fantasy premier league game week 10 – Saturday game analysis

Gameweek analysis

Here’s the fantasy premier league game analysis for all the Saturday games of GW 10

Man U 2  Arsenal 1

Utd lined up pretty much as expected.  De Gea kept his place in goal and the defence was as predicted.  Carrick and Cleverly screened and the 3 behind RVP were Rooney, Valencia and  Young

Arsenal included Sagna at RB and Santos at LB.  Wilshire and Arteta screened.  The 3 behind Giroud were Podolski and Cazorla plus surprisingly Ramsey instead of Walcott.

The game should have been won by Utd easily as they had by far the better chances and Rooney missed a penalty.  RVP scored early  with a Rafael assist followed by an Evra header from a Rooney assist.  Cazorla got a consolation at the death, robbing Utd of a deserved clean sheet.

Possession was 52% Utd.  Shots were 11/7 to 7/3.

RVP comfortably led the shooting stats followed by Rooney and Giroud.  The Utd defence had very good stats, Arsenals were abysmal.

No one stood out on chances created.  The most forward midfielders were Cazorla and Valencia.  The most involved players in attacking positions were Cazorla for Arsenal and Rooney for Utd.

The game was a reaffirmation of RVP with the captains armband.  Just when you could make a case against it with his underlying stats and the quality of the Arsenal defence (yes statistically they are one of the best) he goes and produces a goal and great underlying stats.  Rafael continued his attacking returns with a pretty lucky assist.  Cazorla didn’t do much stat wise but got some long overdue returns from his goal with the last touch of the game.  People who have kept faith with Rooney will be disappointed at his penalty miss and sales will surely follow.

Spurs 0 Wigan 1

No real line up surprises in either team except Ben Watson coming in for the injured McArthur.

The game was all about Wigan.  Anyone who says that on a low budget you need to play like Stoke should watch this game.  Wigan were fantastic and should have won by more with some great chances.  Spurs had a late rally but really deserved to lose.  They had no tempo and didn’t create enough clear cut chances.

Possession was 52% Wigan and shots in favour of Spurs 13/10 to 7/4.  Both sides defended well although Spurs conceded some great chances.  It says alot about the game when leading the shot stats went to Vertonghen.  He was followed by Bale who retreated in to the player shooting from outside the box again. Bale and Kone led the chances created column.

Bale was the most forward midfielder for Spurs and Maloney for Wigan.  Bale was the most involved player in the attacking areas for spurs, Beausejor for Wigan.

Spurs fixtures now fall off a cliff and I’m sure there will be mass selling.  Bale again showed why he cant be trusted with the armband although .  3 times at home now he has failed against what I would call captain qualifying opposition.   He is still the 4th top scoring midfielder and isn’t really fixture sensitive so he isn’t a panic sale its just that can you have a player at that value who you cant give the captain armband to?  Dempsey and Defoe also struggled.  Defoes substitution is a worrying sign for his fantasy premier league owners.

From the Wigan perspective the performance of Kone and Maloney was an eye opener for fantasy premier league managers.  I’d probably go for Maloney at £5.0m as Kone is relatively expensive at £6.5m and taking up a precious striker slot for someone who hasn’t got in the shooting stat tables is a step too far for me.  In addition, Wigans fixtures are ok but not compelling.

Fulham 2 Everton 2

For Fulham cheapie Kacaniklic came in for Richardson who was ill and Ruiz after his performance at Reading was preferred to Rodallega.

For Everton Heitinga and Distin continue to play the hokey cokey at CB.  Fantasy premier league managers should go for Jagielka or Baines.  Coleman continues to hold his place at RB.

The game was a travesty for Everton.  They had enough chances to win 3 games let alone 1 and were quite fantastic.

The possession at 61% to Everton and shots at 26/15 to 8/5 says it all.  The Everton defence was statistically strong except for the GK and CB mistakes that caused Fulham’s 2 goals.  Fulhams defence was abysmal and I would encourage fantasy premier league managers to sell given the difficult fixtures that follow.

It will be no shock to anyone that Fellaini led the shot stats with Osman and Jelavic close behind.  Chances created were led by Baines and Mirallas.  The most forward midfielders were Kacaniklic and Mirallas.  The most involved players in the attacking areas were Fellaini and Ruiz with Berba close behind.

Anyone who wonders why Fellaini leads the midfield shooting stats by a country mile should see that game.  While other sites have trumpeted Pienaar Ive stuck with Fellaini in my team despite a quiet spell based on those stats.  I hope a good number of Geeks have done the same.  Everton have 3 fixtures in Sunderland, Reading and Norwich which will surely bring rewards.  Jagielka also showed alot of attacking intent and got his reward with an assist.  Mirallas was also fantastic and it is only the fact that he is a striker that means he is a difficult choice to make.  Berba kept his consistency with an assist.  I have to say I thought he also got the assist for the Sidwell goal as well?

Swansea 1 Chelsea 1

For Swansea Monk came in for the injured Chico otherwise the team was as expected with Pablo and Routledge keeping out Dyer.

For Chelsea Azper etc came in at RB while Ivanovic moved to CB for the injured Luiz.  Ramires was rested to the bench and Romeu came in.  Mata didnt make it and was replaced by Moses

Although Chelsea will consider themselves unlucky not getting the win with a late Pablo equaliser to Moses’ opener,  the fact was that Swansea totally deserved a draw.

Possession was 54% chelsea shots to Chelsea 11/7 to 9/7.  Both defences performed well as it was a boost for Swansea to concede only 1 and perform with some defensive credit for a change.

No one stood out on the shot stats.  Hazard had the most but mainly outside the box and off target.  No one stood out also on the chances created column.  Hernandez and Moses were the most forward midfielders for each team.  Hernandez was the most involved player in the attacking areas for Swansea, Hazard and Moses for Chelsea

The game has to be signalled as a failure for Hazard and to me with Chelseas fixtures  he is look a sell option at the moment.  Moses was impressive and scored but is unlikely to get the game time as the 3 amigos look the preferred option so don’t push that transfer button yet.

For Swansea Michu, not unexpectedly, had a quiet game but whatever you do don’t sell him before the game away to Southampton next game week.  Pablo is looking an option also although he is more expensive than Routledge.  To me though Swansea would need a compelling fixture case for anyone except Michu and even then for me it includes him and at the moment the fixtures are mixed at best.

Sunderland 0 Villa 1

For Sunderland Rose was left out for Bardsley and Cattermole effectively came in for Mclean with Larsson returning to the flank.

I often say that nothing Lambert does selection wise shocks me but I was wrong, todays team selection shocked me.  There’s no point in talking about it, you can’t learn anything from discussing it so I’m not even going to bother wasting your and my time.

The one thing he has done is improve the defence.   He actually didn’t change the defence to what seems to be his preferred back 5 and that seems to be improving them as a  defensive option although not just yet as the fixtures are terrible.

Possession was 54% Sunderland.  Shots tellingly 11-1 to 9-6.  Sunderland continue to defend well though and with good fixtures and a defensive mindset by necessity they are an option to buy.  Villa despite the clean sheet and what I say above, statistically didn’t defend well and it was a case of poor finishing and attacking ineptitude rather than sold defence

No one stood out on the shot stats and Bannan, Benteke, Johnson and Larsson shared the created chances column.  The most forward midfielders were Johnson and Ireland.  The most involved players in the attacking areas were Fletcher and Benteke.

Sunderland are a defensive option and after Everton away they have good fixtures and 2 games in game week 16.  Cuellar at £4.5m is the best option in my view although for an extra £0.3m you can get Bardsley who has an attacking return history that Cuellar doesn’t.  However what they aren’t is an attacking option.  Fletcher although trumpeted by some sites has never been on my “ones to watch ” list as he simply doesn’t shoot enough.  Sessegnon is in the same boat and way over priced.

For villa the fixtures are too tough to consider anyone in my mind.  Benteke seems the only option at the moment attacking wise and in defence Clark is the best option as he gives some attacking potential.  But as I say stay away for the moment with City and Utd next

West Ham 0 City 0

For West Ham with Tomkins and Demel both injured,  McCartney and O’Brien were the FBs.  The rest was as expected with Benayoun holding his place.

For City the Ajax game cast a shadow over selection with Zab and Aguero on the bench. Balotelli,  Dzeko and Tevez all started with Barry YYT and Nasri the midfield.

Although West Ham had the better of the 2nd half , City should have won in a canter and must really wonder how it didn’t happen.

The match stats were quite astonishing with possession 61% and shots 18/8 and 6/1.  City defended well and deserved the clean sheet.  West ham gifted chance after chance and the clean sheet was a statistical aberration and I definitely am a seller of the West Ham defence

Ballotelli and Dzeko had the most shots, both with a high % in the box but neither could get anything on target.  Tevez was quiet shooting wise by comparison.  Tevez and Jarvis led the chances created column.

Nolan and Jarvis were the most forward midfielders and the most involved players in the attacking areas were Tevez and Nasri for City and Benayoun and Jarvis for West Ham.

For west ham I wouldn’t jump on the defence, today they were very lucky and the fixtures are terrible.  Nolan is the best attacking option by far but again to me the fixtures mean he is a sell.

For City, they’ll soon be out of the Champs league and they’re already out of the Capital One which will reduce rotation which is a great frustration for fantasy premier league owners of Aguero especially.  The fixtures are reasonably tough but to not have any attacking coverage is a big risk.  I’m sticking with Tevez for the moment.  The defence continues to gather clean sheets and definitely need coverage.  Hart and Kompany though are the only reliable players game time wise.

Norwich 1 Stoke 0

With R Martin injured Whittaker started in the defence.  Holt started up front.

The well publicised move of Wilko to LB happened for Stoke with Cameron at LB.  The rest of the team was predictable.

Possession was 53% to Norwich shots 12/8 to 8/3. Stoke were the better defensive team stats wise.

Pilkington and Jones led the shot stats and Jones really should have scored.  Holt, Hoolahan and Adam led the chances created column.

Pilkington was the most forward midfielder for Norwich and Kightly for Stoke.  Crouch and Adam were the most involved players in the attacking areas for Stoke. Snodgrass and Hoolahan for Norwich.

The Norwich defence is improving with loads of value, Turner is the best option for me at £4.2m.   Although Reading is next I would wait until Utd and Everton are out of the way after that.  Snodgrass features well in the shooting stats and got an assist here but really has no game time security so monitor until after Everton.  Hoolahan and Pilkington are the other options but again Pilkington has no game time security although he’s played the last 3.  Holt is the best option but do you really want a precious striker slot taken by a Norwich player?  Not for me.

Stoke are the best of the non elite defensive units and have great fixtures.  Every fantasy premier league team should have a Stoke defender and I intend to have one come  the next game week home to QPR.  All of them have their merits with Wilko £4.4m Cameron £4.5m and Shawcross £5.0m.  Shawcross has more bonus and attacking potential.  Wilko is a little YC happy.  Im not convinced about all the attacking options really.  Crouch isn’t firing and not showing up in the shooting stats.  Walters seems too deep and Kightly and Adam are a bit too assist based which is one thing if your target is RVP but not Crouch.

Thats it looking for a Taarbt performanvce today in fantasy premier league.  Good luck to all fantasy football geeks with people playing today

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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