Scouting the Doubles – Gameweek 34 – The Defence

The first of a two-part series of articles now focuses on the options at our disposal among the eight teams set to play twice in Double Gameweek 34.

Kicking off with a look at the defences, we assess those players offering the likeliest sources of points in terms of both clean sheets and attacking returns.

While a cursory glance at the Premier League table shows that four of the five most resilient defences will take to the pitch on two occasions, the formbook isn’t so encouraging.

Indeed, over their respective last six league matches, only one of these eight teams have delivered more than a single clean sheet – Spurs, with three.

Regardless, with many Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers looking to play Bench Boost chips and utilised a 15-man squad, there are an array of options on offer.

A home match with West Brom and trip to Bournemouth makes Man United one of the most appealing defences.

Jose Mourinho’s side have claimed more clean sheets (16) than any side, with only neighbours Man City (24 to 25) shipping fewer goals.

Although they’ve managed just one shut-out in six, the Red Devils have allowed just seven goals – only five teams have conceded fewer.

However, the FA Cup semi-final against Spurs a week on Saturday could potentially heighten the chances of rotation – the Red Devils have one fewer day than their last four opponents to prepare for the match and Mourinho may just make a point of that via his team-sheet.

David De Gea and Antonio Valencia offer the most secure routes into the United backline, with the Spaniard’s save-point potential helping him to the top of the FPL goalkeeper standings.

Named on the teamsheet in each of the last ten, Chris Smalling has now chipped in with three goals and is far more pleasing on the budget than the right-back Valencia. Yet with four fully fit centre-halves at his disposal, there’s a real concern that Mourinho could freshen up his defence at the Vitality Stadium with one eye on shackling Harry Kane at Wembley.

Over at Spurs, Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen are undoubtedly the safe picks for a home clash with Man City and trip to Brighton.

Although he offers little attacking threat, the latter has claimed ten bonus points this season – all arriving when his side kept a clean sheet. Yet his defensive prospects seem limited only to the trip to Brighton, with City surely backed to score at Wembley.

Benched at Stoke last weekend, Ben Davies has now been rested in two of the last three, and Mauricio Pochettino will likely stay true to form and rotate his full-backs for the second match aheady of Saturday’s semi-final.

Having played a part in eight and seven goals respectively, Cesar Azpilicueta (two goals, six assists) and Marcos Alonso (six goals, one assist) have the greatest upside among the Chelsea backline for trips to Southampton and Burnley.

The latter remains our preferred pick due to his peerless goal threat, with the appeal of Andreas Christensen as a cheaper option now in decline; the Dane’s run of five starts came to an end on Sunday when he was benched at home to West Ham.

Again, the FA Cup schedule could play a part in Antonio Conte’s thinking. Ten points behind fourth spot, the Italian could have one eye on the following Sunday’s semi-final against Southampton when Chelsea travel to Turf Moor on Thursday evening.

Three points from safety, the Saints are far less likely to prioritise cup success. One clean sheet in 11 hardly screams out for investment, while they have conceded three times in both league matches under new manager Mark Hughes.

Utilised as a wing-back at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, Cedric Soares supplied both assists in the 3-2 defeat. However, the dismissal of Jack Stephens could see Hughes revert to a flat back-four for showdowns with Chelsea and Leicester.

With two goals and four assists to his name, Harry Maguire is our top pick among the Leicester contingent for a trip to Burnley and King Power clash with the Saints.

Ben Chilwell and Wes Morgan offer cut-price alternatives if you’re unwilling to splash out on a defence with just a single clean sheet in eight.

The only side to boast a pair of home matches (LEI CHE) Burnley also offer a handful of budget options.

With uncertainty over the keeper position, though, and doubts over the availability of Ben Mee, this leaves Matt Lowton, Stephen Ward and James Tarkowski as the likeliest to start both matches. If Mee is ruled out, though, Kevin Long (4.0) could provide a budget solution and an enabler for attacking investment.

Although Sean Dyche’s side have been unconvincing at the back, with one clean sheet in 11 attempts, the statistics suggest they’ve been unfortunate of late. The Clarets are the fourth most resilient for goals against (seven) since Gameweek 25 onwards and fifth for big chances conceded (12).

A trip to rivals Crystal Palace and home clash with Spurs indicates that Brighton will struggle to improve upon a run that’s harvested a single clean sheet in 13 attempts.

Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk offer a threat from set-pieces in and around the box, while keeper Matt Ryan has proven a popular pick for those playing their Bench Boost chip – he’s supplied at least 35 points more than any Seagulls’ defender.

Up against Liverpool and Man United, little is expected of a Bournemouth defence that’s managed just one clean sheet in the last 20 Gameweeks.

Nonetheless, Nathan Ake, Charlie Daniels and Steve Cook all have an assist apiece in the last three matches, with the latter’s threat from set-pieces on the rise, in particular.

The Top targets

Marcos Alonso – totals of 59 shots on goal and 19 efforts on target are just one less than double that of any FPL defender. A propensity for points at both ends of the pitch has served up 14 points or more on four occasions this season.

David De Gea – second only to Mohamed Salah in terms of FPL ownership (44%), the Man United stopper offers a fire and forget option between the posts. De Gea also claimed a combined 14 points against his upcoming pair of opponents earlier in the season.

Chris Smalling – the likeliest of United’s non-premium defenders to play both Gameweek 34 fixtures, Smalling has bettered De Gea by 48 points to 38 since cementing a role in Gameweek 23.

Matt Lowton – two assists in seven since returning from injury make Lowton the in-form route into the only defence with two home fixtures to follow. At 4.4, he looks an ideal enabler for those needing to free up budget to acquire big-hitter Kane up front.

The Differentials

Antonio Valencia – with many acquiring the cheaper Smalling as their preferred United defender, the premium-priced right-back could remain overlooked. His minutes look the most secure of the back-four, though, while an average of 4.9 points per match is more than any defensive team-mate.

Jan Vertonghen – the most secure route into the Spurs back-four, the Belgian has claimed three clean sheets and five bonus points in his last seven league outings. Of those defenders likely to start both matches, his minutes per Baseline Bonus Points System (BPS) is 5.5 and second only to Chelsea’s Azpilicueta (5.1).

Harry Maguire – Leicester’s attack-minded centre-half can more than atone for his side’s recent lack of resilience. Over their last six matches, no defender has fired more efforts in the box than Maguire (eight), who is second only to Alonso for total attempts (ten to 14) over that period.

Cedric Soares – as highlighted by his recent goal in the FA Cup at Wigan and two assists at Arsenal, the Saints’ right-back offers plenty of potential going forward. Cedric is ranked among the top five defenders for shots (six) and key passes (six) over their respective last four.