Santi Cazorla bags a goal and assist as Arsenal emerge victorious from the Etihad. Olivier Giroud also finds the net, whilst the Gunners’ defence keep Sergio Aguero at bay with a second successive shut-out. Earlier in the day, Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing are amongst the goals as West Ham register a comprehensive win over struggling Hull.
Cazorla Steers Gunners to Victory
The little Spaniard stole the show in yesterday’s stunning win at the Etihad by bagging a goal and assist in the 2-0 triumph. Whilst Alexis Sanchez had a rare off-day, Cazorla’s form continues to suggest he offers a viable double-up option alongside the Chilean in our starting line-ups – he’s now racked up five goals, two assists and 11 bonus points in his last eight appearances. Owned by just 3% of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, the 8.2-priced playmaker has home clashes against Villa, Leicester and Everton, allied with trips to Palace and QPR in the next six, as the schedule smiles kindly on Arsene Wenger’s side.
Elsewhere in the Gunners attack, Olivier Giroud notched a fourth goal in five appearances to also come into contention ahead of the aforementioned run of fixtures. Also setting us back 8.2, the Frenchman is very much in the differential bracket, too – sitting in just 4% of FPL teams, he’s another who’s sure to come in for increased investment as Wildcards are wielded over the fortnight’s break from league action.
Arsenal Defence on the Up
It’s two clean sheets in as many matches for the north London side after nullifying the threat of Sergio Aguero and co. Given that last week’s home shut-out against Stoke was the Gunners’ first in seven attempts, little was expected from their defenders ahead of the Etihad visit but yesterday’s resilient display is sure to bring their backline onto our radars. With Mathieu Debuchy ruled out for three months, Wenger’s decision to select Hector Bellerin ahead of Calum Chambers at right-back is sure to pique our interest – at 4.4, he could be a real bargain if he can keep ahead of the summer signing, though David Ospina, at 4.8, also looks an option after getting the nod between the posts once again.
City Struggles in Toure’s Absence
With Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero back in the starting XI, much was expected of the champions – over 187,000 FPL managers drafted in the Argentine prior to the weekend deadline but his owners picked up no more than a single point, after he earned a late yellow card. Bearing in mind that City now travel to Stamford Bridge when league action resumes in two weeks’ time, the bandwagon may be temporarily slowed down until Gameweek 24. From that point on, Manuel Pellegrini’s troops host Hull, Newcastle and Leicester and also travel to Stoke and Burnley – by then, Aguero’s match sharpness will be fully up to speed and few will be willing to go without over such an enticing stretch of fixtures.
The champions have now failed to win any of their four league matches without Yaya Toure this season. Worryingly for Pellegrini, if the midfielder and new Etihad team-mate Wilfried Bony reach the Africa Cup of Nations final on February 8, they would likely miss the next three league matches, given that the Gameweek 25 trip to Stoke is on February 11.
Carroll and Downing Deliver
Sam Allardyce started with a 4-2-3-1 for yesterday’s clash against Hull, with Andy Carroll leading the line and Stewart Downing tucked in behind. A half-time switch to a midfield diamond saw the pair grab a goal apiece in an easy 3-0 win over the struggling Tigers – Carroll now has five strikes in his last eight, whilst Downing’s efforts took his tally to three goals and a pair of assists over the same period. Downing has now climbed into fourth spot in the FPL midfield standings on 116 points. but with showdowns against Liverpool, United, Southampton, Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal in the next seven Gameweeks, it remains to be seen how many of his 26% owners will keep the faith.
Tigers Toil Again
West Ham went into yesterday’s encounter with just a single clean sheet in the previous eight. With both their main forwards sidelined through injury, though, Hull were unable to take advantage of their hosts’ poor defensive form and drew yet another blank – alarmingly for Steve Bruce, his side have now failed to score in six of the last eight Gameweeks. Still stuck in the drop zone, Hull now have three vital home encounters (NEW, AVL, QPR) against sides in the bottom half of the table to boost their survival plight. Sone Aluko – classified as a midfielder in FPL and priced at 4.6 – led the line at Upton Park after recovering from a calf complaint and could offer Fantasy managers an out-of-position prospect, for those who believe Bruce’s side can profit from those upcoming matches.
