Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 23 – The Strong

We turn our attentions to the upcoming schedule this afternoon and cast an eye over those teams set for a kind run of fixtures. Arsenal have the platform to push on from their display at the Etihad, whilst Man United and the Sunderland are amongst those with high expectations over the next four to six Gameweeks.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger’s tactical masterclass at the Etihad last weekend couldn’t have been better timed for Fantasy managers, with the Gunners now embarking on a set of fixtures that should cement their assets’ places in a number of our squads. Aside from a north London derby with Spurs, Arsenal boast a superb next six, including the visits of Aston Villa, Leicester and Everton to the Emirates and promising away clashes with Crystal Palace and QPR. Now just one point short of the Champions League spots, the Gunners couldn’t be provided with greater motivation to make the most of this kind run, and judging by their display last Sunday, the next six Gameweeks could be hugely prosperous for their options at both ends of the pitch.

Back-to-back shut-outs in the last two Gameweeks have seen Fantasy managers rediscover interest in the Gunners’ rearguard, with Per Mertesaker and Laurent Koscielny the obvious options at the back. However, the 4.4-rated Hector Bellerin is undoubtedly the one to watch; with Mathieu Debuchy facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines, many had expected Calum Chambers to be the man to profit, but Wenger’s decision to select Bellerin at right-back against City could now offer us an even cheaper option. So long as he can cement his starting role, the young Spaniard will be hard to ignore.

In midfield, one man still dominates the Fantasy landscape. With 12 goals and seven assists thus far, Alexis Sanchez has warranted the hype he received at the start of the campaign, and with a penchant for picking up big returns against the weaker sides in the league (five of his six double-figure hauls have come against teams currently in the bottom half of the table), the Chilean could prove invaluable across the coming weeks. Nonetheless, the Gunners haven’t been solely reliant on the former Barcelona man this term; Santi Cazorla’s goal and assist return at the Etihad was perfectly timed with a blank from Sanchez, and the 8.2-priced playmaker leads the way for transfers-in this week between the two (30,500 to 28,500). With a 4.1% ownership, Cazorla is a ready-made differential for those willing to overlook Sanchez, though could also offer a midfielder double-up if he can maintain his current form. Up top, Olivier Giroud’s strike at the weekend took his tally to four in his last five league outings and he looks guaranteed starts as the lone frontman across that enticing schedule.

Sunderland

It’s been a rough ride for the Black Cats of late, with Gus Poyet’s side having now lost four of their last five league fixtures. With three of those defeats coming against Man City, Liverpool and Spurs, however, it would be unfair to condemn the Wearsiders too harshly. Indeed, it is their upcoming schedule that will likely prove the difference come the end of the season, with crucial home encounters against Burnley, QPR and West Brom in their next four, and a Gameweek 28 trip to Hull also on the horizon.

Five clean sheets in eight matches between Gameweeks 12-19 demonstrated the Black Cats’ capabilities at the back, and with 4.2-priced Patrick van Aanholt back in the frame after recently recovering from injury, Fantasy managers are likely to be monitoring Poyet’s rearguard in the hope that they can rediscover that resilience again. Both Van Aanholt and Billy Jones were fielded as wing-backs in a 3-5-2 last time out and their out-of-position appeal could persuade some to even look beyond Costel Pantilimon as an option at the back here.

Adam Johnson’s mini-renaissance has been quenched over the past couple of matches, but the former City man is still undeniably the star attraction in the Black Cats’ attack; three goals and an assist saw the winger average 6.6 points per appearance between Gameweeks 16-20, and his side will be reliant on him flaunting that sort of form in their upcoming relegation scraps. Seb Larsson, at 5.4 and with a goal and assist in his last three, is a cut-price alternative to Johnson in the middle of the park, whilst new boy Jermain Defoe will be looking to cement his status as a differential forward option after beginning his spell on Wearside with an assist against Spurs last weekend.

Man United

A 2-0 triumph at QPR last Saturday helped Louis van Gaal’s men return to winning ways after their dire home loss to Southampton in the previous Gameweek. Fortunately, the fixture list remains in their favour, with home meetings against Leicester, Burnley and Sunderland allied with trips to Swansea and Newcastle in the next six. The schedule takes a resounding turn for the worse from then on in, and the Reds will be looking to notch every point they can before their tough end-of-season run-in.

David de Gea’s superhuman performances mean that he continues to dominate the headlines and the Fantasy landscape, with 22.4% of managers utilising the Spaniard’s services between the sticks. Those still holding onto their winter Wildcards will surely be tempted by the 5.8-priced man considering the fixtures, though Phil Jones is a more budget friendly option at 5.3, and looks a mainstay in Van Gaal’s backline when fit.

Further forward, it was the turn of some of United’s differential options to produce against the Hoops, with Antonio Valencia, Marouane Fellaini and young James Wilson all delivering returns. Nonetheless, it is still the Reds’ premium attacking assets who are likely to garner the most attention, with Angel Di Maria (9.5) – who has started the last two in a forward role – still looking to vindicate his record-breaking price tag and Radamel Falcao (10.5) and Wayne Rooney (10.7) compete for our affections in the striker positions.

Stoke

Mark Hughes’ outfit got their kind schedule off to a great start with a 1-0 win over basement-dwellers Leicester at the weekend, and with travel-sick QPR visiting the Britannia in two Saturdays’ time, their momentum could pick up pace. With Newcastle, Aston Villa, Hull and struggling Everton also in their next six, the Potters’ assets could more than justify a place in our late winter Wildcards.

So long as he can recover from a groin concern, Ryan Shawcross’s security of starts make him a safe bet in defence at 5.4, though after being called up in place of Geoff Cameron against the Foxes, Phil Bardsley has crept onto our radars, with his attacking endeavours perhaps set to give the former Sunderland right-back the edge over his rearguard team-mates. New boy Philipp Wollscheid, at 4.5, also looks nailed on at centre-half and is far kinder on the budget that Shawcross.

Further forward, the 5.2-valued Victor Moses made his first appearance since Gameweek 12 at the weekend after recovering from injury and now comes back into contention alongside the equally priced Jon Walters for our midfields. Bojan’s winner against Leicester was his third strike in his last seven starts, and with Mame Biram Diouf away at the Africa Cup of Nations, the Spaniard has the chance to further prove why Barcelona showed so much faith in his abilities over the coming weeks.

Also Consider…

Southampton
After a fairly miserable lead-up to Christmas, the Saints are back in business and have now walked away from five of their last six league encounters with victories. Three of those wins have also delivered clean sheets for the Fantasy Premier League game’s two most popular defensive assets, Ryan Bertrand and Nathaniel Clyne, and the pair’s band of owners will be optimistic that they can continue to produce over the upcoming schedule, despite having the likes of Victor Wanyama and Morgan Schneiderlin sidelined in the centre of the park. A tough couple of home dates against West Ham and Liverpool in Gameweeks 25 and 26 are sandwiched between four enticing fixtures; Swansea and QPR are up next for the Saints, with West Brom and Crystal Palace waiting further down the line. New signing Eljero Elia will be keen to continue to impress after his debut brace at the weekend, whilst James Ward-Prowse will be also be blinking on our radars after the 4.8-valued youngster grabbed his fifth assist in his last six starts on Saturday.

Chelsea
Jose Mourinho’s men have rectified their calamitous 5-3 defeat to Spurs on New Year’s Day with two assured wins in the last couple of Gameweeks ahead of their potentially decisive clash with Man City in two weekends’ time. Beyond that mammoth fixture, the Blues are afforded the luxury of a fine next four, with trips to Aston Villa and Leicester and Stamford Bridge meetings with Everton and Burnley on the agenda. At the back, Branislav Ivanovic continues to justify his heavyweight 7.2 price tag, having collected two clean sheets, three assists and three bonus points in the last trio of Gameweeks, and that dominant form looks set to continue over the next five. John Terry offers an alternative or even a double-up option alongside the Serbian for those looking to invest in Mourinho’s backline. Going forward, Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Oscar are still fighting their corners for our investment in midfield, whilst Diego Costa has rediscovered his early-season form and has now produced six goals and an assist in his previous seven in a run of displays that has cemented his spot in many managers’ sides even in spite of the recent return of Sergio Aguero.

Hull
A tally of only four wins in the league this season has ensured that Steve Bruce’s side have remained firmly out of the Fantasy limelight, though with four promising home fixtures in their next six (NEW, AVL, QPR, SUN), managers are now likely to be monitoring their budget assets. The Tigers have earned clean sheets in three of those four victories, though with injuries currently marring their backline, their hopes of gaining vital points might rely on their offensive efforts. Sone Aluko was utilised as a striker last time out, and with regular forwards Nikica Jelavic and Abel Hernandez set to be sidelined for another month, the 4.6-rated midfielder could flourish as an out-of-position prospect. Ahmed Elmohamady is another to consider in midfield, having played every minute of league football this season and accrued a goal and assist in the last five from his right-wing berth.

West Brom
‘The Tony Pulis Effect’ – you can’t argue with it. Two league matches in charge have earned back-to-back clean sheets and put four precious points on the board for the Baggies, who now face crucial meetings with Burnley, Sunderland and Aston Villa in the next six as they look to continue their great relegation escape. Andre Wisdom is now up to 4.5 from a starting price of 4.0, but will more than justify that rise if the Midlanders continue to show the same resilience in the upcoming weeks. Further forward, the Baggies’ efforts undoubtedly still need a kickstart, with Saido Berahino the man most likely to produce it; the youngster has notched twice in his last three after a major dip in form towards the end of 2014, though a move to the left flank away to Everton is a worry and may dissuade some from investing as Pulis looks to tighten up on his travels.