Swansea City prove that their victory over Liverpool was no fluke with a 3-1 win against Arsenal, while Crystal Palace can only draw with an injury-ravaged West Ham.
Jordan Ayew (5.2) continued his cheap and cheerful ways with a fourth goal in seven Gameweeks – of which only six were starts – as the Swans’ second league win in just over a week took them out of the bottom three.
The Swansea striker was gifted his goal last night when Arsenal keeper Petr Cech comically sliced a routine clearance straight to him.
But Ayew won’t care, and nor will his 9.7% ownership.
That figure grew by 110,076 for Gameweek 25, attracted no doubt by his 15.0 points per million value – the best among Fantasy Premier League (FPL) forwards.
It could, in truth, have been even better for Ayew. His mazy run for Sam Clucas’ second goal saw him tackled by Gunners defender Shkodran Mustafi, diverting the ball into the path of the gleeful midfielder, thus denying the Ghanaian an assist.
He now has 35 points from his seven-match spree, taking home two bonus points last night as he looks forward to a schedule (lei BUR bha WHU hud SOT) set fair until the end of March. With form and fixtures in his favour, Ayew has made great strides as the budget strike of choice.
The brace from Clucas, together with maximum bonus, brought in 15 points; incredibly he has fired three shots on target this season – all converted into goals and all against Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Alfie Mawson followed up his vital goal against Liverpool with a through-ball assist for the opener last night.
While Swansea assets are in the ascent, the mooted arrival of Andre Ayew – a 6.8 midfielder – from West Ham provides a fascinating twist. He would be united with his brother Jordan, with the pair presumably leading the Swans attack. It remains to be seen how that would change the priorities for Fantasy investors.
Meanwhile, Henrikh Mkhitaryan endured a testing Arsenal debut via a 30-minute appearance from the bench, missing a big opportunity to open his account in the second half. But it was at least another profitable night for Nacho Monreal’s growing ownership.
The defender has emerged as a most unlikely source of attacking points, scoring in consecutive matches after managing just one in five seasons previously.
His opener in south Wales rewarded the 136,000+ managers who brought him in on the back of a 16-point showing in 33 minutes of frantic action against Crystal Palace in Gameweek 24.
Bonus took him to a more modest eight points at the Liberty Stadium, but that was plenty enough for a man in a defence that has failed to keep a clean sheet for seven matches now.
As a result, he is currently the most purchased player ahead of the weekend’s fixtures, already enjoying a rise in price overnight.
But Arsenal’s immediate schedule is not the best, with visits from Everton and Man City and a trip to Spurs over the next three Gameweeks. However, following that, only a Gameweek 36 clash at Man United looks likely to provide a stern test.
The Gunners’ away form continues to confound. They have kept just three clean sheets in 13 road trips and the 21 away goals they’ve conceded is the sixth worst record in the league.
Increased competition in midfield is a concern for would-be investors.
Mesut Ozil provided the assist last night, his seventh of a patchy season, while Aaron Ramsey returned to start for the first time since Gameweek 16 as Jack Wilshere missed out with illness.
The 93,000+ managers who chose to adopt Mkhitaryan early will be expecting him to start at home to Everton on Saturday evening, but Arsene Wenger has sufficient alternatives to spoil that scenario.
London derby ends even
Securing a draw against an injury-ravaged West Ham probably feels like two points missed for their opponents at present.
But it was Crystal Palace who ended up losing a player at the London Stadium last night.
Midfielder Bakary Sako (4.9) had been enjoying a modest increase in ownership since being used as a strike partner for Christian Benteke in recent weeks.
He scored the winner against Burnley in Gameweek 23, only to last 40 minutes of last night’s encounter before going off with an ankle injury.
Palace manager Roy Hodgson – rather typically – feared the worst post-match.
“My medical staff and sports scientists are very good and have an unerring knack at being right with their initial prognosis, and they aren’t very optimistic – they don’t think it’s very good at all. The positivity of getting a point here is offset by paying such a high price if Bakary Sako is now going to miss a large part of the season.”
The Eagles took the lead when Benteke continued his improved recent form.
After failing to produce any returns in the first 17 Gameweeks, the Belgian has served up two goals, four assists and five bonus in his last seven appearances. Only twice during that run has he blanked – against Arsenal and Man City.
Andros Townsend set him up and now has six assists for the campaign – and four from his last six Gameweek starts.
FPL managers have been drawn to another Palace option, however.
Luka Milivojevic (4.7) has been established as the new budget fifth midfielder of choice on the day that the injured Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the former title holder, returned to parent club Chelsea as fears mount over his fitness for the World Cup.
Milivojevic was brought in by 130,000+ following a run of three goals from his last six starts, only to pick up a booking after three minutes and return one point on the night.
And his long-term prospects are for more of the same as Palace prepare for a five-match run that includes visits from Spurs, Man United and Liverpool and a trip to Chelsea from Gameweek 28 onwards.
West Ham are currently without ten first-team regulars due to either injury or suspension, and their downward spiral continued with a seventh straight match without a clean sheet.
The only bright spot on the night was a penalty converted by Mark Noble after Chicharito had been brought down.
But while the Hammers’ schedule (bha WAT liv swa BUR) might be reasonable enough, their squad is horribly over-stretched with their Fantasy stock ever dwindling.
