Everton have the opportunity to build on their hugely impressive 6-2 win against Sunderland as the upcoming schedule smiles kindly on the Toffees. Alan Pardew’s Palace will hope to get back amongst the goals as the fixtures start to ease, whilst Watford’s budget options at both ends of the pitch could be set to benefit.
EVERTON
Gameweek 11 had long been earmarked as the moment when the Toffees Fantasy assets truly emerged as viable options, and they didn’t let us down with a 6-2 drubbing of Sunderland. Roberto Martinez’ men now face three encounters (bou, nor, LEI) against teams who feature in the top eight for chances conceded in the box over the last four Gameweeks, while Aston Villa have let in eight goals in their last four matches, and West Ham have only kept one clean sheet in five at home.
Romelu Lukaku (8.5) looks a strong contender for our three-man forward lines as his impressive form continued with a goal and two assists against the Black Cats, though Arouna Kone (4.8) could provide fantastic value as a cheap striker if he can keep his starting place. Ross Barkley (6.8) may have frustratingly blanked against the Black Cats, but the England man should deliver over the next few weeks, whilst elsewhere in midfield, Gerard Deulofeu has a goal and five assists in the last five and looks another option at just 6.2.
Everton have conceded 44 shots inside the box over the past four Gameweeks, tied for the most in the Premier League along with Norwich. The absence of Phil Jagielka looks a blow to those holding on to Toffees defensive assets, and while clean sheets look possible against the likes of Villa and Bournemouth, defensive returns against West Ham and Leicester appear less likely. The likes of Seamus Coleman (5.9) and John Stones (5.5) don’t come cheap, so investment in the Everton backline is expected to be limited for the time being. Leighton Baines is back in full training and could be pushing for a return, with Bryan Oviedo doubtful due to a hamstring injury.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Having failed to register a shut-out in their first six matches of the season, Palace have managed three clean sheets across the last five Gameweeks. Over the upcoming period they face two favourable clashes against Sunderland and Newcastle, while Stoke have only scored twice in four matches. Wayne Hennessey (3.9) has started the last five league encounters for the Eagles, and looks to have nailed down the starting spot in goal for the time being. Joel Ward (4.4) returned to the starting XI against Man United following a knee injury, though Scott Dann (5.1) may prove worthy of the extra outlay given his set-piece threat.
At the other end of the pitch, the prospects are arguably even brighter, with Everton, Sunderland, Newcastle and Southampton ranked among the top five teams for shots conceded from inside the area over the last four Gameweeks. The two north East sides have conceded 20 goals between them over the previous four, and with Palace generally more dangerous away from home due to their counter-attacking threat, the fixtures at Liverpool and Stoke could also yield attacking points.
The downside is that Palace have only scored four goals in their last seven matches, and three of those came from the penalty spot. Yohan Cabaye (6.6) is the obvious place to start when analysing the attacking assets at Selhurst Park then, although the France international has been carrying a minor niggle over the last couple of weeks. Yannick Bolasie (6.2) is the other midfield candidate, although the pacy attacker only has one goal to his name this season in terms of attacking returns. Pardew will be hoping the imminent return of Connor Wickham bolsters his attack after the forward completed a 60-minute run out for the reserves yesterday.
WATFORD
With four fixtures (lei, avl, NOR, sun) against weak defences over the next six Gameweeks, the terrific form of Odion Ighalo (5.4) may be set to continue for some time yet. The Nigerian has seven goals and two assists to his name so far this season, and is the leading contender for that third forward slot in our 15-man squads – providing he shakes off the dead leg problem that forced him off last weekend.
The form of the Hornets backline has been one of the surprises over the opening months of the season, and with Man United, Villa, Norwich and Liverpool (barring the three goals scored at Chelsea) all less than prolific in front of goal over recent weeks, we could see Quique Sanchez Flores’ team add to the five clean sheets they’ve already accrued. Right-back Allan Nyom (4.5) has been a fixture in the starting XI all season, and looks the most reliable option, though is just one booking short of a ban. Nathan Ake (4.4) has broken into the first XI in recent weeks, and perhaps provides a slightly greater attacking threat, as seen by his assist against West Ham on Saturday. Heurelho Gomes (4.6) is also the highest scoring goalkeeper in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) so far this season, and is a stand-out budget option between the sticks.
ALSO CONSIDER…
Chelsea
While form is clearly an issue with all of Chelsea’s Fantasy assets, there’s little doubt the champions have an obliging fixture list (sto, NOR, tot, BOU, lei, SUN) over the next six Gameweeks. Norwich, Bournemouth and Sunderland have suffered some heavy defeats in recent weeks, and look ideal home matches in which the likes of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard (both 11.0) can begin to regain some confidence.
Both of Chelsea’s clean sheets have come at Stamford Bridge, and while Norwich have scored in five of their six away matches, that fixture should provide a decent opportunity to register another shut-out. Home clashes against Bournemouth and Sunderland look promising, whilst Stoke have failed to score in three of their five home matches so far this season. With Branislav Ivanovic back in training, Kurt Zouma’s (5.5) security of starts is under question again and given their lack of resilience, few will be prepared to invest in the pricey Chelsea defence until we see signs of a major improvement.
Arsenal
Form isn’t a concern at the Emirates, and with four favourable fixtures (wba, nor, SUN, avl) in the next six, owning at least one Arsenal defender and one attacker seems particularly desirable at his point. The Gunners have three clean sheets from their last four matches, with Laurent Koscielny (5.9) coming into our thoughts after goals in his last two outings. Peter Cech (5.6), Nacho Monreal (5.8) and Hector Bellerin (6.0) all are great options, though the latter’s owners will need to monitor the groin problem that forced him out of tonight’s clash with Bayern.
The other two fixtures on the upcoming slate are home clashes against Tottenham and Man City, and while he hasn’t netted in his last two appearances, Alexis Sanchez (11.6) has already illustrated his explosive, fixture-proof potential against the likes of Man United. Mesut Ozil (8.7) also offers outstanding value from the Gunners midfield, while Olivier Giroud (8.7) should continue to thrive in the absence of Theo Walcott.
Southampton
Plum home fixtures against Stoke and Villa, along with a reasonable trip to the Stadium of Light this weekend mean the Saints’ Fantasy assets continue to be in popular demand. Graziano Pelle (8.5) is a frontman who delivers a steady stream of attacking points, while Sadio Mane (8.0) offers a goal threat that few midfielders can match in terms of his price range. The matches against City, Palace and Tottenham could limit the pair’s potential over the next six Gameweeks, though.
As already mentioned, Palace have been struggling for goals, while Stoke and Villa should also provide good opportunities for defensive returns. Sunderland are improving in the final third under Sam Allardyce, but could also represent another decent chance of a clean sheet. Virgil van Dijk (5.6) has emerged as the primary target at the back, with Cedric Soares (5.0) available for those whose budget can’t stretch to the Dutchman.
Man United
One constant throughout the season from Louis van Gaal’s side has been their ability to keep clean sheets. They’ve managed seven so far, and with matches against low scoring West Brom, Watford, Bournemouth and Norwich in the next six, the Red Devils appear likely to provide a consistent source of defensive points. David De Gea (5.5) is a secure starter between the sticks, though Chris Smalling (6.5) is also nailed on and has justified his lofty price tag, climbing to the top of the FPL defender standings.
After failing to score in three of their last four league matches, and registering just 15 shots from inside the box over that period, the lowest out of any team in the top flight, confidence in United attacking assets is understandably low. West Brom could continue to frustrate owners of Anthony Martial (8.1) on Saturday, but the matches against Leicester, Bournemouth and Norwich, in particular, could provide the France international a chance to get back amongst the points. Certainly, Louis van Gaal’s decision to start him up front against CSKA Moscow last night will boost the hopes of those still holding the former Monaco man, whilst Juan Mata’s 18% owners will also be hoping he returns to form after drawing blanks in each of the last four.
