It’s time to turn our attentions to the weekend’s league and cup action and assess some of the key topics of interest for Fantasy managers. Norwich’s form ahead of some fine fixtures, Dele Alli’s pitch time, Bournemouth’s in-form midfielders against Gylfi Sigurdsson in a proverbial six-pointer and Xherdan Shaqiri’s momentum all find their way onto Thursday evening’s menu.
Redmond and Hoolahan as the Canaries’ saviours…
Recent weeks have seen the likes of Swansea and West Brom clamber to near-certain safety thanks to the respective displays of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Salomon Rondon, highlighting the viability of investing in struggling sides at this time of year. A home clash against City is far from straightforward but with five very enticing fixtures to follow (wba, NEW, cpl, SUN, WAT), Norwich have every reason for optimism. Nathan Redmond leads the way for shots inside the box amongst midfielders in the last three Gameweeks, whilst Wes Hoolahan has racked up two goals and a pair of assists in his last three home matches. If the Carrow Road club are to find their way out of the bottom three, that duo could be crucial to their chances.
Pellegrini’s team sheet with one eye on Kiev…
Ten points behind Leicester and with a match in hand, City head to Carrow Road on the back of last week’s 4-0 thrashing of Villa. Manuel Pellegrini raised a few eyebrows with his 4-4-2 set-up last Saturday and bearing in mind his side are set to face Kiev in midweek with a 3-1 first leg advantage in hand, will he afford the likes of Wilfried Bony and Jesus Navas starting berths again? The Canaries have shipped 12 goals in their last four at home and, in a Gameweek cut in half by FA Cup fixtures, City’s in-form attack could be worth a double-up for those needing a short-term fix.
Alli’s pitch time…
Mauricio Pochettino’s admission that the young midfielder’s fitness may need managed over the run-in is somewhat disconcerting for his 30% ownership. Alli’s one-match suspension for this evening’s Europa League encounter against Dortmund affords some relief, though, as he looks to recuperate from knee and ankle knocks ahead of the weekend trip to Villa. Given that he’s now been named amongst the subs in two of the last five Gameweeks, another stint on the bench on Sunday may well spark an exodus, bearing in mind that Spurs are one of the sides without a double to follow over the run-in.
…and Traore’s…
With doubts over Diego Costa and Eden Hazard, the youngster could be in line for a third straight domestic start under Guus Hiddink ahead of the FA Cup clash against Everton. Fielded on the right flank against Norwich in Gameweek 28, Traore bagged an assist before scoring the opener against Stoke last time out, thanks to a role up top in Costa’s absence. With the Dutchman keen to give youth a chance before he leaves in the summer, will Traore be handed a run of starts over the run-in and emerge as an unlikely candidate for our 15-man squads? Priced at a mere 5.4 and classified as a midfielder in FPL, his minutes clearly need monitoring.
Martinez’ formation…
The Toffees boss started with a 3-4-3 system for last week’s clash against West Ham in order to accommodate John Stones at centre-half again, with Bryan Oviedo and Seamus Coleman utilised as wing-backs. Given that Everton are still set to have two double Gameweeks added to their run-in, Martinez’ tactical tinkering may well have an influence on how we assess his chief protagonists from this point onwards. Another role at wing-back may well see Coleman emerge as the favoured choice, though a return to 4-2-3-1 for the FA Cup encounter against Chelsea could persuade some to pinpoint Ramiro Funes Mori – with three goals to his name already – as their most likely source of points at both ends of the pitch.
Siggy against the Cherries midfield…
Much of the attention has been on Gylfi Sigurdsson ahead of Swansea’s six-pointer with Bournemouth as both sides look to take another step towards survival. Having played a part in five of his side’s eight strikes since the arrival of Francesco Guidolin, the Icelandic international has been subject to a considerable bandwagon this week, with many new owners also having one eye on next weekend’s home clash against Villa. The Cherries, however, have a trio of options that may well overshadow Siggy. Matt Ritchie (three assists in two) and Josh King ( a goal and assist in last week’s win at Newcastle) have picked up the points of late, whilst Max Gradel’s underlying threat in the box since returning from injury suggests that the Swansea playmaker won’t have it all his own way in Saturday’s Dean Court head-to-head.
Wenger’s forward dilemma…
The Gunners boss has now fielded a different striker up top in each of the last three league matches, with Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck all vying for that central berth. The former two certainly boosted their prospects by bagging a brace apiece against Hull in Tuesday’s cup replay, helping the Gunners book a weekend clash with Watford in the FA Quarter-Finals. Welbeck cannot be overlooked, though – with two goals and an assist in the last four Gameweeks since returning from injury, he was entrusted with the forward role in last week’s north London derby and, at a price of 7.3, could barge his way onto our radars if he gets the nod against the Hornets.
Shaqiri’s momentum…
Stoke’s summer signing has turned out his most consistent displays of the season as we head into Gameweek 30. Having produced points in three of the last four league outings, Shaqiri is showing signs that he’s finally acclimatised to life in the Premier League, yet it’s Marko Arnautovic who has caught Fantasy managers’ eyes, with the Austrian the most transferred in midfielder in the Gameweek so far. Can the 2%-owned Shaqiri overshadow his more popular team-mate and provide us with the timeliest of differentials? With Watford and Swansea to follow, the former Bayern man is shaping up to be a decent short-term option as we look to navigate the tricky fixture list.
Pardew’s number one…
Handed a chance between the sticks due to Wayne Hennessey’s injury absence, Alex McCarthy may have blown his opportunity after a costly mistake led to an equaliser from Roberto Firmino in last week’s 2-1 home loss to Liverpool. This week saw Pardew hand Julian Speroni a new one-year deal as calls grow for a first-team return for the Argentine and the Eagles boss conceded earlier today that the trio are “very even”. With Hennessey back in contention for the FA Cup clash against Reading, according to the local press, the Palace boss has a tricky decision on his hands – given that the Welshman is the sixth-most popular keeper in FPL and has a double Gameweek still to follow, Pardew’s decision will be keenly awaited as we make plans for squad restructuring somewhere down the line.
