With just this evening’s match at the Emirates left in the Gameweek, we look back at the lessons learned over the weekend. Sunderland’s upturn in form under Dick Advocaat, Steven Gerrard’s momentum in his final Premier League season and Jose Mourinho’s rotation intentions are all on our lunchtime menu.
Gerrard’s determined to go out with a bang…
The Reds skipper denied Chelsea a win and clean sheet in yesterday’s 1-1 draw at the Bridge to get amongst the goals for the second successive Gameweek. Sparingly used by Brendan Rodgers over the last few months, Gerrard looks certain to start the final two fixtures of his last season in the top-flight and proving a decent differential for the run-in. Upcoming clashes against Palace (one clean sheet in 16 under Alan Pardew )and Stoke’s dodgy defences (one clean sheet in eight) hands him the chance to draw down the curtain in style.
Sunderland have the battle to beat the drop..
A trip to in-form Everton looked a real test of the Black Cats’ mettle. The Toffees had racked up four straight clean sheets in front of their own fans prior to the weekend but Dick Advocaat’s side picked the perfect time to register back-to-back wins for the first time this term, boosting their prospects ahead of the double Gameweek. A clean sheet, allied with goals from Jermain Defoe and Danny Graham, highlighted their potential at both ends of the pitch, whilst Jordi Gomez earned points for the second successive Gameweek to strengthen his claim in the centre of the park.
Sherwood’s getting the best out of Cleverley..
The on-loan midfielder is proving an unlikely hero as Villa continue their ascent up the table. Whilst Christian Benteke has understandably garnered much of our recent attention, Cleverley has notched for three successive league outings to place the midlands output on the cusp of survival. Bearing in mind Cleverley had failed to score prior to Gameweek 34, and had netted three times in the previous three seasons, Tim Sherwood’s decision to utilise him in a more advanced berth underlines the Villa manager’s tactical acumen.
Pearson may have found his ideal set-up…
After what seems like months of tactical tweaks, the Foxes manager has finally found a system to accommodate all of his main men. Pearson’s subtle switch to 3-4-1-2 against Newcastle last weekend allowed Riyad Mahrez his first start (behind the front two) since Gameweek 29, and whilst the Algerian drew a blank against the Magpies, he more than atoned for that on Saturday by racking up a 16-point haul against travel-sick Southampton, courtesy of two goals and maximum bonus. Providing Leicester can secure their survival, a central support role could bring Mahrez onto many radars next term if his manager keeps faith in the current set-up.
Forster’s loss can hurt the Saints…
After conceding twice in each of the previous three, Kelvin Davis dropped to the bench as Ronald Koeman handed Paulo Gazzaniga his first start of the season. The Argentine was unable to make a difference, though, as Southampton once again shipped two goals as their campaign stumbles to a halt. Bearing in mind the St Mary’s outfit conceded more than a single goal just four times in the opening 30 Gameweeks with Fraser Forster between the posts, it’s fair to say the former Celtic man’s season-ending injury has proven disastrous to their defensive prospects.
Pulis is happy to grind out the results…
A trip to Newcastle seemed the perfect opportunity to go on the attack and cement his side’s survival in style. Instead, the Baggies boss was happy to once again roll out a 4-5-1 and drop Saido Berahino to the bench at St James’ Park, with lone striker Victor Anichebe vindicating his manager’s decision by bagging the goal that ultimately clinched top-flight football for another season. With showdowns against Chelsea and Arsenal remaining, Pulis seems likely to retain his current set-up, with Berahino and fellow forward Brown Ideye falling down the pecking order as the campaign comes to a close.
Adam deserves a regular role..
Handed a mere five starts in the first 27 Gameweeks, the Scot was a peripheral figure for the Potters. Tellingly, although Adam scored just twice over that period, both his strikes arrived when named in the first XI and it’s fair to say that his eye for goal has flourished since finding his way back into Mark Hughes’ first-team plans. Adam has started eight of the last nine Gameweeks and has netted four times over that period, with a weekend strike against Tottenham his third in the last four Gameweeks. Certainly, once Bojan is fit and available next season, Adam will struggle to retain the role in “the hole” but his impact could well convince his manager to find his a place further back in the Stoke XI.
Aguero will be impossible to avoid next season…
Chased all the way by Harry Kane for the Golden Boot, the City striker has shown his class over the last month or so. Whilst Kane’s bid to end as the league’s top scorer fell short as Tottenham’s campaign tailed off in disappointing style, Aguero’s relentless quest for goals took him to second in the overall FPL standings with a devastating 23-point haul against whipping boys QPR yesterday. Now in the midst of his most prolific campaign for the Etihad club, Aguero has shown that, when fielded as a lone forward, he is peerless amongst the current crop of forwards in terms of consistency of returns. When the new player lists are released in July, finding a place for Aguero will surely remain a priority for many Fantasy managers.
…whilst Mata’s claim is strengthened by spot-kicks …
After Robin van Persie fluffed his lines against West Brom last week, Louis van Gaal put his faith in the Spaniard for the trip to Crystal Palace. Mata immediately benefitted from his role as United’s new spot-kick taker to fire home his ninth strike of the season. Looking at the stats, Mata has averaged 4.8 points per in the 25 matches he’s started for the Red Devils – a figure that drops to 4.3 when you factor in his six sub appearances. If the Spaniard retains his starting role next term and keeps ahead of the queue for penalties, he could earn a place amongst the big-hitters once again.
Jose will rotate…
Having made five alterations to his starting line-up yesterday, the Chelsea manager conceded he would have changed more had Petr Cech not been ruled out with a minor neck injury. Mourinho’s post-match comments ahead of the West Brom match lays bare his intentions to hand a number of young players a starting berth at the Hawthorns – a scenario which may persuade some to ship out the likes of Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas next weekend to balance our budgets for Arsenal’s double. Those who choose to go down that route should also be aware that Mourinho has confirmed he will turn to his regulars again for the final match of the season at home to Sunderland, as Chelsea look to finish the campaign as the only side unbeaten at home in England’s four divisions.
