The Digest – Gameweek 32

Man City’s fit-again Belgian barges his way back into Fantasy managers’ plans ahead of double Gameweek 34. Arsenal are building momentum as the fixtures turn kind, though Palace and Everton’s lack of form is posing problems as they both prepare to play twice in each of the next two rounds of fixtures.

The Player

Kevin de Bruyne’s recovery from ankle ligament damage looks perfectly timed for Fantasy managers ahead of double Gameweek 34.

Handed his first start since Gameweek 23, the Belgian thrived in a central support role behind Sergio Aguero as City ran riot in a 4-0 win at Bournemouth. Despite featuring for just 56 minutes as he builds up his match sharpness, De Bruyne still found time to grab a goal and fire four attempts at Dean Court on Saturday afternoon.

The scoreline also strengthens our belief in City’s attack prior to a double Gameweek that sees them travel to Chelsea and Newcastle. Manuel Pellegrini’s side had scored just 13 goals on their travels before the weekend but the Belgian’s return looks to have immediately boosted their potential.

After peaking at 10.8 prior to injury, De Bruyne has since dropped down to 10.2 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL). Although he’s been snapped up by over 33,000 so far, the summer signing is still very much a differential prospect with 5% ownership.

Having averaged 5.5 points per appearance – fourth amongst midfielders and level with Sergio Aguero – a fit-again De Bruyne now seems set to play a major part in the run-in. With upcoming home clashes against West Brom and Stoke in the next four – the latter in Gameweeks 35, when six teams are without a fixture – the stage looks set for the Belgian to pick up where he left off as Pellegrini seeks to sign off at the Etihad in style.

The Team

A slick 4-0 win over Watford saw Arsenal serve up points at both ends of the pitch for Fantasy managers once again.

As the Gunners brace themselves for a pair of home fixtures against Palace and West Brom in Gameweek 34, Arsene Wenger’s side look full of enticing options for our wildcard consideration.

At the back, Hector Bellerin’s goal against the Hornets, allied with a trio of assists in the last three, means he has now served up 35 points over that period. The Gunners’ second straight shut-out has also persuaded many to opt for Gabriel as the cheaper route into Wenger’s rearguard – priced at 4.3 to Bellerin’s 6.4, he’s now started seven of the last eight.

In midfield, Alexis Sanchez is belatedly justifying his lofty price at a time when Mesut Ozil looks devoid of form. Whilst the German has blanked in four successive outings, Sanchez has bagged two goals and three assists over that period and his explosive potential has to make him one of the captaincy favourites for the double. There’s also Alex Iwobi to consider. Handed back-to-back league starts by Wenger, he’s scored on both occasions and, at a price of 4.5, is looking far more than just a budget enabler for those constructing wildcards.

A run of three successive starts up front also brings Danny Welbeck into the equation, though with a single goal in four, his form hasn’t been convincing.

Nonetheless, there are more than enough options on offer at the Emirates to tempt Fantasy managers. With the schedule very much in their favour – Arsenal are also afforded clashes against three of the bottom four from Gameweek 35 onwards – their customary late-season rally could come to fruition once again.

The Talking Point

It’s fair to say that Everton and Palace both approach their back-to-back double Gameweeks in dire domestic form.

The Eagles have drawn five and lost nine of their last 14 and are without a clean sheet in 12 now, whilst Everton have tasted defeat in four of their last five and failed to find the net in each of the last two Gameweeks.

With that in mind, just how much interest should we pay them as we start piecing together our wildcard teams?

With Palace, the situation seems fairly cut and dried. Alan Pardew’s side have one home match in the final four and look no more than short-term punts – planning an early exit route looks essential.

A pair of home clashes with Norwich and Everton in Gameweek 33 hold particular appeal, with Scott Dann and Yannick Bolasie the men most likely.

Although he’s not scored in six, Dann is joint-top for attempts (seven) and top for efforts in area (six) in the last four matches for defenders. He’s also Palace’s most popular player by far, with 18% ownership. Bolasie, meanwhile, hasn’t scored since Gameweek 14 and has produced points in only five of 23 appearances this season – a lack of consistency is a real concern here.

Everton’s situation is trickier as they also have a double Gameweek 37 sandwiched in between home matches with Bournemouth and Norwich in the final three rounds of fixtures. The Toffees key assets are perhaps less disposable, then, though with rotation rife in defence, only Joel Robles (seven straight starts), Seamus Coleman and Phil Jagielka seem nailed-on in light of the weekend XI. The latter two cannot compare to Dann’s goal threat and may have to rely defensive points to boost their potential but bearing in mind that they have two clean sheets in nine, Roberto Martinez’ rearguard has been highly unconvincing.

Going without Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley could be dangerous, though. With ownership levels of 39% and 31% respectively, a big haul from one or both could severely punish non-owners and force you down the rankings.

Again, though, their form is thin on the ground. Barkley has blanked in 10 of his last 11, though, whilst Lukaku has scored in only three of those matches. Having notched in four of the last seven, Aaron Lennon – who started in a central support role at the weekend – is certainly the form alternative to Barkley. He’s cheaper (5.6 to 7.1) and with 1% ownership, is shaping up as the big differential.

Furthermore, Everton have fired just 40 attempts on goal in their last four – a tally superior to only three other sides – and seem to be going off the boil at the wrong time.

Whilst a carefully-planned double Gameweek can prove one of the most gratifying moments of the Fantasy season, the lure of a pair of fixtures can sometimes dull our judgement and persuade many to run the risk of over-indulgence. Striking that balance between form and fixtures, and avoiding the obvious pitfalls of loading up on out-of-sorts options, looks vital as we start to reassemble our squads for the run-in.