Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 25 – The Weak

Having assessed the sides with favourable schedules to follow, our two-part check-in with the fixture list turns to those facing testing periods, both in the short-term, and over a longer span of Gameweeks.

European football has a significant influence on our selection, as the resources of the top clubs are stretched, forcing Fantasy managers to revisit the perils of rotation.

The Short Term

Tottenham Hotspur (MUN liv ARS)
There’s no question that Spurs’ next three matches mark their toughest spell of the season, arriving just as the Champions League edges back into the frame as a distraction.

It’s an unwanted interlude for Fantasy managers, with many of us still stocked with Spurs assets following double Gameweek 22.

The debate surrounding the merits of holding Harry Kane for this period rages on. As we’ve already seen this season, measuring the striker’s potential output based on the difficulty of the opponent is a dangerous exercise.

He scored in the corresponding fixtures with United and Arsenal last season and punished Liverpool with a brace earlier this campaign. Despite the obvious appeal of Sergio Aguero as a replacement, many Kane owners will be content to hold.

But the likes of Son Heung-min, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli seem unwanted luxuries over this three-match spell. However, Son’s owners can perhaps take comfort from his lower price tag and an incredible run of seven goals from his last eight home league outings.

Defenders – with Jan Vertonghen and Ben Davies the top owned options – also appear surplus to requirements at this time, even though Man United’s goal threat could be curtailed by Jose Mourinho’s away-day tactics against top-four rivals.

But from Gameweek 28 onwards, the situation flips, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side again open for investment.

Spurs will encounter just two “top six” sides over their remaining 11 outings – away at Chelsea in Gameweek 32 and at home to Man City in Gameweek 34.

Indeed, the four-match run prior to the meeting with the Blues (cry HUD bou NEW) may be compelling enough to convince many to not only weather the storm with Kane, but also hold their midfielders.

Having said that, news that the club have agreed a fee with Paris St-Germain for Brazilian winger Lucas Moura clearly adds to rotation concerns.

Those will be intensified around their Champions League date with Juventus, though the first leg in Turin follows the North London derby and precedes a potential FA Cup fifth round tie at Millwall or Rochdale.

The fixtures with Huddersfield and Bournemouth, surrounding the second leg, are clearly far more vulnerable to rotation.

West Brom (mci SOT che)
Alan Pardew is making good progress at The Hawthorns, with Saturday’s 3-2 win at Anfield in the FA Cup a marker.

There’s already enough promise to tempt Fantasy managers back to consider the fare on offer, particularly with Daniel Sturridge arriving on loan until the end of the season.

But any possible investment in Sturridge, or indeed the in-form Jay Rodriguez, will be put on ice for now.

The Baggies make the trip to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday and are expected to put up little resistance to Man City and Aguero, particularly with Saturday’s tie inflicting a number of notable injuries on Pardew’s squad, including Jonny Evans and Kieran Gibbs in defence.

A home fixture with Southampton provides the next audition for Rodriguez and perhaps Pardew’s backline, before Fantasy managers take on a watching brief for a Gameweek 27 trip to Stamford Bridge.

But then, much like Spurs, West Brom’s schedule twists to offer a sustained run of favourable match-ups. Their six fixtures up to Gameweek 33 (HUD wat LEI bou BUR SWA) appear to be clear window for investment, before things stiffen for the season run-in.

The Long Term

Manchester United (tot HUD new CHE cry LIV whu)
The arrival of Alexis Sanchez urges the re-assessment of Jose Mourinho’s attack, though the fixtures over the next seven Gameweeks suggests we should show a degree of caution.

United will go into this period having to deal with a two-legged Champions League fixture with Sevilla smack before Mourinho’s emotional grudge match with Antonio Conte at Old Trafford. But with a fifth round tie with either Birmingham or Huddersfield prior to that, rotation should not be a worry around the first leg.

However, bitter rivals Liverpool are then next at Old Trafford, surrounded by London trips to Crystal Palace and West Ham. The second leg with Sevilla falls prior to the Hammers clash, making that fixture the most likely hotspot for rotation.

Overall, the Red Devils’ defence looks likely to be tested over this period, with the Gameweek 26 and 27 ties with Huddersfield and Newcastle looking crucial for returns.

Manchester City (WBA bur LEI ars CHE stk)
Noisy neighbours City are also set for a rigorous test of their resources and resilience.

On paper, the next six Gameweeks appears fairly obliging, though with a Champions League tie with FC Basel to accommodate, plus a Wembley date with Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, it’s clear that Pep Guardiola’s squad management may go into overdrive.

The vulnerable period looks to be between Gameweeks 27-29, with City facing home ties with Leicester and Chelsea, sandwiching a trip to the Emirates Stadium.

The Leicester clash arrives three days before the first leg with Basel and is clearly a candidate for rotation. An FA Cup fifth round tie with Wigan then follows, with City facing Arsenal at Wembley the Sunday after.

But they then face the Gunners in Gameweek 28 four days later, giving them just three days before they then travel to Stamford Bridge. Then it’s Basel in the second leg – again just three days later. That intense period could then lead to rest and rotation for the “plum” Gameweek 30 trip to Stoke.

Judging Guardiola’s teamsheet and the points output of City’s key assets over this spell looks treacherous, to say the least.

Losing Leroy Sane to injury may limit the ability to shuffle in attack, and when Gabriel Jesus does eventually make a return from injury, he could be used to flank rather than replace Aguero. Even so, there will be anxiety around this time unless City can establish a convincing lead in the first leg of their European tie.

Defensive rotation could be even be more of an issue, particularly if Vincent Kompany remains fit and imminent signing Aymeric Laporte settles quickly.

Crystal Palace (NEW eve TOT MUN che hud LIV)
At present, Julian Speroni remains the top owned asset in the Eagles ranks which says a lot about their reliability as a source of Fantasy talent to this point.

Little will change based on their long-term schedule.

Roy Hodgson has already performed mini miracles at Selhurst Park, but few will backing either his attack or defence during this forthcoming spell, with four of last season’s top six looming in their next seven Gameweeks.

The trend is then reversed from Gameweek 33, with Hodgson treated to a winnable six-match run-in that will likely quell all relegation fears and have us reconsider the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Mamadou Sakho.