The Watchlist – Santi Cazorla

Since arriving at Arsenal from Malaga during the summer, Santi Cazorla has added his name to a raft of attacking midfielders Fantasy managers have been keeping a close eye on. As with the likes of the Premier League’s other new attacking recruits such as Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawa, though, there was always an element of doubt before the season got under way; could these prestigious talents sparkle in the English top-flight and, as the old saying goes, were they able to cut it on a rainy Tuesday night match at Stoke?

Certainly from his opening two games, Cazorla’s talent was no longer in question as his slick passing and eye for goal from distance left Arsenal fans delighted and Fantasy managers licking their lips in anticipation of a flurry of points. From a Fantasy perspective doubts still remained, though, as his magnificent attacking play failed to unlock the Sunderland and Stoke defences as the Gunners registered back-to-back goalless draws.

In the Gameweek 3 trip to Liverpool, the flood gates opened and at last his potential as a key Fantasy asset was realised when the playmaker produced a goal, assist and two Fantasy Premier League (FPL) bonus points to amass a Gameweek total of 13 points. A further assist for Cazorla followed in the Gameweek 4 demolition of Southampton, with yet another assist, plus two FPL bonus points, in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at the Etihad. By now the writing was well and truly on the wall for Cazorla, who has arrived in a burst of Spanish flair as a proven force to be reckoned with in the Premier League.

For the savvy Fantasy managers, who have been watching Cazorla’s underlying attacking statistics closely during the first part of the season, Gameweek 7 has long been pencilled in as Santi day, when Arsenal’s tough opening fixtures come to an end. After this weekend’s home clash with Chelsea, the prospects look full of promise for strong attacking returns for the Gunners throughout the rest of October (whm, nor, QPR).

There is even strong argument for drafting him in ahead of this run to catch Cazorla before his price rises even further. Initially costing 9.0 in FPL, he has already climbed by 0.3, with over 28,000 Fantasy managers snapping him up this week. There is every chance Cazorla, who is Arsenal’s top points scorer in the FPL game with 30 points, will also be able to unlock a resolute Chelsea defence.

In the Sky Sports game, where he is priced at 6.7m, he is also set to be a key asset having already amassed 43 points, the second highest among the game’s midfielders. In the Sky game Cazorla is arguably even more desirable as bonus points are awarded for successful passes, just one of a number of attributes the bedazzling little Spaniard possesses.