Frisking The Fixtures – Gameweek 2 – The Weak

From the strong, to the weak.

Having examined the teams with the most promising schedules, we now focus on those with upcoming matches that suggest more pain than gain.

We look at the next four-to-six Gameweeks in an attempt to identify those sides that should be excluded from our mid-term plans based on their schedule. For the key teams identified, we’ll assess their prospects in terms of goals and clean sheets and also pinpoint the stage at which their schedule turns.

Everton

(mci che TOT mun BOU BUR)
The Prospects – Goals
The Toffees embark on a merciless run of fixtures, facing four of last season’s top six in consecutive matches.

Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United all recorded clean sheets on the opening weekend and are likely to offer stern resistance at the back.

While Burnley put three goals past Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a trip to west London further limits the appeal of Everton attackers.

Ronald Koeman’s side only managed five shots from inside the penalty area in the 1-0 win over Stoke City, and still look to be searching for cohesion in the final third.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
Given that Man City, Chelsea, Spurs and Man United scored 10 goals in total in Gameweek 1, it’s fair to say the Toffees’ defence face a tough task adding to the clean sheet garnered on Saturday.

City were joint-top with Arsenal for big chances (four) last weekend, while United and Spurs managed 13 and 10 close-range efforts respectively.

Everton did impress defensively against the Potters, though, allowing just four shots from inside the box and zero big chances.

The Turning Point
The back-to-back home matches against Bournemouth and Burnley from Gameweek 6 signal the start of a superb run of fixtures all the way up to Gameweek 21 for Koeman’s men.

Verdict
While Wayne Rooney and the defenders delivered last weekend, their potential over the next four Gameweeks looks severely limited. Gylfi Sigurdsson will also need to be worked into the starting XI, and he may need time to build up his match sharpness, having not featured for Swansea City since their opening pre-season fixture. Everton assets look best avoided until that Gameweek 6 twist.

Chelsea

(tot EVE lei ARS sto MCI)
The Prospects – Goals
The lack of a favourable match-up over the next six means the ceiling for Blues’ attackers appears pretty low.

The trips to Leicester City and Stoke look the “easier” fixtures, and the Foxes did allow 27 shots in their 4-3 defeat to Arsenal.

The Gunners themselves afforded Leicester just six shots, though, while Stoke were fairly resolute at Goodison Park, conceding just one big chance.

The Spurs and Man City clashes are certainly tough tests, so despite producing 19 shots against Burnley playing the majority of the match with ten men, Chelsea attackers currently have limited appeal.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
Antonio Conte’s side were all at sea following Gary Cahill’s dismissal, and the Chelsea captain will now miss the next three matches due to suspension.

The goalscoring exploits of Spurs, Arsenal, Man City and, to a lesser extent, Leicester last weekend suggest that defensive returns could be hard to come over those fixtures.

But even the Everton and Stoke clashes are far from favourable, severely limiting the potential of Blues’ defenders.

The Turning Point
Things pick up from Gameweek 8 onwards, although encounters with Man United and Liverpool do interrupt that run. The schedule really opens up from Gameweek 14 – a period when Chelsea assets should be in high demand.

Verdict
Chelsea look set to remain on the periphery of our thoughts, with Marcos Alonso, for example, needing to rely more on attacking points in order to keep ticking over. Despite his impact in Gameweek 1, Alvaro Morata looks way down the pecking order as far as premium forward options go, while even the kindly-priced Willian could struggle for returns.

Crystal Palace

(liv SWA bur SOT mci mun)
The Prospects – Goals
The Eagles endured a dismal opening day against Huddersfield Town, although they did produce a respectable 10 shots from inside the penalty area.

But with Wilfried Zaha reportedly in danger of missing the next couple of matches with a knee injury, confidence in the Palace attack is diminishing.

All four away fixtures are testing, although Liverpool were once again vulnerable at the back in their 3-3 draw with Watford. All eyes will be on how Frank De Boer sets up his side away from home.

The Gameweek 4 trip to Burnley appears the “easiest” road trip, but the Clarets were solid at home last term.

The Prospects – Clean Sheets
Given Burnley’s heroics against Chelsea, it’s difficult to see the Eagles registering any clean sheets in the four away matches.

Much will depend on making the most of more promising home match-ups with Swansea and Southampton.

De Boer’s men did only allow Huddersfield nine shots last weekend, but coming up against stronger opposition, there is clear concern that Palace may struggle to keep the goals out.

The Turning Point
Once an evil run between Gameweeks 6 and 8 is out of the way, the outlook begins to pick up for the Eagles. Their most favourable run begins from Gameweek 13 onwards, though.

Verdict
With Zaha set to miss at least the next two matches, the appeal of Christian Benteke looks limited in the absence of Palace’s key creator. Ruben Loftus-Cheek could continue to provide decent value, but despite the attacking potential of Patrick van Aanholt and Scott Dann, the Eagles’ backline looks best avoided given that clean sheets may be scarce over the coming period.

Also be wary of…

Bournemouth
Those who invested in Cherries’ assets for Gameweek 1 will see Saturday’s home encounter with Watford as crucial.

Eddie Howe’s side face a mixed run thereafter, with difficult fixtures against Man City, Arsenal and Everton.

A home meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion is a positive, as is to a lesser extent the visit of Leicester to the Vitality Stadium.

Four of Bournemouth’s next six are at home, but the confidence we have in the likes of Charlie Daniels, Nathan Ake, Ryan Fraser and Jermain Defoe looks dependent on their Gameweek 2 performances.

Stoke City
As with Bournemouth, four of the Potters’ next six matches are at home.

But Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea all visit the bet365 Stadium, while the Gameweek 3 trip to West Bromwich Albion will also be a tough match-up for the Stoke attack.

No Potters players boast an ownership of more than 5% in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and there looks little upside in owning any Stoke asset through this stretch.

Leicester City
The Foxes’ fixture list remains tricky, with clashes against Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool to come over the next five Gameweeks.

A home encounter with Brighton and a trip to Huddersfield do provide some respite, and as his brace against the Gunners demonstrated, Jamie Vardy is capable of delivering against both strong and weak opposition.

Harry Maguire showcased his attacking threat once again with an assist in Gameweek 1, but the potential for clean sheets looks limited during this period, meaning that the centre-back may remain off our radars until Gameweek 7.

Liverpool
The Reds face a tricky spell from Gameweek 3 right through to Gameweek 9, so this weekend’s home fixture against Palace looks crucial for our confidence in Liverpool assets.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are capable of troubling any calibre of defence, so Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino all remain strong options.

But it’s at the back where investment is less likely after the lacklustre showing against Watford.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alberto Moreno are currently offering good value based on their attacking threat. However, although Nathaniel Clyne remains sidelined, rotation is still a concern, with James Milner and Andrew Robertson alternatives to the erratic Moreno.