Having broken down the teams who face the most favourable upcoming schedules yesterday, our focus now shifts to those sides who could struggle over the festive period. Fantasy points may be hard to come by for in-form Watford, whilst Sunderland and Everton also brace themselves for a tough run of upcoming matches.
Watford
With the three teams visiting Vicarage Road over the coming period all strong defensive sides, it is possible that we’ll see some regression in the output of Odion Ighalo (6.0) and Troy Deeney (5.2) over the next few weeks. Tottenham and Liverpool feature among the four clubs allowing the fewest number of shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks, while should Vincent Kompany return to fitness by Gameweek 20, goals could also be hard to come by against Man City. The three away matches (che, sot, swa) are also less than favourable, so while the two forwards are in great form and offer outstanding value, further double-digit scores appear less likely over the next six Gameweeks.
Likewise, it’s hard to see Watford adding significantly to the seven clean sheets they’ve registered so far this term. Liverpool, Tottenham and City will all be expected to notch against the Hornets, while although Chelsea, Southampton and Swansea have only scored seven times between them over the last four Gameweeks, there’d be no real surprise if they also got amongst the goals. The likes of Heurelho Gomes (4.7), Allan Nyom (4.6) and Nathan Ake (4.4) all offer outstanding value though, and should start the vast majority of matches over the busy festive period, so they certainly are worth holding onto as “bench fodder” despite the tough schedule. Ake, of course, cannot play against Chelsea in Gameweek 18 anyway, due to the conditions of his loan deal.
Everton
The Toffees have been in fine scoring form of late, managing 16 goals over the last six Gameweeks. With Leicester having only conceded twice in their last four matches, and Stoke keeping clean sheets in seven of their last nine, maintaining that impressive record could prove difficult. Tottenham and Chelsea also feature among the four teams allowing the fewest number of shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks, while a trip to the Etihad will also be very testing. Those that have doubled up with Romelu Lukaku (9.2) and one of Ross Barkley (7.4) or Gerard Deulofeu (6.4) may look to move on one of their Everton attacking assets, then, with only the trip to Newcastle in Gameweek 18 looking reasonably favourable.
Roberto Martinez’ side have only managed one clean sheet in their last 10 matches, and up against strong attacking teams such as Leicester, Tottenham and City, it’s hard to see members of the Toffees providing enough defensive points to justify their hefty price tags. With Leighton Baines (6.1) now back to full fitness, John Stones and Ramiro Funes Mori are the cheapest starting defenders at 5.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL). Seamus Coleman (5.9) has been the stand-out performer of late, with two assists in four, though given the other three fixtures on the upcoming slate (new, STO, che) aren’t overly favourable, the Toffees’ defence could remain off the radar.
Sunderland
The Black Cats are another side who only face two home match-ups over the next six Gameweeks, and while the clash against Aston Villa is very favourable, the fixture against Liverpool is a little less straightforward. With Chelsea, City and Tottenham all to face on the road, the upside to owning a member of the Sunderland backline looks pretty limited over the festive period. Perhaps the attacking threat of Patrick van Aanholt (4.6) makes the Dutchman worth holding onto if Sam Allardyce continues to play with wing-backs, but barring the left-sided defender, it could be slim pickings for Black Cats defenders over the next month.
As already touched upon, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham are among the strongest defences at the moment when it comes to limiting opposition attacks. This leaves only the showdowns against Villa and Swansea in Gameweeks 20 and 21 as good match-ups, though the Welsh side could be a different proposition by then under a new manager.
Be Wary Of…
Leicester
The Foxes may be continuing to thrive during the toughest part of their schedule, but with only two home matches in their next six (MCI, BOU), the festive period remains pretty tricky. Of the four away trips (eve, liv, tot, avl), only the match at Villa Park looks favourable, so while Jamie Vardy (7.6) and Riyad Mahrez (6.9) are “must haves” based on form, it appears possible they may blank from time-to-time over the next month or so.
The Leicester defence has been much improved of late, conceding just two goals in their last four matches. With Bournemouth one of the leading attacking sides at present, though, it’s only the Villa fixture in Gameweek 22 that looks a decent possibility for a clean sheet over the upcoming period. Foxes defenders should be consigned to the bench for the next couple of weeks, then.
Liverpool
Defensive returns could be in short supply for the Reds over the next six Gameweeks, with their three home fixtures (LEI, ARS, MUN) looking very tough. Keeping Odion Ighalo off the scoresheet on Sunday could also prove difficult, leaving only the trips to Sunderland and West Ham as reasonably strong opportunities for clean sheets The price tag and possibility of attacking points means the owners of Alberto Moreno (5.0) should certainly hold tight, but beyond the Spaniard, there isn’t much upside in owning any other member of the Liverpool backline.
From an attacking point of view, the fixtures against Arsenal and Man United are unfavourable, but in the short term the prospects look fairly bright, despite Watford and Leicester proving stubborn opponents over the last few weeks. With plenty of rotation expected at Anfield over the festive period, it’s perhaps only Philippe Coutinho (8.5) who is likely to capture the interest of Fantasy bosses.
Man City
With trips to Arsenal, Leicester and Watford over the next four, clean sheets could be scarce for Manuel Pellegrini’s men. The home clash against Sunderland in Gameweek 18 does offer some respite, but with rotation also likely to be a factor in the City back four when Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta return to full fitness, City’s premium defenders could struggle to deliver sufficient points to justify their price tags, with home matches against Everton and Palace in the New Year also potential banana skins.
City have failed to score in their last three away matches, and up against some strong defences on the road over the festive period, there are concerns regarding the prospects of the likes of Kevin De Bruyne (10.9) and Sergio Aguero (13.0), with the Argentine expected to be back in action sooner rather than later. The three home matches (SUN, EVE, CPL) are pretty favourable though, so most FPL bosses will be happy to roll with one City attacking asset over the next four Gameweeks. Pellegrini’s decision to bench De Bruyne against Swansea suggests we need to brace ourselves for further festive rotation in the final third.
