A desperate lunge from Aguero, a punishing beating from Sanchez, a final blow from Lukaku and a gentle nudge from Ibrahimovic. We pressed the flesh with an array of strikers in Gameweek 14 – here’s our conclusions….
Hothead Aguero is not the influence we expected…
Reserving a permanent slot in our forward lines in pre-season, we were willing to pay almost any price for the Manchester City striker, who would surely be supercharged by the tutelage of Pep Guardiola and produce his biggest Fantasy season ever.
Instead, Aguero has influenced our campaigns in a very different way.
Drilled to become a more complete striker, the task of closing down defenders appears to have transformed him into a reckless and unpredictable hothead, inclined to react to barracking and hardship with errant elbows and desperate two-footed lunges.
Dare I say it, he’s become the kind of striker that Diego Costa used to be.
We were willing to walk that tightrope for the Chelsea man; we may well dare to welcome Aguero back into the fold.
However, a lot can happen over the course of four Gameweeks and with Costa, Harry Kane and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a scoring groove, Aguero may never recover the same level of ownership again this season.
Sanchez can rival anyone when dishing out punishment…
The Chilean’s 23-point blast at West Ham was reminiscent of Aguero’s Gameweek 8 hauls – devastating blows that wrecked seasons.
Fewer benefited from the Sanchez points this time around, and, with Kane delivering on his promise with the armband and Chelsea’s tri-force also providing points, the impact was perhaps softened somewhat.
Nevertheless, Sanchez has now delivered two explosive reminders of his talents. That will surely force many non-believers or those who recently ejected him as part of the Eden Hazard scramble to reconsider.
A few weeks on and Sanchez’ fitness remains seemingly bullet proof, while Olivier Giroud’s renaissance has been forgotten.
It’s difficult to see Sanchez being shifted from a central striker role or being de-railed. Frustrating blanks will doubtless follow but the scale of the success that can be gained from Sanchez seems just too great.
And with Aguero out of the picture and his millions available to us, there appears little need to resist.
Baines delivers a final blow to Lukaku…
With just a single goal in his last six Gameweeks, Romelu Lukaku has clearly regressed to the norm. A striker so capable of exploding points but seemingly incapable of providing returns when the team-mates around him lack form and confidence.
We were already ushering the Belgian to the exit. When Leighton Baines struck home his penalty to confirm that Lukaku was no longer on duty, he surely helped push the striker through the door.
Zlatan is tempting us back…
But just as Lukaku fades, so Zlatan Ibrahimovic provides evidence of how Fantasy fortunes can be revived.
Six goals in as many matches in all competitions underlines the Swede’s current form, as he coolly lobbed an erratic Maarten Stekelenburg to claim a fourth goal in his last three league outings.
With Aguero banished to the stands, Zlatan has timed his ascent perfectly to offer himself up.
With a price rise overnight, the United striker is edging back in favour and, from Gameweek 16, he has the fixture list to punish the naysayers.
Kane’s form could see Eriksen overlooked….
Harry Kane’s form is clearly a factor that keeps us from Zlatan’s door.
The brace against a beleaguered Swansea City took him to five goals in the last four Gameweeks, seven in his last six Premier League appearances.
That is form that can outpace Ibrahimovic and at least keep him in line with the relentless Costa.
Arguably, with Costa still resisting a one-match ban before Gameweek 19 and with Kane on penalties ahead of upcoming back-to-back home clashes against Hull City and Burnley, the smart money is with the Spurs man.
Certainly the current transfer trends indicate as much.
Kane is the most popular FPL signing following Aguero’s ban, with the potential of Spurs team-mate Christian Eriksen perhaps being overlooked as a result.
In any other Gameweek, the Dane’s 18 points would have been headline news. But, overshadowed by Sanchez and Kane’s post-Aguero appeal, Eriksen’s claims are being drowned out.
Competition is as fierce as ever in our midfields and yet Eriksen’s haul surely confirmed him as a potentially powerful differential for those aforementioned home fixtures.
The Swans are the new whipping boys…
The other undeniable conclusion to draw from Saturday’s White Hart Lane rout was that Swansea City remain in dire straits.
While the five goals conceded was perhaps predictable given the obliging defending on show in their 5-4 victory over Crystal Palace, the impotency of their attack is a major worry.
Bob Bradley’s men registered just a single attempt on goal – a statistic that’s causes concern for those who leapt on the Gylfi Sigurdsson option.
The Welshman and Sigurdsson’s owners can cling to an obliging set of fixtures for comfort but there is clearly much work to be done if they are to capitalise.
Some Fantasy managers are already aligning future transfer targets alongside fixtures with Bradley’s men. Saturday’s showing and underlying numbers indicate that there could be merit in that.
Brunt could just ride out those stiffening fixtures…
While Swansea’s fixture list eases up to aid ailing form, West Bromwich Albion’s blossoming confidence will now surely be tested by an evil run of opponents.
Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal loom in the next four Gameweeks, providing Chris Brunt with a testing ground having emerged as a rare “out of position” prospect.
The Irishman delivered on that potential with 14 points in Saturday’s Watford win but will surely be required to maintain such attacking returns if he is to justify the investment for the forthcoming spell.
However, Tony Pulis’ men have momentum and even the very top sides face a task resisting their unique brand of back-foot football; a system and strategy that seems tailored to harness Brunt’s smart delivery and the physicality of Gareth McAuley.
Liverpool remain unreliable at the back…
Just as we got close to being believers, so the Liverpool defence comes up with a calamitous collapse to dent our confidence.
The capitulation at the Vitality Stadium was an extraordinary spectacle.
The absence of the calming influence of Joel Matip can be cited as one factor. Jurgen Klopp’s rearguard have conceded nine goals in three Premier League matches without the Cameroon international, compared with nine goals against in 11 Gameweeks with Matip installed.
Equally, the unconvincing Loris Karius remains a concern and one that will perhaps always undermine our view of the Reds backline.
…but may just offer a new goal-getter….
We’re far more comfortable reviewing Klopp’s attacking options, which, despite being depleted, may well offer up several fresh alternatives.
Emre Can’s impression of Steven Gerrard picked up pace with a third goal in five Gameweeks.
Meanwhile, up in attack, Divock Origi offered pace and power, coupled with an unerring finish, to underline his potential.
Three goals in three appearances in all competitions appears to put the Belgian in line to get a run at the West Ham defence in Gameweek 15.
Sanchez cruelly exposed their frailties, suggesting that the 6.5-prcied Origi will be granted a further opportunity to turn heads and keep Daniel Sturridge in the stands.
Payet to Carroll can harvest points…
Andy Carroll’s cameo role in the 5-1 London Stadium thrashing may have gone largely unnoticed.
The target man’s consolation goal had little bearing on the events but did highlight just how his link with Dimitri Payet could prove effective for all concerned.
Having fed Michail Antonio with the service to return a string of headed goals, Carroll will surely relish being on the receiving end of the Frenchman’s supply.
Equally, Carroll’s presence will be a menace around the box – he will win free-kicks in zones and areas that will play to Payet’s undoubted brilliance from dead-balls.
West Ham also have improving fixtures to exploit the potential.
All they need to do is keep Carroll fit and on the pitch. That, as we know, is far from easy.
The Sunderland strikers continue to punch above their weight…
While we wait for the Payet/Carroll combination to offer us an option, Sunderland’s strike pairing continue to team-up to good effect.
In all honesty, they are currently defying all expectations.
Jermain Defoe’s consistency has been extraordinary. Top for points per million, top for Bonus Points earned, he has over delivered on his 7.5 initial price tag.
Victor Anichebe, like the aforementioned Carroll, has also proved to a factor when fit and healthy.
His underlying statistics will doubtless be extracted in full in Big Numbers this week, although our members can sample them in advance.
In a nutshell, he’s producing figures that laugh in the face of his current 4.7 valuation, backing up the theory that he and Defoe can steer the Black Cats to safety.
