpilicueta should return to the Chelsea starting XI after suspension and could prosper against a Liverpool side that simply cannot score at the moment. Elsewhere in defence, Everton’s Leighton Baines and Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand offer solid potential at both ends of the pitch.
With a juicy home fixture and set-pieces in his locker, Angel Di Maria is crucial to Manchester United’s attack and books himself a place in my side. Irresistible form guarantees berths to Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez and West Ham’s Stewart Downing, while Stoke can’t seem to keep a clean sheet, which makes Spurs top scorer Nacer Chadli a solid option this week.
Up front I’ve picked Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero; the best striker in the league up against the worst defence. West Ham’s Diafra Sakho should shake off a recent injury and continue his run of goals and Graziano Pelle has proved to be an absolute beast for Southampton. With great service from the likes of Dusan Tadic, I can see him scoring against an out-of-sorts Leicester.
Jonty
Away from home Aston Villa are the third worst team in terms of goal attempts, a statistic which propels West Ham’s Adrian into my selection.
At the back I’ve gone for three left-backs, Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand, Everton’s Leighton Baines and Manchester City’s Gael Clichy, all with good form, fixtures, clean sheet potential and attacking threat. It is worth noting that a Southampton defender looks a must this week as Leicester have registered the fewest amount of goal attempts away from home. Gael Clichy looks a steal at £5.3 and comes into my thoughts on the back of a 12-point haul in Gameweek 10 and the news that his left back rival Aleksandar Kolarov faces a month on the sidelines.
Over the last two weeks Manchester United’s Angel Di Maria went up against Chelsea and Manchester City and still managed to come out top among midfielders in terms of crosses and chances created over that period. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do against a hapless Palace. Four goals in his last two matches makes Alexis Sanchez undroppable, while strong assist and goal threat makes West Ham’s Stewart Downing another must have this week. To complete my midfield I’ve opted for the fixture safety of Nacer Chadli. Spurs have failed to convince me this season but as his side’s top goal scorer he should do well when Stoke come to visit.
Up front, Saints striker Graziano Pelle and West Ham’s Diafra Sakho offer premium potential with a friendly price tag. Sergio Aguero is my final selection as he is the season’s most prolific shooter in the box away from home, up against a side with one of the worst home records for conceding shots in the box.
Mark
My picks are guided by several basic principles.
Firstly, that, with cheap options up front, funds can be distributed from attack to midfield and at the back. This allowed me to entertain the idea that both Angel di Maria and Alexis Sanchez are “must-haves” given fixtures and form. Finally, I’m clinging to the concept that investing in both Branislav Ivanovic and Leighton Baines for their attacking promise is a better tactic that attempting to find clean sheets amongst the mid-price bracket.
Southampton’s promise at the back and through playmaker, Dusan Tadic, in midfield, make two more selections easy. While West Ham’s potential at home to a beleaguered Villa has to be acknowledged and I’ve done so via Stewart Downing’s rising star and Aaron Cresswell’s creativity from left-back.
That left my front line, in which I’ve partnered the reassuringly expensive Sergio Aguero, with a pair of budget options in Saido Berahino and Steven Fletcher. Despite City’s form, I can’t ignore Aguero’s own prolific goal scoring run and he’s the obvious captain choice this week outside of my two heavy-hitting midfielders.
Berahino is a risk against the in-form Magpies back four and, equally, Fletcher is a major differential against the Everton backline. Even so, both have form and I just can’t ignore the value they offer in a week where midfield investment looks key.
Paul
In goal, Southampton’s Fraser Forster has conceded a single goal at home so far ahead of the visit of Leicester . Leighton Baines’ points potential at both ends of the pitch sees him selected for Everton’s trip to Sunderland, whilst I’ve opted for Aaron Cresswell for similar reasons – he’s earned two assists in the last three ahead of a home clash with a Villa side that’s scored once in six. I’ve also opted for Kieran Gibbs for Arsenal’s trip to Swansea – he’s been quietly picking up the points and has two double-figure hauls in the last six.
Alexis Sanchez and Angel di Maria look fundamental to their sides’ attacking potential this weekend. The Chilean’s move up front has justified the hefty outlay, whilst Di Maria has produced double figures in two of his four home appearances ahead of Palace’s visit. Nacer Chadli has produced more shots inside the box than any midfielder this season ahead of Spurs’ home match with Stoke, whilst Stewart Downing’s 5.8 price is simply too good value to ignore.
Up front, I’ve gone for a trio of players whose strong stats were highlighted by yesterday’s Captain Sensible article. Sergio Aguero has been afforded double the number of big chances than any forward in the last four and faces a QPR side that have conceded 20 times – more than any other. Graziano Pelle and Diafra Sakho have eye-catching showdowns in front of their own fans and have the form to prevail – Pelle has produced points in four of his five St Mary’s matches, whilst Sakho has scored in every appearance at Upton Park to date.
The Scores So Far
Jonty won last week’s round with a score of 95 points. I grabbed second with 73 points, just one ahead of The Community (as managed by Magerost) on 72 points, with Mark taking fourth with 66.
This means that Jonty is the new leader overall, moving up from third to first on 609 points. Mark is second on 604 points, whilst I take third with 591 points and The Community currently sits fourth with 487.
