Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 22- The Strong

We turn our attentions to the next four to six Gameweeks and assess those sides with strong upcoming schedules on the horizon. There’s reason for optimism at the Britannia, whilst Alan Pardew and Tony Pulis will be hoping to maintain their successful starts to life in the Palace and West Brom hot-seats respectively.

STOKE

The Potters have proven their ability to fetch returns against the league’s top sides in recent weeks, beating Everton and Arsenal and drawing with Man United in their last seven. Mark Hughes’ men now have the opportunity to show their mettle against some of the relegation contenders, however, with Leicester, QPR, Aston Villa and Hull awaiting them in their next six.

Two clean sheets in the first 17 Gameweeks of the campaign boded poorly for the Potters, though a pair of shut-outs in the subsequent four suggest a turnaround in their defensive prospects, and the likes of Geoff Cameron and new signing Phillip Wollscheid could now come into contention for our backlines.

Further forward, Victor Moses was an unused sub against Arsenal on Sunday and has now recovered from the knee injury that had sidelined him since November. At just 5.2, he could force himself back onto our radars if he can quickly rediscover the form that brought a goal and four assists in the seven Gameweeks prior to his lay-off, though Jon Walters and Marko Arnautovic offer alternatives in midfield. Up top, Peter Crouch has notched two goals and as many assists in his previous six league starts, though Bojan Krkic’s 5.0 price tag could give him the edge over his fellow forward in many managers’ eyes.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Is there a such thing as the ‘Alan Pardew effect’? If so, it was in full force last Saturday as the Eagles battled back from a goal down to beat Spurs in his first league match in charge. The Londoners now face two crunch matches with Burnley and Leicester in their next three in what could prove to be vital encounters in this year’s relegation battle. Imminent home meetings with Everton and Newcastle, meanwhile, won’t hold too much fear bearing in mind those sides’ recent shortcomings.

Despite their inability to find wins prior to Pardew’s arrival, there was no denying the Eagles’ proficiency in defence – three shut-outs in the previous six Gameweeks was equal to Chelsea’s record across that period. Should they continue to demonstrate that resilience, the likes of Burnley and Leicester will be hard-tasked to break them down, and Joel Ward, their cheapest regular starting defender at 4.7, could be a viable option, though with Pardew determined to attack, the jury is out on his first-choice defenders.

The 5.5-rated Jason Puncheon grabbed his first goal since Gameweek 3 against Spurs, and with Yannick Bolasie and Mile Jedinak currently away on international duty, he looks the likeliest to prosper, with Wilfried Zaha perhaps utilised as an impact sub. For those in the market for a differential budget forward right now, Dwight Gayle underlined his potential with a goal from the spot at the weekend and, having now started and scored in both matches in all competitions under Pardew, the young striker looks to be a favourite of his new boss whilst Bolasie is out of the equation. Today’s loan signing of Yaya Sanogo is also worth monitoring – at just 4.7, he could be a viable third forward if he can nail down a starting berth.

MAN UNITED

A 1-0 defeat to Southampton on Sunday brought the Red Devils’ 10-match unbeaten league run to an end and saw Louis van Gaal’s side drop out of the top three for the first time since November. Fortunately for United, the schedule remains in their favour, with a trip to QPR and the visits of Leicester and Burnley to Old Trafford in their next four, suggesting that they are unlikely to be looking over shoulder at the chasing pack quite yet.

With two of the five worst attacks in the league making their way to Manchester, then, David De Gea’s chances of racking up the points looks strong. The Reds haven’t conceded more than one goal in a single match since Gameweek 8, with the 5.8-priced Spaniard’s heroics between the sticks repeatedly making the difference. Phil Jones, however, is available for 0.6 less than De Gea, and having started United’s previous six in the league, looks nailed on so long as he can stay fit.

In midfield, Angel Di Maria’s return to the first XI against Southampton failed to have the required impact, though the Argentine will still prove too tempting for some. Juan Mata, on offer at 8.5, remains an alternative after Van Gaal stuck with him in his starting line-up last weekend even in spite of Di Maria’s return. Up front, it’s a bit of minefield; Robin van Persie’s pitch time could be in doubt after the forward picked up an ankle problem against the Saints, whilst Radamel Falcao’s prospects are on the turn once again after the Colombian was dropped from the matchday squad on Sunday. That just leaves Wayne Rooney in our current Watchlist, though the United skipper’s deeper role is still a deterrent and has seen him blank in four of the last five Gameweeks.

CHELSEA

Not that you really needed any more reasons to invest, but the Blues re-opened a two point lead at the summit of the league table after their win against Newcastle on Saturday and now boast clashes with Villa, Burnley and Leicester in the next six. A crucial Gameweek 23 showdown with Man City could tarnish their defensive prospects, though Branislav Ivanovic (7.2) and John Terry (6.6) are still likely to receive investment on the back of four shut-outs in their last six league outings.

In attack, Diego Costa has proven a consistent option over that same period, bagging four goals as well as an assist to raise himself to just four points short of the zenith of the FPL forward standings. In midfield, meanwhile, the contest between Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas rages on, whilst the 8.3-priced Oscar remains the more budget friendly alternative, and having delivered a goal and two assists across his last couple of appearances, looks a viable differential to the two heavy hitters right now.

Also Consider…

Arsenal
The Gunners clicked back into top gear with a comfortable 3-0 win over Stoke at the weekend and will need to carry that momentum to the Etihad next Sunday if they are to be in with a chance of overcoming the Champions. Considering that City have failed to keep a clean sheet in each their last four, Arsene Wenger’s attack could receive plenty of interest this week, with the indefatigable Alexis Sanchez and lone forward Olivier Giroud likely to be the preferred options; the former’s 19-point haul last time out will surely have convinced non-owners that it is never ‘too late’ to acquire his services.

With Aston Villa, Leicester and Palace also on the horizon for the Gunners, their backline will come into contention as well, with Laurent Koscielny’s goal, clean sheet and pair of bonus points against the Potters highlighting his potential at both ends of the pitch. Elsewhere at the back, David Ospina (4.8) will be hoping to retain the keeper’s jersey, whilst a potentially lengthy spell on the sidelines for Mathieu Debuchy would allow one of Hector Bellerin (4.4) or Calum Chambers (5.0) to nail down the right-back berth.

Southampton
The Saints’ top-four credentials have been established beyond doubt after wins over United and Arsenal and a draw with Chelsea in their last three. With the fixture list now smilingly brightly once again, Ronald Koeman’s outfit could be set to profit further – Southampton boast three home fixtures in their next five (SWA, WHM, LIV) alongside promising trips to Newcastle and QPR. In fact, the schedule remains favourable right up until the Gameweek 29 visit to Stamford Bridge, ensuring that the Saints’ assets promise long-term potential.

Nonetheless, Graziano Pelle will need to find his first goal in five if he is to begin to warrant attention, whilst Dusan Tadic’s prospects will be dependent on whether Koeman opts to reinstall him into the starting line-up after his goalscoring display from the bench against United. With those issues in mind, the majority of Fantasy attention looks set to be focused on the Saints’ rearguard; raiding full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and Ryan Bertrand are the favourites here, though with Maya Yoshida currently off on international duties, the 4.8-valued Florin Gardos may now appeal to those with a tighter budget if Toby Alderweireld’s hamstring complaint keeps him out for an extended period.

Sunderland
A trip to White Hart Lane rounds off a tough trio of fixtures for the Black Cats, who have recorded narrow loses to both Liverpool and Man City in their last two league outings. Beyond that, however, things look decidedly brighter, with home meetings against Burnley, QPR and West Brom alongside an away encounter with Swansea in their following four. Patrick van Aanholt, now down to 4.2 since his injury lay-off, looks the most appealing in their backline, whilst Costel Pantilimon is also vying for our attention between the sticks – his average of 4.9 points per appearances is higher than any regular starting keeper.

The 6.0-priced Adam Johnson is the stand-out option in midfield after notching three times in his last five appearances, and with the likes of Steven Fletcher and Connor Wickham failing to warrant any investment further forward, the former Man City winger looks the sole attacker worth considering for the Wearsiders right now.

West Brom
Regardless of your allegiances, you’ve got to love it when a plan comes together. Tony Pulis stuck to his guns in his first match in charge of the Baggies on Saturday, delivering the clean sheet that so many expected. With trips to Burnley and Sunderland allied with a home clash against Swansea in their next five, more defensive returns could well be on the cards, and budget assets Andre Wisdom (4.4) and Chris Baird (3.9) could be set to benefit. However, Pulis proved that he’s not just a one-trick pony against Hull, fielding a front two in a set-up that seemed more attack-minded than the one his predecessor utilised; Saido Berahino, who has now notched six times in his last three appearances in all competitions, is bang in form after his recent drought, and at 5.5, offers managers a great value option for our three-man frontlines. Whether he remains at the Midlands club come the end of the transfer window is another matter entirely, however.