Ahead of this evening’s Scout Picks, we round up some of the main head to head showdowns that are likely to influence the gameweek ahead. These are the key battles that should have a major say in where the points fall in their respective games, both from a league and Fantasy perspective.
This week’s selection sees us focus on three of the weekend’s main fixtures. Man United host Norwich with the champions looking to sign off for the international break with another three points in the bag, Sunday’s north London derby should prove ever-appetising and Chelsea’s trip to beleaguered Bolton offers the visitors a chance to hand the Trotters their sixth defeat on the spin..
Nani v Marc Tierney
Ashley Young’s display in the Arsenal game may have hogged the headlines but it seems to have propelled Nani to raise his game even further. While Young’s price has soared to 10.4, Nani is 10.1 in comparison, even though the subsequent three gameweeks have seen the Portuguese winger outscore Young by 33 to 12 FPL points. As a two week international break beckons, Norwich left-back Marc Tierney can expect a torrid time tomorrow afternoon. Certainly, the attacking tendencies that earned him an assist in Monday’s win over Sunderland will need to be curtailed as the Canaries look to batten down the hatches.
Benched for the midweek Champions League game against Basel, Nani’s late second-half introduction saved United’s blushes, as he crossed for Young to nod home and salvage a home point for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side. Paul Lambert has named the same XI in his past two games, with Norwich taking to the field in a 4-5-1 formation with Anthony Pilkington stationed just ahead of Tierney. Given Nani’s recent performances, two of them might not be enough to stop him.
Gareth Bale v Bacary Sagna
Subject of our previous piece this afternoon, Gareth Bale is – whisper it – starting to show a consistency this season that his play has often lacked. Having been a first-choice starter for Southampton from such an early age, it’s easy to forget Bale has just turned twenty-two and despite winning the PFA Player of the Year last term, he too often was a peripheral figure for Tottenham, drifting out of games with annoying ease.
With Spurs on a three-game winning streak in the league, Harry Redknapp’s side have every right to be considered favourites for Sunday’s north London derby with Arsenal. It’s obvious to onlookers the Gunners are still struggling to gel in light of an influx of new signings and Bacary Sagna was part of the woeful back-four that shipped four goals to Blackburn in the previous away game. If Arsenal are to stop their hosts steamrollering their way to a fourth straight victory, Sagna will need to considerably up his game.
Martin Petrov v Jose Bosingwa
Martin Petrov has been Bolton’s main provider of goal scoring chances this season by some distance. It’s reflected in the number of assists the Bulgarian has grabbed so far; he sits on three, the same number as Nani and just one less than David Silva. All this despite the Trotters losing five in a row in a series of performances that have left them rooted to the bottom of the table. Bolton’s distribution has ensured Petrov has been getting much more of the ball this season but with top scorer Ivan Klasnic still suspended, they lack a cutting edge. Coyle fielded a 4-5-1 at Arsenal last week, benching Kevin Davies, but the visit of Chelsea could see a change in thinking, with Petrov supplying a front two from wide left as Bolton look to somehow address an alarming slump in form.
Jose Bosingwa’s forward forays have established the right-back as a mainstay in Andre Villas-Boas’ side. While Chelsea seem to lack the defensive solidity of old, Bosingwa’s ability to influence matters further up the pitch have compensated for his lack of clean sheets, with the Blues recording just one so far. Both sides will be reliant on the pair to lend weight to their attacking moves and their match-up will be an integral part of Sunday’s Reebok showdown.
