The Digest – Gameweek 32

Our coverage of Gameweek 32 concludes now as we assess the latest player, team and talking point to draw our attention from the previous round of matches.

Marko Arnautovic steps up his form just as the fixtures turn against West Ham United. Spurs sweep aside Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to announce their intentions ahead of a very favourable run-in. Meanwhile, a quick return for Harry Kane seems set to change the plans of many Fantasy managers as we look to exploit the Double Gameweeks.

The Player

After a run of three straight blanks, just 21,000 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers acquired Marko Arnautovic for Gameweek 32.

With many focused on bringing in Double Gameweek 34 assets, the West Ham United midfielder boasted a mere 4% ownership as he served up two goals and 16 FPL points in the 3-0 home win over Southampton.

That brace at the London Stadium continued the Austrian’s remarkable transformation since a change of position under manager David Moyes.

Moved up front at home to Chelsea in Gameweek 16, he fired the winner in a 1-0 victory.

Since then, Arnautovic is second only to Mohamed Salah in midfield for both goals (nine to 17) and shots on target (21 to 29).

He also places among the top five midfielders for total attempts (40), efforts in the box (30) and big chances (11) over that timeframe.

Indeed, with nine goals, four assists and ten bonus points accrued from Gameweek 16 onwards, he’s averaged 7.4 points per match as a centre-forward.

But one look at West Ham’s fixture list suggests that Arnautovic will keep that differential tag over the run-in.

Clashes against Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City in three of the next four leave just a home encounter with former club Stoke in Gameweek 34 as the most promising match on his short-term agenda.

With an expected Double Gameweek 37 likely to comprise of matches against Leicester and Man United, Moyes’ men don’t have it easy, though a visit from Everton in the final round of fixtures offers a silver lining.

That schedule indicates that the Hammers will still have everything to play for as the season unfolds, ensuring that Arnautovic remains firing on all cylinders as one of the most explosive out-of-position options around.

The Team

Spurs picked the perfect time to finally end their 28-year wait for a win at Stamford Bridge, all but extinguishing Chelsea’s hopes of claiming a top-four finish in the process.

Now eight points ahead of the fifth-placed Blues, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are braced for an outstanding run-in that pits them against just two top-half opponents from this point onwards.

While the big news pre-match was all about the return of Harry Kane, it was notable that the north London outfit’s big-hitters all delivered in his absence – indeed, they were already 3-1 up by the time he emerged from the bench on 74 minutes.

With Kane now expected to be recalled to the staring XI away to Stoke, the concerns over Son Heung-min’s rivalry with Erik Lamela for pitch-time may persuade many to now limit their targets in midfield.

Handily, Dele Alli’s brace and Christian Eriksen’s stunning equaliser showcased their points potential as we start firming up our plans for the remainder of the season.

As one of just six sides expected to offer two Double Gameweeks, the Spurs attack looks conducive to Fantasy investment.

In defence, though, Pochettino’s tendency to rotate at full-back means that centre-half Jan Vertonghen is the only secure pick into a rearguard that’s the third most resilient for both clean sheets (14) and goals against, with 26.

While 11 starts in 12 on the left underline Ben Davies’ potential, his omission from the squad as recently as the Gameweek 30 trip to Bournemouth shows that the Welshman’s acquisition doesn’t come without a degree of risk.

That’s likely to ensure that most of us will focus mainly on the Spurs attack as Pochettino’s men look to maintain the form that’s seen them lose just once in 19 matches across all competitions since the turn of the year.

The Talking Point

Kane’s speedy recovery and late cameo has already impacted on the FPL market.

Sold by over 1.1m over the previous two rounds of fixtures, the Spurs frontman is the top transfer target for Gameweek 33 ahead of a trip to a Stoke side that he’s fired eight goals past in the last four league meetings.

Roberto Firmino has been the major fall guy. Devoid of a Double Gameweek and with just a goal and assist in four, the Liverpool forward has earned more than 52,000 sales already.

Over 30,000 have parted company with Romelu Lukaku for Man United’s trip to the Etihad – overlooking the Belgian’s four goals and two assists in six and a Double Gameweek 34 against West Brom and Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang’s brace against the Potters took his tally to 6.5 points per match since arriving at Arsenal. Given that Arsene Wenger’s side, along with United and Spurs, are also expected to offer us a Double Gameweek 37, his case for inclusion has built nicely following Sunday’s 13-point haul.

While those still with Wildcards to wield can shuffle their packs accordingly, those without both a Wildcard and Kane now face a major decision.

Surprisingly, the Spurs man has managed just one double-digit haul from Gameweek 22 onwards.

Yet with an anticipated Double Gameweek 37 against West Brom and Newcastle, Kane will be a heavy favourite for the captaincy and Triple Captain chip at that point.

While overlooking him altogether looks a very risky tactic in light of Spurs’ fixtures and form, the decision when to bring in Kane may ultimately prove a decisive one in our quest for a final surge up the rankings.

We will have a Burning Question, surveying the views of some leading and experienced FPL managers on the Kane issue, later this week.