Scout Notes – Gameweek 23 – Wednesday

Sergio Aguero limps out of City’s win at Tottenham with another injury. Edin Dzeko grabs a goal and two assists in the 5-1 hammering, whilst Christian Eriksen is in the points once more for the beaten hosts. Christian Benteke fires Villa’s derby winner over West Brom, Adam Johnson steers Sunderland to victory over Stoke, and Chelsea stumble to a goalless draw against West Ham at the Bridge:

Aguero An Injury Concern as City Run Riot at the Lane
The Argentine lasted just 44 minutes of last night’s 5-1 annihilation of Tottenham before limping off with yet another injury. Aguero still had time to notch for the eighth successive appearance in all competitions but, having only just sealed his comeback from a calf problem in the previous Gameweek, his propensity for picking up injuries is becoming a real concern. At a time when both Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie have also recovered from injury, another stint on the sidelines for Aguero would surely see Fantasy managers migrate to one of the United duo – the fact that they, like City, also have a double Gameweek 31 down the line is likely to play a part in our thinking.

After the game, Manuel Pellegrini rued his decision to play the Argentine for 90 minutes against Watford in the cup last weekend and admitted he’s uncertain over the prognosis ahead of next Monday’s game against Chelsea. With Edin Dzeko plundering a goal and pair assists last night and fit-again Stevan Jovetic also notching as a substitute, Pellegrini could even afford to keep Alvaro Negredo on the bench for the full 90 minutes – an indication, perhaps, that he’s unwilling to take any chances with his frontmen as they attempt to chase silverware in four competitions:

“We will see tomorrow with the doctor what happened with Sergio. It’s possible it was a consequence of him playing 90 minutes [against Watford in the FA Cup at the weekend]. We hope we can recover him as soon as possible.”

Eriksen Ticking Over for Tottenham
Despite his side’s home humiliation, the Dane still found time to deliver the points once again for his Fantasy owners. Eriksen’s assist for Etienne Capoue’s consolation means he has now produced returns in five of the last six Gameweeks – racking up 46 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points in seven appearances under Tim Sherwood. With Hull, Newcastle, Norwich and Cardiff amongst his next five opponents, the 7.3-priced midfielder is handed the platform to maintain his eye-catching consistency.

Johnson The Black Cats Talisman
Sunderland climbed out of the drop zone with a narrow victory over Stoke courtesy of their in-form wide-man last night. Having racked up 35 FPL points in the previous two league games, Johnson justified the decision of the 117,000 Fantasy managers who snapped up his services prior to the weekend’s deadline by notching the only goal of the game – taking his tally to five strikes and a pair of assists over the last three matches. A Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park this weekend, followed by a home game with Hull, bodes well for his short-term prospects but, after that, the schedule looks harsh on Gus Poyet’s side. Trips to City and Arsenal precede a blank Gameweek 28 before the Black Cats then travel to Anfield the following weekend – a run which will likely persuade many to look elsewhere.

Blues Backline in the Points Again
In a night that saw Chelsea huff and puff without reaping any reward up top, their defence continued to rack up the Fantasy points. Last night’s goalless draw with the Hammers took their record to five clean sheets in the last seven Gameweeks, with only two goals conceded over that period – indeed, Jose Mourinho’s side have now conceded fewer goals (20) than any other side in the top-flight. Whilst a weekend trip to the Etihad is enough to deter any from bringing in the likes of John Terry or Cesar Azpilicueta, the Blues then have Newcastle, West Brom and Fulham in the following four, suggesting further clean sheets look very much on the cards.

Hammers Defence on the Radar
With Adrian performing heroics between the posts, Sam Allardyce’s side served up a defiant display which earned a second shut-out in the last three matches. As their resilience takes a turn for the better, Fantasy managers will be eyeing up the Hammers with renewed optimism ahead of a very kind run of matches – four home games in the next six (SWA, NOR, SOT, HUL), supplemented by a trip to Villa, looks enticing. Big Sam will be without Joey O’Brien, though – the full-back sustained a dislocated shoulder in the Stamford Bridge showdown and is set for a spell on the sidelines.

Benteke Streak Continues
Granted, the Belgian’s strike may have come courtesy of the penalty spot but a late winner continued his resurgent form for Paul Lambert’s side. Having scored against Arsenal and Liverpool in the previous couple of league matches, Benteke took his scoring run to three successive Gameweeks by handing Pepe Mel his first defeat in charge of West Brom. With an assist also accrued in the 4-3 thriller, he’s now racked up 24 points over the last trio of league matches and looks likely to find himself subject to extra investment – games against West Ham, Cardiff, Newcastle and Norwich in the next five make the 8.7-priced frontman the perfect blend of form and fixtures right now.

Morrison Impresses Again Under Mel
Having supplied the assist for Diego Lugano’s equaliser against Everton last time around, the Scot continued to pick up the points in Wednesday evening’s derby defeat. Morrison supplied assists for two of West Brom’s goals against Villa and also earned a single bonus point – in two appearances under his new manager, he has earned 16 points compared to 15 points in the previous 11 Gameweeks. Priced at 5.4, Morrison’s resurgent displays suggest he looks set to benefit from Mel’s installation to the Hawthorns hotseat but, with Liverpool and Chelsea paying visit in the next three, the Midlands outfit have it all to do.