Christian Benteke fires Liverpool to victory for the second successive victory with a solitary strike against Sunderland. The Black Cats remain seven points adrift from safety after chalking up a fifth successive loss under Sam Allardyce.
Benteke Wins it for Reds
Christian Benteke steered Liverpool to their second consecutive 1-0 victory, downing Sunderland with a close-range finish just beyond the break. Although Daniel Sturridge threatens to displace the Belgian on his imminent return to action, for now Benteke has assured his starting berth with two goals in as many starts. Nonetheless, few Fantasy managers will be willing to invest in a Reds attack that carded four goals in the previous five Gameweeks and faces a tough trio of upcoming fixtures (whu, ARS, MUN).
Adam Lallana scooped his second assist in four starts but harbours minimal appeal at the 7.3 mark, while Philippe Coutinho drew his fourth blank in succession. No midfield recorded more attempts (six) than the Brazil international this Gameweek, but his propensity for mid-tolong-range efforts resulted in just two shots inside the box.
Liverpool chalked up just two clean sheets between Gameweeks 4 and 17 but have since claimed back-to-back shut-outs. In terms of the choice route into their rearguard, Alberto Moreno (5.0) stands out by virtue of his affordable price tag and the fact that he ranks top among all defenders for key passes (12) over the past four Gameweeks.
Another Loss for Black Cats
The Black Cats are seven points adrift of safety in the relegation zone after falling to their fifth defeat in a row. It’s worth noting, however, that Sam Allardyce’s troops were pitted against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City during that period, so there’s definite scope for improvement as they prepare for a more agreeable quartet of match-ups (AVL, swa, tot, BOU) in the coming weeks.
From a Fantasy standpoint, it’s tricky to pinpoint any potential gems among the Wearsiders’ floundering squad. Their defensive travails intensified with fresh injuries to John O’Shea (absent from matchday squad) and Sebastian Coates (dead leg in second half), while their offense has produced two goals in four outings and lacks consistency in its composition. In saying that, Fabio Borini (5.4) has notched both those strikes and has fired 10 shots inside the box in the last four Gameweeks – only four strikers have managed more.
