Seb's Gameweek 11 Preview

Teams to look out for

Manchester City:

After four games without a win in all competitions, City returned to form with a thumping 4-0 win away to West Brom last week. This was followed by an amazing 3-1 blitz of Barcelona in the Champions League mid-week. After these results, confidence would be sky high for Pep’s boys. With Aguero finding his form again, registering 10 shots (2 goals) and 4 shot assists (1 assist) over these two games, Gündogan making a fast start to his life at the club, with 7 shots (4 goals) and 5 shot assists (1 assist) over the last two games, and Sterling seemingly playing himself back into form, with 6 shots and 4 shot assists (1 assist) over the abovementioned period, City will be hoping for a big win over Middlesbrough at home.

Manchester United:

In a similar way to their cross town rivals, United were poor and unconvincing in October. However, whereas City have turned that form around, United have not. One goal scored in the past four games and 5 goals conceded is not good enough for a team such as Manchester United. Last GW against Burnley, they registered 38 shots, 21 of them inside the penalty area, but not one of them hit the back of the net. With their star man Ibrahimovic out of form, someone needs to stand up to end this poor spell and push the Red Devils back in the right direction. Players like Juan Mata (7 shots & 8 shot assists), Jesse Lingard (4 shots & 4 shot assists), Paul Pogba (6 shots & 6 shot assists) and Marcus Rashford (2 shots & 1 shot assist), all need to start turning their attacking potential evident in the Burnley match, into returns. This will not be made easy though, as they face a trip to Liberty Stadium to face their bogey team Swansea. Nevertheless, as Swansea themselves are too out of form, it will be an excellent opportunity for Mourinho’s side to kick start some form. If not, they may lose touch with the top four.

Southampton:

Despite the loss to Chelsea last week, the Saints are in quite solid form, with only one loss in their past 6 matches. Contrary to this, their hosts Hull, are in terrible form. After picking up 7 points from their first four matches, Hull have lost every match from GW5 to the present, conceding 20 goals in these six matches. Thus, Southampton should be very confident heading into this clash, with attacking players such as Charlie Austin, Dusan Tadic, Nathan Redmond and even Steven Davis all potentially getting among the points. Furthermore, looking at past matches, Southampton have kept 4 clean sheets in their past 5 matches against Hull, with three of those coming at The KC Stadium, so defensive returns are also likely.

Games to look out for

West Ham vs Stoke

This game could go either way, depending on which version of each team turns up. Both sides have shown glimpses of their quality this season, but have also demonstrated their defensive frailties and attacking shortcomings. Only two points separate them on the table, and it is a very hard match to call, so players from either team such as Payet, Lanzini and Cresswell or Bony, Allen and Pieters are worth having in GW11.

Chelsea vs Everton

Both teams are in fine form. Attacking with potency and defending compactly. On form respectively, this should be a tight and strategical match. However, historically, this is not reflected, with 22 goals in the last five games between these two teams. Both sides have a lethal striker in top form in Costa (8 goals with a shot every 28.2 mins) and Lukaku (7 goals with a shot 25.7 min) who are supported well by the likes of Hazard (5 goals & 2 assists) and Bolasie (1 goal & 4 assists). No matter what kind of game is played out, expect it to be a good one.

 Arsenal vs Tottenham

The North London Derby never fails to provide entertainment. It is also an excellent source of FPL points for attackers. Last season, Kane (2 goals), Alderweireld (1 goal), Lamela, Eriksen and Alli (1 assist each) all profited from this match. Similarly, Sanchez (1 goal), Ramsey (1 goal), Ozil (1 assist) and Bellerin (2 assists) also gained attacking returns. On the defensive side however, this match has not provided many clean sheet points for defenders, with no clean sheet from any team in their past five match ups. Despite both sides playing in the Champions League midweek, expect an entertaining match and potential attacking returns from your players.

Potential Stand out Players

Charlie Austin vs Hull (away) - £6.7 (TSB 12.6%)

Up against an obliging Hull defence, Austin should find plenty of joy this GW. 21 shots (18 inside the box) in his last 6 outings, including 4 goals and 1 assist, Austin is looking highly likely to be a stand out option this GW.

Sergio Aguero vs Middlesbrough (home) - £13.1 (TSB 44.3%)

After blanking in three successive GWs, many FPL managers lost patience with Aguero. However, in GW10, he found his form netting 2 goals and registering 1 assist, leaving those who sold him questioning their moves. With 10 shots and 4 shot assists in his last two games, expect Aguero to carry on his form against Boro this GW, which will be aided by the return of De Bruyne.

Philippe Coutinho vs Watford (home) - £8.6 (TSB 42.3%)

For so long, Coutinho has frustrated FPL managers with his inconsistency. This season however, he has matured and is now a consistent performer; both stats and returns wise. Last GW vs Crystal Palace, he managed 4 shots inside the box as well as 4 shot assists (including 2 assists). The GW prior to that vs West Brom, Coutinho took 6 shots (1 goal) and created 3 chances for his teammates. With four goals and five assists this season, Coutinho is in red hot form at the moment, and is in a prime position to be among the points this GW.

Punt Picks

Tom Heaton vs Crystal Palace (home) - £4.7 (TSB 11.5%)

The Eagles love to shoot, registering 13 shots on target in their past two matches. Heaton loves to make saves, making 29 in his past three matches (that’s 9 save points!). So, if Burnley can continue to defend solidly as they have been doing lately and keep a clean sheet, Heaton will be a big source of points.

Salomon Rondon vs Leicester (away) - £6.6 (TSB 4.9%)

Many people are expecting a Leicester shut out at home to The Baggies. However, West Brom have scored twice in each of their last three matches against The Foxes and this could well continue this GW. Rondon is not in the greatest goal scoring form, with his last goal coming in GW6 vs Stoke. Nevertheless, 2 of his three goals this season have come away from home. In addition, he has managed a shot every 21.2 minutes when playing away from home this season, which is highly impressive. Furthermore, in the last three GWs, Leicester have averaged 20.3 shots conceded per game, which heightens Rondon’s appeal this GW.

Wilfried Bony vs West Ham (away) - £7.3 (TSB 1.2%)

Bony found form last GW against his old club Swansea, netting twice and registering 5 shots. Of these 5 shots, 4 came from inside the penalty area. This bodes well for FPL managers, as West Ham conceded 12 shots inside the box last GW. Bony is central to Stoke’s attacking play and with the creative Joe Allen and Xherdan Shaqiri (if fit) playing well in behind, Bony should be well supported to continue his form this coming GW.

Score Predictions

BOU 2 (Wilson, Cook) | SUN 0

BUR 0 | CRY 0

MCI 4 (Aguero x2, Sterling, De Bruyne) | MID 0

WHU 0 | STK 1 (Bony)

CHE 2 (Costa, Hazard) | EVE 2 (Lukaku, Barkley)

ARS 2 (Ozil, Sanchez) | TOT 1 (Alli)

HUL 0 | SOU 3 (Austin x2, Davis)

LIV 2 (Coutinho, Firmino) | WAT 0

SWA 1 (Sigurdsson) | MUN 2 (Rashford, Mata)

LEI 2 (Musa, Mahrez) | WBA 2 (Rondon, Phillips)

Here is my XI for GW11:

 

If you have any questions about GW11 or need some advice on your team, please don’t hesitate to contact me on twitter – I’m happy to help.

For all the latest injury news, visit http://premierinjuries.com/

For all the latest team news, visit http://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/team-news/

Enjoy this week’s Premier League action and good luck to all FPL managers for GW11.

Sebastian Candido
Twitter: @sebcandido

Pink Shirt Clearance - Real Men Wear Pink

Gameweek 10 Review: Big Boys Back In Town

The big boys proved their worth at last as the big points come in threes (or maybe fours if you include resurging star Eden Hazard as one of the big hitters). Sanchez, Aguero and Lukaku all hit double figures.  Those with two or three of those who captained one got healthy returns whoever the remaining players were in their team. Maybe captain calls separated the cream from the crop this week. Sanchez (c) would have scored 26 points, Aguero (c) got 32, Lukaku (c) 24 and Hazard (c) 28.

If you don’t have two or three of these players then alarm bells will no doubt be ringing, and it would be a wise move to transfer in Aguero or Lukaku for the out-of-form Ibrahimovic if you haven’t already. While Sanchez is a difficult player to work into your team (potentially with De Bruyne being sold), Hazard is now well priced at 9.8. He seems a good replacement for Sterling if the funds are available, who is another player who has struggled to reproduce his early-season form in recent weeks. Walcott owners face a dilemma of their own in whether to stick or twist to Hazard after he was ruled out of the game on Saturday with a hamstring injury.

All these prize assets hitting big returns only meant one thing: big points. The week’s average was 58,  which is double gameweek-high. It was a great opportunity to make up points on your rivals. The standout players were those previously mentioned, but others scored quietly well who went under the radar.

Coutinh-oh yes! The stats behind the magic

 

Phillipe Coutinho has hit the form of his Liverpool career. It is now 2 goals and 5 assists for him in 6 games, and FPL managers have flocked to transfer him in. Coutinho is the second most transferred-in mid, now with 41% ownership- second most in FPL. He has amassed 64 fantasy points, second only to Alexis Sanchez of any midfielder. He is the joint-third highest point-scorer of the season in FPL- by far the best value premium midfielder in FPL on current form. His combined 9 goals and assists tally is second to Lukaku. Coutinho is second only to Daley Blind in the overall bonus points system (BPS) of every player in the game. In a few weeks Coutinho might be talked about as not the second or third best player in the game, but the single best player who is essential to have in your team.

Joe Allen’s On Fire

 

If 2 goals and 5 assists is good by Coutinho’s standards, then 4 goals and 2 assists is sensational for a midfield player. Well, they are the numbers produced by Joe Allen recently. At 5.1 he is very much the Coutinho of budget midfielders. Stoke’s run of form extended to 3 straight wins at home to Swansea, where Allen was on hand to assist twice.

Written by Kyle Norbury, 

Stoke fan and Fantasy football nerd.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter: @SCFCNerd

GW 9 Review: The Goalless Gameweek

Gameweek 5-

36 goals, 4 clean sheets

Gameweek 6- 
34 goals, 4 clean sheets

Gameweek 7- 20 goals, 
5 clean sheets

Gameweekk 8- 
27 goals, 6 clean sheets

Gameweek 9- 
19 goals, 9 clean sheets

Three goalless draws, the fewest number of goals and the most clean sheets this season. As you can see above, this weekend’s Premier League action was less than a goalfest. This was great news if you have a defence and goalkeeper that kept clean sheets, but if not then chances are you had a boring weekend and suffered red arrows on Sunday evening.

The defences in question include Spurs and Arsenal who played out goalless draws on Saturday, along with a victorious Chelsea on Sunday. This meant the 3 top point-scoring defenders and the top two highest owned (Walker and Bellerin) all scored at least 6 points. Those with premium defences would’ve been pleased.

Budget defences fared well too, as clean sheets for Bournemouth, Middlesbrough, Watford, Swansea, West Ham and Stoke offered points for 4.6 defenders and below. Overall, it was a good weekend for the popular FPL defences. Food for thought: keep up with the high ownership defenders/defences so you do not get left behind.

Coutinho the Stand-Out Midfielder

With 9 gameweeks gone there have been no shortage of surprises in the midfield department. First Raheem Sterling was unusually productive in front of goals, then Theo Walcott over-performed for Arsenal, and Etienne Capoue and Joe Allen briefly hitting the goal trail, but the biggest surprise of all midfielders so far has arguably been the consistency of Phillipe Coutinho.

The ‘Brazilian playmaker’ has so far lived up to his billing with numbers to back up his continually impressive performances, whereas in past seasons he has shown glimpses of his abundant talent but has not had regular goals and assists. Things have changed under Klopp, who has made him a more direct attacker. There is a real case now for Coutinho as the number one Liverpool mid. Lesson learned: Do not be stubborn in your selections. Doubt Coutinho at your peril, FPL-ers.

Aguer-nonono!

‘Aguero is essential’. ‘Aguero is fixture-proof’. ‘Always Captain Aguero’. Our fantasy principles are being questioned, but not like they normally are. We know Aguero to be the most prolific and reliable player in the game, but he has failed to score in three straight games for the first time since December 2015. While it would be a knee-jerk move to sell Aguero, managers will now be wise to think twice about giving him the captain’s armband every week, especially with Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard in such good form.

Written by Kyle Norbury, 

Stoke fan and Fantasy football nerd.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter: @SCFCNerd

Gameweek 8 Review: The GW of Budget Buys

With the big-hitters failing to produce big points and the obvious clean sheets not turning out as such, it was not so much about the usual suspects of FPL point-scoring but the cheapies that brought home the points this gameweek. There were very few viable midfield options below 7.0 until the last few gameweeks. Nacer Chadli has so far scored regular points in his new role for West Brom after coming to prominence as a fantasy option at 6.4 in gameweek 5. Since then there have become even more good value fantasy propositions from midfield.

Junior Stanislas (5.5) was the top-scoring player in FPL this gameweek. His two goals and two assists took him up to 3 goals and 3 assists in his last 3 games. He is certainly one to watch in an impressive attacking side that cruised to a resounding 6-1 victory against Hull.

Joe Allen’s price dropped to 4.8 earlier in the season when he was a substitute for Liverpool, but now transformed into an attacking midfielder his price looks like rising. Allen’s brace at home to Sunderland makes it three consecutive games in which he has scored. Despite not being a renowned goalscorer but more of a defensive midfielder, Mark Hughes has so far deployed Allen further forward. His rise to goalscoring form coincides with a good run of fixtures, with Hull, Swansea and West Ham next up for Stoke.

Take Note of Attacking Defenders

Click to view in full

Whilst writing these reviews, every week I wonder how to assess defensive options with so few clean sheets. The 0-0 at Anfield on Monday is the exception that disproves the rule that clean sheets have been in short supply. After the last gameweek I pointed out premium options such as Bellerin (6.5) and Walker (6.0) were worth their cost for their clean sheet potential and attacking points. This may be true, as Bellerin made an assist and very nearly scored despite neither claiming clean sheet points, but it is also worth looking elsewhere for players in other price ranges who are capable of attacking returns and bonus points.

The stand-out cheap defender before this gameweek was Brad Smith of Bournemouth. He had risen to 4.7 on Saturday after another assist, but it was his teammate Charlie Daniels who scored and assisted to pick up two bonus points. Daniels also takes penalties, so is a great option for your defence at 4.9. Alternatively, Steve Cook proved his aerial threat by scoring v Hull, a game where all of the Cherries’ players showed their full attacking potential.

Even more affordable than the Bournemouth defenders is Middlesbrough’s George Friend (4.5), who created 2 chances and crossed the ball 5 times on Sunday. 4.5 Holebas, also a defender, scored in the same game for Watford. This contributed towards his 2 bonus points even though his side lost 1-0, but ‘Boro’s fixtures are tricky. They go up against Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea in the next 4 games, including an in-form Bournemouth. Erik Pieters (4.4) has much more favourable fixtures and collected 2 bonus points in Stoke’s first win of the season. Will their form continue? I certainly think so.

Kyle Norbury,
Stoke fan and fantasy football nerd,
Feel free to follow me on Twitter: @SCFCNerd

Big Guns Fire Blanks - Gameweek 7 Review

Gameweek 7 was a rare weekend where the big-hitters in FPL all struggled to have a part to play for their teams. Eden Hazard’s 0 goals or assists in the last 3 gameweeks means his popularity will continue to drop after a strong opening 4 games. Then, on Sunday all of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez unusually failed to register a goal or an assist. The latter was a surprisingly good captain pick with 3 points. The overall average for the gameweek was very low and not many points were to be made up on league leaders.

Having failed to breech a Stoke defence that had conceded the most goals in the league this season prior to Sunday, Ibrahimovic is now out of form, similar to Hazard, without scoring returns in his last 3 games. Zlatan’s price has already fallen from 11.9 back to his base price of 11.5 and will continue to lessen your team value if you choose to hold onto the Man United striker. Next up for the Swede are tough games for him to score in, against Liverpool and Chelsea in the next two gameweeks.

Always Captain Aguero?

As mentioned last week, Sergio Aguero is essential to a successful FPL season. His goals/game ratio is the best of any striker in Premier League history. When he scores, he tends to score in twos or threes or not at all, as we found this this week. Aguero was a forlorn figure in City’s 2-0 loss away to Spurs- his second PL blank of the season. This season Aguero’s 6 Premier League goals have all come in games he’s scored twice. The same pattern of scoring in clusters appears in Europe too. Kun hit a hattrick in the first leg of the qualifying round for the Champions League and in the first round of the group stage, before failing to find the net in mid-week against Celtic.

This could mean choosing when to captain him is all about timing. Missing a captain brace or more from Kun could prove costly, but it might be best to be selective on who to place the double-point burden based on fixture difficulty. For example this week Romelu Lukaku, Firmino and Diego Costa proved the better options as they faced easier opponents than Aguero. 


‘Blankaku’ Turns Reliant Romelu

Your writer chose not to captain Lukaku with his double-gameweek blank in GW34 of last season living long in the memory. One of those games came against Crystal Palace. I was wrong to doubt the Belgian, as Lukaku looks to have picked up form early on, this time scoring against Palace.

He is still dubbed ‘Blankaku’ for his goalless runs, but Lukaku can be a prolific goalscorer when on a scoring run. He has now bagged 5 goals this season- all 5 coming in the last 4 gameweeks. He is now in fine scoring form going into the international break. The last international break got his scoring tally for the season up and running, so the Everton striker’s 21% ownership will be hoping he stays in form playing for Belgium versus Bosnia and Gibraltar.

Kyle Norbury,

Stoke fan and fantasy football nerd,

Follow me, Kyle on Twitter: @SCFCNerd

 

Best replacements for Kevin de Bruyne in FPL?

Kevin de Bruyne will be out for up to 3 to 5 weeks and many managers are looking for a replacement for the injured superstar. In this article I will give you several recommendations as an alternative.

First off, since KdB is himself pretty pricey, I’m sure there are ways for you to top up a bit more and get Alexis Sanchez at £11.1. Why Sanchez? Well, as always Sanchez is a really explosive player and is able to convert half chances into goals when he is on form. To add on to that, Arsene Wenger is playing him as a striker. What more could you ask for? A great midfielder playing up front, he is bound to get you points either via scoring or bagging the assist. Arsenal’s next few fixtures look really enticing as they play Burnley (A), Swansea (H), Middlesbrough (H) and Sunderland (A) next. Therefore, in the next 4 gameweeks, be prepared for him to do well and look forward to his price rising!

Next, it is the Spurs midfielder Hueng-Min Son (£7.5). With Harry Kane being out for the time being, Son seems to be taking over the goal scoring opportunities whenever he plays. In the past 3 Premier League matches he has attained 47 FPL points by scoring 4 goals and providing 1 assist. At a budget price, and with Spurs having a few decent fixtures next, Son is the player to get as the other Spurs midfielders such as Eriksen and Lamela look cold.

Finally, with no European duties, Liverpool midfielders are the ones to get. Why? Firstly, they have scored a ton of goals in the season. Totalling 16 goals in 6  matches, scoring 5 goals once and 4 goals twice (one against Arsenal), they look to be unstoppable. Secondly, their next few fixtures looks to be a walk in the park, bar Manchester United in Gameweek 8.

Sadio Mane (£9.0) is the one to consider if you have the budget for him. He is explosive as well, and will take the opportunity to get himself goals. Phillipe Coutinho (£8.2) is the heart of Liverpool’s midfield right now. He is able to set up his team mates to score and is able to take his chances from outside the box. Surprisingly, he is doing way better than Firmino who is actually playing upfront. Firmino is hardworking but isn’t able to get points in FPL as of now therefore, I would stay away from him. Lastly, it is Adam Lallana. If you are looking for Liverpool coverage but have a budget issue, then he is the player to get at £7.2. Lately, he has shown that he is a player worth considering as he is involved in many of the attacks and can score as well.

Before replacing KdB, know what your plans are. If you want to bring in Aguero then a cheaper option is better than a premium player.

Written by: @FantasyFoxez

The Return of the Kun - Gameweek 6 Review

Lord of the Strikers- The Return of the Kun

Kun Aguero was back this week. If you didn’t already know, then it would be a good idea to transfer him in your team as soon as possible. This is because he is about to rise back up to 13.1 and has returned to his brilliant best after a two-game suspension. Aguero outscored all strikers this week except Jermain Defoe, which is even more reason to get Aguero (unless you want Defoe instead). Lord Aguero continues to hold a mythical status within the FPL community and the majority of experienced managers see him as a must-have captain pick every week, and with good reason. Noone has scored more Premier League goals in the last 5 seasons than Sergio Aguero.

Surprise Packages Keep on Giving

The surprise player of the season so far, along with last week’s headline grabber Etienne Capoue, has been Raheem Sterling, who has now produced 4 goals and 3 assists under Guardiola. That’s already as many assists as the entire of last season and just 2 goals less. It’s important to note however that Sterling only made 23 league appearances. This time round he is proving his potential and looks to be a certain starter throughout the season for Man City.

This could also be the season Phillipe Coutinho hits double figures for goals and assists for the first time. 3 goals and 3 assists in 6 games mean that at the current rate he will reach 18 goals and 18 assists by the end of the season, which is a lot better than 8 Gs and 10 As last season. Owners were warned in this feature after a strong gameweek one showing that he’s prone to inconsistency, but the Brazilian is proving doubters wrong with great quality in the attacking third, and not just the occasion wondergoal.

Although Coutinho will likely take the credit for Liverpool’s fine form, Adam Lallana is playing a big part in their early-season success, as a vital cog in a well-oiled machine. The winger is matching Coutinho’s goals and assists tally and is 1.0 cheaper at 7.2. Previous to his goal and two assists against Hull, including maximum bonus points, he was an unsung hero in a very threatening attacking team which has created more chances than any other team in Europe. Lallana and Coutinho are not yet proven in FPL, but they are definitely worth a gamble.

The Case For A Cheap Defence

With just 4 clean sheets out of a possible 20 two weeks in a row, it seems the majority of points are not coming from goalkeepers and defenders. Only Bournemouth, Arsenal, Southampton and Burnley kept clean sheets in gameweek 6. Arsenal and Spurs are the only premium-priced defences to have kept clean sheets in the past 2 gameweeks. However, you do get what you pay for with defenders. Kyle Walker (5.8) was the highest scoring defender in gameweek 5 and this week the most expensive defender in FPL, Hector Bellerin, proved his worth with an assist to go with his clean sheet vs Chelsea. A balance of 1 or 2 of the pricier options along with the best value cheap defenders, namely Adam Smith of Bournemouth at the moment, might be the best way to go.

Kyle Norbury,

Stoke fan and fantasy football nerd,

Follow me, Kyle on Twitter: @SCFCNerd