Aguero’s fading star, Heaton’s duel with Zlatan and Coutinho’s bid to shutdown the bickering are just some of the subjects on our radar ahead of the weekend.
Here’s the events we’re watching for in Gameweek 10…
Aguero calming nerves…
Sergio Aguero needs a goal at the Hawthorns, for all kinds of reasons.
We imagine his Fantasy Football points tally is low down on his list but, for us managers, a chink of light from Saturday’s meeting with West Brom is near on essential.
It’s getting more difficult to justify Aguero’s hefty fee, particularly when there is now an understandably reluctance to trust him with the captaincy.
West Brom will provide a major test, not just for Aguero but for Pep Guardiola’s stuttering side.
Pep needs a win to stave off talk of a mini-crisis. West Brom and Tony Pulis are not the adversaries you’d choose in such a scenario.
The last chance for skipper Sanchez…
With Aguero stalling and Zlatan Ibrahimovic grinding to a halt, Alexis Sanchez had the opportunity to step up as a captain solution.
Sadly, the Chilean has embarked on his own goal drought, returning just a single assist in his last three outing.
Confidence has taken a dent and his ownership is falling – Theo Walcott’s ascent as a cheap and arguably more potent alternative has been a contributing factor.
But Sanchez travels to an ailing Sunderland this weekend, boasting a stronger record on the road than Walcott.
Saturday’s early kick-off is an opportunity for Sanchez to belatedly repay the recent faith but another blank would be damaging. With Chelsea and Manchester United up next, Sanchez owners will be fidgeting wildly.
Coutinho maintaining momentum…
The Brazilian is now close to ending the argument surrounding Liverpool’s midfield assets.
Coutinho’s display against West Brom, coupled with the fact that he wrestled the maximum bonus points from Sadio Mane, reinforced his campaign to claim top dog status amongst Jurgen Klopp’s collective.
Already the top transfer target ahead of Gameweek 10, another convincing showing with returns at Crystal Palace would surely seal the deal.
Non-owners will hope that it’s Roberto Firmino or Adam Lallana that take their turn to flourish but, if Coutinho does deliver, at least we’ll have our answer ahead of Liverpool’s incredibly polite run of fixtures.
A confident and selfish Bolasie…
Romelu Lukaku owners will have been perturbed by Yannick Bolasie barging their striker off the ball to smash his first Everton goal.
An untypically selfish act in an early Everton career that has seen him provide three assists, linking with Lukaku each time.
However, with Ronald Koeman setting the winger a 10-goal target and the player clearly taking it seriously, we may well now have a Bolasie v2 to consider.
His performance against an improving West Ham demands scrutiny.
Ibrahimovic vs Heaton…maybe
It’s a classic scenario that, on current form, may just play out in the goalkeeper’s favour.
Tom Heaton is a shot-stopper extraordinaire. Having made more saves than any other FPL option this season, he heads to Old Trafford in prime form and ready for anything that United can throw his way.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s stock has dipped in the other direction. However, despite firing just a single strike in his last nine appearances in all competitions, the Swede continues to pepper the goal with efforts.
Ironically, Jose Mourinho is coming under new pressure to take Ibrahimovic out of the firing line but, with Wayne Rooney “injured” and Marcus Rashford also nursing a knock, it seems inevitable that the talismanic striker will be granted the opportunity to end his goal drought against the Clarets.
But in Heaton, he faces a worthy opponent. One that many FPL managers will be backing as the likely victor.
Gray back in favour…
In the same match, we may well see the return of another Burnley prospect.
Andre Gray hands Sean Dyche a selection headache having seen out his four-match suspension, just as the Clarets begin to settle in their 4-1-4-1 setup off the back of a 2-1 win over Everton.
It remains to be seen if Dyche reverts to his favoured two-pronged attack and partners Gray with Sam Vokes.
Should Gray return and show promise, then the 6.2 prospect may yet return to the radar as a third striker option, having built up a strong pre-season following.
Traore on home turf…
For all Middlesbrough’s stubborn defending, the key factor in their 0-0 stalemate at the Emirates was the performance of Adama Traore.
A mysterious figure, plucked from Barcelona’s B team, his pace and power was underused by a relegated Villa and then seemingly shelved by ‘Boro over the first eight Gameweeks.
It was there for all to see against Arsenal, terrorising Arsene Wenger’s retreating back line on the counter-attack to suggest that Traore could become a fixture in Aitor Karanka’s line-up.
But a home fixture with Bournemouth is a very different scenario.
Karanka has shuffled his wide players all season so it’s questionable whether even a flying Traore will offer any form of security.
However, we’ll be looking to the ‘Boro teamsheet and Traore’s showing with interest, wondering if there could yet be some potential on offer.
Antonio up front for a buoyant Hammers…
Deployed in a front three by Slaven Bilic in last night’s ELF Cup victory, Michail Antonio may just be revived as a Fantasy asset.
In truth, we’re not convinced of Antonio as a central striker and, with Simone Zaza and a fit-again Andre Ayew available as options, arguably his security of starts could be in question in such a role.
Even so, Antonio will be expected to figure at Goodison Park – his position in Bilic’s formation and effectiveness after a series of anonymous displays demands at least a passing glance.
Hazard’s bid to win back our faith…
While we’re currently fixated on the Arsenal and Liverpool midfield, the case to reconsider Eden Hazard has picked up pace.
Back to back goals and a revived attacking menace as a central figure in Antonio Conte’s new system has revived his stock.
A price drop to 9.8 is convenient but, having been burned by last season’s slump, the Belgian still has work to do to tempt us back.
Further returns against a robust Southampton defence would accelerate matters, although given the fixture list, any plans to re-invest may well be shelved until the Chelsea schedule softens.
Shaqiri and Sigurdsson in a dead-ball duel…
How we’d all love to find room for a risky mid-price midfielder.
The fact is, right now, many of us are concentrating efforts on pinpointing the optimum configuration of heavy-hitters.
For those with the luxury of dabbling in the mid-price, Xherdan Shaqiri and Gylfi Sigurdsson provide convincing CV’s prior to their head-to-head encounter at the bet365.com Stadium.
Feeding off their propensity for the spectacular, both will be behind dead-ball scenarios and charged with supplying crosses.
We suspect Sigurdsson, with improving fixtures, will be the figure most likely to break into our squads but Shaqiri’s form presents an intriguing prospect that warrants our attention.
