Jul 27
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The FantasyYIRMA.com website is open to Guest Post articles over the summer. Pleased to feature friend of the site @JamesMartin013 with his preview of the season and a walk-through on his thought process as he builds out his initial squad. (Which I am sure will change 20 times between now and Gameweek 1) If you […]
Jul 24
This gallery contains 10 photos.
Unless you’re questionably unbalanced or have an irrational hatred of uber talented footballers, the chances are you’ll have at least one of Sergio Aguero, Eden Hazard or Alexis Sanchez in your FPL team come the start of the season. But what if you didn’t? What if you broke with convention, ignored the experts and said […]
Derided earlier in the season when Leicester were struggling and seemingly on their way down, captain Wes Morgan has been central to the Foxes’ record-breaking turnaround.
No team has ever been bottom of the Premier League table for longer (140 days) and not been relegated, and with five clean sheets in the last six games as well as a goal and an assist, Morgan will bounce into the final game of the campaign against relegated QPR in fine form.
Yaya Toure’s brace against Swansea will have caught the eye for a lot of you, but we’re also aware that there will be a Cesc Fabregas-sized hole in plenty of teams this weekend.
Replacing the masked Spaniard with his international teammate David Silva won’t stretch your budget too much, and will give you a player who has recorded a staggering five assists in his last three games – taking his tally to 12 for the season, matching his goals output.
Everton have finished the season strongly, whilst Tottenham have somewhat limped to the end of their campaign – with the once prolific Harry Kane having now scored just once in his last seven games.
With the pressure off, these two are likely to produce an entertaining encounter on the final day of the campaign at Goodison Park, and with the chances flowing it perhaps make more sense to bank on Romelu Lukaku taking more of them than Kane as the Blues look to sign off with a win.
Crystal Palace might have ruined Steven Gerrard’s party last week, but in Bafetimbi Gomis they’ll be facing a player who will have his eyes firmly on the job in hand.
The big French forward has scored in his last two games, and was only denied another by a wonderful save from Joe Hart, and as he ends his first campaign in the Premier League in strong fashion he’ll be desperate for a goal or two at Selhurst Park.
It’s the final week of the season so maverick captaincy choices are to be welcomed, but if you’re playing it safe then Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero looks to be the way to go.
The Argentinean has managed five goals in his last three home games, and eight in his last six overall, meaning that he’ll enter battle in what looks to be an open game against Southampton with goals on his mind as he closes in on the Golden Boot.
As the Premier League title race enters a crucial stage, the big players are starting to make even bigger contributions for their teams.
The perceived wisdom is that the battle at the top is now going to be between Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea – despite what Jose Mourinho thinks – and all three clubs have players capable of earning them crucial points.
Take City, who go into Saturday’s game at home to Southampton off the back of picking up four points from back-to-back away games at Manchester United and Arsenal.
Key to earning those points was the Spanish international David Silva (£9.4m), who shone in the 3-0 win at Old Trafford and then gave his side the lead at the Emirates Stadium last Saturday with a close range finish.
Although clearly one of the most gifted players in the Premier League, Silva has often been overlooked by many from a Fantasy football point of view due to his comparative lack of goals when stacked up against other attacking midfielders. He’s currently in just 7.9% of teams.
His strike at Arsenal was his sixth of the season though, and with Manuel Pellegrini opting to play the World Cup winner behind front man Edin Dzeko (£6.9m) in recent weeks, Silva has found himself getting into attacking positions more and more.
At the time of writing it isn’t clear whether Sergio Aguero (£12.0m) will be fit to face Southampton at the Etihad Stadium this weekend, but even if he isn’t then City shouldn’t worry and will probably field the same team they started with in their last two games.
Silva has been a key part of those selections, and with City players likely to be crucial to your team for the rest of the season given that they face two double Gameweeks (the first of which comes next week) then he could be seen as a more than useful addition.
Samir Nasri (£8.1m) and of course Yaya Toure (£10.4m) will of course be crucial too, as City look to utilise their midfield power in their bid for glory.
Elsewhere, City’s title challengers Liverpool head into the weekend on top of the table and will be looking to stay there when they go to West Ham on Sunday.
Everyone knows who the main men for the Reds are, but Jordan Henderson (£6.5m) continues to impress and grabbed a goal against Tottenham, whilst Glen Johnson (£5.7m) has picked up two assists in his last three games and registered 11 points in that 4-0 win over Spurs.
Chelsea’s Andre Schurrle (£6.9m) should start at home to Stoke, against whom he scored twice earlier in the season, whilst arguably the match of the weekend sees fifth-placed Everton host an Arsenal side they’ve got their eye on overtaking and reaching the Champions League ahead of.
A tight clash is expected, but Gerard Deulofeu (£5.4m) has now started four of Everton’s last five games in the league, and after scoring in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in December he’ll be determined to give home fans something else to shout about before he returns to Barcelona in the summer.
One player who could also be on the move at the end of the season is Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke (£8.7m), and after he had a day to forget at Manchester United he could take out his frustrations on a Fulham side who now seem destined for the drop.
Juan Mata (£9.2m) managed his first goal for Manchester United in that 4-1 win over Villa last weekend, and he’ll be worth keeping an eye on as the Red Devils go to a Newcastle side who seem to have mentally switched off for the season already, whilst although they had that day to forget at Anfield last weekend, Tottenham should get a result at home to Sunderland on Monday when Nacer Chadli (£6.8m) may continue in his advanced midfield role.
The Belgian international would be a huge gamble for your team, with Christian Eriksen (£6.5m) perhaps a safer and cheaper option.
Aug 24
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Manchester City left-back Gael Clichy has warned the club’s Premier League rivals that they will play the brand of football that saw them hammer Newcastle United throughout the season. Manuel Pellegrini watched on as City dismantled 10-man Newcastle in his first game in charge with a high-tempo and high-class performance. The list of scorers in […]
There has only been one star in Manchester United’s and in 44.8% of Fantasy Premier League teams’ seasons.
Robin van Persie (£14.1m) has been the main man, the top goalscorer, the top points scorer, the man outshining all the others. He has looked indestructible. He even survived that attack from Ashley Williams at Swansea before Christmas.
The man eclipsed by the rise and rise of Van Persie’s star has been Wayne Rooney (£11.8m), as frequent injuries and frustrations have left him looking enviously at his team’s Dutch master and wondering just how he let a top billing that he used to own slip so easily into the former Arsenal man’s grasp. Just recently though, he’s been making hay whilst Van Persie was away.
Alright, they were in the FA Cup. And okay, he did hopelessly miss a penalty in the West Ham game, but Rooney has found the net in each of United’s last two matches at Old Trafford – matches that Van Persie was rested for – and so should be in a confident mood ahead of the visit of Southampton on Wednesday night.
The forward is itching to impress after scoring just seven Premier League goals this season, and he could just be the key to a strong ending to the season for both United and for your Fantasy team.
As the pressure cranks up, each and every win for United looks more and more important as they seek yet another title. Sir Alex Ferguson could find himself turning to the man who has been there and done it before in a bid to get over the line.
That bid could start on Wednesday.
Elsewhere during this midweek Gameweek – everyone loves a midweek Gameweek don’t they? – there will be tales of cup woe to be shared at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal meet Liverpool.
Supporters of Bradford City and Oldham Athletic can watch that one with smug smiles on their faces, and one man that Liverpool will need to watch closely will be the Gunners forward Olivier Giroud (£7.8m), who could just shunt Theo Walcott (£9.4m) out to the right of midfield again following his excellent recent form.
There were also cup woes for Norwich and QPR at the weekend, and they don’t look like disappearing in the league as the duo host Tottenham and Manchester City respectively. Gareth Bale (£9.8m) and David Silva (£9.4m) look to be the men to watch.
Rafael Benitez takes his Chelsea team to Reading, and in amongst the usual suspects in his Blues side – although there’s no Eden Hazard here of course – it could also be worth looking at the visitors’ defence, particularly the Spanish right-back Cesar Azpilicueta (£5.7m) who has racked up four assists since becoming more of a regular in the Blues’ team in November. Against a Reading outfit who have been known to leak goals at home, he’ll be looking to get forward.
Everton should also be on the front foot in their match against a stuttering West Brom, and many bosses will be hoping that Marouane Fellaini (£7.7m) can return to scoring ways after failing to find the net since December 1st. Meanwhile, Nikica Jelavic (£8.0m) has lost support following just one goal in 12 games.
One man who is more used to hitting the back of the net recently is Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke (£6.5m), and with the Belgian forward providing one of very few rays of light amidst the doom and gloom surrounding his club this season, Villa will be looking to him to fire against a similarly out of form Newcastle United at Villa Park.
He can do just that, and ensure that whilst his star still isn’t as high as Van Persie’s or even Rooney’s, it will at least stay on the rise.
The first solely midweek Gameweek of the season could be one to separate the men and women from the boys and girls, with Tuesday evening’s deadline perhaps catching out one or two of you who live for your Fantasy weekends.
Luckily for Manchester City they’ve got someone who they can rely on any day of the week, although admittedly David Silva (£9.4m) didn’t start this campaign in the same stellar form he showed for the champions in the majority of the last one.
Call it a hangover from the summer’s European Championships – another trophy to his name – if you want, but whatever it was it simply wasn’t allowing the Spaniard to come to the fore in the manner that he normally does, and it has subsequently seen him only included in just over 6% of Fantasy teams.
That could all be about to change though, as after a trademark creative display and a goal against Aston Villa recently he looks to be ready to rediscover past glories.
We’ll overlook Sunday’s drab draw at Chelsea – most of the players did so it’s only fair – and so City will now be eyeing three points from Wednesday’s trip to Wigan, where Silva will no doubt be expecting to shine.
The Latics are capable of scoring goals but also of conceding them too, and with Carlos Tevez (£9.4m) surely expected to return to the starting line-up after being left out at Chelsea, Silva will be the man looking to provide him with the service needed to shoot down the home side.
Elsewhere, after their defeat at Tottenham on Sunday surely the last place that West Ham would want to go now would be Old Trafford, and Sam Allardyce and his side will head for Manchester knowing that they’ll have a huge task on their hands to emerge with anything.
QPR may have set home hearts fluttering with the opening goal against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side on Saturday, but the hosts responded with three strikes of their own – although crucially none were from Robin van Persie (£13.7m).
The Dutchman rarely goes two games without finding the net, and so he looks a good bet to pick up some points as United attempt to do the same ahead of their summit meeting with City at the Etihad Stadium in a week-and-a-half’s time.
Also this midweek, Liverpool’s improving defence will find it tough to contain Tottenham’s Gareth Bale (£9.7m) and Jermain Defoe (£7.8m) at White Hart Lane, whilst Everton will be banking on the return of Marouane Fellaini (£7.6m) to scare Arsenal as the Belgian comes back from suspension at Goodison Park.
The improved form of one of last season’s must-haves Stephane Sessegnon (£7.3m) will threaten to spoil Harry Redknapp’s welcome party at QPR as Rangers go to Sunderland, whilst Rafael Benitez will really feel the heat at Chelsea if the Blues can’t beat local rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge. Juan Mata (£9.6m) may have had a couple of fruitless weeks but still remains their most likely matchwinner.
Aston Villa and Reading haven’t won many matches between them this season, and it will be the hosts who’ll fancy taking the three points from their meeting at Villa Park on Tuesday – particularly if Brett Holman (£5.5m) and Andreas Weimann (£5.2m) impress.
Charlie Adam (£6.6m) has scored the winner in each of Stoke’s last two home games and so he is the form man to keep an eye on ahead of the visit of Newcastle to the Potteries, whilst Pablo Hernandez (£6.1m) and Zoltan Gera (£5.0m) could be the men to watch as Swansea host West Brom.
It might be worth keeping an eye on events further south as well, as improving Southampton bid for a third successive victory when they host Norwich at St Mary’s.
Gaston Ramirez (£6.0m) scored in the weekend win over Newcastle, and he’ll be looking to find the net again against an admittedly solid Norwich outfit, but one who could be missing goalkeeper John Ruddy (£4.7m) through injury.
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