This Much We Know – Gameweek 10

Harry Kane returns to form in resounding fashion as Spurs take advantage of Bournemouth’s defensive frailties. Mesut Ozil strengthens his case for inclusion as Arsene Wenger rotates up top again, Odion Ighalo continues to bring home the points, whilst Sunderland’s Steven Fletcher throws his hat into the ring as a budget alternative for our three-man frontlines. Here’s the lessons learned from this weekend’s action….

Kane has made a statement…
The Tottenham forward threw his hat in the ring as a contender for our three-man frontlines by racking up a hat-trick against Bournemouth’s leaky backline. Just like Alexis Sanchez, Kane finally backed up his underlying numbers after a frustrating first few months and with his confidence on the up, he now welcomes managerless Villa to the Lane. Granted, he has Arsenal, West Ham and Chelsea to follow but as we’ve seen last season, a Kane is fixture-proof when firing on all cylinders.

Rotation leaves the door open for Ozil…
Olivier Giroud was finally rewarded for his displays off the bench last Saturday as Theo Walcott’s run of six successive league starts came to an end. The Frenchman’s opener against Everton – his fourth in the last six Gameweeks, despite limited pitch time – vindicated his manager’s decision and with the Gunners level on points at the summit, Arsene Wenger’s rotation up top is clearly paying off. Mesut Ozil showed just why he’s becoming increasingly popular amongst Fantasy managers with a seventh assist of the season against the Toffees and with Walcott’s minutes once again a concern, the German’s security of starts will surely turn a few more heads.

Ighalo is the five-man midfield enabler…
The Watford budget frontman just keeps on delivering. Ighalo provided assists for both the Hornets’ goals in a surprise 2-0 win at Stoke as Quique Sanchez Flores’ side brought their hosts’ three-match winning streak to an end. Ighalo has played a part in 100% of Watford’s goals when on the pitch and has now risen to third in the FPL forward standings – at just 5.3, his acquisition looks a no-brainer for those determined to free up funds to splash the cash in midfield.

Big Sam needs to keep Fletcher fit…
It’s two goals and an assist from the Scot in the last three Gameweeks now as Sunderland’s fight for survival starts to finally pick up pace. Fletcher’s notorious fragility has limited his minutes in recent seasons but, as evidenced by his record between 2010/11 and 2012/13, where he served up double-figure goal hauls in three successive seasons, he’s more than capable of producing. If Sam Allardyce is to steer his new side to safety, the Wearsiders need to somehow keep Fletcher out of the treatment room.

Carroll could yet be a factor…
Emerging from the bench to grab a late winner at home to Chelsea, the Hammers frontman is edging ever-closer to a first start under Slaven Bilic. West Ham’s superb start to the season has seen them score 22 times – second only to City – yet first-choice forward Diafra Sakho has played a part in just four of those strikes, courtesy of three goals and an assist. Carroll already has a goal and assist in just 83 minutes off the bench but as he builds up his match sharpness following months on the sidelines, it surely won’t be too long before he’s handed a first XI opportunity.

Schlupp and Simpson are becoming Foxes options…
Leicester’s 5-2 home loss to Arsenal in Gameweek 7 has clearly had an impact on their defensive set-up. Since then, Claudio Ranieri has started Danny Simpson at right-back in each of the last three league matches and, at a price of 3.9, he offers us the cheapest starting defender in the FPL game. Meanwhile, the installation of Christian Fuchs on the opposite side of defence has allowed Jeffrey Schlupp an out of position berth on the left of midfield. One clean sheet in ten is hardly worthy investing in for their defensive potential alone but Simpson and Schlupp’s appeal is clearly on the rise.

The Cherries are the new whipping boys…
It’s five goals against in each of the last two Gameweeks as life in the top-flight suddenly gets grim for the Championship winners. With his side decimated by injuries to the likes of Callum Wilson, Max Gradel and Tommy Elphick, Eddie Howe is struggling to strike a balance as Bournemouth slip precariously nearer to the bottom three. A weekend trip to Southampton hands Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle the chance to wreak havoc and with Swansea, Everton, Chelsea and United also in the next six, Howe has a task on his hands to keep his side out of the drop zone.

The Capital One Cup has its uses….
As many as nine players are facing one-match bans this week after an eventful round of fixtures. Luckily for all but two of those players (Newcastle pair Jack Colback and Fabricio Coloccini), those suspensions will be served in the midweek cup clashes – not only will the likes of Sadio Mane be available for the home clash with Bournemouth on Sunday, he’s be free to put his feet up in midweek when Southampton host Villa at St Mary’s. For as much as the extra schedule can wreak havoc with rest and rotation, sometimes the domestic cups can bail out our players and serve as a buffer for those pesky cards accumulated during league action.

Milner could kick on under Klopp….
The summer signing from City seems to have adapted immediately to Jurgen Klopp’s “Gegenpressing” tactic. Whilst Philippe Coutinho struggled to spark his side into life, Milner created five chances against Southampton and bagged an assist for Christian Benteke’s opener – he’s now served up points in three of the last four and is the Reds’ joint-top scorer in FPL. Milner’s dynamic displays look tailor-made for Klopp’s approach and his early performances suggest he’ll be one of the main beneficiaries of the post-Brendan Rodgers era.

Jagielka’s absence could force a Toffees reassessment…
The Everton centre-half was ruled out for around eight weeks earlier today after sustaining a knee injury in the weekend loss at Arsenal. The Jagielka news comes at a time when Roberto Martinez’ men are set to embark on a superb run of fixtures, with new boy Ramiro Funes Mori set to fill the space vacated alongside John Stones. Given that Jagielka sits amongst the top three defenders for CBI (Clearances, Blocks and Interceptions) this season, though, it remains to be seen just how much his loss will diminish their defensive appeal.