Philippe Coutinho’s goals consign Jose Mourino’s Chelsea to further misery as Man City and Arsenal maintain the pace as title front runners. Elsewhere, United’s failure to find a cutting edge finds them out at Palace, Odion Ighalo inspires another Watford win, while Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez deal the damage yet again, as Leicester earn another three points on the road. Here’s the notes on Saturday’s matches…
Mourinho On the Brink
Chelsea’s wretched run continued with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool. The Blues have now equalled the most losses (six) they’ve suffered in a season under Jose Mourinho, illuminating the unprecedented nature of their current slump.
Despite taking drastic action with regards to personnel – by dropping Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic to the bench – Chelsea were second best for the majority of the encounter, mustering just eight attempts and six shots on target.
Ramires got the hosts off to the perfect start, scoring his second goal in five outings at the four-minute mark. Cezar Azpilicueta served up the assist for the Brazilian, marking the third time this campaign he’s delivered attacking returns (one goal and two assists).
Priced at 5.9, the Spanish full-back would ordinarily represent a suitable route into Chelsea’s defence ahead of a strong batch of fixtures (sto, NOR, tot, BOU, lei, SUN, WAT), but it’s hard to back a rearguard that’s shipped eight goals in the previous four Gameweeks.
Eden Hazard put in another abject performance and suffered the indignity hauled off before the hour, replaced by 19-year-old Kenady. During his 59-minute stint, Hazard carded zero attempts and key passes, providing further incentive for his remaining 18.9% ownership to cut ties and liberate funds for investment elsewhere.
Coutinho Inspires Klopp’s First Victory
Philippe Coutinho snapped an eight-match barren spell by scoring twice against the champions on their own turf, earning Jurgen Klopp his first victory as Liverpool manager.
The Reds’ Brazilian playmaker delivered his first ever brace for the club, finally delivering the returns that his underlying statistics portended, having ranked second for attempts (25) in the previous six Gameweeks.
Pitched at 8.1, if Coutinho can somehow discover some consistency under Klopp, he harbours the potential to be a profitable differential during Liverpool’s favourable run through to the New Year (CRY, mci, SWA, new, WBA, wat, LEI).
Christian Benteke earned a goal and assist, despite waiting until the 64th minute to make an entrance. The Belgium international has dropped to a relatively modest 12% ownership but, having netted in back-to-back appearances, he could begin to emerge as a short-term differential while Daniel Sturridge continues to struggle for fitness.
Jordon Ibe and Firmino claimed the remaining assists in the 3-1 win. In the absence of Divock Origi – who was omitted from matchday squad – Jurgen Klopp fielded Firimino as the false nine in a 4-2-3-1 set-up. With Benteke primed to start next time out against Crystal Palace, it remains to be seen how Klopp incorporates Firmino in his starting lineup.
Elsewhere, both Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno were impressive bombing forward to provide the width for Liverpool. Both are flourishing under the Klopp regime so far, seeing plenty of the ball in attacking areas and providing crosses and key passes. At just 4.8, Moreno is set to emerge as a key target as Liverpool’s fixtures soften up.
Mahrez and Vardy The Executioners
In a sight that’s become oh-so familiar this season, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez inflicted the damage in a 3-2 road victory over West Brom, with the latter enjoying his second brace in 10 outings.
Concerns over Mahrez’s security of starts after he was benched in Gameweek 8 lead to his ownership levelling off in the following two Gameweeks. Now seemingly un-droppable from the starting XI, the Algerian could breach the 60% ownership mark before the next round of fixtures.
Vardy’s purple patch defies belief, with the 7.2-priced forward netting for the eight consecutive match. Both he and Mahrez will fancy their chances of continuing in a similar vein as the Foxes embark on a pair of agreeable match-ups (WAT, new) either side of the international break.
From Gameweek 14, however, Leicester’s schedule takes a turn for the worse (MUN, swa, CHE, eve, liv, MCI), perhaps forcing a reassessment of their prospects over the Christmas period.
Marc Albrighton kept his points tally ticking over with a pair of assists, having failed to trouble the scoreboard since Gameweek 2. Danny Drinkwater supplied the ammunition for Vardy’s strike and has now notched four assists in his previous seven outings, making him the clear frontrunner in the 4.5-priced bench fodder bracket.
Jeffrey Schlupp was deployed on the left flank in his previous three starts but reverted to left-back against the Baggies because Christian Fuchs picked up a knock. The latter was rested as a precaution and is likely to reclaim his starting berth against the Hornets.
Baggies Backline Suffer Another Hawthorns Drubbing
West Brom took the lead in the first half through Salomon Rondon but were ultimately unable to stifle the Foxes’ irrepressible front line.
Rondon looks to be finding his feet in the Premier League – with two goals in as many starts – but his supporting cast could struggle to afford him many chances during the West Midlanders’ unforgiving run up to Gameweek 17 (mun, ARS, whu, tot, liv).
Defensively the Baggies went into Saturday’s contest having claimed six clean sheets over the season. However, the defeat to Leicester marked the fourth occasion that Tony Pulis’ side had conceded three goals at the Hawthorns. With a grueling set of opponents to come (mun ARS whm TOT liv), further investment in the West Brom rearguard will likely be put on ice.
United’s Goal Drought Continues
Pitted against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, Manchester United recorded their third successive 0-0 stalemate in all competitions, extending their goalless streak to 325 minutes. Furthermore, the Red Devils posted their third blank in four league outings, having placed second bottom for shots inside the box (15) – ahead of Bournemouth (14) – over that stretch.
In light of their paucity of goal threat, it’s surprising that Louis van Gaal remains steadfast in his decision to favour Wayne Rooney – instead of Anthony Martial – as the spearhead of their attack. Rooney failed to muster a shot inside the box and registered just a single shot on target, prompting Van Gaal to eventually afford Martial a more advanced role upon Marouane Fellaini’s introduction.
Should the former Monaco starlet continue to line up on the flank, it’s harder to justify his inclusion over a wealth of enticing mid-priced forwards. Indeed, Martial has suffered more sales than any other player in the FPL overnight.
At the back, United’s third straight clean sheet underlines the merits of their rearguard assets. David de Gea’s position at the summit of our goalkeeper’s Watchlist appears justified in the light of his four clean sheets in the last five. Elsewhere, Chris Smalling remains the only assured starter within the back four, rendering him the choice pick ahead of an strong lead up to Boxing Day (WBA, wat, lei, WHU, bou, NOR, sto).
Toothless Eagles Blank Again
The Eagles chalked up their fourth blank in seven matches, making them the league’s lowest scorers (four goals) since Gameweek 5.
Dwight Gayle returned from suspension to lead the line but doesn’t appear to be the answer to their ailing attack, given that he’s failed to grace the scoresheet in six appearances. Marouane Chamakh and Connor Wickham both returned to training this week, with either frontman likely to usurp Gayle once fit.
On the flip side, Alan Pardew’s outfit have displayed a renewed diligence of late, keeping out their opposition in their last three home ties. In terms of potential routes into the Eagles rearguard, Joel Ward (4.4) – who’s already notched two goals in five starts – looks to be the most viable option, along with Wayne Hennessey (3.9) in goal.
City Edge Past Plucky Canaries
Manchester City needed an 89th-minute penalty to secure a 2-1 victory over Norwich City at the Etihad, after a howler from Joe Hart had handed the visitors the opportunity for an unlikely point.
Yaya Toure did the honours from the spot, netting his first goal since the opening Gameweek. At 8.5, the Ivorian midfielder would serve as a cheaper alternative to Kevin De Bruyne if he can rekindle some of his 2013/14 form (20 goals and nine assists).
Elsewhere in the City midfield, Raheem Sterling was relegated to the bench following midweek exertions, but emerged in the second half to earn the assist for the first spot kick. He could have picked up a second having been brought down late on, but watched on while Aleks Kolarov missed the resulting spot-kick.
Kevin De Bruyne went into the game as the top candidate in our Captain poll but emerged with just five points to his name. The Belgian curled in the corner for Otamendi’s header and has now played a part (three goals and four assists) in seven goals in as many league starts. De Bruyne’s consistency (two blanks in seven) ensures that David Silva faces a battle to regain the weapon of choice status in the City midfield.
Nicolas Otamendi opened the scoring for the Sky Blues. The Argentine centre-back looks to have cemented his start in the City backline; he also charts joint-top for shots on target (four) among defenders over the last six Gameweeks. However, his prohibitive 6.5 price tag is likely to prevent investment while the likes of Kolarov and Bacary Sagna remain options.
Despite his spot-kick miss, Kolarov’s 29% ownership will be optimistic on Man City’s clean-sheet prospects next Gameweek as they gear up for a trip to Aston Villa.
Magpies Rue Missed Opportunities
Newcastle United recorded their first clean sheet since Gameweek 3 as their head-to-head with Stoke City at St James’ Park ended in a goalless draw. It also marked their sixth blank of the campaign, although it wasn’t for the lack of trying – the Magpies far outstripped the Potters with regards to shots (15 to nine) and accurate attempts (six to two). The fact that the Tynesiders’ tallied 36 efforts across their last two league outings offers hope to investors in their forwards that goals are imminent.
Butland’s Brilliance Earns Potters Point
Stoke are unbeaten in their last three road matches, earning clean sheets in each, following the 0-0 stalemate on Tyneside.
Jack Butland was exceptional for the visitors, racking up six saves for the third occasion this campaign. No shot-stopper has amassed more saves (46) than the England international, who bagged an eye-catching 11-point haul for his efforts.
The Potters lay claim to three shut-outs in four outings, but they face a tall order sustaining that streak over a challenging quintet of match-ups (CHE, sou, sun, MCI, whu).
Patched Up Gunners Keep Firing
Arsenal kept pace with Manchester City at the summit of the table courtesy of a 3-0 away win over Swansea City.
Olivier Giroud – one of our three differentials – broke the deadlock four minutes into the second half, scoring his fifth goal in seven league appearances.
Theo Walcott faces around a month on the sidelines by virtue of a calf complaint, ensuring that Giroud enjoys the security of starts for at least the next two Gameweeks (TOT, wba). Considering that the Gunners rank second for goals scored (11) in the last four Gameweeks, the Frenchman’s 7% ownership is likely to swell in the lead up to the North London derby.
Laurent Koscielny notched goals in consecutive starts for the first time as an Arsenal player, bolstering his case for Fantasy selection ahead of the likes of Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal. In truth, there’s a case to be made for any of their rearguard starters, given that the Gunners have now earned shut-outs in six of their last nine outings.
In midfield, Mesut Ozil was again hugely instrumental, scooping a brace of assists to boost his tally to nine for the season. The German has now returned goals or assists in six of his last seven league starts for the Gunners.
In terms of assists, Ozil is peerless in the Premier League: he has provided more (22) than any player in the league since his debut back in September 2013. Ozil’s recent consistency highlights the current value in doubling up on Arsenal’s midfield, adding the German alongside the explosive Alexis Sanchez. The German earned more FPL owners than any other player overnight.
Ighalo Goals Kill Off Hammers
Odion Ighalo stunned West Ham United with his second brace of the season as Watford cruised to a 2-0 home victory.
The Hornets’ main man has directly contributed (five goals and two assists) to all of their last seven goals and currently sits joint-second – alongside Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez – in the scoring charts (seven goals). Incredibly, whilst on the pitch, Ighalo has scored or assisted all of Watford’s goals this season.
Valued at a mere 5.4, the Nigerian is poised to enjoy a significant upsurge of investment ahead of a strong quintet of encounters (lei, MUN, avl, NOR, sun), although he did sustain a knock as a result of James Collins’ late challenge, forcing him off late on.
In acknowledgement of their fifth clean sheet in 10 matches, Watford are furnishing us with alluring budget pick-ups at both ends of the pitch. With Sebastian Prodl seemingly locked in rotation with Miguel Britos, Heurelho Gomes, Allan Nyom and Craig Cathcart (both 4,5) are all key targets, although Chelsea loanee, Nathan Ake, may trump them all – the 20-year-old full-back provided an assist in an effervescent display and is available for just 4.4.
Irons Suffer First Away Defeat
West Ham’s seven-match unbeaten run was dispelled at Vicarage Road, as they suffered their first defeat on the road this season.
For just the third time this term, Dimtri Payet failed to deliver attacking returns, underlining the consistency of his output. Payet’s 37% ownership may now be concerned, however, with the Irons facing sturdy defences over the next four Gameweeks (EVE, tot, WBA, mun). This could engender Payet’s first lean period since his arrival in the Premier League.
