Southampton register their first win under Mauricio Pochettino, with Jason Puncheon bagging the opener and Rickie Lambert chipping in with a pair of assists at St Mary’s. Edin Dzeko’s sixth goal in his last six starts proves no more than consolation for the visitors – the result means United now have the chance to establish a 12 point lead over their neighbours, providing they see off Everton at Old Trafford:
On the Up
Rickie Lambert
Having scored against the champions in Gameweek 1, the Saints forward once again highlighted his fixture-proof appeal by bagging a pair of assists. Lambert has now scored or assisted in six of the last nine and has moved to 128 FPL points – third best scoring forward behind only Robin Van Persie and Luis Suarez.
Jason Puncheon
The winger fired home the opener to underline his popularity as a cut-price midfield option. Puncheon has now returned four goals and six assists this term and has racked up more points than any other midfielder in the 5.0 and under bracket.
Edin Dzeko
Selected alongside Sergio Aguero for the St Mary’s trip, the Bosnian continued a strong run of form which has now plundered six goals and two assists in his last six starts. Dzeko’s somewhat fortuitous strike means he has produced returns in all six of those first-team appearances – at 7.4 in FPL, his mid-price appeal goes from strength to strength.
Steven Davis
Handed the role in “the hole” due to Gaston Ramirez’s knock, Davis grabbed the second in an impressive display. While his 4.5 price appeals, it’s worth noting this was his first start under Mauricio Pochettino – Davis has climbed off the bench after the break in each of the previous three.
Going Down
Carlos Tevez
According to Roberto Mancini, the Argentine’s omission was down to “personal reasons” with other reports elaborating further and suggesting family matters were to blame. Nevertheless, with Dzeko maintaining his run of form, Tevez could well face a task to regain his starting berth – he has scored once from Gameweek 13 onwards by comparison.
Matija Nastasic
The return of Yaya Toure allowed Mancini to shift Javi Garcia into central defence, with the teenager omitted from the squad due to fatigue. A run of 11 starts in 12 between Gameweek 9 and 20 had suggested he was all but nailed-on but with just 55 minutes game time in the last three, Nastasic’s minutes are lessening as the season heats up. Given his side’s somewhat spineless showing, Vincent Kompany’s return can’t come soon enough for Mancini.
