Roberto Firmino and Deli Alli continue their ascent in our Watchlist refresh after racking up double-figure returns last time out. The two most highly-owned midfielders, Riyad Mahrez and Mesut Ozil, fall in our estimations, though, with a lack of form posing problems aplenty for their patient Fantasy owners.
He may not have registered any attacking points in West Ham’s 2-2 draw against Man City, but Dimitri Payet keeps his place on top of our ladder with a very kind looking fixture list (AVL, sot, nor, SUN, TOT, eve) ahead. The France international is always in the mix to bag an assist due to his set-piece duties, while he’s managed to find the back of the net an impressive six times so far this season. Available at just 8.2 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), the former Marseille midfielder looks a reliable source for a steady stream of attacking returns.
The big mover among the midfielders this week is Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, who has registered two double-digit scores in his last three matches. The Brazilian also shines when assessing his underlying statistics, having totalled 14 goal attempts (nine from inside the box) over the last four Gameweeks, while also creating 11 chances over the same period. With Jurgen Klopp currently utilising the former Hoffenheim attacker in the “false nine†role for the Reds, and with a pretty favourable run of fixtures (lei, SUN, avl, (blank), MCI, cpl) on the horizon, it’s little surprise to see the now 7.9-priced Firmino leading the transfers in this week with over 148,000 new FPL owners. Firmino is, of course, without a fixture in Gameweek 27 as a result of Liverpool’s progress to the Capital One Cup final.
Tottenham’s Dele Alli is almost neck and neck with Firmino for new owners, with over 143,000 FPL bosses also moving for the Spurs youngster after he bagged a goal and assist in the 3-1 victory against Crystal Palace. The England international still offers incredible value at 5.7 in FPL, given he’s being played in the central attacking midfield position behind Harry Kane by Mauricio Pochettino, while matches against Norwich, Watford and Swansea in the next four offer hope he can continue his good form. The former MK Dons player ranks second among midfielders for shots from inside the box (10) over the last four Gameweeks.
With Everton’s fixture list (NEW, sto, WBA, (blank), avl, WHM) fairly favourable over the next six Gameweeks, we’re keeping Ross Barkley towards the top of our rankings. The 7.3-rated England international has failed to score since Gameweek 14, though, while the fact he’s only attempted four shots from inside the box in his last four appearances is a concern, given his current drought. Again, Barkley is another player without a Gameweek 27 as Everton’s fixture with Liverpool has been postponed and is currently awaiting a new date.
Andre Ayew is another significant climber this week with the Ghanaian attacker currently thriving as a forward for Swansea. The former Marseille player has two goals and a pair of assists from his last three outings, and with a reasonable fixture list over the next month or so (wba, CPL, SOT, tot, ars, NOR), looks a well-priced option for us to consider given he’s now available at just 6.7 in FPL.
While Alli is undoubtedly the best pick from the Tottenham midfield, we’ve moved Christian Eriksen up a few spots in our latest update given the Dane has created an incredible 19 chances over the last four Gameweeks, three more than any other midfielder. The former Ajax man has bagged 22 points in FPL over the last two Gameweeks, and could be considered a differential with a current ownership of 6% in FPL. Investment in the 8.4-priced midfielder is likely to remain limited, though, with Alli and Harry Kane looking the stronger options.
Having blanked in four of his last five matches, Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil continues to tumble down the Watchlist. The German international appears to be struggling to reach the consistent levels he reached earlier in the season, and given his price tag of 10.0 in FPL, a further failure in the Gunners next home match at home to Southampton could lead many of his 52% ownership to seriously consider their options. To further harm his cause, Arsenal’s forthcoming fixtures (SOT, bou, LEI, mun, SWA, tot) are rated the least favourable according to our Season Ticker.
After getting back on track with an assist in the 3-0 win over Stoke, Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez remains around halfway up our ladder. The Algerian does face a tough run of fixtures over the next month or so, though, (LIV, mci, ars, NOR, WBA, wat), and with a lack of penalty duties, his appeal is on the wane for many. The fact the now 7.1-valued midfielder has only created four chances over the last four Gameweeks is also a concern, with team-mates Marc Albrighton and Danny Drinkwater (both six) managing more.
One budget option who continues to impress is West Ham’s Michail Antonio, who moves up a few places in our latest update. The Hammers wide man picked up an assist in the 2-2 draw against Man City, making it five assists and two goals from his last six matches. Available at just 5.3 in FPL, and with matches against Aston Villa, Norwich and Sunderland in the next four, the former Nottingham Forest winger looks an under the radar differential option, with an ownership of just 1%.
Our faith in Chelsea’s Willian remains undented despite the Brazilian blanking in his last two appearances. The former Shakhtar Donetsk player moves up a spot or two with the champions next slate of matches (wat, MUN, NEW, sot, nor, STO) appearing reasonably favourable, although having only created six chances and registered four shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks, significant investment in the 7.1-rated midfielder looks unlikely right now.
Newcastle’s Georginio Wijnaldum is a non-mover towards the bottom of the Watchlist having once again failed to deliver on the road in the 2-1 defeat to Watford last time out. The Dutch international has now only picked up two assists in 11 appearances away from home, and with three of the Magpies next five away from St James’ Park (eve, WBA, che, (blank), sto), the 7.0-priced midfielder is lacking the consistency to really capture the imagination of Fantasy managers. Wijnaldum is also without a match in Gameweek 27 after Newcastle’s home clash with Man City was postponed by the Premier League earlier this week.
Marko Arnautovic remains in our thoughts after bagging a goal in Stoke’s cup clash with Liverpool in midweek. Although the midfielder is currently having to manage an on-going hamstring injury, the Potters’ fairly favourable schedule (mun, EVE, bou, AVL, NEW, che) suggests patience in the 6.5-valued Austrian may pay off.
After returning to action in the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez (10.8) has immediately been inserted back onto the Watchlist. The Chilean got 39 minutes under his belt on Sunday, and appears likely to return to the starting XI against Southampton next week. With his team-mate Ozil going slightly off the boil, an immediate return to form against the Saints could provide FPL bosses with an interesting decision as to which Gunners midfielder we should favour for our 15-man squads moving forward.
With Kevin de Bruyne now set for up to 10 weeks on the sidelines, we call upon his Etihad team-mate David Silva instead. The Spaniard bagged a goal and assist in City’s recent home win over Palace and, with a price of 9.9 and ownership of just 6%, offers Fantasy managers another premium differential to consider. Having blanked in eight of his last 10 appearances, though, his lack of consistency remains a concern.
The assist potential of Sunderland’s Adam Johnson sees the Black Cats midfielder cling on to our final spot. The England international, who only sets us back 5.8 in FPL, has laid on 11 chances for his team-mates over the last four Gameweeks, helping him register four assists. Sunderland’s treacherous upcoming schedule (MCI, liv, MUN, whm, CPL, sot) means the former Man City wide man will probably continue to struggle to attract investment though.
