After casting an eye on those teams with strong upcoming schedules, we now assess those with punishing fixtures over the next four to six Gameweeks. West Ham and Liverpool are set for testing times, whilst promoted pair Leicester and Burnley also have little reason for optimism.
West Ham
A 3-0 win over Hull precedes a vile run of fixtures that is surely set to test the Hammers’ ambitions of a top six finish. Trips to Liverpool, Southampton and Spurs, in addition to home encounters with Man United and Chelsea, suggest the Upton Park outfit will struggle to improve upon a run which has harvested just two shut-outs in the previous nine.
Stewart Downing’s weekend strike took him to fourth in the Fantasy Premier League midfield standings but the 27%-owned playmaker could have a task on his hands to retain that lofty position, having blanked in three of his last five. With Diafra Sakho still injured, Andy Carroll looks key here – with five goals in the previous eight, he’s ticked over nicely for Sam Allardyce’s side but his form could come unstuck in light of such a schedule.
Leicester
After losing at home to Stoke last weekend, Nigel Pearson is preparing to batten down the hatches as the fixtures turn against his struggling side. Visits to United, Arsenal, Everton and City, coupled with home clashes against Palace and Chelsea, indicates the task at hand.
With playmaker Riyad Mahrez off on international duties with Algeria, the pickings are slim-to-none amongst Pearson’s regulars right now. Jeffrey Schlupp’s out-of-position appeal has seen the defender notch three times from his spot on the left flank, but in spite of a kind 4.5 price tag, his short-term prospects seem limited. Leonardo Ulloa remains the Foxes’ top scorer despite netting just twice since Gameweek 5 and with two sub appearances in the last three, the Argentine’s minutes are looking far from certain right now.
Liverpool
The Reds prepare for a tough run of fixtures on the back of a six-match unbeaten streak that has served up a trio of clean sheets along the way. Brendan Rodgers requires more of the same solidity as his side square up to West Ham, Everton, Spurs, Southampton and City in the next five Gameweeks, which is sure to test their mettle at both ends of the pitch.
Martin Skrtel’s threat in the box and bonus point potential (15 so far) makes him Liverpool’s most reliable defender to date, though the recent switch to a 3-4-2-1 set-up has brought Alberto Moreno onto the radar as a left-sided wing-back – at 5.1, he’s cheaper than the Slovakian (5.8) but may have to rely on attacking returns in light of that schedule. In midfield, Raheem Sterling has earned points in three of his last four but he may struggle to stay in contention unless Daniel Sturridge can make a swift recovery to reignite his short-term appeal.
Be Wary Of..
Burnley
After their weekend collapse at home to Palace, Sean Dyche’s side have a tough task to steer clear of the drop zone. Up next, the Clarets face Sunderland and West Brom’s resilient backlines before a horrendous trio of road trips sees them pay visit to United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Kieran Trippier grabbed his second assist of the season but faith in Burnley’s defence looks set to plummet for now. George Boyd looks set to be confined to bench-warming duties for Fantasy owners, whilst those holding the consistent Danny Ings will surely be looking for an alternative budget forward for their front three.
Everton
The Toffees approach a tricky run of fixtures in poor form at both ends of the pitch. Roberto Martinez’ men have failed to score in five of their last eight and have mustered a single clean sheet in 12 Gameweeks – with a trip to resurgent Palace preceding clashes against Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, only a Gameweek 26 home match with Leicester offers any degree of comfort. Leighton Baines’ owners will likely be reliant on attacking returns to keep him in contention, whilst a single goal in ten sums up Romelu Lukaku’s toils up top.
Tottenham
After a slip-up at Palace, Mauricio Pochettino’s team are back on track after seeing off Sunderland at the Lane last Saturday. Spurs have now won five of their last seven and, as the New Year’s Day win over Chelsea highlighted, can be a match for anyone on their day. Up next, though, a trip to the Hawthorns is followed by back-to-back showdowns against three of the top eight (ARS, liv, WHM), and whilst our faith in a defence with two clean sheets in 15 is minimal at best, those holding more than one of Harry Kane, Nacer Chadli and/or Christian Eriksen may look to spread their coverage as the schedule stiffens.
