Jesus is forcing Pep to forget Aguero and prompting similar absent-mindedness among Fantasy managers, who are showing little concern on City’s missing fixtures. Elsewhere, Lukaku feeds off a confident Everton, while Hazard’s display and Rose’s absence cause doubts and tremors in the market place. Here are the learnings from Gameweek 24.
Lukaku can be unstoppable for an in-form Everton…
Confidence in Romelu Lukaku has soared and dipped throughout the season, following an almost identical trend to Everton’s own erratic form.
The obvious conclusion is that the striker is unable to lift his individual game to overcome the shortcomings of those around him. While he’s a player with the tools to conjure goals from nothing, in an Everton side short on confidence and fluidity, Lukaku tends to dry up.
In contrast, when part of a Toffees line-up purring with imagination and flair, Lukaku is an irresistible force who can punish defences with pace, power and unerring finishing.
Bournemouth were ill-equipped to deal with his threat and, while Lukaku will face far sterner opponents, right now there can be no question that the striker is fronting an in-form Everton attack.
Ronald Koeman has exciting talents in Ross Barkley and Ademola Lookman that ensure that Lukaku will be kept fed and, while confidence and form remain intact, the Belgian looks assured of further returns.
Koeman will shift shape to his opponent…
Everton’s options extend to formation and tactics, with Koeman seemingly tailoring his defensive set-up to the opponent.
Fantasy managers need to dismiss the idea that Mason Holgate can offer secure starts, with the Everton boss reverting to a back four at Goodison Park, perhaps shifting to a three-man backline for trickier away ties.
Holgate makes way in a 4-3-3, while Tom Davies also appears unlikely to break into the starting XI in that scenario.
Both could earn recalls at Middlesbrough this weekend, only to be benched once again for the potentially prosperous home meeting with Sunderland.
Jesus is working miracles, but he can’t fix the schedule…
Three goals, an assist and six bonus points – there’s no questioning the impact that Gabriel Jesus has had on Manchester City and as a Fantasy asset.
His arrival appears to have created a curious split, with thousands flocking to the Brazilian, while others sell on their big-name assets – Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez – in light of the impending blank fixtures.
While there’s no doubting the appeal of Jesus once we can be sure of his regular City starts, investment now is surely tempered by missing fixtures in Gameweek 26 and, potentially, Gameweek 28.
For all his brilliance, Jesus can do little to address this.
He can reward the early adopters again at Bournemouth and Sunderland but, around those matches, he will likely sit idle.
Sigurdsson’s class can rise above the fixture…
With goals at Liverpool and Manchester City, Gylfi Sigurdsson has taught a harsh lesson to those questioning his worth.
Few will have had doubts on the playmaker’s appeal ahead of Swansea’s obliging run, which includes an assured Gameweek 28 fixture. However, those trips to Anfield and the Etihad seemed unlikely venues for Sigurdsson’s returns.
Two well-taken goals have punished that thinking and suggest that Sigurdsson can be an asset that now gets locked into our squads, during and beyond Swansea’s short-term schedule and regardless of opponent.
Hazard’s big game performance has forced a rethink…
Few could have anticipated Eden Hazard’s Gameweek 26 performance.
Sold on or teetering on the brink of being ejected from FPL squads, that goal in a performance brimming with confidence and menace have forced a re-assessment.
We were always looking ahead to Chelsea’s schedule, mindful of turning our backs on Hazard. But, having struggled to make an impact in recent matches and with just a single goal – a penalty – since Gameweek 14, the Belgian appeared dispensable.
Saturday’s display has changed matters. Hazard’s transformation on Saturday mirrored the Gameweek 11 showing against Everton, a performance that convinced so many to act and acquire his services.
Now, having suffered significant recent sales, the Hazard ownership is climbing once more, with the fixtures to follow a testing Turf Moor visit suggesting that he could even re-establish a challenge to Sanchez as the top scoring asset.
Rose absence has dented confidence in Spurs…
While the market gradually shifts back to Hazard, it’s rapidly moving away from Spurs as a provider of Fantasy talent.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men currently provide four of the 12 most sold FPL assets, with faith in Harry Kane faltering in light of Lukaku’s haul. Similarly, both Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen are suffering losses with just one goal scored in outings with Sunderland and Middlesbrough.
The injury to Danny Rose appears to have been the key setback.
Suffering his own FPL ownership losses, Rose’s absence from the Spurs starting line-up appears to have forced Pochettino to abandon a three-man defence.
That shift may have reduced the Spurs threat, altering Alli’s role as the player to run beyond Kane and putting greater emphasis on Son Heung-min as an outlet.
Spurs need Rose fit and, until then, their attack will remain under scrutiny with their prize assets taking casualties.
Carroll remains a fragile commodity…
The form is strong, the appeal of the fixture list undeniable and yet we are forced to approach Andy Carroll with caution.
So often Fantasy Fools Gold, Carroll appears to offer so much, only to break down with injury once we show faith. The evidence suggests that this familiar scenario could arise again.
Scoring his fourth goal in as many Gameweeks, Carroll was hooked by Slaven Bilic at Southampton before the hour-mark. A recurring groin problem troubling the striker, forcing the Hammers boss to show caution and offering us a clear warning ahead of Gameweek 28.
Silva’s Tigers are a Gameweek 28 option…
Looking ahead, Hull City’s assets were afterthoughts on our wishlist for Gameweek 28, perhaps identified as low-priority budget fillers that could help bolster our line-ups.
Recent results and performances have changed that view.
Unfortunate at Stamford Bridge, Marco Silva has since inspired unlikely clean sheets against Manchester United and Liverpool as Hull steer through choppy waters to smooth sailing fixtures ahead.
Hull are now an interesting prospect, with a budget keeper in Eldin Jakupovic and a defensive goal threat in Harry Maguire that figure prominently on our Gameweek 28 menu.
Interest in their attacking assets is perhaps unlikely, although Silva’s considerable influence may yet change the outlook in that area, too.
