The festive schedule shines brightly on north London as our weekly regular is rolled out once again. Liverpool, Fulham and the Manchester duo also look set for a merry Christmas, though Alan Pardew and Martin O’Neill will just be looking to make it to 2013 in one piece…

The Strong

Tottenham

The return of Mousa Dembele has proven particularly significant as Spurs racked up their third straight win to move into fourth spot at the weekend. Andre Villas-Boas’ side have won all six league games the Belgian has started and will be confident of overtaking Chelsea in third over the next few matches. Although a trip to Everton isn’t easy, Spurs welcome Swansea, Stoke and Reading to the Lane and with trips to Villa and Sunderland also around the corner, faith in their Fantasy assets will surely be on the rise.

Gareth Bale’s owners will be desperate for the Welshman to recover from his recent hamstring strain, though Jermain Defoe has almost matched the winger for FPL returns – he is just three points behind Bale’s tally of 85 so far. With a goal and assist in his last three, Aaron Lennon is a mid-price alternative to Bale, while Steven Caulker has been the most impressive in defence. The 4.9 priced FPL defender has averaged 4.6 points per game over his nine appearances; Jan Vertonghen has 2.8 by comparison. There is, however, still some doubt over Villas-Boas’ first choice centre-back pairing.

Liverpool

A weekend trip to West Ham without the suspended Luis Suarez dents the Reds’ Gameweek 16 prospects but four of the following five fixtures look particularly enticing. Liverpool have conceded just one goal in their last five at Anfield and are set to host Villa, Fulham and Sunderland, and although a trip to Stoke could prove problematic, their Gameweek 20 trip to QPR should hold no fears.

Jose Enrique looks the main protagonist in defence, despite shifting from the front three to left-back at the weekend. The Spaniard has collected bonus in four of the last six and still looked strong going forward against Southampton, while Raheem Sterling remains the value pick in midfield, though he’ll be looking to improve upon a record that has seen him pick up points in just one of the last seven. Suarez could be ready to rack up the points upon his return for the home clash with Villa and is an armband option for those three home games, while the return of Lucas could boost Steven Gerrard’s attacking potential, in what has been a disappointing season so far for the Reds skipper.

Fulham

With Brede Hangeland returning after a three-match suspension and Bryan Ruiz expected to recover from a hamstring injury for Monday’s match with Newcastle, Fulham’s fortunes look set for a turn for the better. Martin Jol’s side have three home matches (NEW, SOT, SWA) and a trip to QPR in the next five as the Cottagers seek to address a run of games that has seen them register just one goal and a single point in the last four.

Dimitar Berbatov’s owners will be more optimistic after a quartet of blanks has coincided with Ruiz’s first-team absence up top, though Fulham’s shaky defence still looks suspect – they have shipped at least two goals in each of their last three at home. John Arne Riise’s owners may have to rely on attacking returns if Jol fails to address his backline’s propensity to leak goals – the Norwegian’s share of corners could bolster his four assists so far.

Arsenal

The fixtures remain in the Gunners’ favour, though form is a clear concern after the 2-0 home defeat by Swansea extended their recent run to one win in six. Nevertheless, the schedule affords Arsene Wenger cause for optimism, as West Brom, West Ham and Newcastle roll up to the Emirates in the next six, while trips to three of the bottom five (rdg, wig, sot) will be crucial to their chances of climbing the table.

With 76 FPL points so far, Santi Cazorla has been Arsenal’s main Fantasy protagonist, though Theo Walcott looks a viable alternative in the midfield should be shake off the injury that forced him out of the Champions League trip to Olympiacos. Olivier Giroud was surprisingly dropped for Gervinho last weekend but may be set to return for the Baggies clash after being rested in midweek. With two clean sheets since Gameweek 3, investment at the back is difficult to justify on current form – rotation is also a concern.

Also Consider

Man City – out of Europe altogether after last night’s defeat in Dortmund, the champions can now concentrate on their attempt to retain their trophy. Granted, a home clash with United won’t have investors rushing in this weekend but with Reading and Stoke rolling up to the Etihad in the next six, in addition to trips to Newcastle, Sunderland and Norwich, City’s main assets could be set for a boost.

Rest and rotation look less of an issue, with Sergio Aguero surely now set for an extended first-team run. Carlos Tevez’s owners will be a little concerned after he played the full 90 minutes in Germany – with one start in the last three it’s unclear where he now stands in the up front pecking order, though David Silva’s guaranteed game time in midfield should earn him extra suitors. With just three goals conceded in the last nine, City’s defence has been superb – if Matija Nastasic can just nail down a regular role, his 5.6 price tag looks a real bargain, given his side’s resolve at the back. Nastasic was rested for the 1-1 draw with Everton last weekend have featured in the previous six outings.

Man United – once the weekend Manchester derby is out the road, United are handed a superb run of games to bolster their title bid. Sunderland, Newcastle and West Brom all roll up to Old Trafford in the following five, while trips to Swansea and Wigan should offer the chance for goals. Robin Van Persie’s armband appeal looks almost impossible to ignore, though Wayne Rooney has picked up in performance of late and with spot-kicks in the bag, offers an albeit riskier differential. With one clean sheet in eight, faith in their defensive options is unlikely to improve anytime soon, while Antonio Valencia’s owners will be hoping he can overcome a hamstring injury for a potentially prosperous run.

QPR – Harry Redknapp is handed three appealing fixtures in the next four as he attempts to build on a record of two draws in his opening couple of matches in charge at Loftus Road. The R’s travel to Wigan before playing host to Fulham and West Brom – games that will be key to their chances of survival before the schedule tightens up again. At the back, 4.0 priced Ryan Nelsen offers the cheapest route into a backline that has conceded once in Redknapp’s two games, while Adel Taarabt’s owners will be hoping his outstanding Opta statistics can finally be turned into Fantasy points. Esteban Granero offers a midfield alternative to the Moroccan, though up front it’s unclear – Djibril Cisse started at Sunderland but was dropped for Jamie Mackie last weekend.

The Weak

Newcastle

A 3-0 home win over 10-man Wigan may have halted a four-match losing streak but Alan Pardew’s side have a tough time of it over the next few matches. Newcastle travel to Fulham next Monday and then face City, United, Arsenal and Everton in the following five Gameweeks, with a home clash against QPR the only respite in an unrelenting schedule.

While Pardew is expected to be boosted by the return of Hatem Ben Arfa and is hopeful over the availability of Demba Ba, Cheick Tiote and Davide Santon after the trio limped out of the Latics win, he remains without the likes of Steven Taylor and Yohan Cabaye over the festive period. With 90 FPL points accrued, Ba is the only Newcastle player to have stepped up in terms of Fantasy returns so far but even he could struggle to maintain his superb season in light of their run of upcoming opponents.

Norwich

The Canaries eight-match unbeaten run looks set to be tested over the next few Gameweeks as Chris Hughton attempts to engineer a climb into the top half of the table. Norwich will be buoyed by four consecutive home wins, including triumphs over Arsenal and United, and with Wigan, Chelsea and City next up to Carrow Road, they’ll be confident of overcoming the odds in those latter two fixtures.

Trips to Swansea, West Brom and West Ham could also prove tricky, given the trio’s respective strong home form – a single away clean sheet all season may dent the prospects of Seb Bassong and Javier Garrido, the Canaries top scoring FPL performers to date, along with the injured John Ruddy. Having scored more than once on just two occasions this term, Hughton’s side have been far from enticing from an offensive perspective – Grant Holt is now without a goal in seven matches and could well see this run continue.

Everton

The Toffees may have just one loss in their last 12 but David Moyes will be concerned with a run that has harvested a single win since Gameweek 6 and seen the Merseysiders concede in each of their last 10 matches. Everton have potentially just one straightforward looking fixtures in the next six – at home to Wigan in Gameweek 19 – across December. Home clashes against Spurs and Chelsea are supplemented by trips to Stoke, West Ham and Newcastle, suggesting that Leighton Baines’ owners may have to remain reliant on attacking returns to boost his appeal.

While Nikica Jelavic, with a single strike in his last eight, may also find returns hard to come by, the unstoppable Marouane Fellaini has continually demonstrated his ability to rack up the points regardless of opponent. With attacking returns in all six appearances since returning from injury in Gameweek 9 and with five lots of double figures already, the Belgian continues to climb in ownership.

Also Be Wary Of

Sunderland – while many are contemplating the Black Cats’ assets in light of the upcoming double Gameweek 16 (CHE, REA), Martin O’Neill’s side then have a tricky looking run of five fixtures to follow which is likely to see their Fantasy assets quickly ditched. Games against United, City, Spurs and Liverpool, in addition to a trip to in-form Southampton, are anything but appealing. Faith in Simon Mignolet, Carlos Cuellar, Stephane Sessegnon and Steven Fletcher looks set to diminish – clearly, O’Neill has a job on his hands to put a smile on Sunderland faces over the festive period and they could be embroiled in a relegation scrap come the New Year.

West Ham – a weekend win over Chelsea was their first triumph in seven attempts but the next four Gameweeks continue the Hammers’ difficult schedule before the fixture list gets a little kinder. Sam Allardyce’s side will take confidence in the fact they have taken four points off the top three in recent matches, with just two goals conceded against City, United and Chelsea, but with just two clean sheets in their last 11, Jussi Jaaskelainen’s owners may be reliant on save points to boost his appeal. Kevin Nolan has one goal in seven and with Andy Carroll out injured, Carlton Cole will be hoping to maintain the form that saw him grab a goal and assist against the Blues last Saturday lunchtime.

Aston Villa – two goals in their last four games is hardly encouraging for Paul Lambert’s side as they prepare for a quartet of tricky ties. The midlands outfit have impressed at the back in recent games, with one goal against in the last three, but with Stoke, Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs on the horizon, their defence could be hard pushed to deliver, while Christian Benteke’s appeal is a little less enticing before the schedule takes a turn for the better in Gameweek 20.