Monday night’s epic encounter provided the latest title race twist and the two parties involved remain very much in our thinking as we cast an eye over the six-week schedule. I return to “Frisking” duty to find both City and Chelsea screaming for attention, while a rejuvenated Saints and a cavalier Bluebirds seem to offer the favoured routes lower down the price bracket.

Man City

Yes, the defeat to Chelsea was a setback which could dent confidence, but the smart money is on City taking Monday’s result out on Norwich when they meet this weekend. Indeed, the Carrow Road trip is one of several plum fixtures ahead of them and, while the Gameweek 28 blank looms large, given their emphatic goal output, we can ill-afford to overlook City’s assets.

The trip to Norwich, together with Etihad encounters with Sunderland, Stoke and Villa offer plenty of reason to prioritise Manuel Pellegrini’s charges. By all means devise a plan to deal with Gameweek 28 but, at the same time, it’s wise to be stocked up in anticipation of handsome points hauls around their Capital One Cup Wembley date.

There is one meaty caveat to chew over – namely City’s illustrious Champions League tie with Barcelona. Pellegrini will be thankful that this falls around their home league fixtures but, for us Fantasy managers, it threatens to eat into the pitch time of key assets and serve up frustration. The first leg is sandwiched between the home fixtures with Sunderland and Stoke, the second just days after the Etihad clash with Villa.

Rotation in those matches seems inevitable but, just as we have to take the blank Gameweek on the chin, we should accept that there is a cost to pay for investing in City in the coming month and weigh this up against the hefty potential gains.

Cardiff City

The Bluebirds’ activity over the transfer tindow, together with the positivity exuded by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival has undoubtedly re-invigorated their prospects. The fixture list compounds this further, giving Fantasy mangers room for optimism when considering their mid-price squad.

A trip to rivals Swansea this weekend is followed by three home matches in four, with Villa, Hull and Fulham due in Wales. While their home form has faltered, particularly when it comes to clean sheets, there’s every reason to expect goals from a Solskjaer side, inspired by the enterprising wing play of Wilfried Zaha and Craig Noone. That pair undoubtedly provide convincing budget midfield options for the month ahead.

Southampton

Having lit up our Fantasy seasons with stunning early season form, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are firmly back on the agenda having come into bloom once again.

The schedule gives the Saints every opportunity to build further, starting with the St Mary’s clash against Stoke and trips to Hull and West Ham. On paper, these will provide stubborn barriers but, in their current form, Southampton will be confident of goals and points over these three fixtures, and the home clash with Liverpool and Norwich that follow.

One of Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez or Rickie Lambert looks a wise investment, while the clean sheet at Fulham would even suggest that the back four warrants renewed interest. Stopper Artur Boruc is perhaps the most secure target on offer, with Maya Yoshida and Calum Chambers offering budget routes for those willing to roll the dice on the teamsheet.

Chelsea

Jose Mourinho’s men are on a high and, while they have testing encounters in the next six, they do at least tackle Everton and Spurs at the Bridge, whilst facing comfortable-looking trips to West Brom, Fulham and Villa. Given their current form, investment in a back four that has now conceded just two goals in their last eight looks essential. Meanwhile, Eden Hazard continues to be the headline act amongst a midfield that provides the Blues with a cutting edge.

Like City, we must take Champions League distractions into consideration, although Galatasaray offer a less treacherous path to the quarter-finals than City’s La Liga heavyweights. The first tie with the Turks follows the Gameweek 27 home clash with Everton, suggesting that Mourinho may well be pushed to rotate in some areas for this encounter – given the opponents, however, it seems unlikely.

The second leg follows the Gameweek 30 trip to Villa and, with Arsenal at the Bridge the week after, this would seem likely to be a bigger rotation hotspot. Even so, with three home fixtures in five and two straightforward away trips, the Chelsea traffic is likely to be heading in a positive direction.

Also consider…

Aston Villa
Home fixtures with West Ham and Norwich, together with trips to Cardiff and an ailing Newcastle, offer Paul Lambert room for optimism. With striker Christian Benteke back in the goals, the Villa boss will be confident that his side can pick up points over the next four, which would see them settle in mid-table and quell relegation fears. Fantasy managers can look to Villa Park for differentials with Benteke and even Ron Vlaar (if fit) looking worthy targets.

West Ham
Andy Carroll’s suspension is a huge issue for the Hammers, not least because they’re entering a period where points look up for grabs. If his red card appeal fails, Carroll could miss home fixtures with Norwich and Southampton: two defences that would hardly relish an encounter with the Geordie battering-ram. With a trip to Villa this weekend and another Upton Park clash with Hull in Gameweek 29, Fantasy managers will be drawn to defensive assets but must surely reserve judgment on Kevin Nolan until the FA have come to their conclusion.

Everton
While trips to Spurs and Chelsea offer little hope of defensive returns, the Toffees remain a strong attacking option and, with three favourable home fixtures against Palace, West Ham and Cardiff in the next six, they have to be in our thinking. Kevin Mirallas has timed a run of form to coincide with these improving fixtures, while Seamus Coleman is back fit to settle in our squads in time for forthcoming home comforts.