Liverpool run riot at home to Norwich, with Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard all amongst the goals. David Silva is at the double for City, Adam Le Fondre scores twice as Reading come back to beat Newcastle, Steven Fletcher also bags a brace as Sunderland see off Wigan, while Loic Remy notches on his debut as QPR share the points at Upton Park:
Suarez Drops Deeper
A change of role failed to diminish Luis Suarez’s potential as the Uruguayan was moved into “the hole” behind Daniel Sturridge for yesterday’s 5-0 hammering of Norwich. Brendan Rodgers rolled out a 4-2-3-1 formation to accommodate his new signing from Chelsea and watched on as both forwards found the net against the Canaries. While Suarez maintained a strong run of recent form which has harvested a goal or assist in five of his last six Gameweeks, Sturridge is looking a particularly enticing option – having now been handed his first league start, it seems he is likely to be Rodgers’ preferred lone forward, with Suarez’s versatility affording Rodgers alternatives. Those who currently own Suarez may be happy to hold but Sturridge’s 7.4 price tag, compared to the Uruguayan’s 10.5, is likely to sway Fantasy managers contemplating Liverpool attacking cover – trips to Arsenal and City now follow and will perhaps deter many but the schedule from Gameweek 26 onwards looks too good an opportunity to miss out on.
Sturridge has now netted in each of his three appearances for the Reds and Suarez’s strike took his tally to 20 for the season in all competitions and post-match, their manager heaped praise upon the pair:
“They linked very, very well. They are both players who are not just static. Daniel’s got pace and power but he’s also clever. That was important for us today. Suarez has been incredible for us this season but we’ve now got a recognised goalscorer up beside him. If you look at the movements between the two of them… The second goal was a wonderful demonstration of how good players can link together. It was great vision of Daniel to see the run of Luis coming from the outside [for Suarez’s goal]. I have seen it in training in their early parts here. Their combinations have been really good.”
Gerrard’s Consistency Continues
There’s no letting up from the Liverpool skipper as a goal against the Canaries maintained his incredible run of Fantasy form. Despite playing in the double-pivot alongside Lucas, with Joe Allen dropping to the bench, Gerrard’s attacking sensibilities continue to rack up the points – he has now scored or assisted in nine of the last 10 Gameweeks and has moved up to third in the FPL midfielder standings, just three points behind Michu at the summit. In spite of his endeavours, Gerrard remains a differential – with many choosing Suarez as their preferred Liverpool cover, he currently has just 6% ownership and with Sturridge also now in the mix, he may well continue to be overlooked as winter wildcards are wielded over the next fortnight.
Downing’s Form Dents Sterling Starts
With Stewart Downing providing another assist for Sturridge’s goal, Raheem Sterling clearly faces a real battle to reinstate himself in Brendan Rodgers’ lineup. Sterling has been shedding Fantasy owners at an alarming rate over the past six Gameweeks and his price has now dipped to 5.5 in the FPL, having previously peaked at 5.7. A continued decline looks likely while his starting role remains in doubt and with Downing continuing to flourish and Fabio Borini also available as an option, rest and rotation will likely remain an issue.
Silva Plunders the Points
Prior to yesterday’s win over Fulham, the City playmaker had scored just once in the league and despite racking up nine assists, had offered little value for money in comparison to many other premium midfield options. Bagging both goals in the 2-0 triumph, Silva’s second double figure haul of the season has propelled himself back onto Fantasy radars ahead of a run of fixtures that sees City square up to four of the current bottom six in the next six Gameweeks. His consistency of starts in Roberto Mancini’s line-up is another clear selling point – he has now been named in the first XI in every match from Gameweek 11 onwards. The City boss chose to preserve Sergio Aguero after his recent hamstring injury and, with options up front, Silva looks to be the most secure attacking Fantasy option on offer.
Post-match, City assistant boss David Platt commented on Aguero’s return to action and was also optimistic on Pablo Zabaleta – the right-back was subbed off just after the hour mark but should be fit in time for next weekend’s FA Cup clash with Stoke. Bearing in mind the champions’ next league game is not until January 29, the defender’s owners will take comfort in Platt’s initial assessment:
“It was good to have Sergio back. It’s only two weeks since he injured himself and he looked sharp when he came on – he’s got 15 minutes under his belt and another week of training and he’ll be sharper again plus the chances of a reoccurrence of the injury will start to recede – we’re pleased because two weeks is a great recovery time for the sort of injury he had. As for Pablo, he’s gone over on his ankle and it’s too early to say but I’d be surprised if he wasn’t fit for Stoke next week. We haven’t a game for seven days so he has time to recover but we’ll know more in the morning.”
Tevez Accepts Supporting Role
Carlos Tevez earned another assist from Saturday’s win, his third in two matches and thirteenth of the season. However, he is without a goal in seven appearances. Interestingly, Tevez has recently been quoted during an interview on Argentine radio in which he looked back on his episode at City which almost saw him quit the club. In doing so, Tevez revealed that his hunger for goals has reduced – a factor which might explain his recent run of form…
“I am hot-blooded, I don’t like to be substituted or be on the bench. Before when they took me off or I didn’t play I would insult them, [but] now I am much calmer. I lack that hunger for goals; now I am thinking of supporting the move or providing the assist.”
With these words out there and continuing speculation surrounding his future at the club, it will be interesting to see how Roberto Mancini treats Tevez in the coming weeks. With Mario Balotelli also a regular source of controversy, it could be that Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko are cleared as the first choice options from this point on.
Riise Remains Out In The Cold
Martin Jol traveled to City without the experience of John Arne Riise who was not included in the matchday squad. Riise has now sat out the last four league matches and, with Kieran Richardson and Matthew Briggs presenting options for Jol, it’s clear that Riise is currently way down the pecking order. Jol had this to say on the situation with the Norwegian left-back following the City defeat…
“John Arne Riise is a fantastic boy – he will never come up with that sort of rubbish, he didn’t want to travel. You have got (Matthew) Briggs, who is younger and who can go on the bench. John Arne Riise stayed at Motspur Park to do an extra session. I promised him if he was not starting it is probably better if you don’t go with us. I wasn’t happy after the Liverpool game, when (Stewart) Downing scored his first goal since joining Liverpool – John was playing against him, and there was another goal. I am trying to do something, maybe to freshen things up or alert John to do more or to do better. He is an experienced player, so if he is not playing he is not happy. He wants to play but I have got three left-backs now. Kieran (Richardson) probably did the best job of the three.”
Le Fondre Inspires Late Royals Comeback
For the second week in succession, Reading picked up the points thanks to a series of late substitutions from Brian McDermott. Last week a series of switches helped the Royals claw back a two-goal deficit to overcome West Brom in the last 10 minutes at the Madejski and they stuck to the same script at Newcastle yesterday, with Adam Le Fondre the protagonist. Climbing off the bench with 20 minutes left on the clock, the 4.7 priced forward struck twice as Reading won for the third time in their last four – he also notched against the Baggies last time out but could well be set to continue as a sub due to McDermott’s tactics. The Reading boss clearly prefers a 4-4-1-1 with Pavel Pogrebnyak supplying the aerial threat and power as the target man, with a 4-4-2 tending to be rolled out only when Reading are chasing games; while Le Fondre’s budget price tag undoubtedly appeals for those eying up a cut-price forward, his game time looks less assuring.
Remy’s Instant Impact
A draw at Upton Park took QPR’s unbeaten league run to three and saw the visitors’ big money signing instantly deliver for Harry Redknapp’s side. Loic Remy needed less than quarter of an hour to open his Premier League scoring account and, to add to the R’s delight, the strike came courtesy of an Adel Taarabt assist – a promising sign of their flourishing partnership in the pair’s first game together. The Moroccan had started up front last week against Spurs but shifted back into his regular role in “the hole” and continued a decent run of form on the road which has now seen his supply an assist in three of his last four away games – an encouraging sign for Redknapp, with the Loftus Road outfit set for some kind upcoming road trips. While Remy’s debut exploits and lowly price tag of 6.0 may appeal, the Frenchman is set to face United and City in the next four, suggesting returns could be hard to come by.
Redknapp reserved praise for his new striker post-match and, while Remy and Taarabt combined well at times at Upton Park, it appears that Redknapp has a strike partnership with Bobby Zamora in mind, with the former Spurs frontman possibly set to return for Gameweek 23…
“Remy’s got great movement off the ball and if you can get people to slide him in when he makes those runs, he will get in because he’s got lightning pace and he will score some goals. He’ll do okay…We haven’t had any pace up front. If I can get Bobby Zamora fit, next week he could be around and ready to play, I think Zamora and Remy could be a real good partnership.”
Interestingly, it appears that Fantasy managers are already convinced by Remy’s credentials – he claimed the most transfers in amongst the forwards overnight – his 6.0 price tag attracting plenty of new suitors with just one appearance under his belt.
Coles in the Points for Hammers
A disappointing draw continued a poor run of form that has harvested just a single win in the last seven for Sam Allardyce’s side. Many Fantasy managers were prepared to gamble on the Hammers for this week’s double but ahead of the midweek trip to Arsenal, only Joe and Carlton Cole have emerged with any credit. The former was rested completely for Wednesday’s FA Cup defeat at United but returned to the starting line-up to produce the goods at Upton Park again – having supplied a pair of assists against the Red Devils in the FA Cup on his second debut for the club, he notched the Hammers’ equaliser to deny Redknapp’s side the points. Carlton Cole came off the bench to supply the assist and has now registered attacking returns in three of his last five at home – with Marouane Chamakh now unavailable for the midweek trip to Arsenal due to the conditions of his loan deal, Cole is expected to lead the line once again, though with Allardyce’s side mustering a mere five goals in 10 away games so far, their form offers little cause for optimism.
Potters Defensive Frailties Continue
Stoke may have limited Michu to a single assist at the Liberty but a Ben Davies effort and Jonathan de Guzman brace gave Tony Pulis plenty to fret over. The 3-1 loss means the Potters have now conceded 13 goals in the last four Gameweeks – almost half their tally for the season – and raises real concerns over their Fantasy appeal going forward. With Andy Wilkinson missing out due to a back problem, Geoff Cameron was shifted to left-back as Pulis opted for Dean Whitehead on the opposite side of the back-four – despite three of their regular defenders lining up in front of Asmir Begovic, Stoke looked a pale imitation of the resilient side that had conceded just 14 times in the opening 19 Gameweeks. Three strong looking home games in the next five (WIG, REA, WHM) will offer hope for those holding Stoke defenders as Pulis looks to arrest his rearguard’s alarming decline.
Fletcher Brace Downs the Latics
Back amongst the goals for the first time since Gameweek 18, Steven Fletcher returned from a midweek illness to grab a double and earn Sunderland a fourth win in six. Still sitting at his initial FPL price tag of 7.0, the summer signing from Wolves currently holds an ownership of less than 5% and looks in strong form heading into a kind run of games. Fletcher has now scored or assisted in five of the last eight matches for the Black Cats and now squares up to Swansea, Reading, West Brom, Fulham and QPR in the next six as Martin O’Neil’s in-form outfit look to continue their climb up the table. As assist from Adam Johnson also maintained his impressive recent form and suggests he could be the best midfield option for the Wearsiders over the next few – James McClean dropped to the bench in a tactical reshuffle, while Stephane Sessegnon moved to the right flank, with Johnson taking over from the Irishman on the left.
Lukaku’s Mid-Price Appeal
Drafted in by almost 70,000 FPL manager head of the midlands derby with Villa, the 6.5 priced forward was amongst the points once again as the Baggies came back to earn a point against their neighbours. With Shane Long remaining sidelined due to a leg injury, Lukaku was handed his fifth start in the last six and produced an assist to highlight his worth – the on-loan Belgian has featured in the first XI on nine occasions this season for Steve Clarke’s side and has scored or assisted in seven of those games; an average of 6.4 points per start. The fixtures tighten up, however, with games against Everton, Spurs and Liverpool up next, and although a home clash against Sunderland could prove prosperous, Lukaku is then unavailable for the following fixture against parent club Chelsea in Gameweek 28.
