Eden Hazard is named amongst the subs as Willian fires Chelsea to victory against Dynamo Kiev. Arsenal are hammered in Munich as their injury worries ramp up at the back, Son Heung-Min returns to contention for Tottenham, whilst Daryl Janmaat is expected to be available for Newcastle’s trip to Bournemouth.
Willian Wins it for Blues
Chelsea sneaked a 2-1 home win over Dynamo Kiev courtesy of an own goal and a sublime free-kick from Willian in the 83rd minute. Jose Mourinho opted to bench Eden Hazard, fielding Oscar (left), Cesc Fabregas (number ten) and Willian (right) in behind Diego Costa. Pedro made a return to the subs bench and was called into action at the 79-minute mark, but Branislav Ivanovic didn’t make the matchday squad.
The Scout Says: Willian has undoubtedly been the Blues’ most consistent performer on the attacking front and now boasts four goals and three assists across all competitions. As such, the tireless Brazilian seems certain to retain his starting berth when Chelsea lock horns with Stoke at the Britannia Stadium, though there are question marks over who will fill the other two slots behind Costa going forward. Certainly, given that Mourinho felt compelled to demote Hazard for their crucial Champions League clash against the Ukrainian giants, it would be no surprise to see the 11.0-priced midfielder benched for the second league match in four Gameweeks. With showdowns against Norwich, Spurs, Bournemouth, Leicester, Sunderland and Watford following on from their Britannia clash, Willian – at just 6.8 in FPL – is looking a real differential punt, with a mere 3% ownership.
Defensive Concerns for Gunners
Arsenal were comprehensively outclassed by Bayern Munich as they fell to a 5-1 defeat at the Allianz Arena. Assisted by Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud netted a consolation goal in the 68th minute to starve the hosts of a shut-out. Mathieu Debuchy and Gabriel filled in for Hector Bellerin and Laurent Koscielny, though the latter was fit enough for the bench after sustaining a minor hip problem. Whilst Koscielny is expected to be passed fit for Sunday’s clash with Spurs, Arsene Wenger is far less optimistic on the young Spaniard’s prospects:
“I don’t think Bellerin will be available for Sunday but there is a small chance. From tonight we don’t have any new injuries.”
The Scout Says: Notwithstanding his limited starts this term, Giroud has amassed eight goals for the Gunners in just 869 minutes of pitch time in all competitions. The surfeit of strong options among the full roster of mid-priced forwards has somewhat overshadowed the fact that the 8.7-priced Frenchman has blanked just twice in seven outings (two starts) and faces match-ups against West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City, Sunderland and Aston Villa in the next four Gameweeks. Whilst his injury doesn’t look a long-term worry, Bellerin’s likely absence this weekend is a real blow for his 22% owners after he rose to second in the defender standings on the back of an assist and three clean sheets in the last four. Given that replacement Mathieu Debuchy had a torrid time against Danny Rose in the Gunners’ recent League Cup victory over Spurs, those Fantasy managers who’ve recruited the likes of Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen will feel a little more positive as Spurs look to breach a backline that’s conceded just once in their last four home matches at the Etihad.
Pochettino Handed Son Boost
Son Heung-Min has recovered from a foot injury and is available for selection when Tottenham Hotspur host Anderlecht on Thursday night – although Mauricio Pochettino is yet to decide whether he starts the South Korean winger. Elsewhere in the Lilywhites camp, Danny Rose is touch-and-go for the Europa League clash due to a dead leg but is expected to make the North London derby, while Nabil Bentaleb returned to training but is short of match fitness:
“Sonny is in the squad and in contention. We now have to decide if he plays from the beginning or if it’s better to put him on the bench. Nabil is training well but he’s not match fit yet. Danny is better, it was a dead leg but it’s not a big issue, he still has a chance, but we have a strong squad and if he isn’t 100% maybe we’ll wait until the next game.”
The Scout Says: Considering that Mousa Dembele has scored in back-to-back matches and Erik Lamela notched a goal and an assist in his previous two starts, Son faces a tough task to immediately reclaim his starting berth. Nonetheless, the 7.9-priced forward has three goals in five appearances in all competitions and furnishes Spurs’ attack with pace it otherwise doesn’t possess, providing Pochettino with food for thought. Although Delle Alli has been hugely impressive since his switch from League One outfit MK Dons in the summer, Bentaleb could earn a share of starts alongside Eric Dier, thus lightening the load on the 19-year-old and averting the risk of burn-out. Pochettino could also utilise Dembele in a deep-lying role too, if he chooses to hand Son a quick return to the first XI.
Magpies Optimistic on Janmaat
Newcastle coach Paul Simpson revealed that Daryl Janmaat trained on Tuesday and could be passed for the Magpies’ trip to Bournemouth, having been forced off late against Stoke City with a knee complaint:
“We are hopeful that Daryl is available for the weekend. He just jarred his knee. He has trained on Tuesday but sat out of Monday, which was only a light session anyway.”
The Scout Says: Over the last four Gameweeks, Janmaat managed just a single attempt on goal, marking a significant downturn in his goal threat of late. That being said, he’s displayed strong assist-potential over that stretch, with only three defenders racking up more key passes (six). Janmaat’s 3% ownership will be encouraged by the fact that Newcastle held the Potters to a 0-0 stalemate last time out and now embark on a decent trio of match-ups (bou, LEI, cry). The Cherries encounter looks particularly promising, given that no side has crafted fewer big chances (two) since Gameweek 8.
