Our final look back at Gameweek 22 discusses the consistency of Chelsea’s in-form frontman, Arsenal’s improving performances and the possible fall-out from Kevin Mirallas’ decision to push ahead of Leighton Baines for Everton’s penalty against West Brom last night.
The Player
Two goals and an assist in Chelsea’s 5-0 hammering of Swansea helped Diego Costa to the top of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) forward standings this weekend. With five goals, two assists and five bonus points in his last five league outings, the 59%-owned Blues forward has reignited his claim to remain in our three-man frontlines from here on in.
For many, Costa has simply been a placeholder for Sergio Aguero until the fit-again City man steps up his match sharpness but Saturday’s Liberty showing could force a re-think. The summer signing has now earned points in 13 of his 19 league appearances, whilst Aguero has produced in ten of his 17 outings – surprisingly, for all the claims of the latter’s explosive points potential, he’s managed double figures just three times to Costa’s four.
Crucially, Costa’s weekend display means that both players have now averaged 6.3 points per appearance this term. Granted, Aguero’s injuries have played a part but, as we’ve seen from one season to the next, they always do, whereas Costa, after our early concerns over a hamstring problem, seems to be made of sturdier stuff. The Chelsea forward has missed just three league matches this season (once due to suspension) and, when on the pitch, the least he has played over his 19 appearances is 71 minutes – a tally Aguero has bettered or matched 12 times in the first 22 Gameweeks.
Granted, there have been viable alternatives to Costa so far – both up front and at Stamford Bridge, with Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas both still ahead of him in the overall standings. As we saw at the weekend, though, when high ownership players such as Aguero, Harry Kane, Charlie Austin, Hazard and Alexis Sanchez all failed to deliver, going without the most popular option in the FPL game can have significant repercussions to our overall rankings. As wildcards are wielded, Costa may well have earned himself a reprieve as we restructure our sides to accommodate Aguero alongside him, rather than instead of the Chelsea striker.
The Team
Sunday’s 2-0 win over champions City could barely have been better timed. With the schedule now smiling kindly, Arsenal’s main assets have announced their intentions with a display that is sure to see them populate many a 15-man squad in the midst of winter wildcard season.
The Gunners could even afford a rare blank from Alexis Sanchez at the Etihad as Arsene Wenger’s 4-1-4-1 formation allowed Santi Cazorla the freedom to dominate proceedings in the centre of the park and serve up a goal and assist. The Spaniard has now notched five times this term – all in the last eight Gameweeks – and with a pair of assists also accrued during that period, his output strengthens his shout as a viable double-up option alongside the popular Chilean ahead of five very enticing fixtures (AVL, LEI, cpl, EVE, qpr) in the next six Gameweeks.
Olivier Giroud also threw his hat into the ring with a fourth goal in five league appearances. Just like Cazorla, he is priced at 8.2 and owned by only 4% of FPL managers due to a general reluctance to look past Sanchez as their Arsenal player of choice.
At the back, too, there are options worthy of our consideration as Wenger’s side start to build momentum. The installation of David Ospina in goal has overseen back-to-back clean sheets against Stoke and City and arrested a run of six league matches without a shut-out. Whilst the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker offer a greater security of starts, young Hector Bellerin – at just 4.4 – has suddenly arrived on our radars after being preferred to Calum Chambers at right-back against City. With Mathieu Debuchy sidelined for three months, Bellerin has the chance to cement his spot in our 15-man squads as Wenger’s charges look to take advantage of the schedule and serve up their customary strong finish to the season.
The Talking Point
This season has been galling enough for Leighton Baines’ owners, with team-mate Kevin Mirallas seemingly entrusted with the majority of Everton’s free-kicks. In times gone by, the left-back’s dead-ball duties could always be relied upon to elevate him up the Fantasy standings but his potential has been curtailed by the Belgian in recent months.
Last night’s penalty debacle at Goodison merely added injury to insult for Baines owners after Mirallas ignored the advice of team-mates, taking it upon himself to pull rank before failing miserably from the spot. Roberto Martinez has since insisted the Belgian’s half-time withdrawal was down to a hamstring problem and has played down the incident but there’s a real possibility that his act of defiance could prove costly for Mirallas.
With two assists and a clean sheet in his last four, Baines has hauled himself back into the reckoning in spite of Mirallas’ efforts. As the fixtures start to take a turn for the worse, though, his attacking output looks more crucial than ever for Fantasy managers and Martinez alike right now. For all the frustration caused by last night’s turn of events, Mirallas’ so-called “despicable act” may ultimately prove beneficial to Baines over the long run. The left-back – who has scored 15 of his 16 top-flight spot-kicks – will surely now be unrivalled the next time the Toffees are awarded a penalty. Furthermore, with speculation surrounding the Belgian’s future on the rise (reports suggest Spurs, Atletico Madrid and Dortmund are all interested) Baines’ owners will arguably be optimistic that, in spite of, or indeed because of Mirallas’ folly, he could even be back on free-kicks sooner than expected.
