While Wayne Rooneyโs wayward elbow caused a worthy Monday distraction, the serious business of future gameweek gazing must begin. Itโs time for our weekly tete-a-tete with the fixture terminal to find those teams programmed for success and those who simply fail to compute…
The Highs…
Everton
Back to winning ways after the Jermaine Beckford โinspiredโ victory over Sunderland at the weekend, Everton head into a potential double gameweek followed by a set of promising fixtures thereafter. With their next five weeks (new/BIR, FUL, AVL, wlv, BLA) handing them very beatable opponents on home turf, the Finch Farm crop will no doubt be attracting the eye of Fantasy investors. Tomorrow nightโs FA Cup fifth round tie with Reading is crucial however โ if that ends in a draw, Evertonโs double this coming gameweek will be reduced to just the trip to Newcastle.
Arsenal
The Gunners will be forced to lick Carling Cup wounds amidst a fifth round FA Cup replay with Orient in midweek. Morale may well be on the floor, but Arsenalโs fixtures look more than capable of applying the magic sponge of recovery. Wengerโs men have two nice home games (Sunderland and Blackburn) alongside arguably the two best away games (West Brom and Blackpool) all capped off with a likely double against Spurs and Liverpool. Injuries to Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie and Theo Walcott certainly clouds the investment opportunities, but Samir Nasri is dripping potential once again, while even Johan Djourou in the shaky back four, may earn attention. Despite the frailty on show at Wembley, Wengerโs side have kept 6 clean sheets in their last 8 league outings.
Tottenham
Across North London, Spurs are also peddling strong prospects in the coming weeks. The schedule brings them profitable home encounters with West Ham, Stoke and West Brom, winnable away trips at Wigan and Wolves, plus a double fixture in gameweek 33. Again, injuries and Champions League involvement presents a minefield for Fantasy Managers to navigate but, once the AC Milan second-leg is out of the way for gameweek 30, the likes of Gareth Bale and Rafael Van der Vaart should be fit and focused on Harry Redknappโs assault on a top four finish.
Aston Villa
Forthcoming away trips to Bolton and Everton arenโt particularly attractive, but Villa do possess the firepower to trouble both and could still fetch returns. Everything around and beyond those two games however -right up until the end of the season- is incredibly favourable. Villa will have four very nice home fixtures to come (Wolves, Newcastle, Stoke and Wigan) as well as two away days that should provide further attacking returns (West Ham and West Brom). Those who benefited from the weekend returns from Stewart Downing and Ashley Young will surely be holding tight. Those who failed to climb on board need to reserve a bandwagon ticket pretty sharpish.
Also to consider: Chelsea – a favourable trip to Bloomfield Road to meet a dispirited Blackpool, followed by a couple of โokโ fixtures leading into three home games on the trot and, quite probably, a double fixture. Fulham – Blackburn and Blackpool come to the Cottage over the next three โ that should spell goals for Mark Hughesโ side Birmingham – three reasonable fixtures, sandwiched by two potential double gameweeks, equals bargain squad fillers โ particularly at the back.
The Lows…
West Brom
Not much has changed since their fairly damning indictment in this neck of the woods last week, in fact the fixtures have taken a further turn for the worse. The Baggies season ticker shows four red fixtures in their next six, while trips to Birmingham and Stoke hardly present picnics for Roy Hodgsonโs outfit. Those still holding the likes of Chris Brunt and Peter Odemwingie surely have to consider a sell-on scenario once tonightโs Stoke encounter has drifted by.
Wigan
Roberto Martinez’ men get to close out the season with fixtures that offer them a chink at the end of tunnel but, right now, they’re still very much in said tunnel, scrambling for the light switch. Man City, Spurs and Chelsea are on the agenda in three of the next four fixtures so it will surely be gameweek 33 before we even cast an eye over any budget potential offered by the Latics.
Blackpool
The Tangerines are in a situation fairly akin to that of Wigan โ they have fixtures at the tail end of the season that offers them the potential to save their status but, in the short-term, problems and pressure is mounting. Their next four fixtures look treacherous and, with Charlie Adam suspended for the Chelsea clash and lead striker DJ Campbell out for the next three, Blackpoolโs resources are stretched. Arsenal provide the next visitors to Bloomfield Road following this weekendโs Chelsea clash, while trips to Blackburn and Fulham sides also threaten stern tests.
Liverpool
Sundaysโ whimpering defeat at Upton Park offered a reminder of dark days gone by for Liverpool. Under King Kenny, there have been signs of a revival and Fantasy Managers had begun to take notice. Martin Kellyโs hamstring injury may well be timely however as, getting rid in the light of Liverpoolโs fixture list appears to make sense. The same could be applied to recent revelation, Raul Meireles. United and City are the next teams at Anfield, while trips to Sunderland and West Brom may look attractive enough but, having seen them struggle at West Ham, can we be confident of big returns from those games? After that, itโs a trip to the Emirates. The chances of a cleanie in the next five look fragile then, so ownership will depend on whether youโre willing to back Liverpool for goals.
Be wary of: West Ham – Avram Grant’s relegation scrappers still have tough games against Spurs, United and Chelsea on the horizon โ three of the meanest defences on offer. Bolton – Daniel Sturridge looks mighty tempting, but he and Bolton will have to continue to perform against the odds in order to return โ United, Fulham and Arsenal await in the next six so decent profits rely on Reebok encounters with Villa and West Ham.
