Leicester lift the trophy as Jamie Vardy boosts his Golden Boot bid with twin strikes to sink sorry Everton. Elsewhere, West Ham are brought back down to earth by Swansea as both Dimitri Payet and Andy Carroll disappoint their Gameweek backers. Here’s the notes from Saturday’s events…
Vardy Parties In Foxes Coronation
Leicester City capped off a heart-warming afternoon at the King Power Stadium with a 3-1 victory over Everton as the Foxes were crowned Premier League champions.
Jamie Vardy recorded his second brace in three starts, haunting the 550,000 Fantasy Premier League managers that sold him on during his recent two-match suspension. That took Vardy to 24 goals for the season, just one behind Harry Kane. It could have been even better for the Foxes striker and his FPL owners had he not skied a second-half spot-kick.
Vardy was later seen clutching his hamstring in injury time but was on hand to offer reassurance on the final whistle.
“Hopefully it’s just cramp…It just completely seized up so I told (Leighton) Baines I wasn’t going anywhere at the corner. It’ll be fine. A bit of TLC needed, I think.”
With no reports on the injury from the club as yet, it’s fair to say that we’d expect Vardy to be in contention for the final day trip to Chelsea as he bids to overhaul Kane.
Elsewhere, Andy King played a key role on his return to the side with a goal and assist having been drafted in for the suspended Danny Drinkwater.
King produced a staggering seven attempts on goal, six of which arrived from inside the Everton box. While Drinkwater returns from suspension for the Stamford Bridge trip, King would be unfortunate to lose a starting role given Saturday’s display.
A late Kevin Mirallas goal spoiled the copybook for the Foxes as they conceded for the third match in the last four.
Christian Fuchs still emerged with a bonus point courtesy of a stunning statistical performance. The Austrian created seven chances for team-mates with eight crosses, whilst recording nine clearances, blocks and interceptions and nine recoveries along with four efforts on goal. Fuchs now ranks above Ashley Williams as the leading FPL bonus points earner amongst defenders.
Hammers Humbled As Payet Blanks
West Ham wrong-footed the Fantasy Football community with an abject performance that belied recent form, slipping to a shock 4-1 home defeat to Swansea.
The Hammers went into this game having scored at least twice in their last seven league outings. However, Diafra Sakho (assist) was the only Irons player to muster attacking returns in Saturday’s performance, disappointing the sizeable ownerships of Andy Carroll (9%) and Dimitri Payet (36%).
Recent investors in Payet can draw encouragement from the fact he ranked second among midfielders for key passes (seven), although Carroll’s display was less encouraging as he struggled for service throughout. Nonetheless, both offer potential returns in Tuesday’s meeting with Manchester United and certainly in the final day trip to face a leaky Stoke City rearguard.
Michail Antonio was badly exposed by Swansea as he continued to fill in at right-back. His starting role against United on Tuesday could now be in doubt, although Slaven Bilic will likely consider shifting him forward with James Tomkins likely to come into the back four. Victor Moses and Manuel Lanzini could make way should Antonio move to the flank, with Sakho likely to be recalled as reward for his cameo role.
Aaron Cresswell’s 140,000 new owners were also given little to cheer about as West Ham failed to register a clean sheet – they’ve now earned just a single shut-out in their last eight league fixtures.
Soaring Swans Silence The Boleyn
In a bewildering turn of events, a much-changed Swansea City outfit dismantled West Ham.
The Swans flourished without their two key assets as Gylfi Sigurdsson missed out with a shoulder complaint, while Ashley Williams was rested. The Swans scored through Wayne Routledge, Ki Sung-yeung, Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis, with assists arriving from Kyle Naughton, Stephen Kingsley, Modou Barrow and Ayew.
Ayew (three goals and one assist in his last two) is ending the season strongly and courts our attention ahead of the home tie against Manchester City. If the Sky Blues wrap up a Champions League berth with a victory over Arsenal today, then Ayew’s stock would be on the rise as another final day differential.
Mata Swoops To Clinch United Victory
Manchester United kept their top-four hopes alive with a 1-0 road win over Norwich City.
Louis van Gaal opted to rest Marcus Rashford (13,000 new Fantasy Premier League owners) and Daley Blind, omitting them from the matchday squad. Anthony Martial’s 120,000 new suitors were also left frustrated as the Frenchman suffered a hamstring tweak during the warm-up, although Van Gaal has been quick to stress that the decision to preserve Martial was mainly a precaution. It remains to be seen if he’ll be risked for Tuesday’s trip to West Ham – that will largely depend on City’s result against Arsenal today, dictating whether United are still within reach of a Champions League spot.
It was left to Juan Mata to provide the winner at Carrow Road as he notched his sixth goal of the campaign, with Wayne Rooney laying on the assist. Rooney was pushed up top in the absence of United’s strikers but will likely drop back into midfield upon Rashford’s expected return to action at the Boleyn Ground.
Chris Smalling’s 24% ownership profited from Man United’s fifth clean sheet in seven outings, while Matteo Darmian’s 8% ownership witnessed their player leave the pitch at the 15-minute mark because of an ankle injury which could now sideline him for the remaining two matches.
Although the Red Devils’ rearguard harbours strong clean-sheet prospects for a home encounter against Bournemouth in the final Gameweek, wholesale rotation should be expected if they are ruled out of a Champions League berth, given that the FA Cup final takes place six days later.
Canaries on the Brink
In the wake of their fourth successive defeat, Norwich City now require a miraculous chain of events to stave off relegation; a point for Sunderland against Everton on Wednesday would seal their fate.
Those who invested in the Canaries’ midfield – notably Robbie Brady and Nathan Redmond – were frustrated by a fourth straight blank from Alex Neil’s side. Whilst at the back, Seb Bassong’s fatal error ensured that Neil’s men failed to secure a clean sheet for the fifth consecutive fixture.
Magpies Held at Villa
Newcastle slipped into the relegation zone following a listless goalless draw at Aston Villa as the home side halted a run of 11 straight defeats.
Newcastle went into the game having scored in each of their last seven league outings but were unable to penetrate a Villa rearguard which was without a shut-out since Gameweek 25. The Magpies remain the lowest scorers in the league away from home, having scored just 12 goals from their 19 matches.
Much to the chagrin of his 23,000 new FPL backers, Andros Townsend delivered a toothless performance, recording a solitary attempt on goal, without creating a single opportunity for his team-mates.
The Magpies will be relegated if Sunderland can earn three points against Everton at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday, which could see Townsend’s owners consider an exit plan for the final day home clash against his former club Spurs.
Defoe The Saviour Once Again
Sunderland took a giant step in their quest for survival as they recorded a precious 3-2 home win over Chelsea.
Jermain Defoe chalked up his third goal in four starts, delighting the 90,000 FPL managers that recruited the former Spurs marksman for the Black Cats’ double Gameweek.
In light of the fact that Everton shipped seven goals in their last two away fixtures, Defoe looks well placed to boost his tally when the Toffees pay a visit on Wednesday. Should Sunderland secure three points in that game, they would confirm their top-flight status and relegate both Norwich and rivals Newcastle.
Wahbi Khazri and Fabio Borini also etched their names onto the scoresheet against Chelsea to cement starting roles for Wednesday’s meeting. The former snapped a run of nine successive blanks, while Borini scored his second goal in four starts.
Although the Black Cats were unable to silence Chelsea, DeAndre Yedlin and Patrick van Aanholt both fetched assists as they raided forward from full-back.
Terry Bows Out In Blues Loss
Chelsea tasted defeat for the third time in five match-ups as they surrendered a second-half lead.
Diego Costa proved to be an effective differential for his 46,000 new FPL owners as he notched for the first time in four outings. Costa has now registered nine goals and five assists in his last 14 league starts.
The Spanish striker will travel to take on a Liverpool defence on Wednesday, before hosting Leicester on the final day; Liverpool have just a single clean sheet in eight, although the Foxes defence boasts shut-outs in three of their past four road encounters.
Eden Hazard was reinstated in Hiddink’s starting XI as Pedro missed out with a knock. The Belgian failed to maintain his recent 3-goal output, despite catching the eye with another effervescent display. Instead it was left to Nemanja Matic to double the visitors’ advantage just before the break, courtesy of a Cesar Azpilicueta assist.
That helped Azpilicueta gather unlikely FPL bonus points despite conceding three goals. The Spaniard won all three of his tackles, claimed five clearances, blocks and interceptions and made 11 recoveries in a lively performance.
However, Azpilicueta and the Chelsea defence has earned just a single clean sheet in their previous 12 match-ups and will be without John Terry for their remaining two outings.
Terry received his marching orders for a second bookable offence late one. This was his second red of the campaign which will see Terry sidelined for Wednesday’s trip to Anfield and the final day clash with champions Leicester. In the absence of the Blues’ skipper, Branislav Ivanovic will likely partner Gary Cahill in central defence, diminishing the Serb’s potential for attacking returns.
Potters Feel Gayle Force
Posting just their second victory this calendar year, Crystal Palace ran out 2-1 victors over Stoke City.
Dwight Gayle capitalised fully on a rare start, netting both goals at Selhurst Park with Yannick Bolasie providing an assist to add to his Gameweek 34 strike at Arsenal.
Having confirmed their safety, Alan Pardew’s outfit are poised to rotate heavily prior to the FA Cup final, giving us little reason to invest their squad.
As for Stoke, they perpetuated their poor end of season form as they failed to register a win at the sixth time of asking. Mark Hughes’ defence has now kept just a single clean sheet in their last 15 league outings.
Charlie Adam opened his account for the campaign, with Marko Arnautovic bagging the assist. The Austrian winger has now been involved in 17 (11 goals, six assists) of the Potters’ 39 goals this term, underlining his final day differential potential before a visit from a West Ham’s obliging rearguard.
