Jesus saves our Wildcard frontlines, the champions-elect demand our attention and Sanchez and Gabbiadini find a place in our squads through fear rather than form. With this, we find closure on Gameweek 35.
The Player
There were bigger points scorers in the Gameweek, but the return of Jesus to the Manchester City line-up – and to the scoresheet at Middlesbrough – was undoubtedly significant for Fantasy managers.
During his seven-match absence we were left to wrestle with Sergio Aguero’s hefty price tag, although that was offset by the Argentine’s prolific form, all the while knowing that, once Gameweek 37 was upon us, we would likely be forced to overlook the City attack through lack of funds.
But Jesus has arrived to provide a potentially perfect solution.
Priced some 4.1 cheaper than his team-mate, the Brazilian has instantly been elevated to near-essential status as coverage of City’s remaining fixtures in our Wildcard plans.
Fuelled by their bid to seal a top four spot and fend off their Manchester rivals, Pep Guardiola’s side must surely push for victories and goals over matches with Palace, West Brom, Leicester City and Watford.
That’s a set of opponents that gifts Jesus the opportunity to continue his extraordinary ascent as a top-flight striker and Fantasy asset.
Clearly held in the highest regard by Guardiola, Jesus’ pitch time seems assured – either as a lone striker or paired with Aguero.
As last night’s Big Numbers article revealed, while Aguero remains peerless when it comes to the frequency of his goal attempts, Jesus has all the hallmarks of an even more efficient taker of chances.
Heralded for his movement and work rate by his manager, Jesus’ ability to sniff out and convert opportunities has been evident over his six appearances and will doubtless come to the fore over the remaining four.
Jesus will see out his first Premier League campaign as a key element of our squads, before becoming a major target for the new season.
The Team
If Sunday’s trip to Goodison Park was the final major test of their title-winning credentials, then Chelsea passed with flying colours.
Everton welcomed Antonio Conte’s side on the back of eight successive wins in front of their own fans, yet that fine form counted for nothing as the league leaders reinstalled their four-point cushion over Spurs at the summit with an emphatic 3-0 triumph.
The remaining schedule, which affords the Stamford Bridge outfit visits from Middlesbrough and Sunderland either side of a Double Gameweek 37 away to West Brom and at home to Watford, reads more like a procession and could barely be more conducive to Fantasy returns.
With Wildcards on the menu for many, Eden Hazard is the jewel in the crown – the Belgian has bagged points in seven of his last eight, while six double-figure hauls at home underline his armband credentials.
Yet Pedro’s return to the first XI with the opener at Everton also highlights the value to be had in the Chelsea attack. At a price of 6.8 to Hazard’s 10.5, the Spaniard offers a double-up option for those who reckon Diego Costa’s 10.3 price tag is a little too lofty for their liking.
Despite the recent clamour to acquire Man City’s Gabriel Jesus, Costa – as shown by a season-high 16 points in his previous home appearance – cannot be overlooked either. Indeed, he’s the most transferred-in Chelsea player since the weekend deadline passed, with over 45,000 snapping up his services – second only to Jesus up front.
At the back, a first clean sheet in 12 attempts served as a timely reminder of the resilience that sees Chelsea’s backline dominate three of the top four spots in the FPL defender rankings.
While Marcos Alonso’s 5.5 points per match ensures that he remains our preferred pick, the six-goal Gary Cahill has clambered to the summit ahead of his team-mate and could appeal as a double-up option for those looking to place their faith in Conte’s backline.
The one caveat in investing heavily is that the Blues boss could potentially rotate his options should the league be sewn up early.
Given that he’s on his way out of Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, we can surely expect John Terry to feature in at least one of those remaining matches, with the Gameweek 38 clash against relegated Sunderland perhaps earmarked as a suitable send-off.
Similarly, Nathan Ake – at a price of just 3.8 – may yet have a part to play in Conte’s plans if David Luiz fails to recover from the knock that forced him off against the Toffees.
Investing in Chelsea’s main men looks a no-brainer as they seek to clinch the crown, though we ultimately need Spurs to play their part and keep up the pressure for as long as possible to avoid rest and rotation creeping into Conte’s thoughts and potentially scuppering our best-laid plans.
The Talking Point
Just over a month ago, when we began speculating on Gameweeks 36 and 37 and the opportunities they would present, we had few doubts on our two top transfer targets.
Destined for two extra fixtures, Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez and Southampton’s Manolo Gabbiadini appeared essential weapons to exploit the potential on offer.
Now, weeks later and on the eve of these opportunities, our confidence in both players has all but evaporated.
Discussed at length in last night’s ScoutCast, there is every chance that both will remain part of our end of season shake-up – but mainly through our own fear and anxiety.
We will welcome both Sanchez and Gabbiadini into our virtual dressing rooms with trepidation rather than confidence.
It seems ridiculous to doubt Sanchez given his pedigree, and yet it’s not just his recent record of a single goal in six Gameweeks that causes alarm. In the main, it’s Arsenal’s disjointed form, fragile confidence and Sanchez’s almost awkward role in their new tactics and formation that provide the key concerns.
The Chilean is not a player that’s easily put in the corner and silenced, and yet, in recent matches opponents have done just that, with Arsene Wenger seemingly unable to extract a match-winning performance from an undoubted world class talent.
Backstage dissent could be a factor at the Emirates and it also seems likely to be playing a part in Southampton’s current malaise.
Manager Claude Puel is under pressure amid talk of fall-outs with key squad members. The Saints faithful are also far from content, disgruntled by a dismal home record which has produced just 17 goals from 16 St Mary’s matches.
Gabbiadini was bought to solve that issue but, over his last three appearances, he has struggled to mirror his explosive early form.
Puel’s decision to hook the Italian before the hour-mark on two of those three occasions has hardly helped to feed his confidence or calm dissent among supporters.
Now we approach the two double Gameweeks wondering if Gabbiadini will be given the minutes to show his worth and whether Southampton can overcome testing fixtures and rediscover a semblance of form.
Sanchez and Gabbiadini were once essential pillars that would underpin our entire Wildcard strategy. Now they appear fragile platforms on which to build our end of season plans.
