We turn our thoughts to the weekend’s 10 fixtures now and assess some of the key topics for Gameweek 23. The stuttering form of Leicester’s main men, Wayne Rooney’s momentum, Georginio Wijnaldum and Kevin de Bruyne away displays and Alexis Sanchez’ minutes all find their way onto this evening’s menu.
Vardy and Mahrez’s malaise…..
One look at the schedule suggests the Foxes popular pair face a tough task to arrest their recent decline. Visits from Stoke and Liverpool precede trips to City and Arsenal in the next four Gameweeks and with two goals in their previous five, Claudio Ranieri’s side have been far from convincing. Without any points in the last five and now stripped of spot-kick duties, Mahrez’s 65% ownership will be having second thoughts should he failed to deliver yet again as the Potters roll up to the King Power. Despite scoring in just one of the last eight Gameweeks, Vardy still sits in 40% of FPL sides but he, too, will surely be for the exit door if this form continues. Taking penalties off Mahrez may stem the tide of transfers out, though.
Wijnaldum’s away form…..
In spite of his side’s toils, the Magpies summer signing sits third in the midfield standings after bagging his ninth goal of the season against West Ham last weekend. With more than 119,000 new owners this week, Wijnaldum is the most sought-after player in Gameweek 23 ahead of a trip to Watford, despite the fact he has failed to score away from home all season. The Dutchman’s appeal is somewhat dented by three road trips in four but if he can get amongst the points at Vicarage Road, the bandwagon will kick into overdrive.
…and De Bruyne’s…..
With Sergio Aguero back and firing on all cylinders, the Belgian’s performances are under closer scrutiny as we look to accommodate the Argentine up front again. Although De Bruyne has proven very consistent at the Etihad, it’s another story altogether on the road – he’s returned just one goal over eight away outings, back in Gameweek 7 at White Hart Lane. Bearing in mind that this week’s visit to West Ham is the first of four road trips in six, he needs to start delivering to avoid an exodus.
Ighalo versus Mitrovic…..
For many, the 39%-owned Watford forward is on his last chance after a run of three successive blanks. The underlying stats back up Ighalo’s demise, with the Nigerian managing just three shots on target over the last four Gameweeks, though the visit of a Newcastle side that’s without a clean sheet in seven has afforded a temporary reprieve. For the Magpies, Aleksandar Mitrovic remains a source of frustration. Despite scoring once in the last six rounds of fixtures, the Serbian leads the way for shots inside the box (20) and with clashes against Everton and West Brom’s out-of-sorts defences to follow, his showing at Vicarage Road could turn a few heads at a price of just 6.2.
Baines and Mirallas as Toffees differentials…..
Everton’s run of three very favourable home matches in four gets underway with the visit of Swansea this weekend. Whilst Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley, with 50% and 37% ownership, remain the most popular targets, both Kevin Mirallas and Leighton Baines are starting to find their form just in time for the kind schedule. Owned by less than 1% of FPL managers, Mirallas has netted twice in his last three appearances, whilst Baines’ (3% ownership) pair of assists at Chelsea also suggest there’s opportunities for those willing to roll the dice on the Goodison outfit.
Sanchez’ minutes…..
Despite winning just two of their last five league outings, Arsenal remain at the summit thanks to their superior goal difference over Leicester. With City just a point behind, though, Arsene Wenger will be desperate to strengthen his side’s title tilt with an Emirates win over Chelsea on Sunday. Although Alexis Sanchez is expected to be available, the Gunners boss has conceded that he’s keen to minimise the risk of another setback and with Mesut Ozil passed fit, it remains to be seen whether Wenger will unleash the Chilean from the start or afford him a handful of sub outings until he’s fully up to scratch.
Firmino against the Canaries…..
With Christian Benteke handed a start against Exeter in last night’s cup replay, the Brazilian looks set to continue as a “false nine” for the Reds’ trip to Carrow Road on Saturday. Granted, Firmino’s form has been erratic since arriving on Merseyside, though double-figure hauls against City and Arsenal demonstrate his Fantasy potential. With Sunderland and Villa also to follow in the next four, though, the schedule is very much in his favour – can he improve his consistency and offer us a dependable out of position prospect at just 7.8?
Rooney’s renaissance…..
Four goals and an assist in the last three Gameweeks has unexpectedly brought United’s skipper back onto some Fantasy managers’ Watchlists. Rooney also collected eight bonus points over that period, with his price rising to 10.0 ahead of a visit from Southampton. The Saints have stepped up since moving to a 3-5-2 set-up, though, and roll up to Old Trafford on the back of successive shut-outs. Can Rooney deliver again to strengthen his claim for consideration or will the Saints stifle his recent return to form?
Austin’s impact on the Saints attack…..
Ronald Koeman’s decision to pair Sadio Mane and Shane Long up front has been pivotal to Southampton’s recent improvement. With greater mobility in the final third, the St Mary’s side have swept aside the likes of Arsenal, Watford and West Brom in the last five, though the arrival of Charlie Austin hands the Dutchman a real dilemma. Having struck 18 times for QPR last term, Austin will be pushing for an immediate start and, at a price of 7.0, his introduction to the starting XI will throw another name into the mix for our three-man frontlines.
Big Sam’s form players…..
With eight goals in the last three Gameweeks, Sunderland finally seem to be getting their act together under Sam Allardyce. Despite a lack of resilience, Patrick van Aanholt has flourished since the change of manager, averaging five points per appearance, whilst Adam Johnson (four assists in three) and Jermain Defoe (five goals in three) have racked up the points of late. As we’ve seen in past years, the Wearsiders have provided us with the unlikeliest of differentials in the latter stages of the season and the home clash with Bournemouth offers a chance to stake a claim for inclusion as Allardyce plots another great escape.
