The Scout Squad – Gameweek 35

Double Gameweek 34 has been a mixed bag of captaincy anti-climaxes and anti-climactic captaincies, with the odd armband disappointment thrown in for a spot of variety.

But the last time we had a reduced slate, in Gameweek 31, it was quite the opposite, with Mohamed Salah’s 29-point extravaganza scoring us more from four fixtures than we normally manage in ten.

So the Egyptian’s presence in the six-fixture Gameweek 35 has unsurprisingly caught the eye of our ‘expert’ panel of Fantasy Football Scout veterans Mark, Paul and Jonty and Career Hall of Fame number one Peter Kouwenberg.

Salah is a shoo-in for the Scouts’ midfield, with Man City’s Raheem Sterling another heavily backed as the champions entertain Swansea City in what should be a joyous celebration or goal-drenched humiliation depending on your club allegiance.

Sterling’s team-mate Nicolas Otamendi looks like making the cut in defence, while a frontline of Gabriel Jesus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is also a matter of unanimity.

But after that, things should get a bit more antsy, with no clear winner among the Scouts’ choice of goalkeepers and a mix of Crystal Palace, West Ham and Stoke City midfielders likely to keep the bickering the wrong side of agreeable further up the pitch.

We’ll be back to reveal the Scout Picks team later in the week, but for now here are all their selections, which may contain traces of Ragnar Klavan and Calum Chambers.

Peter Says…

At first glance, there seems to be an arrray of obvious candidates for the Picks at a time when many Fantasy Premier League managers are activating their Free Hit chip. Then again, we said that ahead of the Gameweek 34 doubles, only to suffer disappointment.

I would anticipate that the key to everything will be the “ITK” leaks from Liverpool and, to a lesser extent, Manchester City. Neither are under pressure to field their strongest line-ups, but both are treated to appetising fixtures.

Gabriel Jesus was already firmly entrenched in my own Free Hit squad before the news broke about Sergio Aguero going under the knife, and if City are inclined to put on a show at the Etihad Stadium, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane should also prosper.

Meanwhile, Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah top my respective defensive and midfield ladders, with Roberto Firmino my third-choice striker. Sadio Mane provides an in-form alternative, but I felt more spoilt for choice in midfield than attack, so left out the Senegalese with some reluctance.

Despite competition from Andy Carroll (assuming his fitness extends to more than four minutes per week) and Javier Hernandez to spearhead the Hammers attack, Marko Arnautovic showed enough on Monday night to suggest he could reap the rewards against Arsenal’s shuffled defence. In opposition, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains a man in form, even if he is dislodged from a centre-forward role at times.

My selection of three defensive players and just one attacker for both Burnley’s visit to Stoke City (Jack Butland, Moritz Bauer, Matt Lowton and Chris Wood) and for Newcastle’s trip to face Everton (Jordan Pickford, Martin Dúbravka, Leighton Baines and Ayoze Pérez) shows where my feelings lie for the clashes at the Bet 365 Stadium and Goodison Park, although both named strikers are riding high in the form chart.

Paul Says…

Liverpool’s upcoming Champions League semi-final first leg against Roma has to be factored into Jurgen Klopp’s plans for a Saturday lunchtime trip to West Brom.

Nonetheless, I think it would be far too risky to assume that Salah will be rested at The Hawthorns and feel that we can’t ignore him come Friday’s Picks.

As the only side to return more than one clean sheet in the last four Gameweeks – tallying a total of three – the Reds defence could be set to profit. With more chance of rotation in the full-back areas, Virgil van Dijk and Loris Karius look safe routes into a backline that’s conceded just five times in their last 12 matches across all competitions.

Burnley pair Johan Berg Gudmundsson and Chris Wood have the form to trouble a Stoke defence that has allowed their opponents more shots in the box (43), efforts on target (29) and attempts from set-pieces (28) than any other side.

Wood has five goals in as many appearances and is ranked joint-third for both big chances (five) and efforts on target (seven) among all players over their last four matches. Dead-ball specialist Gudmundsson, meanwhile, has served up an assist in each of his last three league appearances.

While Butland is likely to earn further save points, the prospects of a Stoke clean sheet look slim against a Clarets side that have chalked up five straight wins.

Jonty Says…

Rotation fears see me shun more obvious picks from Liverpool’s ranks.

They host Roma just three days after visiting basement dwellers West Brom, and I fear for the minutes of the likes of  Firmino, Salah and Mane against the Baggies.

Nevertheless, Liverpool’s Egyptian looks too good to ignore, and even the prospect of a brief cameo could bring returns. It took Salah just 13 minutes to score a brace against Stoke in Gameweek 17, the last time he was last benched in the league.

With the title now secured, teamsheet surprises could also blight our Manchester City selections. We’ll have to tread carefully and keep an ear out for clues from Pep Guardiola this week.

We’ve already been served a big spoiler with the news that Sergio Aguero could miss the rest of the season after undergoing minor surgery. This should ensure Jesus remains front and centre for the champions against visiting Swansea.

Also, Sterling’s form makes him irresistible. Only Salah has had more attempts than the City winger over their last six run-outs, and he should start.

Otamendi gets my backing in defence. Having enjoyed a rest against Spurs last weekend, he looks primed for a return and offers enough at set-plays to paper over the cracks should Man City concede.

Filed under my “punts and enablers” is Watford’s Roberto Pereyra, who has been excelling of late, with two goals from nine attempts over his last four matches.

I predict goals on both sides in the Hornets’ home clash with Crystal Palace and am keen to see Eagles’ set-piece maestro Luka Milivojevic involved.

His 38 points over his last four matches make him superb value for just 5.1. I’m also keen on his team-mate Wilfried Zaha. The winger turned striker has three goals since Gameweek 30 as he prepares to face the league’s worst home defence, with 30 goals shipped at Vicarage Road.

Mark Says…

With Free Hit chips in play, my selection is somewhat skewed by my own ambitions and my liking for a series of daring differentials.

For some unknown reason, I can see Stoke City springing the surprise result and ending Burnley’s run of form. Desperate times can create such shocks and a 1-0 victory for the Potters wouldn’t be so far off script at this stage in the season, particularly with a potentially weary Clarets in action on Thursday against Chelsea.

With that in mind, I will fight for Butland’s berth in goal, and I’m also sponsoring Xherdan Shaqiri for a return to the Picks. He’s been simmering of late after a burst of goals, but I expect him to be the key man should Stoke prevail.

Elsewhere, I also like the Zaha option at Watford. He gains my vote over Milivojevic on the basis that flair surely wins out over set-pieces. I’m probably wrong, and the dullard route will come good, but I’ll take that risk all the same.

Perhaps the only other surprise is the selection of Ragnar Klavan among my five defenders.

I know from bitter experience that we’re often scratching around for defensive bargains come Friday’s cut and, with the Estonian set to benefit from Klopp’s rotation, his 4.1 price tag is surely too handy to overlook.

The Community Champion

Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 35 will be Mattias, who is in his 11th campaign and has five top 100,000 finishes under his belt.

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).