The Digest – Gameweek Ten

While the “Vans” delivered the gameweek goods, Alex Ferguson tinkered in an attempt to give United solidity and bite. Not for the first time, Wayne Rooney proved pivotal to his plans – a shift in the engine room beckoned…

The Player

A sixth goal in five games saw Rafael Van der Vaart justify the armband. Demba Ba’s second hat-trick of the season reduced the Britannia fortress to rubble. However, it was Robin Van Persie’s triple at Stamford Bridge that caused the biggest tremor.

Even with form that had brought the Arsenal skipper six goals in his last four league starts, few would have anticipated the damage Van Persie inflicted at Stamford Bridge. The three strikes confirmed him as the Premier League’s leading scorer; the 19-points in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game installed him as the leading player. Suddenly, having provided an early season spurt for many Fantasy managers, Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney were cast in the shadow of the Dutchman.

Van Persie’s devastating form has provided a major twist. With just over 10% ownership going into the weekend, the Gunners’ skipper has delivered a timely differential and help some to close the gap on those who benefited from the early flourishes from Rooney and Ageuro. What’s more, his fixtures offer little reassurance to those currently attempting to resist the move to acquire his services.

Barring injury, Van Persie seems set to blaze an unstoppable points trail. Central to Arsenal’s attacking ploys and on set-pieces, there’s no sign of Wenger curbing his side’s forward thinking. With defensive frailty now seemingly woven into “Wenger’s Arsenal” DNA, they simply have to go on attacking. The two-goals against Stoke in gameweek nine also demonstrated that Wenger can ill-afford to risk facing a Premier League opponent without his skipper.

There could yet be a derailment – we’ve seen it before. Right now however, it seems folly to turn down a ticket to board the Van Persie express.

The Team

There are prospects elsewhere, of course. Tottenham have a wealth of attacking talent that also demands our attention. Like Arsenal, they have fixtures on their side and, in Van der Vaart, they have a player in such form, he has a pull to rival even Van Persie.

Van der Vaart is the prime Fantasy talent on offer but, while Arsenal have been accused of being too reliant on Van Persie’s brilliance, Tottenham are very much a team. Built around the tireless toil of Scott Parker, they flank his industry with the raw pace of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon, a vibrant supply line to feed both Van der Vaart and Emmanuel Adebayor. Luka Modric buzzes at the centre of it all – prompting patterns and linking play.

On occasions in Sunday’s game, Tottenham combined this delicious weaponry to bewildering effect. The third goal, curled home by via Bale’s cultured left-foot, was sublime in its approach and execution. Paddy Kenny flapped helplessly; Neil Warnock was left humbled by the talent in Harry Redknapp’s locker.

Bale, having destroyed European defences last season, failed to translate that devastation to the Premier League stage. In Fantasy terms, like Modric, he has never really delivered on his promise. On Sunday’s evidence however, Bale may yet warrant our attention.

Lennon, on the opposite flank, chipped in with two assists and also has the talent to provide at least a fleeting distraction for Fantasy managers; maybe more. Adebayor, meanwhile, may well be dimmed by Van der Vaart’s goal spree having sparkled himself in an initial spell, but will surely find goals soon again with such talent around him.

Mountains should be moved to find room and the funds for Van der Vaart but, if acquiring the Dutchman is a stretch too far, there is an able supporting cast within Redknapp’s squad with the stage in front of them to make a further impact on our Fantasy seasons.

The Talking Point

While Van Persie checked-in a hat-trick to propel him to the top of the scoring charts, Wayne Rooney ploughed around Goodison in a midfield role, providing cover for the back four and the bullets for Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez. The irony of Saturday’s events is obvious – the frustration felt by Rooney’s Fantasy owners even more so.

Rooney’s recent decline was signposted – we always expected him to have a difficult ride during his past three gameweeks, but few would have pictured him ending that spell in midfield, providing little threat to the opponent’s goal.

We now have a conundrum. There’s little doubt that we’ve fallen out of love with Rooney – already sitting on top of the “Transferred out” rankings in the FPL, he is doubtless being sacrificed to fund the arrival of Van Persie. A glance at the fixtures suggests we need to be wary however. While there’s little sign of the Arsenal man letting up, equally there’s every chance that Rooney could ignite once more.

The real issue is his role within the starting lineup. Ferguson’s little experiment at Goodison offered a reminder of a run of games which saw Rooney shackled by a shift on the flank last season. Having gained the win and a clean sheet, and with Hernandez and Welbeck as talented options, there’s a chance that Rooney could again be anchored in a deeper position.

If that is the case, on Saturday’s evidence, Rooney will struggle to recapture his previous rate of returns. Even if he is pitched up front with Hernandez – he could be encouraged to come deep; to bolster the midfield as Ferguson looks to make his side more robust and resistant to opponents’ attacks.

With Nani also drifting out of form and onto the United bench, suddenly we’re left looking at secondary targets within Ferguson’s squad to cover the attacking potential. The question is, will that attacking potential be tempered by Ferguson; is the hangover from the 6-1 City slapping still lingering?