With the next four Gameweeks spread over just 15 days, we’re placing more emphasis on short-term fixtures when assessing the upcoming schedules. By that criteria, West Brom’s fixture list looks particularly appealing, with three home matches in the next four, while Man United’s schedule continues to be very favourable. At the basement, Villa are poised for a crucial period as they travel to a trio of fellow relegation candidates.

West Brom

Nearly all of our focus when it comes to the Baggies has been on their defence, and while Bournemouth, Newcastle and Stoke are all in good form, the latter two certainly aren’t the most prolific and could present solid opportunities for Tony Pulis’ backline. Swansea have also failed to score in three of their last four home matches, although they should have a new manager in place by the time West Brom travel to the Liberty Stadium. Testing away fixtures to Chelsea and Southampton in Gameweeks 21 and 22 do mean the likes of Craig Dawson (5.1) and Jonny Evans (4.8) are more short-term options, though. Evans has operated as a defensive midfielder in the last two matches due to the absence of Claudio Yacob, but that out-of-position potential may be short lived should the Argentine be available again after missing out against Liverpool due to personal reasons.

The Baggies have managed the fewest goal attempts (26) of any side over the last four Gameweeks, so while all of their next four opponents rank among the seven sides conceding the highest number of shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks, interest in the likes of Salomon Rondon (6.6) and James McClean (4.7) is set to be limited, although the latter could challenge the cheap Bournemouth options as a viable contender for our fifth midfielder slot. The pair are certainly differential candidates, with their current ownerships under 1% in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

Man United

There is little doubt United’s upcoming schedule is very favourable, with two plum home fixtures against Norwich and Swansea, while Chelsea have only kept one clean sheet on their travels this season. The away clash against Newcastle in Gameweek 21 could also be deemed reasonable in terms of attacking prospects, but with no form to speak of among United’s midfield and forward options, rolling the dice on a Juan Mata (8.6) or Anthony Martial (7.7) looks a risky move. The away trips to Stoke and Liverpool in the next six are also pretty difficult, so it could be that Fantasy managers continue to ignore United options in the final third. At just 6.2, though, Marouane Fellaini has notched once in the last two and could be one to consider if he retains his starting berth.

As with West Brom, it’s at the back where United assets are far more appealing. Louis van Gaal’s side have kept a league-high nine clean sheets, but looking forward, the fitness of Chris Smalling (6.9), in particular, is crucial to their prospects over the festive period. Should the England international be available to face Norwich following a groin injury, a shut-out in that match-up looks a strong possibility, with the Canaries having failed to score in their last two away matches. Stoke and Swansea feature among the bottom five teams for total goal attempts over the last four Gameweeks, while with Chelsea still out of sorts in front of goal, defensive returns in those matches also appear a distinct possibility. Paddy McNair (4.7) or Guillermo Varela (4.2) could provide budget options in the short term, although their places in the starting XI will be dependent on how quickly United’s injury list begins to ease.

Aston Villa

With Villa eight points from safety, and coming up against three direct rivals (new, nor, sun) over the next four Gameweeks, it could well be a defining moment in their season. Sam Allardyce has improved the Sunderland defence since he arrived at the Stadium of Light, but that match-up still looks reasonable, while Newcastle, West Ham and Norwich are among the five sides conceding the highest number of shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks. Home clashes against Crystal Palace and Leicester also follow, so Jordan Ayew (5.5) could perhaps be worth a gamble at this stage having scored three goals in his last seven appearances. With Remi Garde still experimenting in the wide areas, none of Villa’s midfielders stand out as viable options at this point.

Villa have conceded the most goals (10) and allowed the most attempts inside the box (43) over the last four Gameweeks, so although the West Ham, Norwich and Sunderland match-ups look to have some potential for defensive returns, it’s hard to hold much confidence in the Villans’ rearguard. Newcastle have failed to score in two of their last three home matches, but look to have turned the corner over the last two Gameweeks, while keeping out Palace and Leicester looks beyond Garde’s charges. Leandro Bacuna (4.7) has started the last two matches at left-back and could be the pick of the bunch with some set-piece duties in the locker, with Micah Richards (4.5) still struggling to overcome a knee injury that has forced him to miss the last two Gameweeks.

Also Consider…

Swansea
The Swans may still be looking for a new manager, but after an encouraging display in the 2-1 defeat to Man City, and with four home fixtures in the next six (WHU, WBA, cpl, mun, SUN, WAT), it may be time to start considering some of their Fantasy assets once again. Those that have kept faith in Andre Ayew (7.1) could reap the benefits over the coming period, with only the trip to Old Trafford looking unfavourable over the next six Gameweeks. Gylfi Sigurdsson was fielded as a “false nine” at City, though it remains to be seen if that role will continue once a permanent appointment is made.

West Ham have failed to score in their last two matches, while West Brom are one of the weaker attacking sides in the top flight, so Swansea should stand a decent chance of bagging a clean sheet over the next two Gameweeks. With uncertainty over who will be favoured in defence under the new boss, captain Ashley Williams (4.8) looks the safest option for FPL bosses.

Chelsea
Jose Mourinho’s men also face four home matches over the next six Gameweeks (SUN, WAT, mun, cpl, WBA, EVE), and with the Blues registering four clean sheets and three goals against in their last six matches in all competitions, it’s at the back where we should perhaps be focusing. The Sunderland and West Brom fixtures present reasonable opportunities for defensive points, so Kurt Zouma (5.4) and Thibaut Courtois (5.2) could warrant some consideration, though Monday night’s 2-1 defeat to Leicester didn’t help foster any confidence in the Chelsea backline.

Further forward, the next two fixtures are pretty favourable, while only the clash against Man United looks difficult in the next six. Only Willian (6.9) has shown any real consistency this season, but with so many other in-form midfielders and strikers to choose from, it is unlikely there’ll be much interest in the Blues attacking assets despite the strong fixture list.

Crystal Palace
With three favourable match-ups (bou, SWA, avl) from an attacking point of view over the next six Gameweeks, Yannick Bolasie (6.2) and Yohan Cabaye (6.6) look genuine contenders for our five-man midfields over the coming weeks. The other three fixtures on the current slate (sto, CHE, mci) aren’t disastrous either, with Palace’s counter-attacking threat on the road likely to yield goals.

The Eagles haven’t conceded more than one goal in any of their last seven matches, and with only the Bournemouth and City clashes looking unfavourable in the next six, further defensive returns could be on the cards. The goal threat of Scott Dann (5.4) gives the centre-back added appeal over budget options Wayne Hennessey (4.0) and Joel Ward (4.4).

Newcastle
Steve McClaren’s side are another to benefit from four home fixtures over the coming period (AVL, EVE, wba, ars, MUN, WHM), with the Villa and Everton matches standing out in terms of potential attacking returns. Having scored all seven of his goals at St James’, Georginio Wijnaldum (7.0) could continue to attract investment, then, particularly with rotation possible among the forwards.

The Magpies have managed a reasonable three shut-outs over the last six Gameweeks, and while only this weekend’s clash against Villa stands out as being favourable, with little rotation expected at the back, budget options Paul Dummett (4.3), Daryl Janmaat (4.9) and Rob Elliot (4.0) could be handy to have on our benches over the hectic festive period.

Southampton
While home matches against Tottenham and Arsenal over the next two Gameweeks are difficult in terms of both potential defensive and attacking prospects, Ronald Koeman’s men do face four home fixtures over the next six Gameweeks (TOT, ARS, whm, nor, WAT, WBA). Graziano Pelle (8.1) is expected to return to the starting XI against Spurs after only being fit enough for the bench in the 1-0 defeat to Palace, and is a proven commodity when it comes to producing at St. Mary’s. Sadio Mane, meanwhile, is joint-top amongst midfielders for shots in the box (13) over the last six despite failing to score during that period.

The Saints have frustrated at the back in recent weeks, and while the fixtures are reasonably strong after the next two matches, the price tag of Virgil van Dijk (5.6) may force many of his 3% ownership in FPL to consider his worth, having registered just seven points over the last four Gameweeks.