The Digest – Gameweek 2

We take out final glance back at Gameweek 2 this lunchtime. City’s forgotten forward and Tottenham’s form under the new man in charge come under discussion, whilst we also look at the need to afford our players the chance to find their feet before pressing the “transfer out” button.

The Player

Stevan Jovetic’s double at home to Liverpool brings the City forward into focus after last night’s win over the Merseysiders. There were concerns surrounding the Montenegro man’s pitch time as Sergio Aguero edged towards full fitness but he was once again handed a start alongside Edin Dzeko and displayed the type of deadly finishing that served up 27 goals, in addition to 12 assists, over his final two years in Italy with Fiorentina.

Despite scoring five times in pre-season, Jovetic was largely overlooked as the campaign got underway and sat in less than 5% of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams for the encounter with Brendan Rodgers’ side. By the time the match finished, he’d leapt onto Fantasy radars with a two-goal salvo that earned his manager’s post-match praise and, with a home clash against travel-sick Stoke up next, seems poised for major investment.

Granted, as the campaign unfolds, there’s no doubt that Jovetic will succumb to his manager’s rotational whims but right now, the situation seems in his favour. With Alvaro Negredo injured, Aguero not yet 100% and Dzeko limping off with a leg problem last night, he certainly looks a strong contender for our three-man frontlines. At a time when many of the mid-price frontmen (Emmanuel Adebayor aside) have failed to convince, Jovetic, at just 7.9 in FPL, looks a very tempting route into an attack that racked up 101 goals in its way to the title last term.

The Team

A 4-0 demolition of QPR in Mauricio Pochettino’s first home match at the Tottenham helm underlined the Fantasy potential on offer at the north London club. The Argentine’s impact has been immediate since rolling up to the Lane and his high pressing approach is already reaping reward, offering Fantasy managers prospects right across the pitch.

Whilst the second half of last season saw Christian Eriksen as the sole option in the Spurs midfield, Pochettino’s arrival looks to have furthered our options in the centre of the park. Nacer Chadli managed a single goal last season and has already bettered that tally with a brace against Harry Redknapp’s side – priced at just 6.0 in FPL, the Belgian looks a real mid-price alternative if he can nail down a starting berth in the attacking midfield three. Erik Lamela’s pair of assists suggests he, too, could be set for a turnaround in fortunes, while Emmanuel Adebayor could be the pick of the mid-price forwards if he kicks on from his goal and assist against the R’s.

At the back, Spurs have been quick to hint at the resilience that helped Southampton earn 15 shut-outs under Pellegrini in 2013/14. Back-to-back goals from Eric Dier has ensured the summer signing earns most of the Fantasy attention as his ownership climbs past 10%, though it’s yet to be seen just where he stands in the pecking order once Pochettino has a fully-fit quota of defenders to choose from. Jan Vertonghen is a pricier option but if his manager’s magic touch can unlock the goal threat that saw him net five times in his debut season, the Belgian could be another Tottenham alternative arriving on our radars shortly.

The Talking Point

Jovetic’s double against Liverpool merely underlines the need to afford our squads a little more patience as the season gets up and running. For some, weeks of careful planning and preparation were thrown to one side after Gameweek 1, as more than 152,000 wildcards were wielded after just a single round of action.

After their win over Newcastle, City were poised for three home matches in four, yet Jovetic, as their form forward (and the only one with a full pre-season behind him), was cast aside by over 24,000 Fantasy managers after blanking at St James’ Park and suffered a drop in price. At such a favourable cost, the scramble is now on for his signature ahead of the Stoke clash, with over 76,000 already transferring him in.

In midfield, many lost patience with Juan Mata and Eden Hazard – two proven Premier League big-hitters. Offloaded by 94,000 FPL owners last week, Mata subsequently notched his seventh goal in eight league outings in the 1-1 draw at Sunderland. Hazard, meanwhile, was sold by nearly 50,000 managers ahead of a plum home clash against Leicester – bearing in mind the Belgian had scored 10 of his 14 strikes at the Bridge last season, there was something of an inevitability about his goal against The Foxes.

With player prices appearing to take longer to change in this season’s FPL game so far, there have been fewer fluctuations than ever in the market – essentially, this is allowing us the chance to stick to our guns and follow through on our long-term planning. Granted, while following the bandwagons, such as Gylfi Sigurdsson, can pay off handsomely, reining in our knee-jerk reactions and maintaining courage in our initial convictions can prove the wisest move.