Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 9 – The Strong

With no Premier League action to digest, we turn our focus to Gameweek 9 and beyond with a look at the sides with the most favourable schedules over the next six rounds of matches. Newcastle and Sunderland will be looking to kick-start their campaigns, while Jose Mourinho has cause for optimism as Chelsea despterately attempt to turn their poor form around and revive a title bid.

NEWCASTLE

With their next four opponents all in the bottom half of the table, Steve McClaren’s side could arrive on the radars of Fantasy managers looking to unearth some mid-price and budget differentials.

Over the last four Gameweeks, no side has allowed more shots from inside their own area than Norwich, while Leicester and Stoke also feature in the top four. Sunderland have also conceded eight goals in their last four, so the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum (6.8), and Aleksandar Mitrovic (6.2), could warrant consideration. The Serbian opened his account for the Magpies against Manchester City, and with so many in-form options to choose from in midfield, looks an ideal differential candidate for a third striker slot, with his ownership currently standing at 0.8% in Fantasy Premier League (FPL). Ayoze Perez (5.1) has now started the last two alongside Mitrovic in a 4-4-2 and earned a 12-point haul against Chelsea, though his versatility could see him moved onto the flank should McClaren switch back to a lone striker system.

Newcastle have only kept one clean sheet so far this season, so defensive returns still look unlikely at this point, despite facing favourable match-ups against low scoring Sunderland and a Bournemouth side hit by injuries to key attackers. Providing he can recover from the knee injury that forced him to withdraw from the Dutch squad, Daryl Janmaat (4.9) has been the Magpies best offensive player in recent weeks, with his eye for goal a standout feature. In addition, with Tim Krul sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury sustained on duties for Holland last night, Rob Elliott – at just 4.0 – is elevated as a cut-price option for those seeking a new stopper, at least while Karl Darlow continues his recovery from an ankle injury.

SUNDERLAND

New manager Sam Allardyce will be optimistic of a strong start to life on Wearside, given the upcoming fixture list.

No team has conceded more goals than Sunderland (18) but the matches against West Brom and Stoke, who are the two sides who have registered the least number of goal attempts over the last four Gameweeks, do offer hope of a first shut-out of the season. Newcastle have only scored four goals in as many matches and could be seen as another opportunity for defensive points.

Should Sunderland tighten up defensively, the budget friendly price tag of John O’Shea and Younes Kaboul (both 4.3) and Seb Coates (4.2) could see them emerge as viable budget options, depending on Big Sam’s preference. Costel Pantilimon has dropped to 4.8 between the posts and is also one to monitor.

At the other end of the pitch, the fact that Sunderland come up against some pretty strong backlines in the form of West Brom, Everton and Crystal Palace, who have surprisingly only conceded seven goals so far this term, may deter investment. Yann M’Vila (5.0) has racked up 30 points in FPL and could come into our thoughts as a possible fifth midfielder, but with uncertainty over Allardyce’s attack, bringing in the likes of Fabio Borini or Jermain Defoe (both 5.4) right now looks a risky strategy. Jeremain Lens (6.5) has played a part in five of the Wearsiders’ eight goals so far but sits out the weekend clash against the Baggies due to suspension.

CHELSEA

While there’s little argument that Chelsea’s Fantasy assets have been a big disappointment so far, their upcoming run of fixtures may see us start to restore our faith in Jose Mourinho’s side.

Home clashes against Aston Villa and Norwich could potentially be very fruitful in attack, with both sides finding clean sheets hard to come by. West Ham have also conceded eight goals at Upton Park, so having bagged a goal and two assists in his last three outings, Eden Hazard (11.3) should be able to build on some encouraging performances. With rotation concerns among the rest of Chelsea’s midfield options, and with Diego Costa (10.9) looking poor value, it may only be the Belgian who captures our imagination for the time being. At 6.8, Willian – who has scored in each of the last three in all competitions, has certainly staked a claim for regular minutes.

Only Sunderland have conceded more goals than Chelsea (17), so while the match-ups against Aston Villa, Stoke and Liverpool, all teams who have only scored eight goals so far this season, could offer potential defensive returns, widespread investment in the Blues’ backline appears unlikely. The price tags of Asmir Begovic (5.0) and Kurt Zouma (5.5) do provide some appeal, but with the latter still likely to miss the odd match due to rotation, as seen against Southampton, it’s perhaps Cesar Azpilicueta (6.0) who looks the best option.

SOUTHAMPTON

The Saints have shown signs of hitting their straps over the last two weekends, with 3-1 victories against Swansea and Chelsea, and with four favourable fixtures over the next five Gameweeks, the likes of Sadio Mane (7.9) and Graziano Pelle (8.1) look enticing options for FPL bosses.

The pair both feature in the top seven players transferred in so far this week and are up against two of the league’s weakest defences – Sunderland and Leicester – who have both yet to register a clean sheet. Mane and Pelle look primed to continue their great form, then. Ronald Koeman’s side have found the back of the net eight times in their last three home matches, so the encounters against Bournemouth and Stoke at St Mary’s should also prove profitable. Interestingly, Dusan Tadic (7.0) lags behind Mane in terms of form, but has just three fewer FPL points.

Fantasy managers are spoilt for choice in terms of the Southampton backline, with Cedric Soares (5.0), Ryan Bertrand (5.3) and Virgil van Dijk (5.5) all boasting some attacking potential. Chances of defensive returns appear most likely in the match-ups against Bournemouth, Sunderland and Stoke, with all three sides having had their struggles in front of goal at different stages so far this season. Away trips to Liverpool and City do limit the appeal of investing in the Saints rearguard, though.

ALSO CONSIDER…

Leicester
Having scored six goals in his last five appearances, there are few forwards in stronger form than Jamie Vardy. His price has risen to 6.7 in FPL, but with the fixture list (sot, CPL, wba, WAT, new, MUN) still looking kind over the coming period, his ownership of 29% looks set to keep rising. The England international has proved himself against solid backlines and undoubtedly offers great value at the moment. Elsewhere, the benching of Riyad Mahrez (6.5) against Norwich was a big surprise, but given his form this season, it’s unlikely he’ll be out of the side for too long.

The Foxes are yet to register a shut-out, and while those who still have the likes of Kasper Schmeichel (4.5) and Robert Huth (4.4) in their 15-man squads may fancy a clean sheet against West Brom and Watford, with both teams having only scored six times this season, there’s clearly not going to be a great rush to bring in Leicester defenders just yet.

Man City
City’s favourable stretch continues over the next four Gameweeks, with three plum fixtures (BOU, NOR, avl) on the horizon. All three teams feature in the top seven sides for goals conceded so far this term, and whilst the home clashes against Liverpool and Southampton in Gameweeks 13 and 14 may be more testing, having scored 12 goals in their four matches at the Etihad, City’s attacking assets should be able to keep delivering over the next month or so.

With Sergio Aguero possibly set for a spell on the sidelines and David Silva forced off for Spain last night with an ankle injury, Kevin de Bruyne (10.3) looks the most enticing option for those eyeing up City’s attack, given that the Belgian has score in each of his three league starts. Wilfried Bony (8.2) is the obvious candidate to lead the line in Aguero’s absence, though Manuel Pellegrini has occasionally utilised Raheem Sterling (8.8) through the centre up top. Silva’s possible absence could hit City hard, though – they’ve scored 16 times in his five starts compared to three goals in as many matches without the Spaniard on board.

Having failed to earn a clean sheet without Vincent Kompany (6.2) on the pitch, the Belgian’s return is clearly going to be key, as the Citizens look to rediscover the form that saw them rack up five successive shut-outs at the start of the season. If the skipper is back, the likes of Aleksandar Kolarov (6.2) and Joe Hart (5.7) will look appealing options once again, with the four home matches over the next six Gameweeks boosting their prospects. Kolarov was forced off injured for Serbia tonight, though, with his massive 36% owners now eagerly awaiting any new updates. Nicolas Otamendi (6.5) has yet to justify his lofty valuation but has already notched in Europe and boasts some strong underlying statistics as a defensive differential.

Swansea
The Welsh outfit face four favourable match-ups (STK, avl, nor, BOU) over the next five Gameweeks, so we should certainly be casting our eye over Garry Monk’s side for the forthcoming period. Andre Ayew (7.2) looks the obvious attacking target, having amassed 46 points in FPL so far. The former Marseille man was withdrawn from the Ghana squad with a minor knock, but should be fine to line up against Stoke in Gameweek 9. Bafetimbi Gomis (7.1) has blanked in the Swans’ last four matches, however, and has looked well short of the form which saw him score four times during August.

Stoke and Bournemouth (bar the 4-3 win at West Ham) have found goals hard to come by on their travels, and could offer good opportunities of a clean sheet at the Liberty Stadium. Aston Villa have failed to score in three of their four home encounters, so the 5.0-priced members of the Swans backline could represent good value over the coming period. Although Ashley Williams (9%) remains the most popular pick, Federico Fernandez has offered a decent set-piece threat over the last few weeks, and could emerge as a differential, with his current ownership standing at just 0.4% in FPL.