Scout Notes – Sterling Strikes In Sane’s Absence

Manchester City leave it oh so late to skewer the Saints, with one midfielder replacing another as the rising star in their ranks.

A month is a long time in Fantasy Premier League.

Leroy Sane came into Gameweek 11 at the start of November on the back of three straight double-digit hauls (and four from five).

He was the new Fantasy prince, his ownership trebling to more than one and a half million between Gameweeks 9 and 13 on the back of eight straight starts handed out by a manager notorious for shuffling his pack.

Team-mate Raheem Sterling, meanwhile, was getting by with dropping ownership and no guarantee of starts.

But over this month’s four Gameweeks, Sterling has scored 30 points to Sane’s 10.

The tide has turned quite markedly, with the virus that kept the German out of the last-gasp win over Southampton restricting his November output to a solitary assist, whereas Sterling has managed two of those and a pair of goals as well.

The England midfielder’s dramatic winner last night was a big blow for those who’d ditched him from Gameweek 10 onwards, although close to 140,000 had seen the light and brought him in ahead of yesterday’s match.

And while Pep Guardiola will no doubt be resting Sterling sooner or later – he’s started the last six matches in all competitions but is yet to manage five in a row in the league this season – the case for Sane is further weakened by disciplinary issues.

Should he recover in time to be available for Sunday’s visit from West Ham, the German remains one booking away from a ban that would keep him out of Gameweek 16’s Manchester derby.

For now, the momentum is most definitely with Sterling – more than 111,000 have made him Gameweek 15’s most popular pick, while Sane is currently the most sold player, with 107,000+ getting rid.

Playing the Guardiola guessing game

Sandwiched between City’s next two league matches is the long trip to Ukraine to play Shakhtar Donetsk in a Champions League dead rubber on Wednesday.

That will surely prompt Pep to sideline key personnel, with the indefatigable Kevin De Bruyne top of that particular list.

The Belgian, now tied with Sterling on 87 points for the season, has started every single league match to date.

He’s currently in fine form and the goal he was somewhat controversially awarded last night – his “on target” cross deflecting off Virgil Van Dijk – was his third in the last four Gameweeks. The midfielder also created nine chances against the Saints, which was a Gameweek high.

Sane’s yellow card conundrum might persuade Guardiola to save him for midweek, leaving Sterling to play on Sunday and then have the night off in Ukraine. Or, of course, it could be the other way round – second-guessing the City coach is a fool’s errand, after all.

David Silva was another to be rested last night, his 18.1% ownership having to make do with a 16-minute cameo, so the Spaniard should feature against the Hammers, while his namesake Bernardo could be in line for hs first start since Gameweek 10 if Guardiola rests one, or maybe even both, of Sane and Sterling.

Then there’s the issue of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus.

The strikers started in tandem for the first time since Gameweek 5 last night but failed to spark, with the Brazilian fortunate to come away with an assist when he was fouled for De Bruyne’s shot/cross scoring free-kick.

The team as a whole seemed to miss the driving runs of Sane – they created 26 opportunities, but only two were deemed big chances – and the forward partnership suffered as a result, with Aguero failing to score for the first time in six league starts.

Guardiola might field the pair again on Sunday, but that Champions League tie makes it unlikely, although the coach has plenty of previous for starting with no recognised striker at all, so everything is up for grabs over the next week.

As ever this season, managers with City assets in their squads will have to suck it and see.

Cracks at the back for City

Gone are the days when Vincent Kompany needed to be in attendance for City to keep a clean sheet.

If anyone is missed at the back for Guardiola’s men, it is John Stones, who limped off with a hamstring injury 30 minutes into the team’s last shut-out in Gameweek 12.

City have now kept just two clean sheets in the last seven matches, with the Kompany/Nicolas Otamendi pairing hardly exuding confidence and the Belgian now one caution away from suspension – as is midfielder Fernandinho – following a yellow card last night.

Although Southampton were restricted to just six chances – only Chelsea allowed fewer in Gameweek 14 – the visitors threatened throughout.

Even before Oriol Romeu’s goal from a Sofiane Boufal assist, they missed two big chances from corners, including a Wesley Hoedt effort that struck the bar.

Aside from Chelsea and Arsenal, premium defences are struggling at present and City’s rearguard, much like rivals United and Spurs, are beginning to show weakness.

As for the Saints’ backline, they’ve managed just one clean sheet in nine matches, and a late knock for Cedric Soares (6.8%) was a further blow heading into Sunday’s trip to Bournemouth.