Fantasy Football Preview GW37: Walcott to worsen Wigan’s woes?
With next season already promising to be hugely different given the dramatic developments at Old Trafford this week, cherishing this campaign suddenly looks to be even more important.
For Wigan Athletic, that seems to ring true more than loudly than for others.
The Latics will be FA Cup finalists at the weekend, but come Tuesday they could find that their eight-year stint in the Premier League is over. Should results go against them at the weekend, then nothing less than three points from their next match will do if they are to stay in the top flight. Unfortunately for them, that next match is at Champions League-chasing Arsenal.
The Gunners may have lost this fixture last season, but they simply can’t afford to do that now.
With Theo Walcott (£8.9m) returning to fitness and form then they certainly don’t look like doing that, and the England man could play a large part in confirming the Latics’ relegation.
Walcott scored and completed 90 minutes in both of his last two matches for the Gunners, taking his tally to 13 strikes and 13 assists during a hugely productive season.
As Arsene Wenger’s men close in on a top four place Walcott looks to be a hugely important figure, and he’ll enter the Wigan game high on confidence, which could end up spelling trouble for Roberto Martinez and his boys.
Any discussion about the battle for the top four – and of course your ongoing battles in Fantasy Premier League – isn’t complete without a mention of Gareth Bale(£10.9m), who takes his considerable talents to Stoke City this weekend.
Bale and Spurs might find it tough going there, but they should eventually come out on top in a match which is sure to see defender Jan Vertonghen (£6.8m) come under threat from Stoke’s attack.
Elsewhere, Everton’s Marouane Fellaini (£7.2m) is sure to find support ahead of their Blues’ match against mid-table West Ham at Goodison Park.
The Belgian has been in fine form throughout the campaign and he’ll be determined to impress in his side’s final game in front of their own fans this season. Following the Blues’ goalless draw at Liverpool last week he could be one to back as they look to find the net again.
As for Liverpool, they go to a Fulham side still not safe from relegation just yet, and with both Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez unavailable then the onus is sure to fall on Philippe Coutinho (£6.7m) and Daniel Sturridge (£7.0m). Dimitar Berbatov (£7.1m) will of course be vital for the hosts.
At Berbatov’s former club, Sir Alex Ferguson’s last home match in charge of Manchester United brings selection issues with it, but he is likely to once again start with Robin van Persie (£13.7m) upfront for the visit of Swansea. Those prone to a little bit of nostalgia might like to back a few Fantasy points for Ryan Giggs (£6.0m) and Paul Scholes (£5.0m) too.
Back in the cold hard world of chasing the Champions League, Chelsea will be happy that Aston Villa are now all but safe as they prepare for a trip to Villa Park early on Saturday.
Rafael Benitez’s side will be in no mood to let up now as they look to finish as high as possible, and with the battle between Fernando Torres (£9.3m) and Demba Ba (£7.8m) sure to be dominating many thoughts, it is Juan Mata (£10.1m) who continues to make his team tick.
Somewhat bizarrely denied the winning goal at Old Trafford last weekend, Mata will be doubly determined to impress at Villa Park.
He could be a vital addition for your side.
Fantasy Football: Michu to who?…bless you!
Michu’s Successor
by @Fplmaestro
Swansea manager Micheal Laudrup watched his opposition draw to the now former champions Manchester City 0-0 on Saturday and revealed he now has no option but to field his squad without his top scorer and currently most selected FPL player, Michu.
The Spaniard has managed to net an impressive 21 goals from the midfield position during an absolutely immaculate first season in English football and has gained several plaudits with his ‘Magic touch’ and not to mention has been one of the bargain buys of the season being signed by the Swans for only a fee of 2 million pounds! However, he had to be withdrawn during the second half of the league game against City carrying a hamstring injury. In his post match press conference Laudrup said- “He has a hamstring problem. I am not sure if he has torn it but even if it is less than that, this will be his last game of the season”
It’s now nearly the end of a stressful season of FPL and the last thing that we that we could have possibly asked for is yet another injury to our long list of woes! And I’m sure the vast majority of you are already considering who to bring in for GW1, of next season, however it’s time to focus on the present and attempt to replace the lad, which is not going to be an easy task given the fact that he’s currently the cheapest FPL attacking player on the dream team! However, it’s a task which simply cannot be avoided.
What to consider from the players you pick-
Towards this stage of the season, consistency is only a minor aspect to consider! The main reasoning one should be putting in before making any changes at this moment of time is if the player has relatively easy fixtures in the up and coming 2 GW’s and that is mainly what the list below is based on!
Players you should consider-
Going through the list of possible midfield options within £1.5M of Michu’s current value, I have picked the following players as potential options to replace the Swansea talisman from now up until the end of the season-
Santi Cazorla-
Yet another Spaniard who’s endeared himself to his team’s fans is Santi Cazorla, having hit the ground running in his first year in English football, acquiring an impressive 12 goals and 9 assists for the Gunners since joining at the start of the season , he looks more than capable to add to his tally and help his team secure a place in the top 4! However, a recent slump in form has seen several FPL managers part company with him causing his price to drop considerably from £10.1-£9.5 Million, fixtures do look to be in his favor playing Newcastle and Wigan, both in the relegation scrap, which could really benefit those who do choose him to be the one to replace Michu.
Eden Hazard-
Eden Hazard is one of the latest Belgian success stories in the premier league. Having such an immaculate start, his drop of form in the middle season was rather disappointing, however he has recently been on an impressive run of form and could be the right man to join your FPL team as his next games are to Aston Villa and Everton. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see him rack up a descent tally of points and finish the season in style!
Theo Walcott-
Walcott has had his best season in Arsenal colours, being the clubs top scorer and even being compared by his manager , to a certain French lad who wore the infamous number ’14’ on the back of his shirt! However, his injury and slight dip in form has seen his price fall down to an extremely attractive £8.8m at the moment he’s on a half descent run of form. He finishes this season playing Newcastle and Wigan, which are must win games for the gunners if they are to stand a chance of finishing in a Champions League positions and he could, yet again, step up to the plate and be a vital part of his teams ambitions of finishing in the top 4!
David Silva-
Yet another one of the several Spaniard to have graced the premier league, is David Silva despite not reaching the standards he had managed to set for himself last year, in a rather dismal season he might well be finishing the season in flying colours! Despite the fact his City have had a rather poor season and have nothing much really left to play for in the league, they finish this season playing Reading and Norwich. Now priced at an descent £9.2M I’d be surprised if Silva didn’t hit some big points for your FPL team and help City secure that 2nd place position.
![By Dean Jones (Flickr: Coutinho Goal) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://fantasyyirma.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/coutinho_v_swansea.jpg?w=604)
By Dean Jones (Flickr: Coutinho Goal) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
Phillipe Coutinho-
Philippe Coutinho has been an instant success at Anfield since joining in January.
The Brazilian international, has lit up Liverpool‘s side with attacking flair and has managed to build a stunning partnership with both Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in only three months. However, with Suarez injured himself and Sturridge will have to rise to the occasion for Liverpool and will have to be key in their goals of finishing in a Europa League place! He even comes at a mouth watering £6.7m and could be set to light up your FPL teams finish to this season.
Many thanks for reading my guest post on FantasyYIRMA.com, feel free to give me a shout if you’ve got any queries in choosing between the bunch or anything FPL related on twitter @Fplmaestro Hopefully we all have a stunning finish to brilliant season.
If you would like to submit a guest post for the FantasyYIRMA.com website drop an email to FantasyYIRMA@hotmail.com or tweet us at @FantasyYIRMA
CHECK OUT OUR GOAL OF THE SEASON POLL – WHO GETS YOUR VOTE?? CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CONTENDERS
Premier League: Goal of the Season
There are just two weeks remaining in the 2012/13 season, and once again it has been one full of stunning goals and memories.
But just what is your favourite goal of the Premier League campaign?
Take a look at @Mark_Jones86’s favourites below and then cast your vote on our poll!
Hatem Ben Arfa, Newcastle v Aston Villa, 02/09/2012
Is it possible to bit a ball harder or with more precision? This superb strike from the gifted Frenchman was one of few highlights in a disappointing Newcastle campaign.
Luis Suarez, Liverpool v Newcastle, 04/11/2012
One of the players of the season scored one of the goals of the season in early November, when Suarez’s superb control from Jose Enrique’s lofted pass led to this stylish finish against Newcastle.
Jermain Defoe, Tottenham v West Ham, 25/11/2012
Usually seen scoring poacher’s goals, Defoe’s fine run and shot helped Spurs towards this London derby win in late November.
Gareth Bale, Norwich v Tottenham, 30/01/2013
If ever a goal summed up a man’s season this was it. With Tottenhama goal down with just 10 minutes left of the clock, the Welshman took it upon himself to drag his team level with a fine run and shot.
Jose Enrique, Liverpool v Swansea, 17/02/2013
Liverpool’s Spanish full-back was on the end of this superb team move involving Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge as the Reds saw off Swansea 5-0 at Anfield.
Rafael, QPR v Manchester United, 23/02/2013
Manchester United’s Brazilian full-back cracked home this stunning strike in a win at Loftus Road, as his club closed in on their 20th league title.
Gareth Bale, West Ham v Tottenham, 25/02/2013
With the clock ticking down and Spurs set to drop two points in their race for a Champions League place, Bale scored this remarkable effort from range to spark wild celebrations.
Matthew Lowton, Stoke v Aston Villa, 06/04/2013
Arguably the most important goal of Aston Villa’s season and undoubtedly the best, full-back Lowton smashed home this unstoppable effort in the closing stages on the way to a win at Stoke.
Loic Remy, QPR v Wigan, 07/04/2013
The season brought little hope for Queens Park Rangers but their French forward did hint that some was on the back with this superb breakaway goal. Typically, QPR conceded an equaliser in stoppage time.
Robin van Persie, Manchester United v Aston Villa, 22/04/2013
When they needed a win to secure the title United’s Dutch superstar stood up and was counted, scoring a hat-trick which included this stunning strike from Wayne Rooney’s fine pass.
So you’ve seen Mark’s selections, don’t forget to cast your vote!
Fantasy Football: Nothing but BONUS points!!
So- the sky is blue, the grass is green and Gareth Bale gets 3 bonus points..the Welshman can do no wrong at the minute as he puts in another match winning performance for Spurs with the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win against Southampton.
Elsewhere, Walcott took the maximum for Arsenal and Ivanovic got the 3 bonus points for Chelsea ensuring that the race for the top 4 is no clearer after GW36. The midweek match up between Chelsea and Spurs has been growing in significance over the past few weeks and will be extremely interesting to see the outcome of this match with so much at stake!
Reading managed to hit 4 on the road against Fulham with Karacan taking the maximum. Unfortunately this result has came to late to save them but it is positive to see that they do have players capable of playing in the division and have the potential to be in the running for promotion next season if they can keep the same core of players.
The stalemate in the Merseyside Derby was not a classic in terms of goals by any means…But Reina managed all 3 bonus points which is somewhat of an achievement considering he is listed as having 2 saves.
Williams managed to get all 3 bonus points for Swansea in their 0-0 draw against Man City, in addition he did not almost nearly kill anyone so it was an all round solid performance!
Kone managed the maximum bonus points in Wigan’s dramatic 3-2 win at West Brom. With another game to go in GW36 he is certainly paying back managers who put him in for the DGW.
Another defensive display rewarded at Upton park with Collins getting all 3 Bonus points for West Ham against Newcastle.
With another 4 games still to go this gameweek we have plenty of scope for additional points. For now though – Do you agree with the Bonus points?? Who should have got them?? who shouldn’t of got them??
Tweet your opinions to @FantasyYIRMA
*R
| 04 May 15:00 | Fulham |  |
2 – 4 |  |
Reading |
| 04 May 15:00 | Norwich |  |
1 – 2 |  |
Aston Villa |
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| 04 May 15:00 | Swansea |  |
0 – 0 |  |
Man City |
| 04 May 15:00 | Tottenham |  |
1 – 0 |  |
Southampton |
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| 04 May 15:00 | West Brom |  |
2 – 3 |  |
Wigan |
| 04 May 15:00 | West Ham |  |
0 – 0 |  |
Newcastle |
| 04 May 17:30 | QPR |  |
0 – 1 |  |
Arsenal |
| 05 May 13:30 | Liverpool |  |
0 – 0 |  |
Everton |
| 05 May 16:00 | Man Utd |  |
0 – 1 |  |
Chelsea |
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FantasyFootball #FYCUP : The Final 8!
The #FYCUP may have started with 256 players but there are now only 8 players left as we head onto the Quarter Finals.
Here is the draw for the QF!
REMEMBER!!! Only fixtures announced on FantasyYIRMA.com are valid. The fixtures on the PL.com mini-league site relate to a H2H league over 8 weeks which with 256 original players obviously would not work!
We spoke with Doug Zanger, manager of FC Bull Mountain about his thoughts on reaching the Quarter Finals of the #FYCUP.
We asked how he felt about his performance so far this year and as you can see he had a lot to say! An #FYCUP win would mean pride for both him and his country apparently, but read on anyway – it’s all good! 🙂
Doing It For America
So I’m in the final 8 of the FY Cup.
On the surface, it’s either an achievement or just kind of ho-hum. The latter is reserved for those who generally reside in football hotbeds, especially the UK. They know their football well.
By the way, I am American.
The usual response is, “oh, this Yank just got lucky. There’s no way in hell he knows what he’s doing.”
Actually, I kind of do know what I’m doing. As do a nice subsection of my red, white and blue comrades.
I live in Portland, Oregon. We have a decent MLS team (the Timbers, where Clive Charles played) and a RABID fan base (the Timbers Army). In fact, Brits tell me it’s very much like being at a match in England — Newcastle seems to pop up as the example. As does Swansea.
Thankfully, we get to watch EPL (or BPL, take your pick) much more with the Fox and ESPN deals in place. Sure, matches may start at 4am, but I’m there watching them.
I went to uni in London in 1990. That’s where I became familiar and fell in love with Arsenal – and saw Paul Merson, my favourite insane football presenter play. I must say that Piers Morgan’s “dedication” to the squad is unsettling. But, Alan Davies’ support trumps it big-time.
I’ve played proper football since I was 5. I played at university. I still play in a first-division 40+ men’s league.
I can still blow right past you and put the ball in the back of the net á la Thierry Henry. I am still a greedy b*****d striker at the young age of 44.
So, as an American, I’m trying to put some context on my love of football. Because I know you all think I got “lucky” and I don’t have a Kalou (see what I did there?).
But we do know what we’re doing. We have deep love for the game and the league. But respect in the FantasyYIRMA world is to be earned, not chirped about. So I shall keep my ‘Merican piehole shut for the time being.
I will, however, give a little peek into the end of the season strategy. The best way to categorise it would probably be “aggressively conservative.”
Do I take the 8 (or 12 point) hit on transfers this week? Probably not. But 4 isn’t out of the question for a forward who may have two matches. But it ain’t gonna be Demba Ba or Torres. And who the hell knows with Man City. Aguero could go for 14 or -2. Dzeko could do the same.
So that means Lukaku gets the start. And them Lambert goes right back in for week 37.
Aside from that, the rest of the way, it will be steady as she goes.
And pray that I pick the right Welsh, Spanish or Dutch captain to save my arse each week.
All I know is that I really do want to win this thing. For the vanity. For the £££.
And for America.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
The generous folks from @AdvertisingWeek have been in contact and offered to add £50 to the prize pot!!
To try and keep it fair I have decided to split the £50 with £25 going to the overall winner and £25 going to the Bonus prize winner (In Addition to the already great prize pot in place from our #FYCUP sponsors @StanJames !!!
Fantasy Football Preview GW36: Double up on Aguero as finish line looms
Well we’re nearly there aren’t we?
As the season’s finish line looms large over the horizon each and every point becomes vital in your head-to-head, mini-leagues and of course the #FYCup, the fact that six teams are playing in a double Gameweek shouldn’t be ignored.
More important still, is that three of those teams happen to house three of this season’s Fantasy favourites.
Okay, maybe Sergio Aguero (£11.0m) doesn’t have the ownership percentage he deserves following a campaign which has been blighted by injuries, but there should be little doubt that he is Manchester City’s best forward when on form, and after a goal against West Ham last week and with an FA Cup final place to play for he is sure to be ready to impress as City go to Swansea and then face a home game against West Brom in the next week.
As usual with Roberto Mancini you have to be careful when selecting his forwards, but with the Italian likely to go with a front two of Aguero and Carlos Tevez (£9.2m) for the showpiece final against Wigan next week then he’d be wise to give them as many minutes on the pitch together as possible ahead of Wembley.
That should mean they play the vast majority of the fixtures against Swansea and the Baggies, and although the threat of Edin Dzeko (£6.8m) can’t be ruled out the Bosnian has failed to score in City’s last eight matches, of which he only featured in five.
Whilst City’s two opponents this week do possess popular players on double Gameweeks in Michu (£8.2m) and Romelu Lukaku (£6.6m), our next port of call is the Champions League-chasing Tottenham Hotspur.
Gareth Bale (£10.6m) received much Fantasy Premier League attention before, during and after Spurs’ visit to Wigan last weekend – from which he eventually emerged with a goal, an assist and two bonus points.
The PFA Player and Young Player of the Year will be looked to by many as a solid captaincy choice ahead of Tottenham’s matches against his old club Southampton and then a trip to Chelsea which is likely to go a long way towards sorting out those all-important top four places.
Bale is almost certain to be joined by Jermain Defoe (£7.9m) in both of those contests, and the form of both could well be key to just how Spurs do now the pressure is on. The good news for them is that Bale has responded well to pressure all season.
The impressive form of Wigan’s Shaun Maloney (£5.2m) is an aspect to consider ahead of the double Gameweek for the FA Cup finalists which sees them face must-win matches at West Brom and at Swansea in their battle to stay up, but it is Chelsea we focus on for our third key pick.
The sixth of the teams facing this crucial double header, the Blues have tricky fixtures away at Manchester United and at home to Spurs.
The likes of Juan Mata (£10.0m) and Eden Hazard (£9.6m) will of course be looked to to shine in both of those fixtures, but the recent goalscoring form displayed by their teammate Oscar (£7.8m) surely makes him worthy of recognition.
The Brazilian struck in the draw at Anfield and the win over Swansea in Chelsea’s last two Premier League fixtures – matches that he picked up 18 Fantasy Premier League points from.
Crucially cheaper than the rivals he battles for a Chelsea starting berth with, Oscar seems to be coming into form just as the season draws to a close and can take these good performances into Chelsea’s double Gameweek.
He could just be a handy addition as the clock ticks down on your campaign.
FantasyYIRMA Cup: Quarter Final Time! #FYCUP
The #FYCUP may have started with 256 players but there are now only 8 players left as we head onto the Quarter Finals.
See below for the full round up of the scores from Round 5.
Here is the draw for the QF!
Congratulations to Joint weekly winners FPLhints and Parpy United who scored the highest points from the original 256 #FYCUP players.
Some great prizes on offer from our Sponsors @StanJames with a huge total of £200 in FREE BET prizes
REMEMBER!!! Only fixtures announced on FantasyYIRMA.com are valid. The fixtures on the PL.com mini-league site relate to a H2H league over 8 weeks which with 256 original players obviously would not work!
| Sultans from Sharm | 53 | VS | 52 | HappyAnkit |
| Siltamäen Pallo | 69 | VS | 61 | NwcoVictoriousSecret |
| spherebuilders | 65 | VS | 54 | DisLackofSikElephnts |
| FC Bull Mtn. | 69 | VS | 58 | Graham Rix U16s |
| Markin Don’t Play Fc | 61 | VS | 73 | White Walkers |
| Belo Horizonte | 68 | VS | 49 | Brown Star Belgrade |
| That’ll Do Pig | 53 | VS | 76 | The Untouchables |
| Trumpton 2nd XI | 49 | VS | 70 | Mlowe City |
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
The generous folks from @AdvertisingWeek have been in contact and offered to add £50 to the prize pot!!
To try and keep it fair I have decided to split the £50 with £25 going to the overall winner and £25 going to the Bonus prize winner (In Addition to the already great prize pot in place from our #FYCUP sponsors @StanJames !!!
Premier League: Team of the Year 2012/13 by @Mark_Jones86
The players themselves have had their say, and so it’s high time that we should all give our view on the 2012/13 Premier League team of the year.
There are plenty of matters to take into consideration – this isn’t just going to be a team of eleven players who picked up the most Fantasy Premier League points – and so with that in mind take a look at the XI and tell us just what yours would be.
Get involved in the comments section and on Twitter @FantasyYirma.
David De Gea – Manchester United
A tough category and one in which the likes of Simon Mignolet, Asmir Begovic and Brad Guzan deserve mentions, but it is Manchester United’s Spanish shot-stopper who takes the No. 1 jersey.
De Gea had a tough start to life in England and hadn’t really got over those problems by the beginning of this season, but he has gradually learned more and more about Premier League and Old Trafford life and only looks like getting the confidence to do better and better.
Having a league winners’ medal around his neck will do that for you.
Rafael – Manchester United
De Gea’s Old Trafford teammate gets the nod at right-back at the end of a season in which he was forced to grow up.
With his twin brother Fabio shipped out on loan to QPR, Rafael grew into his position in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side and even popped up with important goals at venues such as Anfield and against his brother’s team at Loftus Road.
At just 22 years old, United look to have found their right-back for the next few years.
Matija Nastasic – Manchester City
A name that will surprise many, but Manchester City’s Serb deserves recognition for a fine first season in English football.
Nastasic only turned 20 last month, but the composure and quality he showed during a campaign in which he ousted Joleon Lescott from the side makes you believe he’s much older.
City kept five clean sheets in Nastasic’s first six Premier League 90 minute appearances, and that wasn’t a coincidence.
Jan Vertonghen – Tottenham
A stellar first season in England for Tottenham’s Belgian, who has scored five goals as well as showcased his fine defensive attributes.
The highlight of those goalscoring exploits came with two goals in a 3-2 defeat at Anfield, but Vertonghen has been a key man in the many games that Spurs have won this season and looks like being around in these teams of the year for years to come.
He’s set the bar pretty high for himself.
Leighton Baines – Everton
There have been plenty of calls for the nation to recognise Baines as the No. 1 left-back in the country for the past couple of years, and this has been the season in which he’s confirmed those beliefs.
An ever-present threat from set pieces, Baines is so important to everything that Everton do, and can arguably be viewed as the key attacker in David Moyes’ side.
He’s likely to attract plenty of attention this summer.
Juan Mata – Chelsea
The twinkle-toed Spaniard has faced competition from teammate Eden Hazard this season, but he remains the best thing about the current Chelsea side.
A player with gifts which would light up any team in the world, Mata has registered 10 goals and an astonishing 17 assists in the Premier League alone during the campaign, and there is little wonder that Stamford Bridge fans love him.
Whoever the Chelsea manager is next season will be inheriting a gem.
Marouane Fellaini – Everton
Previously seen by many as merely a clumsy figure who could often look like a foul waiting to happen, Fellaini silenced any remaining doubters with a fine season which began with a stunning display and the winning goal against Manchester United.
He and Everton went from strength to strength from there, and with Fellaini playing in a variety of positions the Blues went on to enjoy surely their most consistent season under Moyes.
The Belgian was the key figure behind that, and is another who could attract bids this summer.
Michu – Swansea
Easily the most impressive of the Premier League players in their debut season, Swansea’s Spaniard had a terrific campaign and provided the inspiration for a comfortable top half position and success in the Capital One Cup.
Often used as a forward – although squeezed into midfield here – Michu’s penalty area predatory instincts frequently saved Swansea in tight contests, as the stylish Spaniard followed up strong goalscoring seasons in his homeland as he took to Premier League life like a swan to water.
The task now is to repeat it again next season.
Gareth Bale – Tottenham
The professionals’ choice as Player of the Year was arguably the first name on our teamsheet following a season which saw him elevate his game to yet another level.
There was a time over the campaign when the Welshman looked simply unstoppable, and even if he doesn’t reach that level again in the closing weeks of the season a total of 19 league goals and nine assists is pretty special.
Bale can seemingly be as good as he wants to be, and next season he’ll be fascinating to watch again.
Robin van Persie – Manchester United
When last season’s second best team buys the forward and main source of goals from the third best team then what do you think will happen?
The title happened for Manchester United in the most emphatic of manners, with 25 goals from their Dutch forward going a huge way towards sealing a 20th domestic league triumph for the men from Old Trafford.
The outlay on a player who will turn 30 before the start of next season doesn’t look so silly now, and Van Persie will already be eyeing goals in next season’s defence of what is his first league title.
Luis Suarez – Liverpool
You don’t have to like him, but you do have to respect his quality.
The most entertaining player to watch in the Premier League either scored or assisted 33 goals during his 33 appearances in the competition this season – a season which is now over following the much publicised against Chelsea at Anfield.
Suarez is box office though, and at times dragged Liverpool through matches during a campaign in which he was simply a compelling watch.
He’s a force of nature.
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So that’s it then, that’s the 2012/13 team of the year.
Yes, it may be a bit too attacking but would you fancy playing against them? Who’d be in your team?
Drop your comments/advice/abuse either in the comments box below or on Twitter. See you there!
Fantasy Football GW35: Nothing but BONUS POINTS!!
After Suarez went all Hannibal Lecter on us last week GW34 was always going to be a tough act to follow…
Little did we know the drama, the wait… the sleepless night over the carry on that was the Gareth Bale assist! (We acknowledge we need to get out more)
Essentially the kind chaps at the Premier League were kind enough to review the footage from the 2-2 draw between Wigan and Tottenham and retrospectively declare that the ball did indeed touch (barely) Mr PFA player of the year. Great for us #FPL Managers who have him in our team.
This late change transformed a 7 point performance into a 12 as with the assist came 2 bonus points also. Boyce still managed to pick up the 3 Bonus points despite his own goal once again raising a question mark over the bonus point system…
- Elsewhere, Yaya Toure smashed his way through midfield again to collect the maximum in a 2-1 win for City over West Ham.
- Pienaar picked up the maximum bonus allocation as he reminded us that there are alternative options for your #FPL team if you would like a midfielder from Everton.
- Lukaku repaid the faith of thousands of FPL managers who have brought him in for DGW36 with all 3 bonus points to go alongside his goal.
- Crouch was tipped by FY this week as picking up form and while he didn’t get the goal his performance perhaps deserved, he did pick up the maximum 3 bonus points.
- Reading and QPR both were relegated in a drab 0-0 match. Really was not a great game to watch and no players on the pitch stood out. The panel drew straws and decided Guthrie was the stand out player however I’m sure 3 bonus points for him will be no consolation what so ever for relegation.
- The Arsenal – Manchester Utd game may not have the same intensity of previous seasons but was a close fought affair. RVP started so RVP picked up 3 bonus points. With Walcott, Evans and Rooney picking up 2 points each also.
- Frank Lampard is inching closer and closer to the Chelsea all time top scorer record and picked up 2 bonus alongside his goal from the penalty spot with the ever improving Oscar picking up the maximum.
- Newcastle 0-6 Liverpool… Hands up if you had a £5 bet correct score on that?? No.. Didn’t think so. With Suarez out now for the next 10 games I think there was a level uncertainty over which Liverpool team would turn up, yet this was as accomplished performance as you will see all season. Henderson scored twice and picked up the maximum. Downing provided a brace of assists but couldn’t manage to get a bonus point, shame.
As I write this Aston Villa have just put 6 past Sunderland in a mammoth 6-1 win, Di Canio did not knee slide this evening. The bonus points have yet to be announced at time of writing although after smashing in a hat-trick i expect Benteke to be nailed on for the maximum bonus. A goal and 2 assists puts Agbonlahor in the mix for 2points also.
@ryano83
As per usual, drop us a tweet with your thoughts, did they get the bonus points right or wrong? What did you make of the Bale assist? Would you have given it? Tweet us your comments on @FantasyYIRMA or drop a comment below
| 27 Apr 12:45 | Man City | |
2 – 1 | |
West Ham |
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| 27 Apr 15:00 | Everton | |
1 – 0 | |
Fulham |
| 27 Apr 15:00 | Southampton | |
0 – 3 | |
West Brom |
| 27 Apr 15:00 | Stoke City |  |
1 – 0 | |
Norwich |
| 27 Apr 15:00 | Wigan | |
2 – 2 | |
Tottenham |
| 27 Apr 17:30 | Newcastle | |
0 – 6 | |
Liverpool |
| 28 Apr 13:30 | Reading | |
0 – 0 | |
QPR |
| 28 Apr 15:00 | Chelsea | |
2 – 0 | |
Swansea |
| 28 Apr 16:00 | Arsenal | |
1 – 1 | |
Man Utd |
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| 29 Apr 20:00 | Aston Villa | |
6 – 1 |  |
Sunderland |
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Fantasy Football GW35 preview: Defoe to take a bite out of Wigan?
Well he was never going to exit quietly was he?
Sunday saw the last action of one of the Fantasy Premier League stars of 2012/13, with Liverpool’s Luis Suarez leaving the game for the season with a goal in the 97th minute of what was an 11-point performance against Chelsea – not that everyone was talking about that come full-time.
In his absence, forward options are being scoured and teams are being altered, but perhaps his direct replacement was seen earlier on Sunday afternoon.
After failing to start since the 3-2 loss at Liverpool last month, Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe (£7.9m) – another with a history which includes biting opponents – came off the bench to score in Spurs’ fantastic comeback to beat Manchester City at White Hart Lane last weekend.
With Emmanuel Adebayor (£9.0m) struggling having scored just three league goals all season, Defoe’s return to fitness could be perfectly timed for Andre Villas-Boas’ side as they chase the Champions League.
As far as the Fantasy game goes, Spurs head for Wigan at the weekend before a double Gameweek next week when the north Londoners face Southampton and Chelsea, meaning that Defoe is likely to get plenty of playing time as the campaign draws to a close.
The England forward could prove to be a key man for both Tottenham and for your team as the scramble for league positions becomes more intense, and he could just be the forward to trust in Suarez’s absence.
Those fixtures for Spurs and the return to fitness of Gareth Bale (£10.5m) mean that the Welshman is sure to find himself thrown back into plenty of teams following his recovery from injury, whilst defensively the likes of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (£5.8m) and defender Jan Vertonghen (£6.6m) could also offer much.
Elsewhere, the battle for the Champions League places will go up a notch at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea entertain a Swansea side who seem to have been on a downward spiral ever since they won the Capital One Cup.
Juan Mata (£9.8m) took his tally to 16 assists for the season after being credited with laying on both goals in the draw at Anfield, and with the Spaniard so key to everything his side do then Rafael Benitez surely won’t risk leaving him out for the clash with the Swans.
The form of both Eden Hazard (£9.6m) and Oscar (£7.8m) has been encouraging in recent weeks, but it is still Mata who makes Chelsea tick and who they’ll be looking to in a contest that the hosts will really need to win in their challenge for the top four, especially given that Suarez took a bite out of their hopes on Sunday.
Arsenal are the other one of three clubs that cannot go into the two still available top four places, and they’ll be hoping that champions Manchester United will have taken their eye off the ball as they visit The Emirates.
The absence of Olivier Giroud through suspension means that Lukas Podolski (£8.1m) is likely to come in from the start for the Gunners, whilst Theo Walcott (£8.8m) could also be restored to the central forward role that he so enjoyed earlier in the campaign.
A little higher up the table than Arsenal, Manchester City host West Ham in a contest in which Carlos Tevez (£9.1m) will be looking to keep up recent form against his former club. Having kept six clean sheets in their last seven home games, the likes of Joe Hart (£6.8m), Pablo Zabaleta (£6.2m) and Vincent Kompany (£7.0m) will be confident of keeping West Ham out.
Having scored only a second goal in 26 games at QPR last weekend, Stoke’s Peter Crouch (£6.0m) could be fancied for another strike at home to Norwich, whilst Christian Benteke (£7.3m) will be confident going into Aston Villa’s clash at home to Sunderland.
At Goodison Park, Everton will be going for a sixth home win in seven games as they host Fulham.
Marouane Fellaini (£7.4m), Kevin Mirallas (£6.9m) and Leighton Baines (£7.8m) are likely to garner the most attention, although for a cheap choice it could pay to go with Victor Anichebe (£4.4m), who has started the last six Blues games and is sure to have chances against a Fulham side who have kept just three clean sheets on the road this season.
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