The Scout Squad – Gameweek 32

Like the uninvited guest who is always the last to leave a house party, the international break finally got the hint and left us in peace this morning so we can concentrate on seven gloriously uninterrupted Gameweeks to end the season.

The break didn’t even metaphorically steal much more than a Joe Gomez injury on its way out of the door, leaving our ‘expert’ panel of Fantasy Football Scout regulars Mark, Paul and Jonty and Career Hall of Fame luminary Peter Kouwenberg plenty of players to choose from.

Man United stopper David De Gea emerges as the front runner between the sticks, Mohamed ‘The Usual Suspect’ Salah is nailed on in midfield and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is feeling the love in attack, but there are a number of other selections that should solicit a good fight.

Marko Arnautovic, for instance, brings a bundle of international form to the table, although it might not be enough to offset the fact that he still plays for West Ham, while Pascal Gross, Jesse Lingard and Junior Stanislas are all vying for attention as budget options in a possible five-man midfield.

Who joins Aubameyang up top is also open to debate, with Romelu Lukaku, Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino backed by various selection committee members.

We’ll return later in the week to reveal who makes the final Scout Picks cut, so double check that the international break is definitely locked out and shuffling friendless down the road before sitting back to enjoy our panel’s choices and the reasons behind their decisions.

Paul Says…

As usual, I’ve tried to look beyond the obvious candidates and offer a differential or two in my squad.

Watford’s Kiko Femenia is one such player. Priced at 4.3 and owned by 1%, he’s been utilised on the right flank in each of the last two Gameweeks since returning from injury.

Granted, the Hornets have struggled away from home under Javi Gracia, but they have been far more resilient at Vicarage Road, conceding once in three matches since the new manager was appointed.

Three goals over the international break underline the form of Marko Arnautovic (4%) as West Ham prepare to entertain Southampton in a proverbial six-pointer.

Although the Austrian has scored just once in his last four league outings, a total of seven efforts on target is bettered only by Mohamed Salah (eight) in midfield.

That bodes well as he entertains a struggling Saints defence with just a single clean sheet in their last 12 road trips.

New manager Mark Hughes’ defensive record at his former club Stoke also looks promising for David Moyes’ men.

In the opening 23 Gameweeks with the Welshman in charge, the Potters were ranked bottom for goals against (50), shots on target conceded (127) and clean sheets (two).

Gabriel Jesus could be set to lead the line for Manchester City’s trip to Everton, with Sergio Aguero still a major doubt to feature.

The Brazilian stepped up his form and fitness over the international break, playing 90 minutes and firing the winner against Germany last night.

Pep Guardiola’s side barely needs greater incentive to claim the points this Saturday – a win at Goodison would put them in pole position to then clinch the title at home to neighbours Man United next weekend.

Mainly ignored in the Wildcard clamour to grab Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Jesus (6%) will now collide with a defence that has managed just one clean sheet in 11 attempts.

Peter Says…

With my usual cowardly lion impression, I am steering clear of this season’s Battle of the Bridge, where in-form but Kane-less Spurs meet an out of sorts Chelsea who simply can’t afford to lose if they have any hope of playing Champions League football next season.

Instead, I place my faith heavily in Arsenal to see off Stoke, with Aubameyang receiving top billing in my attack and both Petr Cech and Nacho Monreal playing second fiddle only to Manchester United’s pricey duo of De Gea and Antonio Valencia.

The Red Devils host a Swansea City side with just four goals from their last six away fixtures, and it’s also no surprise that the in-form Lukaku takes my third United spot this week.

Slightly lower down the price range, I’m predicting goals at the Amex Stadium and at Vicarage Road with Glenn Murray, Riyad Mahrez, Troy Deeney and Junior Stanislas all fundamental to their respective side’s attack, and with Murray and Mahrez also tempting many Wildcarders this week with Double Gameweeks on the horizon.

Liverpool may not have such treats to come, but their form and fixtures are such that many managers are reluctant to part company with their assets just yet, particularly with a trip to Selhurst Park up next.

Salah, of course, retains his top spot, but having finally given up on Ben Mee, my next “near miss” defensive love-in is Virgil van Dijk, who has shown in both the FA Cup and his national colours that he can do it.

Let the drought begin…

A final nod goes to West Ham’s match against Southampton, which could see the Hammers replace the Saints in the bottom three.

I’m not sure Southampton can afford to sit back, and Arnautovic could be just the man to exploit any space they may leave.

Jonty Says…

This looks to be a good Gameweek to field five midfielders, with a raft of assets facing favourable fixtures.

My long list featured ten options, which I’ve sadly had to slash in half.

Joining permanent Scout Picks fixture Salah in this quintet is Mahrez. The Leicester winger takes his record of five goals and three assists from his last eight starts to the Amex Stadium to meet a Brighton side that last kept a side at bay in Gameweek 21.

I’m backing West Ham’s Arnautovic to get the better of his old boss Mark Hughes and the relegation-embattled Southampton side he now manages.

Granted, the Hammers are in dire straits, but the Austrian has still impressed, with six goals and four assists in his last ten league matches. His recent international output also indicates a man in form.

Pascal Gross has matched Spurs’ Christian Eriksen for key passes over his last six matches, so is another shoo-in for me.

With an eye on the budget, I like the look of Newcastle’s on-loan Chelsea winger Kenedy (4.7), who scored a brace at home to Southampton last time out. He has another strong St James’s Park clash this weekend, against a Huddersfield outfit that was beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace in Gameweek 31.

Those midfielders who just failed to make the cut include Bournemouth’s Stanislas, Manchester City’s David Silva and Burnley’s set-piece specialist Johann Gudmundsson, who faces bottom club West Brom having delivered attacking returns in three of his last five starts.

There’s talk that the latter may have picked up a knock overnight for Iceland, though, so that situation needs monitoring once we know more courtesy of Sean Dyche’s press conference.

Mark Says…

With a Wildcard active and double Gameweeks on my mind, it was a real effort to focus purely on one set of fixtures.

But this serves as a reminder that we can’t afford to be blinkered and perhaps consider the short-term gains to be had from players such as Arnautovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Roberto Firmino, who have the form, if not the Gameweek 34 double, to drive investment.

Arnautovic is a real differential for Gameweek 32, with a fixture against former boss Hughes – now at Southampton – that is likely to ignite a flame in the Austrian. I’d like to see him make Friday’s cut.

However, there is such a wealth of midfield talent that his selection is far from certain. Indeed, I’ve put forward the likes of Mahrez, Mkhitaryan and even Jesse Lingard as rival options.

Lingard’s nomination won’t be popular, but encouraging displays for England, coupled with Jose Mourinho’s struggles to ignite his attack on the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, has me suspect that the World Cup hopeful is back in the frame for regular starts.

If Lingard delivers a return against Swansea, then the double Gameweek investors will come knocking again – particularly if Lukaku’s domestic form stutters against the Swans.

The Community Champion

Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 30 will be Bolleinho, who is in his tenth campaign and finished 6,229th last season.

The community champion who has the best lead over the Scouts during 2017/18 will win a £100 Amazon voucher (currently we can only offer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com vouchers).

Last week’s champion, FantasianPL, was beaten 69-67 by the Scouts.

The one to beat remains Gregor, who achieved victory over the Scouts by a 33-point margin in Gameweek 5.