Harry Kane’s unstoppable path to another Golden Boot. Leicester City’s return from the dead and how our fate could depend on this season’s arch-villains. Here’s our three-point farewell to Gameweek 26.
The Player
We may well be fretting on the configuration of our forward lines for Gameweeks 27 and 28 but, once those choppy waters are cleared, many will turn to focus attention on one specific target – Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane.
A clinical and emphatic hat-trick against a sun-baked and shell-shocked Stoke City epitomised a striker brimming with confidence.
The current Golden Boot holder, Kane now sits level with Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez on 17 goals in the quest for this season’s accolade. The smart money will be on Kane gaining a second successive gong.
While we can also marvel on the achievements of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa as options for our attack, neither appear to be able to match Kane’s explosive potential as a Fantasy asset. Meanwhile, Lukaku may boast two Premier League hat-tricks, but the Spurs striker is perhaps more trusted as a consistent source of points.
His record certainly offers reassurance: Kane has now scored 31 goals in 53 Premier League appearances at White Hart Lane, with 33 in 54 on the road. A provider of points home and away, Kane has been involved in 48.8% of Spurs’ goals when on the pitch this term, compared to 38% last season.
Mauricio Pochettino’s perseverance with a 3-4-2-1 setup looks to be integral to Spurs’ attacking output – Kane mustered just four shots in four matches with the team deployed in a 4-2-3-1.
However, if his manager keeps faith with those tactics following Sunday’s blitz of the Potters, Kane will surely continue to prosper over what looks to be an immensely favourable run-in.
Spurs avoid all of the current top six away from home, with White Hart Lane encounters with Arsenal and Manchester United their sternest remaining tests.
Fantasy managers should have few qualms on backing Kane in those ties and over the remaining fixtures.
Sanchez, Lukaku and the chasing pack may well struggle to stop Kane’s progress to a second successive Golden Boot, while surely only the brave will look beyond the Spurs striker from this point on.
The Team
We’ve almost become resigned to the fact that Leicester City are dead to us as a source of Fantasy talent this season.
But Monday’s shocking rejuvenation under caretaker boss Craig Shakespeare offers an obvious need to reassess matters.
Jamie Vardy’s performance, in particular, was difficult to take in.
Seemingly transformed, the striker’s work-rate and pace was visibly scaled up to the level of last season. His finishing ability improved with it – Vardy took both his chances with aplomb, killing any suggestion that confidence remains an issue.
Riyad Mahrez failed to reach such heights.
He caused Liverpool problems without really rekindling the mesmeric form of the title-winning campaign. But, should the Foxes build on Monday’s performance, there can be no question that the Algerian has the talent to be a factor from here on.
Meanwhile, Christian Fuchs demonstrated his qualities. A powerful yet cultured force from left-back, his unerring delivery for Vardy’s second goal provided a reminder that this is a defensive asset who can produce when allowed to bomb forward. When fixtures fall in his lap, Fuchs could yet be an effective short-term differential.
Indeed, Leicester have the platform to end the season with a flourish. Over the next six Gameweeks, Hull City, Stoke City and Sunderland visit the King Power Stadium, with Spurs the only remaining big test to come at home.
The recovery could be complete by then if Monday’s display is a sign of things to come.
We should stick to a watching brief, monitoring the Gameweek 27 performance against Hull for further signs of progress. But at least now, the Foxes have a heartbeat.
The Talking Point
Written before tonight’s all-important FA Cup replay, we’re perhaps on safe ground to assume that Manchester City will progress past Huddersfield to contest an FA Cup Quarter Final and, in doing so, schedule their double Gameweek 27 with Sunderland and Stoke City.
That will ignite further chatter on Sergio Aguero, not only as a short-term investment but as a potential target for our treasured Triple Captain chip.
Last night’s ScoutCast debated this at length, but the discussion will inevitably rumble on until Saturday’s deadline.
There are just so many factors at play, not least our trust in an asset that has proved uncharacteristically volatile, at the mercy of a manager who has proved to be the most unpredictable of this and, arguably, any season.
But should Aguero be blessed with two Gameweek 27 fixtures, we at least have some facts at our disposal.
City will play twice. They are in strong form and have confidence. They will go out to win both matches and, with their defensive frailties, they will have to target several goals in each match to achieve that objective. Aguero has the potential to play in both fixtures and score those goals.
Those are the facts.
Compare that to the uncertainty surrounding our other Triple Captain candidates.
As it stands, we have very little idea on the make-up of the remaining double Gameweeks. We have no way of anticipating the fitness and mindset of those assets, or the form that either they or their teams will be in at the time.
We may not be mentally prepared to throw down our chip, but we may just miss the most obvious opportunity to exploit it should we sit still.
It’s a delicious conundrum; there could be a major windfall of points at stake and, having played the villains for the majority of this season, Guardiola and Aguero are at the centre of it.
