The World Cup playoff qualifiers have come and passed, so now it’s time to bring the focus back to our beloved English Premier League, including what to expect this week from players such as Sadio Mane, Alexandre Lacazette and Richarlison.
WEEK 11: Fantasy EPL REVIEW
In Week 11 we had six out of the 10 games end in a 1-0 score and only one tie (the first game). What that means is plenty of clean sheets and points for goalkeepers and defenders. The highlight from those 1-0 matches was Chelsea’s win over Manchester United, decided by Morata’s header in the 55th minute. Tottenham once again had to tough it out at Wembley, this time against lowly Crystal Palace. Son grabbed the winning goal. Huddersfield struck right before half-time through van La Parra, and then overcame Schindler’s red card to hold on to a 1-0 lead versus WBA. The rest of the 1-0 victories were all on the road. Bournemouth stole three points at Newcastle, after a 92nd-minute corner kick was headed home by Steve Cook. Brighton’s Glenn Murray scored for a third consecutive game and helped the team secure another hard-fought victory at Swansea. And finally, Southampton’s struggles continued, as did Burnley’s impressive performances on the road. Vokes came in as a sub for Wood and won the game for The Clarets in the 81st minute. As for the tie, it was between Stoke and Leicester. It was a rather entertaining affair in which The Foxes led twice (Iborra and Mahrez), only to be undone by Shaqiri, and later on, by Peter Crouch.
Arsenal came out looking inspired, just like they did against Chelsea a few weeks back, but a great strike by De Bruyne in the 19th minute took the wind out of their sails. Wenger’s boys tried to hang on, and even found the net through Lacazette, yet it was always clear that it was City’s game to lose. Gabriel Jesus put the final score in the 74th minute. It ended 3-1. Liverpool effectively fired Slaven Bilic, after a dominating 4-1 victory at the new London Stadium. Two goals by Salah, one by Matip, and one by Oxlade-Chamberlain saw The Hammers through. Lanzini grabbed the consolation goal for the team now-to-be-led by David Moyes. The craziest match came at Goodison Park, where Watford was part of another pulsating battle. The floodgates opened in the second half (it was 0-0 at the half). Richarlison and Kabasele gave the guests the lead. Then Niasse gave hope, Calvert-Lewin came in as a substitute and equalized soon after, and Baines converted a 91st-minute penalty kick to complete the comeback. However, it didn’t end there (despite what the final score says). An 11-minute injury time culminated with a penalty kick for the other side, which Cleverley failed to convert. What goes around, comes around, and karma got its revenge for all the late escapes Watford had during the previous rounds.
Week 11 highest fantasy scorers
Goalkeepers: Asmir Begovic (Bournemouth), Paulo Gazzaniga (Tottenham), Nick Pope (Burnley), Jonas Lossl (Huddersfield), Thibault Courtois (Chelsea), Mathew Ryan (Brighton).
Defenders: Steve Cook (Bournemouth), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton), Scott Malone (Huddersfield), Joel Matip (Liverpool), Jan Verthongen (Tottenham), Ben Mee (Burnley), Florent Hadergjonaj (Huddersfield).
Midfielders: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Heung-Min Son (Tottenham), Anthony Knockaert (Brighton), Vicente Iborra (Leicester), Rajiv van La Parra (Huddersfield).
Forwards: Oumar Niasse (Everton), Glenn Murray (Brighton), Sam Vokes (Burnley), Alvaro Morata (Chelsea), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City).
WEEK 12: Fantasy EPL PREVIEW
Arsenal vs. Tottenham
– The Gunners follow up one difficult tie with another one. Having been beaten by Manchester City, they will look to rebound against city rival Tottenham at the Emirates. Aiderweireld is out, while Lloris, Alli and Winks are all questionable, although the last two are expected to play. Eriksen is flying high after leading Denmark to the World Cup and could factor substantially in the outcome. Lacazette’s form has been steadily improving, and I have the feeling he will get his name on the score sheet. Unless Alexis Sanchez wakes up from his “I want to leave” dream, we are looking at a draw.
Bournemouth vs. Huddersfield
– Bournemouth does not have many players worth owning in fantasy. The two highest drafted players, Defoe and King, haven’t been contributing. Defoe has been an utter disappointment, while King has been playing hurt all season long (or not playing at all). These are two teams that have trouble finding the net, yet this is a contest in which both might relax and just play their game. In-form van La Parra and a healthy Mounie are the players to watch from The Terriers. If you want to take a chance with a Bournemouth player, it’s best doing so with a member of the defense.
Burnley vs. Swansea
– It’s difficult to trust a team such as Burnley in the role of a favorite, even though all logic says they should win. Johan Gudmundsson is a player to watch. His value has been trending upwards after back-to-back impressive displays. The only bright spot for Swansea in an otherwise terrible season thus far has been Tammy Abraham.
Crystal Palace vs. Everton
– Judging by the first game under interim coach David Unsworth, he’s more than ready to give Everton’s talented youngsters a chance. 20-year-old Tom Davies, 19-year-old Beni Baningime and 20-year-old Jonjoe Kenny all started in the victory over Watford, while 20-year-old Ademola Lookman and 20-year-old Calvert-Lewin came in from the bench. At the other end, Roy Hodgson has taken a more conservative approach with Crystal Palace, utilizing the most proven members at his disposal. As unexciting as his hire was, his coaching experience should be good enough to save The Eagles from relegation. Two of the league’s worst defenses face off, yet I still anticipate a low-scoring affair.
Leicester vs. Manchester City
– The title-winning Leicester team thrives in these types of games. However, this is a different, much less resilient Leicester. It might not be a walk in the park, but a City win is highly probable. Look for the usual suspects to be the main “culprits” again – Jesus, Aguero, De Bruyne and Sane.
Liverpool vs. Southampton
– Pellegrino hasn’t been able to find a cure for The Saints’ ills, and it can get much worse against Klopp’s high-octane attack. I expect Mane to be particularly inspired against his former club.
West Bromwich vs. Chelsea
– If they want to have any shot of keeping pace with City in the title chase, Chelsea must back up a much-needed win against ManU last time out with a victory here. WBA has been poor lately, and its players will be dangerously motivated to show what they’re really made of. Conte’s men have already been caught off guard a couple of times this season, and have to be very cautious in order to avoid a repeat. Players such as Pedro and Fabregas will need to step up.
Manchester United vs. Newcastle United
– After a run of tough games on the schedule, United will definitely look forward to facing a lower level opponent (sorry, Magpies). Look for Lukaku to come back to his scoring ways and a possible clean sheet for De Gea.
Watford vs. West Ham
– In the only match on Sunday, we’ll see Moyes back at the helm of a Premiership squad. Predicting his lineup is an ungrateful task. Fonte and Antonio will miss the game due to injuries, while Javier Hernandez is questionable after picking up a knock on international duty. For me, Watford is a heavy favorite here. After three losses, they’ll be hungry, and despite the inconsistencies, they’re the better team at the moment. Will Hughes, who is one of England’s most promising youngsters, is back in the fold. He, along with Richarlison and Carrillo, would be my choices in fantasy. Deeney is suspended, while goalkeeper Gomes is questionable after leaving the last game with a head injury.
Brighton vs. Stoke
– A possible draw is on the cards here. Recent form suggests Brighton has a slight advantage and is the more compact bunch, but both teams have difference makers on their rosters. Ramadan Sobhi has started to receive more significant minutes and could begin realizing his massive potential with a couple of goals within the next few weeks. Jack Butland will miss the game and will be out for a considerable amount of time with a hand injury.