We take a look back at yesterday’s eventful New Year’s Day fixtures, where Tottenham’s young striker, Burnley’s budget wide man, the Saints’ thriving form and the end of Man City’s false nine system are all on our agenda.

There’s little reason to resist Kane’s ascendency…
For many Fantasy managers, benching the Spurs frontman for yesterday’s home clash with Chelsea was an understandable decision. Mauricio Pochettino’s side had, after all, failed to score in two of their previous three at the Lane, whilst Chelsea rolled up to north London on the back of six clean sheets in their previous eight. With Christian Eriksen failing to earn returns in the 5-3 victory, Kane’s two goals and pair of assists cemented his place as the must-have Tottenham attacker, and with winter wildcard season now open, the bandwagon has already reached full pace as he quickly becomes part of the template.

Strong benches can be more of a curse than a blessing…
The fallout from Sergio Aguero’s injury left many Fantasy managers with plenty of cash to spare over the Christmas period. As a result, our festive 15-man squads have been stronger than ever as we looked to assured starters over the hectic schedule but, whilst this tactic can prove beneficial when Premier League managers rotate, yesterday it bit hard. Those who started Stewart Downing or Gylfi Sigurdsson over Kane were left ruing their decision, as the former pair drew blanks against West Brom and QPR to serve a reminder that sometimes, for all our planning and preparation, stocking up with an embarrassment of riches can go against us.

Boyd is just not for Christmas…
Burnley’s summer signing from Hull highlighted just why he’s been our favoured budget midfielder this season by notching for the third time since the start of December. Boyd and his Clarets team-mates now have some fine fixtures (QPR, CPL, sun, WBA) to fire themselves out of trouble, and with their confidence on the rise, investment could well pay off here. Typically a cheap option to call upon when our premium big-hitters are unavailable, Boyd is staking a real claim for a place in our XIs over that upcoming schedule.

Silva needs the strikers to stay sidelined…
A home clash against Sunderland saw City’s playmaker top our Captain Poll by some distance. Silva had racked up four goals and an assist in Manuel Pellegrini’s false nine system – with James Milner leading the line in the previous three matches, the little Spaniard found space to wreak havoc in the opposition box, but with fit-again Stevan Jovetic back against the Black Cats, Silva served up a surprise blank in the 3-2 victory. As we mentioned earlier, the City boss expects Edin Dzeko to return next week, whilst Sergio Aguero is on course to come back in a fortnight – with their attacking options increasing once again, then, it remains to be seen whether Silva can sparkle quite so brightly.

The Saints have weathered the storm…
You have to give credit to Ronald Koeman. After earning a single point in five Gameweeks, Southampton looked like sitting ducks ahead of a schedule which saw Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal roll up to St Mary’s from mid-December onwards. Instead, the Saints silenced the doubters in emphatic fashion – earning seven points from those fixtures, they scored six times and conceded just a single goal to cement a top-four spot and suggest they have the quality to prevail, regardless of fixture schedule. Whilst Graziano Pelle continues to toil up top, many Fantasy managers are set to revisit the Saints defence in light of their recent resilience.

Johnson is key to the Black Cats’ Survival…
Whilst Costel Pantilimon’s heroics between the sticks continues to pay off for Fantasy managers, Gus Poyet needs more from his attackers if Sunderland are to ensure their top-flight survival. Given that Steven Fletcher has failed to score since Gameweek 10 and Connor Wickham has netted once since Gameweek 7, Johnson’s upturn in form couldn’t have come at a better time – with three goals and an assist in his last five, he’s played a part in four of the Wearsiders’ previous five strikes and looks set to have a real say in his side’s battle to beat the drop.

Villa need more bite from Benteke…
We’d hoped his stunning strike against United in Gameweek 17 was a sign of things to come but, unfortunately for Villa and Fantasy managers alike, it seems more like a false dawn. Paul Lambert’s side have scored just once in their last five now and, having failed to take advantage of back-to-back home clashes against Sunderland and Palace, look toothless in attack. The big Belgian may be back on board but with Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in the next four, he needs to step up significantly if the midlands side are to remain clear of the relegation pack.

The Africa Cup of Nations will hit Leicester hard…
The imminent departure of Riyad Mahrez couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Foxes. Set to ply his trade for Algeria in the Africa Cup of Nations, Mahrez has been instrumental in his side’s attacking forays in recent weeks – with a goal and three assists in the last six, he’s played a part in four of the Foxes’ five goals from Gameweek 15 onwards and is finding top form ahead of three crucial home encounters (AVL, STO, CPL) in the next four. Jeffrey Schlupp’s third strike of the season means that only Leonardo Ulloa has scored more for the Championship winners, but with international commitments for Ghana this month, he too is out of the picture, leaving Nigel Pearson a real headache ahead of those key showdowns.

Coutinho is thriving in Rodgers’ new system…
Let’s face it, the word “consistent” has never been the most apt adjective for Liverpool’s little Brazilian. In the past, Coutinho has been one of those players whose underlying stats suggest he should be worthy of our consideration, yet a lack of end product has meant he’s always left on the shelf when it comes to selecting the Reds’ midfielders. A recent move to 3-4-3 seems to have finally solved Brendan Rodgers’ problem, though – Coutinho’s assist against Leicester means he’s now supplied attacking returns in each of the last four Gameweeks and has earned 30 Fantasy Premier League points in five matches since the switch of tactics, compared to 26 points over the first 15 rounds of fixtures.