Spot the Differential – Gameweek 8

Our Saturday morning scour for overlooked alternatives sees us turn to Liverpool’s two-goal hero ahead of the Merseyside derby. Spurs’ in-form Argentine and the Baggies’ former Tottenham target also make the cut for Gameweek 8.

Daniel Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge didn’t need long to rediscover his groove in the wake of a lengthy injury lay-off, netting a brace for Liverpool in a 3-2 win over Aston Villa. The quality of his strikes and link-up play against the West Midlanders underlined his big-hitting potential – particularly when the other candidates in the high-priced-forward bracket (Diego Costa, Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero) have fallen well short of expectations.

In terms of Sturridge’s influence over the last two Gameweeks, no forward carded more shots on target (five) during that period. In addition, only two forwards fashioned more key passes (three) than the Reds marksman, illustrating his potential to assist strike partner Danny Ings. Indeed, the fact that Sturridge notched three assists across 700 disjointed minutes in the previous campaign highlights how pivotal he is to Liverpool’s build-up play.

Brendan Rodgers’ men admittedly embark on a gruelling run of fixtures (eve, tot, SOU, che, CRY, mci, SWA) up to Gameweek 15, starting with the Merseyside derby this Saturday. Nonetheless, the clinical Sturridge has proven before that he is capable of punishing any team when fit and on form, and will fancy his chances against an injury-hit Toffees rearguard that’s shipped five goals in three home fixtures.

Erik Lamela

Favoured over the out-of-form Nacer Chadli for Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-1 home win against Manchester City, Erik Lamela arguably turned out his best performance since making the £30 million switch to North London, bagging a goal, an assist and three bonus points for his efforts. The Argentina international followed up that display with his second goal is as many Europa League outings, tapping in from close range against Monaco after some quick footwork to launch the counter-attack.

Despite clocking just 326 minutes this term, Lamela ranks joint-top among Spurs midfield contingent for shots inside the box (nine) and shot frequency (one every 29.6 minutes). It’s on the creative front where he really excels, though, with a key pass frequency (one every 20.4 minutes) that’s only bettered by Mesut Ozil (18.2 minutes). He also appears to have taken corner duty away from Christian Eriksen, which is particularly relevant given that only two defenders have carded more attempts on target than Toby Alderweireld and Eric Dier (both three) this season, boosting his assist potential from set-piece situations.

Priced at 6.8, Lamela offers an affordable route into a Spurs attack that placed joint-third for shots on target (14) across the past two Gameweeks. A trip to Swansea City presents a challenge for Mauricio Pochettino’s troops this Sunday, yet the Swans are winless in three and lost 3-1 to Southampton last time out. With a road tie against Bournemouth and a home encounter against Aston Villa among Tottenham’s subsequent trio of match-ups, the 1%-owned Lamela offers Fantasy managers a real in-form option in the centre of the park.

Saido Berahino

Saido Berahino’s fallout with West Bromwich Albion’s upper management in the summer has seemingly spurred him on to showcase his worth, with two goals in as many starts. Priced at just 6.2, the Baggies frontman serves an intriguing alternative for Riyad Mahrez owners who are unwilling to double up on Leicester’s attack and recruit the similarly-priced Jamie Vardy.

With Salomon Rondon now ruled out of the Baggies’ trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday, the onus will be on spot-kick taker Berahino to retaining that clinical touch in the final third. No side has conceded more shots inside the box (72) than the Eagles this season, which suggests that West Brom’s forwards will enjoy their fair share of scoring opportunities at Selhurst Park. Ally the fact that Palace are dealing with injuries to Joel Ward and Damien Delaney at the back, in addition to the fact that they’ve recorded just two clean sheets in 21 league outings and the door is ajar for Berahino to perpetuate his scoring streak.

Following this weekend, West Brom then face Sunderland, Norwich and Leicester’s dodgy defences in successive league outings, allowing Berahino the chance to strengthen his appeal before the schedule turns tricky in Gameweek 12.