We turn our attentions to the upcoming schedules now, as we cast an eye over those sides with the most favourable fixtures to follow. Ten sides are affected by a blank this weekend as a result of FA Cup matches, though it’s worth bearing in mind that those postponed fixtures could be moved into Gameweek 34, thus handing us numerous doubles to plan around for the run-in. At the time of publication, though, we still await confirmation of any fixture rearrangement.
LEICESTER
Riyad Mahrez (7.3) and the Foxes’ rearguard came up trumps again in the 1-0 win at Watford, and with no truly unfavourable matches in the next six, Leicester assets should continue to play a key role in our 15-man squads. Looking at the defensive prospects over the next six Gameweeks, only the home clash against West Ham looks fairly tough, with the Hammers scoring seven goals in their last four matches. Otherwise, the likes of Southampton, Swansea and Newcastle are all struggling to score goals of late, managing three, four and three respectively over their last four matches, while Swansea and Southampton have only registered 22 and 23 shots from inside the box over the last four matches respectively, ranking them among the bottom five sides. The Crystal Palace and Sunderland match-ups are also pretty decent, with the Eagles and Black Cats only creating four and three big chances respectively over their last four matches, the joint-third and second fewest in the Premier League. The Foxes’ defenders continue to look outstanding options for our backlines then, with Christian Fuchs (4.9) our preferred option.
It’s Leicester’s next two fixtures that appear the most favourable from an attacking perspective, with Newcastle and Palace both conceding nine goals in their last four matches. The Magpies have only allowed four big chances over the same period, though, compared to 10 for the Eagles. The Swansea fixture in Gameweek 35 also looks very friendly, given the Welsh outfit have conceded the second highest number of shots from inside the box over the last four matches (45), while also allowing nine big chances. Southampton, Sunderland and West Ham represent slightly tricky fixtures, with none of the three teams conceding more than five goals over the last four matches. Given the exploits of Mahrez and Jamie Vardy (7.8) this season, the pair are certainly capable of also breaching those three defences as the Foxes look to strengthen their spot at the summit.
Norwich
With the Canaries battling to avoid relegation, the fixtures between Gameweeks 31 and 35 look critical to their survival hopes. Goals have been in short supply for Alex Neil’s men, given they have failed to score in four of their last six, but the matches against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in particular should boost their prospects in front of goal. While West Brom, Sunderland and Watford are sides that Norwich will hope to take points off, those three opponents are generally fairly resolute at the back. Watford have only conceded three goals in four, allowing just five big chances in the process, while West Brom have only shipped four goals over that period. Saturday’s clash against Man City does look pretty reasonable, though, with City conceding five goals in their last three away matches. The likes of Nathan Redmond (5.0) and Wes Hoolahan (4.7) may come onto our radars as budget options, then, but with many Fantasy managers set to load up on those sides with double Gameweeks on the horizon, Norwich assets may continue to be largely ignored by Fantasy Premier League (FPL) bosses.
The City fixture clearly is very unfavourable from a defensive point of view for the Canaries, with Manuel Pellegrini’s side returning to form last weekend in the 4-0 demolition of Aston Villa. The Newcastle match-up in Gameweek 32 looks promising, though, given the Magpies have only scored seven goals on their travels all season, while the goals have been drying up for Watford of late, as they have managed just four in their last nine matches. The fixtures against Palace and Sunderland also look decent from a defensive perspective, but with West Brom looking a far more dangerous proposition with the front pairing of Salomon Rondon and Saido Berahino, that encounter looks a lot trickier than it would have a month or so ago. Confidence in the Canaries backline isn’t high, though, given they’ve kept just three clean sheets this season, so while they could register a shut-out or two over the coming period, significant investment is highly unlikely.
Man City
As already mentioned, the City attack showed plenty of promise last weekend, and with three favourable fixtures (nor, bou, WBA) in the next four, the prospect of going with two assets looks a very viable option, particularly considering their away trip to Newcastle should fall into Gameweek 34, creating a double (che, new). Norwich have conceded five goals at home to Liverpool, three to Tottenham and twice against both West Ham and Chelsea in recent months, so goals look on the cards this Saturday, while Bournemouth have also struggled at home to some of the elite teams, conceding five times against Spurs and twice against Arsenal. No team has scored more goals at home than City (39), so while West Brom and Stoke have fairly decent defensive statistics over the last four matches, the likes of Sergio Aguero (13.6), David Silva (9.9) and Yaya Toure (8.5) should still be able to register attacking points.
While the away matches against Norwich and Bournemouth are both pretty favourable, the inconsistency of City’s backline is a slight concern when deciding on whether to invest in the likes of Joe Hart (5.6) or Vincent Kompany (6.2), given their premium price tags. West Brom and Stoke have both scored a fairly impressive seven goals from their last four matches, while Chelsea and, to a slightly lesser extent, Man United could well breach the City defence. With that double in Gameweek 34 to also bear in mind, there looks to be plenty of upside in selecting a City defender over the coming period, with multiple shut-outs appearing a distinct possibility.
Tottenham
Spurs have scored an impressive 17 goals in their last eight matches, and their next two fixtures (avl, BOU) look hugely favourable for the likes of Harry Kane (10.1), Dele Alli (6.0) and Christian Eriksen (8.6). Aston Villa have conceded 15 goals in their last four, while as already mentioned, Spurs hit five past Bournemouth the last time they met. The matches against Stoke and West Brom are also fairly reasonable, with the Liverpool and, to a lesser extent, Man United match-ups looking slightly trickier. For the short-term at least, though, carrying two of those three Tottenham attackers looks a likely option for many Fantasy managers, perhaps shedding one of them during either Gameweek 32 or 33 as we prepare for a double Gameweek 34.
Villa rank last for both goals scored (two) and big chances created (one) over the last four matches, so this Sunday’s clash represents the best chance for a clean sheet over the next six Gameweeks. The fixtures against Bournemouth, Stoke and West Ham all look fairly reasonable, but with Spurs having conceded exactly one goal in three of their last four matches, their inability to regularly register shut-outs is frustrating. The clashes against Liverpool and Man United look fairly tough, so while owners of Toby Alderweireld (6.4) will likely be content to keep faith for now given his added attacking potential, now may not be the time to invest in Tottenham defenders if you’ve ignored them until this point.
ALSO CONSIDER…
Swansea
The home fixture against Aston Villa in Gameweek 31 looks crucial to the prospects of Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.2) remaining one of the in-demand midfielders at the moment. His 5% ownership in FPL will also be happy to back the Icelander against Bournemouth this weekend and Newcastle in Gameweek 34, although with tougher match-ups against Stoke and Chelsea before then, his stock may not stay at this level for too much longer as we look to accumulate as many double Gameweek players as possible.
From a defensive standpoint, the Swans look to have two pretty favourable matches (AVL, new) in the next five, with the clashes at Bournemouth and Stoke also fairly reasonable. Ashley Williams (4.9) again took full bonus points in the 1-0 win against Norwich, with the Wales skipper remaining a solid option for our five-man backlines over the next month or so.
Southampton
While Saints’ next three matches (sto, LIV, lei) aren’t very favourable in terms of either attacking or defensive potential, their trio of fixtures thereafter (NEW, eve, avl) do look pretty appealing. Goals certainly look a real possibility in those three matches, but with no in-form and fully fit option to currently ponder over, interest in the Southampton attack looks set to remain limited.
Despite Jose Fonte’s one-match ban, Saturday’s trip to Stoke is fairly decent for the prospects of Saints’ defenders, while defensive points look likely against Newcastle and Aston Villa. Fraser Forster (5.1) and Virgil van Dijk (5.7) owners will likely hold at this point, then, although the fact their favourable matches come as Wildcards may be played from Gameweek 33 onwards could see them transferred out sooner than later.
Arsenal
Some of Arsenal’s well-owned Fantasy assets such as Hector Bellerin (6.2) and Mesut Ozil (10.0) may see some sales this week with the Gunners now facing a blank following their progression in the FA Cup, while they face a pretty tricky trip to Everton in Gameweek 31. The fixture list (WAT, whm, CPL, sun) is then fairly favourable, though, particularly if the home clash against West Brom is scheduled for Gameweek 34, alongside the home fixture against Crystal Palace. Should that be the case, Arsenal players will likely be among the most sought after as we build our squads ready for the first of the doubles.
Should Alexis Sanchez (10.9) continue to build on the goal and assist he’s managed in his last two league outings in the Gunners’ next few matches in other competitions, the Chilean may well attract plenty of investment over the next few weeks. Interest in the defence may be limited until the confirmation of a double, given the tough trip to Goodison Park up next and a growing injury list that includes Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Gabriel.
