Fantasy Football Review – Gameweek 27 – FPL Premier League

Chelsea 1-0 Everton
Goals:
Terry
Assists:
Lampard
Bonus Points:
Terry (3), Cahill (2), Ivanovic (1)

Fantasy Focus:

Chelsea: What did we learn from Chelsea in this game? Well, what we should have known all along, grab Hazard and one of their defenders. CFC have kept 12 clean sheets for the season, 6 at Home and 6 Away. Terry in particular has delivered 7.5 PPG over his last 6 games, but don’t discount any of his defensive mates as a possibility. Cech, Cahill, Iva and Azpi are all worthy of consideration, 6 out of their last 8 opponents have not been able to register a goal against them. As for SuperEden, it was not one of his best performances, but it is obvious he is the main generator of offense at CFC. He had 5 key passes and 2 Shots on target which led the team, more importantly he seems to be the only FPL relevant midfielder who Jose deems untouchable. No Chelsea forwards appear worth having and Oscar (poor form), Willian (poor shot selection) and Lamps (poor minutes) suffer from a mixture of FPL diseases.
Note: Chelsea does not have a blank game-week on the schedule.

Everton:

Similar to Chelsea, one midfielder and their defenders are the most noteworthy players. Mirallas has scored 3 in 6 games and one could make a case that he should have scored 3 times in this game. He got himself into very good positions and surely managed to have any FPL owner of his feeling a bit frustrated, as he couldn’t get his shots on target. As we look back we see only 1 CS in 12 for the Toffees, but as we look forward we see West Ham, Cardiff, Swansea and possibly Palace all at home in their next 4. Four home games against teams 10th or lower in the standings followed by a trip to Craven Cottage does seem like a good time to be scooping up I least one of their defenders. Coleman and Baines in particular looked lively down the flanks and completed the most dribbles for their side, which only highlights their tendency to bomb forward. Lukaku seems ready to join the fray, priced at 8.2 with great fixtures he could be deemed worthy of consideration after he clears his blank.

Note: Everton have a blank in game-week 29 and awaits the rescheduling of their Palace & Newcastle fixtures.

[divider_1px]

Manchester City 1-0 Stoke City

Goals:
Toure
Assists:
Kolarov
Bonus Points:
Yaya (3), Kolarov (2), Demichellis (1)

Fantasy Focus:

Manchester City: Another disappointing output from the City scoring machine, only one goal in their last 3 will have left many a manager a bit disappointed. Yaya seems to be the only midfield player worth considering at the moment, with 8 goals in his last 13. Silva and Nasri for all their silky smoothness produce very little in what actually matters…points!! City defenders don’t seem to be sought out because of some of their inconsistencies at the back, but when they have home fixtures down the line, you could do worse. 7 clean sheets in 13 matches for City at the Ethiad and only 9 goals condeded. Negredo, Dzeko and Jovetic (injured) are definitely no Kun Aguero. If you are looking at a City forward in the future, Kun seems the only viable option if the form of the other strikers does not improve.
Note: City have blanks in GW28 & 29 and have a DGW in 31, with another 2 fixtures awaiting rescheduling vs Villa and Sunderland.

Stoke City: They do not offer explosive options, but they do offer security of fixtures over the coming weeks. I would not recommend any defensive players as they have allowed a shocking 42 goals this season and have only kept 6 clean sheets. Perhaps though, you could be interested in Ol’ Charlie Adam, valued at only £5.8m and currently owned by 3.3% of managers he could prove to be a shrewd move. 7 goals & 3 assists is very nice production for a cheap mid with a good schedule after he clears Arsenal. He looked the most dangerous option at the Ethiad and forced a wonderful save from Hart to keep him off the scoreboard. Crouch was subdued, but at 5.5 he could be an option as a fill in for a week or two.
Note: Stoke do not have a blank game-week on the schedule.

[divider_1px]

Arsenal 4-1 Sunderland
Goals:
Giroud (2), Rosicky, Koscielny, Giaccherini

Assists:
Cazorla, Giroud

Bonus Points:
Giroud (3), Rosicky (2), Koscielny (1)

Fantasy Focus:

Arsenal: Olivier Giroud … Le Cavaleur had 2 goals and 1 assist. He looked very appealing yesterday and not just to women looking for an available married guy. Rosicky played very well and considering his £5.5m price tag, he could be one to keep on the watch list if Arsene gives him consistent minutes. Neither Ox nor Ozil featured, but one would expect them to see the pitch sooner rather than later. Caz is providing security with his minutes, as he has started his last 10 and is only second to Giroud in shots per game with 2.5. Sagna, Merts and Kos have all proved worthy of owning, but notice the trend….Merts who was heavily sought after and is owned by almost 30% has seen his supposed BPS earning advantage, disappear. In the last 9 games Kos has earned 12 bonus points which is six more than the big German in that same time frame. Arsenal with 9 clean sheets at home normally offer good returns, but a look at their upcoming fixtures, scream STAY AWAY!!
Note: Arsenal have a blank game-week in 29 and await the rescheduling of their fixture with Swansea.

Sunderland: The Black Cats looked like a team thinking one week ahead to the Capital One Cup. Giaccherini’s goal was the only bright spot for a team who seemed uninterested at times. The same suspects that we were looking at before remain the possible acquisitions once Sunderland clear their double blank. Colback, Ki, Bardsley and Mannone offer cheap options as back up players. They are also possible plays during their DGWs or favourable fixtures. Adam Johnson seems the only real name to warrant a small level of excitement, assuming he looks like he gives a crap once they resume action in GW30. 6 goals and 2 assists in his last 6, A.J. will definitely be on our radars for some possible future assistance with our teams.
Note: Sunderland have blanks in GW28 & 29 and await the rescheduling of 3 fixtures vs Liverpool, City and West Brom.

[divider_1px]

Cardiff 0-4 Hull City

Goals:
Jelavic (2), Livermore, Huddlestone
Assists:
Rosenior, Elmohamady, Long, Livermore.
Bonus Points:
Rosenior (3), Jelavic (2), Livermore (1)

Fantasy Focus:

Cardiff: Really looking bleak now for Cardiff. Marshall was good at the back again but he cannot be expected to keep everything out. Zaha showed some promise in the early parts of the match but did not capitalise on his chances. To concede four goals is never good, and especially at home, the Cardiff fans cannot be too hopeful of what is to come.

Hull: Hull have been decent this season and Steve Bruce has done very well. Another crucial away victory just securing their Premier League status. The acquisitions of Jelavic and Long appearto be a good bit of business now as both were influential with Long grabbing an assist and Jelavic two goals. Also take note of their defence as another clean sheet in this one with Rosenior grabbing all three bonus points. Chester came on for a 20 minute cameo and with Bruce only completing 70 minutes due to a knock, we need to keep our eyes open on that situation. Jake Livermore made a fantastic contribution in this one and even though he is not consistent, he could be a cheap 5th midfielder option. Take note that Hull has a FA Cup replay tomorrow of which personally I hope they lose so that they are a part of gameweek 29.

[divider_1px]

West Brom 1-1 Fulham

Goals:
Vydra, Dejegah
Assists:
Anichebe, Richardson
Bonus Points:
Vydra (3), Dejagah (2), Anichebe (1)

Fantasy Focus:

WBA: Another fightback from the Baggies, saw them grab a point, but it seems they only really get going when they’re behind. West Brom upped the tempo after a disappointing first half thanks to Brunt’s promptings from a deeper central midfield role, Anichebe’s greater muscle as the attacking fulcrum and Amalfitano’s excellent service from right-back. It was Anichebe who provided the cross for substitute Vydra to equalise late on.

Fulham: looked a more resolute outfit under new manager Magath, but the lack of quality throughout the side remains the big concern. A decent first half performance saw Dejegah score from Richardson’s cross. Richardson was lively throughout. Mitroglou was introduced for the final 30mins, but by then the Baggies were on top and the striker had little opportunity to impress.

[divider_1px]

West Ham 3-1 Southampton

Goals:
Jarvis, Cole, Nolan; Yoshida
Assists:
Nolan, Cole, Davis
Bonus Points:
Cole (3), Nolan (2), Yoshida & Davis (1)

Fantasy Focus:

West Ham:

The Hammers run of clean sheets came to an end after just eight minutes but Big Sam is unlikely to lose much sleep as they made it four wins on the bounce and as a result they have moved up to 10th in the table. Kevin Nolan was again on the score sheet to make it five in his last four games and will be much sought after in the coming weeks, particularly if their game against Hull goes ahead in GW29. Further up the pitch Carlton Cole impressed as he helped himself to a goal & two assists and could be great value at £5.0m but with Andy Carroll due back due back from suspension Cole is likely to find himself back on the bench. At the back Winston Reid once more made an appearance from the bench but with Allardyce unlikely to change a winning team owners of James Collins & James Tomkins needn’t worry just yet.

Southampton:

This was Southampton’s first league defeat in seven games but it must surely extinguish any remaining hopes they had of playing European football next season. The Saints took the lead after just eight minutes as Maya Yoshida headed in a Steven Davis free-kick. Davis has now scored one & picked up two assists in his last six games and at just £4.7m he is excellent value particularly when you consider that Southampton will feature in GW29. Southampton managed to create 25 opportunities but uncharacteristically only managed to get five of these on target, fantasy managers will be hoping the likes of Lallana, Lambert & Rodriguez can get back on track over the coming weeks.

[divider_1px]

Crystal Palace 0-2 Manchester United

Goals:
van Persie, Rooney
Assists:
Evra (2)
Bonus Points:
Evra (3), Rooney (2), van Persie & Ferdinand (1)

Fantasy Focus:

Crystal Palace:

Since his arrival at Selhurst Park Tony Pulis has certainly had the effect that both the owners and fans alike had hoped he would and for the first hour of this game it looked like Palace might secure a valuable point in their fight against relegation. Despite conceding two to the reigning champions their defence still offers great value for money and with an impending double game-week the likes of Ward & Dann are likely to be in demand. Finally it’s worth noting that Glenn Murray made his first start of the season and should he be able to rediscover the form he showed in the Championship last season he will certainly be worth consideration.

Manchester United:

It’s 19 years since Eric Cantona infamously jumped into the crowd at Selhurst Park and after the first hour many United fans must have wished they could still call on the services of their mercurial Frenchman as they failed to break down a resolute Palace defence. It was however another Frenchman who came to the rescue as Patrice Evra won a 62nd minute penalty which van Persie scored with aplomb, his fourth goal in five games since his return from injury. Six minutes later and it was two nil as Rooney rifled home from 12 yards out following a cut back from Evra, United will be hoping for more of these from their 300k a week man! Looking ahead and United don’t feature in GW28, however they do have a double game-week on the horizon meaning the likes of Rooney & van Persie are likely to figure in many plans. However it should be noted that despite his excellently taken goal Rooney played quite deep at times, spraying passes forward for the likes of Mata, Januzaj and van Persie.

[divider_1px]

Liverpool 4-3 Swansea

Goals:
Sturridge (2), Henderson (2), Shelvey, Bony (2)
Assists:
Sterling, Suarez, Sturridge, Dyer, De Guzman
Bonus Points:
Sturridge (3), Bony (2), Henderson (1)

Fantasy Focus:

Liverpool: Once again, a treat to watch up front, absolutely abysmal at the back. Sturridge is sublime and now moves three ahead of Aguero in the overall goal scoring standings. A really off day for Suarez here and he seems to be on a bit of a drought but is still very influential and so it would take a brave man to remove him. Henderson carries on with his good form, this time converting into fantasy points with 2 goals and was probably man of the match. With their current form I recommend investing in Liverpool attacking options but to run away from defensive ones. Skrtel finally got caught in the box with his shirt pulling antics and conceded a penalty.

Swansea: Credit to the Swans for not just rolling over in this one as they came back from two goals down and then again equalised with the third. Shelvey was given lots of space in the middle and made it count with a great finish. Unfortunately he was taken off at half time with injury. Bony is a pillar of strength up front holding up the ball and contributed with two goals and carry on with some decent form. Not the best showing at the back but any team will struggle defensively at Anfield.

[divider_1px]

Newcastle 1-0 Aston Villa
Goals:
Remy.
Assists:
De Jong.
Bonus Points:
Remy (3), Coloccini (2), Krul, Williamson, Debuchy, Dummett (1)

Fantasy Focus:

Newcastle: Well it seemed like ages but the Toon finally got a victory at home. It looked as if their season was going to fizzle out slowly but this win should get them to kick on and finish the season well. Pardew clearly wanted a change as Davide Santon was not even included in the match day squad, but they did have the return of Remy from suspension, Tiote and Coloccini at the back. It was Remy who got the winner very late into stoppage time to give relief to a worried Pardew. New boy De Jong got the assist and he looks handy up front but is yet to be worth consideration. Remy also hit the woodwork before his goal so he seems to have carried on from his pre suspension form. Remember this was Newcastle’s first goal in seven and a half hours of football so I would not rush to transfer any Newcastle attackers just yet but Remy could be worth it.

Aston Villa: Usually a lot better on their travels but this was not the case here. Villa will be looking over their shoulders and starting to get worried as they are still right in it with regards to relegation. Guzan showed some resilience in goal as he came up with 4 saves. He was unlucky not to end the game with a clean sheet. Villa looked to catch the visitors on the counter attack rater than taking the game to them and so they did not create many clear cut chances. Benteke was instructed to move on the right hand side of a three prong attack in order to give rookie Dummet a few problems and his physical presence did so but was not able to make anything further out of it. Once again it is hard to find any fantasy league value from Villa.

[divider_1px]

Norwich 1-0 Spurs

Goals: Snodgrass.
Assists: Johnson.
Bonus Points: Snodgrass (3), Bassong (2), Martin, Olsson, Yobo, Johnson (1)
Fantasy Focus:

Norwich:

By far the better side in this game and could have had more than the sole goal. Hughton has got his troops playing very well at home just at the right time. Another clean sheet in this one and plenty of good value in the Norwich defence to choose from. Ruddy is very solid in goal and made a couple of good saves to deny the visitors. A great finish by Snodgrass with Johnson providing the assist. The latter could have had a goal himself as he rattled a free kick against the cross bar. Perhaps these two are worthy of a look in for game week 29 when they play Stoke at home.

Spurs:

Never in the game in the first half and only started to crack on the pressure when they went a goal down. Adebayor still looks the best attacking threat for them but did not have the best of service today. Soldado came on late in the second half to partner Adebayor up front but was poor again as he missed a couple of chances. Spurs also have a game in gameweek 29 but it is quite difficult to find any attacking threats from their midfield in this game as no one really came to the party.

Thanks for reading our Fantasy Football Review – Gameweek 27, this article was written by Cookie, Kop, Migs and Mito