Fantasy Football Preview

Hello fellow fantasy football managers. Gameweek 5 is upon us and by now you might’ve had a fair idea about which players you are supposed to stick with for the long haul.

10 matches as usual this gameweek and we’ll be focusing on some of them.

West Brom vs Sunderland

We start off with the battle at the bottom of the table where 19th welcomes 20th. Either team is yet to win a game this season and you get the feeling these are the kind of games they’d have to go for broke if they are serious about staying afloat in the Premier League this season.

West Brom have scored just 1 goal this season, losing both their home games and drawing the away ones. Sunderland, on the other hand, have conceded 8 goals already. West Ham are yet to keep a clean sheet this season, so we could see some goals here. If you have one of Steven Fletcher or Anelka, you might as well give them a final chance.

Picks: Anelka, Fletcher

Liverpool vs Southampton

Top of the table, 3 clean sheets and things can only get better when Luis Suarez comes back. Liverpool are flying high this season. Daniel Sturridge has scored for Liverpool 17 times in his last 21 appearance for Liverpool (including 4 out of 4 this season) since making the move from Chelsea, and it doesn’t look like he’s stopping anytime soon. He is one of the ‘must-haves’. Unless, of course, you’re one of those hipsters who’ve got Dzeko upfront and are waiting “for his moment”.

Loan signing Victor Moses scored on debut against Swansea, and with a seemingly assured place, low price and being owned by less than 3% of the fantasy managers, he could give you the edge you need in your mini league.

Both should make merry against a Saints side with just one win this season.

Coutinho is out injured for a while so swap him for an equally creative midfielder while his price is still high.

Jose Enrique is a certainty in defence with Johnson out and Agger doubtful.

Goalkeeper Miglonet has been nothing short of brilliant. 3 clean sheets, a penalty save and a lot of assurance between the sticks.

Southampton have conceded just 2 goals this season and their goalkeeper Artur Boruc has been a popular fantasy choice amongst managers not looking to invest heavily in defence. This would be a good day to keep him on the bench though. Defenders Fonte and Luke Shaw are goal threats and should be persisted with.

Picks: Sturridge, Enrique, Fonte, Mignolet

Misses: Boruc

Chelsea vs Fulham

Chelsea have hit a rough patch off late, getting just 1 point in their last two Premier League games and winless in the last 3 games in all competitions. For all their attacking might, they have scored just 4 in the first 4 Premier League games of the campaign. Defensively though, they remain resilient having kept a clean sheet at Old Trafford.

Eden Hazard has disappointed everyone with a return of 1 assist in 4 games. It seems it is time to move onto smarter and cheaper options. Mata has been in and out of the team and with his price tag, you might as well come back to him later in the season.

Oscar and Lampard, though, seem to be the favourites of “The Happy One”. After the result against Swiss giant killers Basel in midweek, Mourinho will look to make a statement.

Torres could get a start ahead of misfiring Samuel Eto’o.

Fellow Londoners Fulham are on a three match winless streak. Ruiz is out and Berbatov hasn’t exactly set the pitch alight this season as yet.

Picks: Oscar, Ivanovic

Misses: Maarten Stekelenburg, Matthew Briggs, Aaron Hughes and Bryan Ruiz (injured)

Arsenal vs Stoke City

Arsenal, second in the League, have chalked up three consecutive victories after the opening day defeat at the hands of Aston Villa. And what’s more – they have the best creative midfielder in Europe threading through-balls for them now. Olivier Giroud is in the Daniel Sturridge mode of must-have in your team, with the stylish Frenchman having scored in every game this season.

Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey is in the form of his life, having scored a brace last weekend and one during midweek in Europe. Mesut Ozil could be your replacement to the misfiring Hazards, the neglected Matas or the forgotten Silvas if you are not among the 18% who already have the German talisman.

Mark Hughes’ side have exceeded expectations this season with 4 games in, but there seems to be too much firepower in this Arsenal team for them to have a chance.

Shawcross has already scored this season and could be a threat on set pieces.

Picks: Ramsey, Giroud, Ozil, Shawcross

Misses: Wilshere

Manchester City vs Manchester United

Big, big game for fantasy managers. David Moyes’ record as Everton manager against City since September 2008 stands at a staggering 7 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses.

United will have to be better in front of goal than they were in midweek, missing two glaring chances in what could’ve been a more impressive score-line in Europe.

Manchester City will welcome back permanent captain Vincent Kompany. That could mean the end of Lescott’s run in the side for now. Rejuvenated forward Wayne Rooney has a good record against the noisy neighbours as he and Robin van Persie will look to exploit City’s less than impressive start to the season.

Zabaleta scored in this fixture last season and so did Rooney and van Persie. City’s front line is still anybody’s guess with Aguero, Jovetic, Negredo and Dzeko all vying for the two slots. One would tip Aguero to start given his record against the Red Devils.

Elsewhere, Tottenham’s new acquisitions Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen could prove to be handy additions whilst Gylfi Sigurdsson will be on a high after a brace last weekend. Newcastle’s mercurial Frenchman Hatem Ben Arfa has scored in his last two games. Romelu Lukaku could make his Everton debut and if the Belgian’s 17 goals last season was an indication, Everton could edge the big games with his help.

Final Team:Mignolet

Enrique – Ivanovic -Fonte

Lamela – Ramsey – Oscar – Michu

Giroud – Benteke – Sturridge

Boruc – Vertonghen –Baines-Barkley