Ever since he came into the team in November, the veteran former France international Anthony Reveillere has only been on a losing Sunderland side once – and that was to a Sergio Aguero-inspired Manchester City.
The 35-year-old has quietly done a good job as he’s played the full 90 minutes in each of the previous six games, helping to keep clean sheets in three of the last four. It’s a bit of a left-field choice (unless you’re one of the 0.1% of bosses who owns him) but he could be a useful addition.
He’s no longer a must pick for your side, but with a goal and an assist in his last two league games – and Champions League heroics that I SWEAR happened before we decided to recommend him – there are at least some signs that Arsenal’s Welshman Aaron Ramsey is finding some form.
His strike in the defeat against Stoke was his first since scoring in the first two games of the season, and Ramsey will again be looking to get on the front foot at home to Newcastle in a match that Arsene Wenger really dare not lose.
What’s that? You’ve got some Aguero money burning a hole in your back pocket? Well sending some of it in the direction of Everton’s Romelu Lukaku might be the right thing to do.
You’ll have to wait until Monday night to see if your move has paid off, but with QPR proving about as useful on the road as a clapped out old Renault in the hands of a learner driver, they aren’t likely to relish the trip to Goodison Park. Lukaku could take advantage of that.
Injury ensures that only 1.1% of Fantasy bosses own Christian Benteke at the moment, but after Aston Villa earned back-to-back wins over Crystal Palace and Leicester – matches in which he registered a goal and an assist – then that number only looks like going up.
Outstanding on his day, Benteke might actually be playing for a move away from Villa over the next few weeks, and he could make you some points as he does so.
Okay, bear with me, but has Diego Costa started looking a little tired in recent matches?
With Cesc Fabregas suspended for Chelsea’s home clash with Hull, then a lot of the creative burden will be thrust upon Eden Hazard, and points for goals and assists could flow.
Dec 12
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Whilst one team in west London continues to misfire, another one could well be on the end of the latest battering administered by their rivals’ best forward. Yes, it remains a curious fact in this Premier League season that Chelsea’s most effective frontman is currently being seen in the blue of another club, not that […]
If a team is playing badly then can Fantasy bosses trust their players on a double Gameweek? We’re about to find out.
Sunderland have won just one of their last nine games, a run which has seen them slide down the table and now sit just one point and one place above the relegation zone.
It is hardly stellar form and they are results which have cast serious doubt of the future of boss Martin O’Neill, who will be desperate to pick up at least one positive result in the days ahead as his team face two very different challenges.
First up is Chelsea on Saturday, and with Rafael Benitez struggling to adapt to the very peculiar demands of the Stamford Bridge hotseat – in the Premier League at least – then the Black Cats are likely to fancy their chances ahead of that and their second game of the week against Reading on Tuesday.
Fantasy bosses who are playing the long game will have had Steven Fletcher (£7.2m) in mind for this Gameweek for as long as Sunderland’s game against the Royals was called off due to excessive rain in the north east in August – a common occurrence there – but with the Scot struggling with an ankle injury then it might pay to switch those sights to Stephane Sessegnon (£7.4m) now.
This season the Benin international might not have hit the heights that he regularly found during his last campaign when he registered seven goals and 12 assists, but there have been signs that he’s returning to form recently and whatever Sunderland do over their next 180 minutes is likely to heavily involve him.
Fletcher, Adam Johnson (£6.8m), Craig Gardner (£4.9m), Carlos Cuellar (£4.6m) and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet (£5.1m) are others to keep an eye during Sunderland’s heavy workload, but it is next Tuesday’s opponents Reading who might offer the greater value for your Fantasy cash.
A Saturday match at fellow strugglers Southampton is followed by that Sunderland meeting next week for Brian McDermott’s men, and with forward Adam Le Fondre (£4.9m) forcing himself to the front of Reading’s queue of forwards in recent weeks the 26-year-old could be seen as an inexpensive gamble.
Reading will fancy their chances of finding the net against their two red and white striped opponents, with Le Fondre, Jason Roberts (£4.5m), Jobi McAnuff (£5.1m) and Hal Robson-Kanu (£4.3m) all offering the chance of cheap thrills for your side. At the back, defender Sean Morrison (£4.0m) has come into the team in recent weeks and showed an eye for goal.
With neither of the teams involved in the double Gameweek looking particularly convincing, you might be tempted to look at the teams playing in the regulation one, with the biggest one of those coming at the Etihad Stadium.
The Manchester derby is probably even tougher to call than the usual big name Premier League tussles, but with Wayne Rooney (£11.7m) finally finding his goalscoring form at Reading last week then he’ll be one to watch. Sergio Aguero (£11.0m) started Manchester City’s last two games on the bench and so will surely be turned to from the beginning for the hosts.
In Sunday’s other matches it can’t have escaped Fantasy players’ notice that Tottenham are likely to be missing Gareth Bale for their trip to Everton whilst Luis Suarez (£10.5m) is banned for Liverpool’s visit to West Ham, a state of affairs which could see midfielder Jonjo Shelvey (£5.2m) start upfront and Jose Enrique (£6.0m) pushed up to the left wing again.
A day earlier and up in North London, Arsenal will want to emerge from their latest crisis at home to West Brom and can do if forward Olivier Giroud (£8.5m) is handed a start.
The Frenchman had scored three goals in his previous two home games before being left on the bench for last weekend’s loss to Swansea – Michu is now up to £7.8m ahead of their game at home to Norwich by the way – and if Arsene Wenger turns to his summer signing then he could find that his team gain a bit of luck in front of goal.
Luck which should be on everyone’s wish list this weekend and beyond.
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