Southampton and Swansea’s attacks impress on their travels. West Ham and Newcastle’s new number tens seem to have settled quickly, though United’s big-money Dutchman may need time to find his feet in the top flight. Elsewhere, the battle for Arsenal’s lone striker looks set to hand Fantasy managers a major headache.
Swansea have more about them..
Having conceded nine goals over two matches with Chelsea last year, Garry Monk could have been forgiven for tightening up at the Bridge on Saturday evening. Instead, the Swans went toe-to-toe with the champions in a thrilling 2-2 draw, with their manager admitting post-match his focus in very much on attack this term. Swansea sat fourth bottom for attempts on goal last year and second worst for shots inside the box but with Andre Ayew and Jefferson Montero handed license to wreak havoc out wide, their threat in the final third could well promote their main men in Fantasy managers’ thinking this time around.
…and so do Southampton…
Having scored more goals than any other player over the pre-season period, it was no real surprise to see Graziano Pelle breach the Newcastle defence at St James’ Park yesterday. The Italian may be the form Saints’ form player but Ronald Koeman’s side look packed with potential in the final third – the goal threat of Sadio Mane and Jay Rodriguez, allied with Dusan Tadic’s eye for a killer pass, is bound to torment many top-flight backlines over the season. With the fixtures very much in their favour, Koeman’s main men could be set to hand us some very tempting options in the mid-priced bracket.
Coutinho at number ten demands attention…
Amid the pre-season hype over James Milner and Jordan Henderson, the little Brazilian was largely overlooked as a route into Liverpool’s midfield. Handed a central role behind Christian Benteke before a second-half change of tactics forced him onto the flank, Coutinho’s winner at the Britannia served a timely reminder of his talents as the Reds prepare for some eye-catching home encounters. With Bournemouth, West Ham, Norwich and Villa rolling up to Anfield in the next six, we may have to re-evaluate Coutinho’s prospects if Brendan Rodgers hands him license to wreak havoc through the middle.
Kane needs support and supply…
We saw it last season when the points dried up for Harry Kane as he resorted to long-range efforts when Christian Eriksen and co ran out of ideas. The White Hart Lane meeting with Stoke will inform us further but, already, there’s a real worry that Kane will remain isolated, hunting out opportunities and relying on Eriksen as his sole source of supply. It won’t take long for teams to work that one out again.
Rooney and Depay are a work in progress…
Yes, United were sluggish from back to front but, with so much ownership behind Rooney and so much excitement surrounding Depay, their partnership was perhaps the biggest disappointment. There’s clearly work to be done, with both occupying the same area, dropping deep to increase their involvement. Is Rooney really still that “on the shoulder” centre-forward? How long are United going to have to grind out wins? Sergio Aguero’s fitness and another blank at Villa will surely see Rooney’s ownership plummet.
Walcott and Giroud are a problem…
After the 1-0 Community Shield win over Chelsea, the Gunners boss conceded that his choice for lone striker will “depend on the gamesâ€. With West Ham sitting deep at the Emirates, Wenger clearly felt that Theo Walcott’s pace wouldn’t be effective, with Olivier Giroud handed a start at the winger’s expense up front. It may well be that Walcott comes back into the fray away to Palace, as his manager look for gaps in behind the Eagles defence, but with Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla looking nailed on, and Alexis Sanchez pushing for a return to the XI, Wenger’s plans for his lone striker may ultimately take both Walcott and Giroud out of the picture for many.
Payet’s dead-ball delivery is an earner…
West Ham’s new playmaker is already living up to his reputation after serving up the opener for Cheikhou Kouyate at the Emirates. Payet provided 17 assists in Ligue 1 last season, creating more chances than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues, and with four superb home fixtures (LEI, BOU, NEW, NOR) in the next six, investment looks a certainty. Confidence at Upton Park will be sky high in light of yesterday’s win and with Payet pulling the strings as the number ten, front pair Diafra Sakho (6.5) and Mauro Zarate (5.5) look excellent value over that period.
Leicester’s mid-price promise is tough to ignore…
There’s no doubt that the arrival of Claudio Ranieri has us on alert, with the likelihood of rotation arguably greater at Leicester in light of their manager’s penchant for tinkering. Both Marc Albrighton and Riyad Mahrez did their best to persuade the Italian to keep his chopping and changing to a minimum after racking up 15 points apiece against Sunderland on Saturday. Post-match, Ranieri admitted he will switch between systems over the course of the season but given the quality of performance, Albrighton and Mahrez are surely nailed on for the time being. At 5.5, Mahrez – who looks to have spot-kicks in his locker when Leonardo Ulloa is off the pitch – looks the obvious target for those needing to free up cash to acquire Sergio Aguero.
Defoe needs a strike partner…
With his side 3-0 down within half an hour, Dick Advocaat managed to stem the tide by switching from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 away to Leicester, bringing on Steven Fletcher to partner Jermain Defoe through the middle. Having watched both his strikers grab a goal apiece in the 4-2 loss, the Black Cats boss may well consider keeping a two-man frontline in order to get the best out of Defoe – the former Spurs forward simply lacks the physical presence required to lead the line on his own.
Watford aren’t that team of strangers…
While their fellow promoted sides both fell to opening-day home defeats, the Hornets grabbed an impressive point at Goodison after taking the lead on a couple of occasions. Despite the influx of new faces – both on the pitch and in the dugout – Quique Sanchez Flores’ troops turned in a display that suggests they may not be the whipping boys many had expected. The former Atletico Madrid manager has been quick to make his impact felt and the likes of Jurado and Troy Deeney – with an assist apiece on Saturday – already look key to their side’s prospects of beating the drop.
Wijnaldum is a Sissoko with goals….
Arriving on the back of 14 goals for PSV last season, the Dutchman has been immediately handed the role in “the hole†in a 4-2-3-1 set-up as Steve McClaren looks for more goals from the centre of the park. Last season, Moussa Sissoko and Jack Colback finished the joint-top-scoring Newcastle midfielders with four strikes apiece and the Dutchman’s summer arrival has clearly given his new side a shot in the arm. Wijnaldum needed just 47 minutes to notch his first strike for the Tyneside team in a battling home draw with Southampton, to suggest he may emerge as one of the best contenders from the mid-price midfield bracket. An appalling run of upcoming fixtures may keep him off the radar until Gameweek 9, though.
