Having cast an eye over the The Defenders yesterday, we turn to midfield and analyse the options over the next four to five Gameweeks. As always, the recent refresh is available in your sidebar – read on for the reasoning behind this week’s selections:
Despite the outstanding form of Aaron Ramsey and the attention lavished on the illustrious talents of Mesut Ozil, we’re keeping the faith with Theo Walcott at the top of our midfield rankings. The winger got off the mark for the Gunners in the midweek Champions League victory in Marseille and we’re convinced that this will be the first of many. Both Ramsey and Ozil are well-placed in our rankings, as Arsenal’s attacking assets dominate matters having hovered up heavy Fantasy Premier League (FPL) investment over the past seven days.
Michu also stands firm in second – a scorer on Monday and again in Valencia last night, there’s no question that the Spaniard has found form at the right time. The Swans’ fixtures fall kindly after a tough opening to the campaign and Michu is surely set to flourish in the coming weeks as he rekindles the kind of form that saw him strike 18 league goals in his debut season.
Hatem Ben Arfa, along with Aaron Ramsey and Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen, complete our top five. The Frenchman is in storming form having notched in back-to-back league outings and with Alan Pardew handing him an advanced role on the right flank in a 4-3-3, Ben Arfa looks primed for further returns against Hull City this weekend. With the fixture list suggesting he has the opportunity to maintain his current form and with little or no alternative in the Newcastle lineup, Ben Arfa has suddenly been promoted as a prime Fanatsy asset.
Eriksen impressed on his league debut against Norwich, though last night’s stunning goal in the Europa League win over Tromso really caught the eye as the bandwagon picks up speed. With Roberto Soldado relying on spot-kicks so far, Fantasy managers have been turning to the Dane’s creative spark to cover Tottenham’s attacking potential for the weeks ahead. With three home matches in four to come after this weekend’s trip to Cardiff, Eriksen appears to offer decent value with an 8.1 FPL price tag.
Victor Moses sparkled on debut for Liverpool at the Liberty on Monday night and with Philippe Coutinho now stricken with a shoulder injury, the former Wigan and Chelsea winger is promoted in our thinking. At 6.2 and rising in the FPL, Moses could deliver outstanding value if his pace, power and trickery is harnessed by Brendan Rodgers’ tactics. While both Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez will tempt investment in the month to come, Moses offers a cheap route into Liverpool’s attacking potential over a run of obliging fixtures.
Everton’s Kevin Mirallas and United’s Antonio Valencia are perhaps unfashionable mid-price assets but both undoubtedly have the potential to deliver in the coming weeks. Mirallas has shown plenty of intent without an end product and will continue on the left flank for Everton if Steven Pienaar fails to recover in time for tomorrow’s trip to West Ham. As for Valencia, he seems settled in David Moyes’ lineup and hinted at a return to form of old in the midweek Champions League tie victory over Bayer Levurkusen. The Ecuadorian is a ready-made asset for those without the funds to invest in Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney up top.
If Ramsey is out of reach, Peter Whittingham looks to be the top budget option currently on offer, with Stoke’s Jon Walters also having the fixtures in the coming weeks to boost his Fantasy stock. Whittingham’s set-piece threat and raids from the Cardiff engine room look vital to their survival prospects, while Walters continues to forage in the opponents box with regularity, in search of his first strike of the season for Mark Hughes’ side. With Britannia clashes with Norwich, West Brom and Southampton in the coming weeks, we feel Walters could yet become a factor, despite his recent FPL price drop. New signing Marko Arnautovic is also on our radar and bubbling under the Watchlist rankings as a 5.5 midfield prospect.
