#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW38

"May I be frank?"

"Sure Frank!"

Hahaha, classic. :)

Any clue where this is from*? No worries if you are totally stomped with this, it just means that you are most likely in your late 20s (or younger) or that you didn't get many silly American movies where you're from. Still, to answer the question posed at the beggining, i.e. to be completely frank, I AM glad that the season is almost over. While I will probably post another article where I will disect the first season of being an amateur pundit-wannabe (who said that Yaya can't keep it up, DOH stupid!), suffice to say that it is much different from lurking in the shadows, soaking in the knowledge of the big FPL guys and focusing solely on my team (basically what I did last season). I loved every minute of it, but man, am I glad it's GW38 time. So, who do we got as the pick?

Well, this guy was supposed to be the ace up the sleeve at the beginning of the season of many FPL legends such as current champion Matthew Martyniak and another FPL great Julian Zipparo, but he just never really lived up to the hype. That is, until now. 2 goals and 2 assist in the last four games and 7 bonus points show a glimpse of what he is capable of and with a personality that is kind of reminiscing of that of a certain Mario Balotelli, he just might go all crazy in the last week and score a hat trick. Impossible? Probably, but hey, I've seen weirder things happening. Who is that guy? 

Enter Marko Arnautović, #CalledIt for game week 38. Given that his ownership is currently at 0.7%, you are safe to assume that almost no one in your mini league has him and will be a great differential this week in your hopes of gaining that few extra points you might be off at the moment. Good luck, I am bringing him into my team as well.

#CalledIt over and out. At least for this season.

* Naked gun. Hilariously stupid. Or just stupid. Depends when you watch it. 

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW37

It was going to be a pretty dull end to the #FPL season. A double game week for both Manchester clubs would have probably meant you had stacked your team with three players from both Manchester teams (the likely candidates Agüero, Yaya and Nasri or your choice of MCFC defender and Rooney, Mata and one of MUFC defenders), added a pinch of differential with a West Brom player (Amalfitano) and/or Sunderland players to the nucleus that already included Mannone, et voila! Pretty boring when you think about it, right, considering most teams already look pretty much alike?

Enter news on Wayne Rooney.

"He has a bug & a tight groin too. But Wayne being Wayne, he wants to play."

Yes! The factor of uncertainty comes in. What does that mean? Will he feature or not at all? Will he play on Saturday? Or at least on Tuesday? No way of telling. What about RVP? No clue either (by the way, if you need to gamble big, go get RVP and captain him - the best possible differential out there, if he does indeed play). So, what do you do with that 3rd striker spot?

Well, what about a guy who is cheap like hell, completely unproven, no pedigree and has probably had the best month of his life (football wise) in April, one he is not expected to repeat EVER? Five goals, one assist and eight bonus points in the last three games. 5 GOALS! Make that two against M-a-n-c-h-e-s-t-e-r C-i-t-y! You can say whatever you want about the guy and his game, but that has to account for something. Still fighting relegation, has a double game week and one of those games is coming against West Brom. What do you say?

"Can I have 1x Connor Wickham to go, please? How much is that? Only 4.7m? Hold on, let me get my coin purse..."

Connor Wickham, #CalledIt for GW37.

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW36

Three more game weeks to go, no time to fool around anymore. So, let's get down to business immediately, shall we?

For starters, this week's pick has scored eight (8) goals already this season and assisted three, but his price has fallen to 7.7m from 8.5m from the beginning of the season and he is owned by far less than 5% of FPL managers. Why is that you ask? Simple, he had scored only two goals between GWs 3 to 33!

But, and the good news starts now, he has scored four goals, earned 6 bonus points and a grand total of 26 points over the past two GWs. He does not have a double game week next week (otherwise he would probably be snatched up by a bunchload of FPL managers), but he does have great fixtures coming and it would appear he has finally become a mainstay in Arsenal's team that is battling to finish the season on a high note and secure that 4th place finish that leads to Champions League next season.

The return of Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Özil seems to have benefited the team and he could be a great differential pick until the remainder of the season if he manages to keep his form. The #CalledIt pick for GW36, Lukas Podolski. 

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW35

While #CalledIt pick for GW34 Samir Nasri did not set the world on fire with his 10 point return in the double game week, he for sure also did not disappoint (in FPL terms at least). After scoring a late goal in a surprising draw with Sunderland, he did also have a chance to seal it moments later, but just missed it. And with news coming in that Silva is a major doubt for Monday's clash with West Brom (and Yaya nowhere near of being back), he sure seems like a keeper for the time being.

My differentials favorites this week are Mohamed Salah (should keep playing with the UCL semis just around the corner and we all know that Mourinho has not actually written the title off), Aaron Ramsey (his actual ownership is waaaaay lower and he just seems to make Arsenal look better) and Emanuel Adebayor. Despite the fact that the first two are intriguing choices I put my faith in the big guy. Despite a badly missed penalty in GW34, the Spurs are scoring for fun lately and with the Danish On/Off D-Lite (and former guest on #CalledIt), Christian Eriksen in such great form, he will probably score plenty of goals between now and the end of the season. Emanuel Adebayor, #CalledIt for GW35.

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW34

Another double game week (and still not the last one of the season) will make sure that the majority of the teams will homogenize even more (if that is even possible) in the last couple of GWs. I assume that the majority of the managers will stock up on Manchester City and Everton assets while throwing in a random Sunderland and/or Crystal Palace player. Which leaves us with a dilemma on our hands. Do we:

1. "block" the majority by getting the "right" DGW players (Yaya, Zabaleta, Coleman, Lukaku and to a lesser extent the likes of Silva, Džeko and Agüero, etc) or
2. risk it and go for the differential and realize that it can go either way

You know me, I am going for number 2, however not forgetting that, at least to a certain extent, I need to adhere to number 1 as well. Last week's #CalledIt pick Christian Eriksen is a great example of what a good player can do on a good day in a single GW and how not all double game weeks will deliver as big as the previous one. With Eden Hazard most likely out for a couple of games, managers are all of a sudden presented with a great opportunity to bring in a midfielder that let's them get Kun Agüero as well. Tempting? Sure is.

So, who am I tempted to bring in for the injured Hazard as part of the "blocking" plan? Well, here's the shortlist:

• Aaron Ramsey (ARS) - great fixtures, will need to see how he does against Wigan. His ownership is actually much smaller than 19,4% with all the ghost ships owning him. Actually, I think I will turn to Arsenal players a lot in the remainder of the season (Özil anyone?)
• Adam Lallana (SOU) - needs to even up his game with J-Rod out but has a very high ownership
• Juan Mata (MUN) - appears to have found his form and with his DGW, he sure seems like a good option

But getting back to the differentials. Let's face it, with 5 GWs remaining, each mistake will cost you dearly and each good differential will undoubtedly boost your rankings. And by golly, I can't think of a better under 5% ownership differential for the DGW than Samir Nasri. He has one goal and three assists in the last four games and appears to be safe from rotation.

Think about it - if Agüero is back indeed, Yaya is off penalties. With all due respect to the great season he has been having, this just might prove to be a deal breaker. Silva (a great differential still as he has only 10.8% ownership) is playing with an ongoing ankle problem and I wouldn't be surprised if he is rested for the Sunderland game. Agüero is back, but is he really back? The question you need to ask yourself is are you willing to spend 12.0m on him immediately? I am not. Therefore, I would believe Samir Nasri is actually one of the best options for this DGW*. And he gets my #CalledIt nod for GW34.

* Disclaimer: my Manchester City coverage consists of Kompany, Silva and Džeko.

GW33 In Review

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW33

As you might remember (if you have read my article last week), I spent a good part of the double gameweek 31 in London (click here to read more about it) and while I was there I also got a chance to visit The White Hart Lane to enjoy my first ever Premier League match with the home side going against the visiting Southampton. 

Enjoying the pre-game ceremony we joked with @FantasyYIRMA about (finally) offloading the "Great-Danish-hype-proven-bust" Christian Eriksen and how he is sure to make us regret it now. Well, our smiles turned to disbelief when he went on to score two goals, assist one and collecting all three bonus points in his all-star 18 FPL points performance. It was clear to me then and there that I will once again (I know, some people never learn) be getting him in my team. 

He is down to 6.5m and owned by only 4% of managers at the moment of writing. He has great fixtures coming (SUN, wba, FUL), is on form and has been the cornerstone of Tottenham's attack lately. Admittedly, you never know what Tim Sherwood ultimately decides to do - benching his best player to try something new, leaving him out of the squad because he prefers Danish biscuits to English shortbread cookies with his 5 o'clock tea or will simply play him as a center-back. I have no clue and I will just pray to god that this is the "Sane Tim Week". Because, if he plays alongside the big man Adebayor, he is sure to do some damage, if nothing else at least an assist or two. #CalledIt pick for GW33, Christian Eriksen.

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW32

Last week's get-together in London with Chief (@fplhints), Fly (@Meet_the_Gadfly) and Fantasy Yirma (@FantasyYIRMA) proved to be a blast! We met some fellow #FPL managers on the way (you know who you are), agonized over bad transfer decisions (hi Fly!), screamed from the top of our lungs when captain Suarez completed his bashing of Cardif City (hi Chief!) and compared our meeting to Comic-Con convention (hi, Fantasy YIRMA!). What did I do? Well, my GW was as bad as the Luton airport I flew back home from and WizzAir service that got me there. Never again. None of them.

But back to London. While I am no stranger to London (I have spent a month there at the young age of 18 unlocking the beautiful secrets of the wonderful language that is English), I must admit that it again took me by surprise. It's the little things. The smell and draft of the subway. The double-decker buses in Piccadilly Circus. The separate faucets for cold and warm water (this one still baffles me). The fact that I was freezing my ass off and paraded through Piccadilly Circus wearing my winter jacket, a warm pair of gloves and a hat, while there seemed to be many younger people who wore only t-shirts, shorts, mini skirts and seemed to be just fine. Maybe I am just old?

Anyway, so there we are, waiting for the 3 pm matches to begin and I wonder which game will be televized. Amused and with question marks hovering over their heads, the guys explain to me that it is illegal for 3 pm games to be televized in the UK. Say what? A joke? Apparently not. And while I have had a week to chew on this, I still can't fathom it. It just seems so odd that the games are being played and all of UK is watching a guy watching the games and commenting on what is happening. Absurd if you ask me. We get all of them back home...

Getting back to business, though. With the craze of GW31 finally behind us, we have two whole weeks of normal play and I, for one, am really looking forward to that. While the DGWs are making the headlines throughout the FPL community, managers seem to be forgetting or neglecting the teams battling relegation. With 7 GWs remaining, the time to jump on that opportunity is now. The team that my #CalledIt pick for GW32 comes from is currently hovering 5 points over the relegation zone, which probably makes them at least a bit nervous. I would be surprised to see them coming even close to that last three spots as I imagine they will pick it up, but perhaps just enough to give them a spark. And what better way to do that than to welcome back the guy who took the league by storm last year, scoring 18 goals and dishing out three assists. Sure, he is just coming back from injury and has yet to complete 90 minutes, but he played 62 minutes vs Arsenal in mid-week and had three shots and one chance created. He is not cheap by any means, but with a kind fixture list until the end of the season and with something to prove (not to mention a proven pedigree) he could be your man. #CalledIt pick for GW32, Miguel Michu.

P.S. Bony, at 7.1m and 5,8% ownership has scored 8 goals in PL in 2014. Cough, cough, hint! ;)

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW31

He eventually did what I expected him to do, but IN THE WRONG COMPETITION. And now he is out for 4-6 weeks and I am stuck with him and Kompany (thanks, Vincent, for getting that red card, for no CS and for missing out the game with Fulham!) and looking at a all-time-high point hit to get my team anywhere close to resembling a proper DGW team. Argh!

OK. Now, that I have gotten this out of my system, we can talk about the differentials for GW31. I will not lose time talking about the importance of this week and yada, yada. You have heard it a lot over the course of last weeks and only people who fell from the moon have less than 5 DGW players on their rosters. And yes, that includes yours truly!

As I need to somehow make up for the massive points hit I am about to take, my personal differential for the week will be Edin Džeko. With Agüero sidelined, Negredo completely off form and Jovetić just coming back from injury, I assume (you never really know with MCI, do you?) he will be leading the attack against Fulham at HOME and with 5 goals in the last 9 games, he could be a great differential (crazy captain idea?). In the second game MCI go up against Vidic-less, Smalling-less and RVP-less MUFC. Call me crazy, but I see some goals in this for him.

Sadly, he cannot be my #CalledIt pick as he is owned by more than 5% of managers.

Have no fear. The second pick on my list also has a DGW. What's more, he has two HOME games, one of them as well against that Vidic-less, Smalling-less and RVP-less MUFC team. He scored his first goal of the season last week and seems to be pretty consistent at getting attacking returns this year whenever he does manage to suit up (which was not often, truth be told). Nevertheless, I can see him having a major impact this GW. Andy Carroll, #CalledIt pick for GW31. 

P.S. Maybe I picked him because he has a similar ponytail I used to have back in the days? We will find out after the GW is over.

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW30

With only one week remaining until the Double GW of all Double GWs, it's time we set to look for that differential that you can carry into the highly anticipated GW31 and can make the most in the next three games.

I imagine that the majority of you reading this had one sure thing that you wanted to do for the GW31 – bring in Aguero! And rightly so. The man has been of fire this season, but his hamstring just doesn’t want to play along with us FPL managers. From an athlete standpoint, I really hope this is just a one week thing and he will be up and about in no time. But from a #FPL point of view this opens a bunch load of questions. Are MCI players still a MUST? Should we double or even triple on City assets? Can we trust them to do the job?

My humble opinion is – YES. It might be a slightly bigger unknown what they will do without Kun, but hey, they can still win the league and I, for one, can’t see them going down without a fight. And while the forwards situation is a bit unclear, there are some must-have assets in their midfield (and perhaps even defense).

Yaya Toure, the man I tagged long ago as “he can’t keep this up” has been mocking me ever since. On fire, consistent and with Aguero out, also on penalties. Do not look any further if you want a secure way into MCI midfield. Down to 9.9m, he is owned by over 40% of FPL managers though – so if you are like me (always on a hunt for a riskier differential), read on.

There are two intriguing options in midfield – Samir Nasri, who seems to be flying after coming back from injury and my old favorite, David Silva. While Nasri has more explosive potential and has basically been my pick the entire week, I back David Silva to do his magic. He is a slightly bigger risk with Aguero out (as they form a mean partnership), but this could be his time to shine. David Silva, 4,5% owned - #CalledIt for GW30.

P.S. Did you see Silva's setup for Nasri in the game against Barcelona? Poetry in motion, I tell you.

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW29

So, here it is. The dreaded GW29. 

Many FPL pundits have advised for entire week (or even longer) that you should not transfer in players who will not have a DGW in GW31. While I do see the logic behind it, I still disagree with it. Or, I agree only to a certain extent. Based on my last year's experience (you do still remember I finished 15th overall in the end? - unlike this year when I am hovering around 16,000th place at the moment) these are the exact weeks when it makes sense to find that one or two differentials to get that boost in your ranking. And I intend to do just that.

Do proceed with caution though - these are differentials we are talking about. As such, they are not GUARANTEED they will deliver. I will be taking them personally, because I don't really care if I finish at 15k or 60k. I want to get at least into single thousands and for this I need to (I want to :)) take some risks. 

I went through a couple of scenarios for GW29 (much more than for any GW lately) and the differentials I have considered for my team were the likes of Brunt, Hoolahan (Chief's transfer), Anichebe (Walt's #JackInTheBox and Space Monkeys' #SpacePick), Ince and Zaha, just to name a few.

And while I have a good feeling about a couple of them, I will be putting my trust into Robert Snodgrass. He may have effectively blanked in previous GW (hauled off after 45 minutes with a yellow card to his name), I believe he should start (he was training today) and his stats have been impressive as of late. If I can find a way to fit him in my team, I will. Robert Snodgrass, #CalledIt for #GW29.

GW28 In Review

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW28

"How many players can I field in GW29?" and "How can I get as many players as possible for GW31?" are probably the two main questions going through every FPL manager's mind in the past couple of days. Deservedly so, as these are the GWs that will most probably decide many mini leagues and your final ranking. If you are wondering, I will look to field at least 7-8 players in GW29 and at least 6 DGW players in GW31. All my transfers will definitely be leading up to that.

But before that, there is a little thing called GW29 that we need to take care of. My #CalledIt pick from many GWs ago, Wilfried Bony, has finally started returning what I have been expecting when I drafted him. A brace last week against Liverpool was a reminder of what he is capable of and I am really happy to have him in my team for this GW. For sure, he might be tired from the mid-week game and a bit deflated at the same time, but he should score more goals - that is what he does, right? At 5,3% ownership, he is just out of #CalledIt league, but if you have him, he could even be considered captain material.

While the majority of the discussion this week (differential wise) has been concentrated around Robert Snodgrass and Thomas Ince, I decided to look elsewhere for my pick. Don't get me wrong, I believe both might be very good transfers for your team this week (on the basis of both not having a blank GW), yet I somehow believe that AVL just might keep a clean sheet and that Jason Puncheon might potentially outscore Ince in this one.

My #CalledIt pick this week is going against a very friendly Newcastle defence that conceded 10 goals in their last three losses and will be without the services of Fabrizio Coloccini for this one. On top of that he managed to score three goals in their last three games. Nikica Jelavić, #CalledIt pick for GW28. I zabij barem jedan gol, Nikica!

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW27

Right. The gloves are off. The longest drought of the season has come and IT MUST GO the heck away. If this was a regular differentials article for FPL, I would have recommended the likes of David Silva, Paulihno, Coutinho (he has a goal and two assists in last four matches) and Cazorla this week. 

But, as Chief always says "Form is key.". Therefore, I have decided to go with a guy who has 2 goals and 1 assist in the last three games. A player who has come back from a looooong injury and is eager to prove himself in the star-studded midfield. With my GW27 #CalledIt pick, I have decided to go with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

NOW, if you have the guts, a one week differential (apart from obvious Silva, who I really hope will explode this GW) could also be Samir Nasri. But, as said, they both have two blanks after this GW.

Best of luck to all.

P.S. You think you could pick a better #CalledIt pick? You will get your chance. Follow my timeline at @CalledIt for details.

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW26

My oh my, what have we got here?

#CalledIt pick for GW 23, Wilfried Bony, FINALLY decided to join the party and score a goal. Of course it happened only after I tweeted that I give up on him, turned off the TV and logged off all electronic devices connected to internet, but still. He did score. It wasn't until the next day that I even realized that he actually did, which was a nice surprise.

#CalledIt pick for GW 24, Phillippe Coutinho ALSO decided to join the thrashing of the Arsenal team who looked completely helpless (did I mention I am an Arsenal fan? :/). An assist, 5 points and just missed out on a BP.

#CalledIt pick for GW 25, Jesus Navas, failed as Norwich surprisingly shut down Manchester City. 2 shots on goal with 2 chances created - potential was there, but it appears MCFC misses Agüero (and a healthy Negredo) much more than they would like to admit.

So, what do we do with GW26? My main man would have to be Silva. A home game against Sunderland and with MCFC in dire need of bouncing back from not one, but two disappointing results, provides the perfect ground for the Spanish playmaker to deliver BIG. He created 6 chances over the weekend and by golly he should get some points this GW. Unless he gets benched. Just out of #CalledIt reach with 5,6% ownership, but that can't stop you from taking him in your team, if you believe he is due a big point haul (which is what I am hoping for).

Who also tickles my interest? For sure Kevin Nolan. I thought he might again face a dip in his performance with Andy Carroll out, but he followed up that brace against Swansea with another brace against Villa. 6.6m and 7.6% means he is out of my #CalledIt league, but could offer good potential with Norwich and Southampton at home in the next two GWs.

Who then gets my #CalledIt voice for GW26? It's easy, Wilfried Zaha. Great talent, good fixtures. Might have not had the best game against Swansea (to say the least), but I believe he will want to bounce back. Need more convincing? Read Walt's article here http://fantasypremierleaguehints.blogspot.com/2014/02/gw26-fpl-jackinthebox.html.

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW25

"WHAT?!" was my response when Chief told me there are only 14 more game weeks to go. How can it be? This time last year I was already sitting comfortably in Top 1000 (or maybe even Top 100, I forget) and now I seem to be stuck between 15k and 25k. But who cares about my woes, right? Moving on.

I've asked my followers over at @CalledItFPL this week whether they plan to play it safe or risk it between now and the end of the season. The answer? RISK IT! Which was great news for me, meaning you all need these differential articles. :)

There are a few familiar (and some not so) faces that come to mind as potential differentials this week. If you LOVE you differentials to stretch as much as possible - Wilfried Bony could be your man. Two blanks, fired head coach (this was a stunner as well) and the "new manager syndrome" just might propel a few past Cardiff this week. Facing him and the Swansea team we have three potential ones - Mutch, Noone and the man who could be a mainstay in my team if he gets 90 minutes this GW - Wilfried Zaha. Providing an assist in 45 minutes of action last GW, he wasted little time to get himself on our radar. 5.4m and 2.4% owned. Sweet.

The list continues with players like Puncheon (just can't seem to mention his name without seeing a ball floating in outer space :)), Paulinho, Long, Jelavic, Eto'o...but this week, this week I mean business. Being handed an extremely rare defeat at home by Chelsea, I expect Manchester City to bounce back with a vengeance. Norwich have been pretty solid at home, but I really think that MCFC will penetrate them. The usual suspects - Yaya, Negredo, Džeko, Silva and others are all expected to deliver something, but there are also two who are flying well below the radar. Jovetic, who sadly does not have a guaranteed start yet (so proceed with caution) and my #CalledIt pick for GW25 - Jesus Navas. 4 goals and 6 assists this season so far - I put my faith in him to add some more to his tally this week.

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW24

To tell you the truth, if it wasn't for this self imposed limitation (#CalledIt picks can't be repeated over the course of three GWs) Santi Cazorla would have been made my pick. On form, has scored three goals in the last two games and still owned by only 3.5% of FPL managers. At the same time, he has two VERY tough match-ups following the home game versus Crystal Palace (a match-up that probably looks better on paper than in real-life). A possibly great 1 GW differential.

David Silva, despite going against Chelsea, should be involved in the play if City manage to score a goal or two, so I would gladly give him the call - yet he is now owned by 5.1% of managers. This 0.1% makes him ineligible, which makes me go Aaaaaaargghhhhhhhh!

Another potential great option would be Kevin Mirallas who is set to lead the attack following the injury of the big Belgian and was very lively against Liverpool as well, as one of the few. Would make a great pick, but also just over with 6.8% ownership. 

With all this in mind, I have decided to turn to a team that is also scoring goals with ease (less than MCFC mind you, but still not bad), Liverpool. Somewhat of an underperformer this year, he has all the prerequisites to be an amazing FPL asset, but has just failed to click yet. Why not this week? #CalledIt pick for GW24, Phillippe Coutinho. He had 2 shots on goal against Everton and also created 4 chances, with one being an assist out of those. 

P.S. Can you imagine that even Ben Arfa is owned by more than 7% of managers? 

Oh yeah, follow me at @CalledItFPL account now. :D

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW23

*** ANNOUNCEMENT ***

It has come to this - I have created my very own, #FPL-centric Twitter handle. Yes, I know, you must be thinking to yourself: "Oh lord, not ANOTHER FPL account!". If you asked me half a year ago...scratch that, 1 month ago, if I wanted to create an FPL account, my answer would be something in the lines of "Are you insane?". Honestly speaking, god knows that the world doesn't need yet another FPL account. However, my friends and some people who do not follow me because of FPL (Huh? There are people like that? ;) ) have told me that I am annoying a bit at times with all the fantasy football communication. So I decided to oblige them and create a new account - @CalledItFPL. 

Effectively, this means that as of GW24 I will move the communication related to FPL to my new handle, so make sure you are following it in case you want your daily/weekly dose of FPL from my side. That's it! In the 24 hours since its' inception, I already have 333 followers - Thank You in case you are already one of them, if not, looking forward to you joining!

*** END OF ANNOUNCEMENT ***

To start things off, Santi Cazorla proved to be a great #CalledIt pick in GW22 with two goals and 16 points alltogether. I hope you seized your chance and improved your overall and mini-league positions. But, as a wise man once said: "Don't congratulate yourself too much. Or berate yourself either." With that in mind, let's move on quickly. 

This week, I am (again) presented with the abundancy of choices for the #CalledIt differential pick. The matchups that have me thinking are CHE vs WHU, SUN vs STO and SWA vs FUL. And the options? No surprise, after his hat trick in GW22 (and injury to Torres), Samuel Eto'o could potentially be even captain material as Chelsea will be looking to dismantle West Ham. 8.2m and 1.5% ownership make him a great differential. His midweek performance was less than stellar and with Mourinho, who knows who will be starting as the lone forward, so I will look the other way. If you, for some reason, need a differential that no one will have, then he is your man.

Adam Johnson? His three goals and an assist against Fulham didn't impress me enough to consider him as a viable long (or mid) term option. But then he goes and follows that up with a goal and an assist against Southampton. Errrm, really? While I still don't consider him as a viable long-term option (I know, weird old me), he may be a good option this week. 6.6m and 4.9% ownership.

Instead, I am going with Wilfried Bony. Despite Swansea's woes and relegation-fear form, he seems to be in great form lately with three goals in the last three GWs (and 3 in the Cup). And they play Fulham. At home. Midfield problems? Yes. But Bony can deliver out of nothing. We've seen that. I am taking a punt on him as #CalledIt pick for GW23 AND putting him in my Wildcard team.

GW22 In Review

#CalledIt Differential Pick - GW22

Strike 1: Podolski (GW20)

Strike 2: Berbatov (GW21)

Strike 3 (GW22)?

I sure hope not. In baseball, strike three means you're out. Adios. And I am having none of that.

Having said that, I think a base hit (an assist) is within grasp for sure, while a home run (a goal) would be nice to re-establish #CalledIt as a credible differential pick. 

/Hm, would two goals or a goal and an assist constitute a Grand Slam in baseball? Walt?/

Anyway, Arsenal are playing host to the lowly Fulham on Saturday and if Sunderland (yes, Sunderland) were able to put 4 past them, then I see no reason why current league leaders couldn't do the same. While the majority of Walcott owners turned to Özil as a replacement, there were some who took a gamble and got Santi. Bold. I sincerely hope come Saturday afternoon we will see the Santi from last year's. You know, like the guy scoring a hat trick versus Reading? Yeah, that guy.

Santi Cazorla, #CalledIt pick for GW22.

P.S. As added assurance, whenever the selected player was pointing to my #CalledIt on the visual, he delivered. I made an effort to search for such a picture. Success is all but guaranteed.