Kick-Off: Gameweek 38 Fantasy Preview

It's all about good news for Frank Lampard (£8.4m, 14 pts) as he becomes Chelsea's all-time top scorer, wins Europa League and signs a contract extension over the week.

A lot has happened since my absence, so let's just have a brief summary:

• A year of retirements. Sir Alex Ferguson is to end his coaching career with yet another Premier League title. King of all coaches.
• David Moyes' chance to shine with a big club finally arrives as he is appointed to be the successor of SAF. Huge pressure after all that has been achieved by the Red Devils over the past 20+ years, but I am pretty sure that the current Everton coach will be able to cope with that.
• Also retiring are Paul Scholes and David Beckham, two of the United's famous five. Ryan Giggs is looking to emulate Teddy Sheringham though, let's see how far can he go yet.
• Jamie Carragher will also quit his playing career after this Sunday. You can hardly find any player more loyal than him these days. Salute.
• Manchester City crashed out of FA Cup final after a defeat to Wigan, though the Latics can't be happy neither with their relegation confirmed just days before. How often do your see an FA Cup winner being relegated?
• Chelsea won the Europa League final with a stoppage time winner. The first club with both Champions League and Europa League title in hand at the same time (CL title will only be passed to one of the two German clubs next week after the final).
• Frank Lampard couldn't be more happy with his record breaking goals last gameweek plus a one year contract extension.

After all these news attack, let's begin our finale, then.

FEATURED: Newcastle v Arsenal @ Sports Direct Arena
The battle for fourth is the only remaining piece of puzzle this season, so let's see how the incumbent fourth place holder defends their position.

After going through all the troubles and turbulence, Arsenal now sit on fourth — holding the ticket to Champions League qualification — leading with only a point. Their fate is on their hands now — a win will permit them to participate in the European top-flight competition for another season.

And thus, they have all the reason to go all out. Santi Cazorla (£9.6, 16 pts) is the first player to contribute 4 assists in a single game this season after such a masterful performance which sent Wigan down to Championship. Lukas Podolski (£8.2m, 13 pts) was no mediocre either, scoring 2 goals for the first time in a single game for the Gunners. Adding in the ever consistent Theo Walcott (£9.2m, 8 pts), the trio are the must picks for this gameweek.

The Magpies have little to fight for except to improve their ranking and their share of prizes, neither do they have any deep rivalry with Arsenal. Incumbent fourth remains the incumbent, I think.

Prediction: NEW 1-2 ARS

TEAM FOCUS: Liverpool
Queens Park Rangers will be hoping for a sweet goodbye from the Premier League, but I don't think Liverpool will be showing them any mercy.

Luis Suarez-less Liverpool has become a tougher team to guard — which makes sense as the marking the Uruguayan is equivalent to stopping the whole team when he's around. Daniel Sturridge (£7.4m, 17 pts) has been a beast in his absence, producing his first hat-trick for Liverpool in the last game.

Phillipe Coutinho (£7.0m, 9 pts) has been magical with his passes, and I truly expect the duo to become the big pillars of the team in the next few years to come.

Big win to end the not so big season for the Reds.

Prediction: LIV 5-0 QPR

PLAYER FOCUS: Bale
He is the one who have all the reason to go full throttle, so let's cast your captain armband to the PFA Player and Young Player of the year, Gareth Bale (£11.0m, 2 pts).

GAMEWEEK 38 DREAM TEAM

Reina

Luiz — Dawson — Zabaleta

Bale (C) — Coutinho — Cazorla — Yaya Toure

Sturridge (VC) — Podolski — Adebayor

Subs: Jaaskelainen — Michu — Demel — Rangel

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Announcements: No Preview for Gameweek 37

Dear readers

Please take note that there will be no Fantasy Preview for Gameweek 37 as I will on vacation.

Rest assured, I will give you the grand finale of this fantasy season when I return.

Meanwhile, you can try using alternative fantasy sites such as NeverCaptainNickyButt or PLFantasy.

Regards

J (Peacemaker-J)

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 36 Fantasy Preview

Awardsss: Gareth Bale is the winner of PFA Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year and Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year.

Gareth Bale (£10.7m, 12 pts) was all over the headlines after clinching a hat-trick of awards. Astounding. In the European football we saw Bayern completed a 7-0 sweep against Barcelona. The end of an era?

Let's back to our fantasy business anyway with another double gameweek awaiting us...

FEATURED: Manchester United v Chelsea @ Old Trafford
Reigning champions Manchester United will welcome the challenge of Chelsea at the Theater of Dreams.

With nothing else to compete for, the Red Devils will go all out against their new rivals since Roman Abramovich purchased the London club last decade. Robin Van Persie (£13.8m, 8 pts) continues to be the biggest threat and the player of the year of every Manchester United fans. Nonetheless, fantasy managers should take into account of the possibility of "experiments" by Sir Alex Ferguson as he prepares the team for the next season — rotations can possibly harm your fantasy returns from this team.

On the other side, Fernando Torres (£9.3m, - pts) led his side to reach the final of Europa League, and may give United's defence a tough run. Rotations are also a heavy downside here with such compact fixtures for the Blues, but at least Rafa Benitez's side have two games this gameweek to earn fantasy points.

David Luiz (£6.6m, 6 pts) is one good investment to consider, with his defence greatly improved compared to when he was initially at Stamford Bridge and his threatening long range efforts.

There are a lot of uncertainties in this game so let's just stick with a scoring draw.

Prediction: MUN 2-2 CHE

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester City
Sure, Tottenham have better reason to go all out, but City's fixtures are relatively much easier and they need to warm up for their FA Cup final too.

Carlos Tevez (£9.3m, 2 pts) is the obvious pick upfront despite scoring none in the last two games. Yaya Toure (£8.2m, 10 pts) will provide support from the back, and is also a good option for you in this double gameweek.

Defensively it seems rather negative for me against West Brom who have in-form Romelu Lukaku (£6.7m, 15 pts), though Swansea's rather weak offence recently presents the Citizens the chance to clinch a clean sheet.

Prediction: SWA 1-2 MCI, MCI 3-1 WBA

PLAYER FOCUS: Bale
Of course you have to go for Super-Bale, who still has all the reasons to fight for this season. His halo of glories will make his days tougher in front of his opponents, but nonetheless these should not be a problem for him.

GAMEWEEK 36 DREAM TEAM

Robles

Luiz — Dawson — Zabaleta

Bale (C) — Coutinho — Mata — Yaya Toure

Defoe — Tevez (VC) — Lukaku

Subs: Vorm — Walcott — Boyce — Azpilicueta

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 35 Fantasy Preview

Number 20! Robin Van Persie scored a wonderful hat-trick which secured the title for Manchester United.

A big week has passed. I mean really BIG.

• Manchester United secured their 20th top-flight league title. It's their 13th in 21 Premier League seasons. What an astounding achievement.
• Meanwhile, Luis Suarez's (£10.8m, 212 season pts) crave for Branislav Ivanovic's (£6.9m, 130 season pts) meat have earned him a ten-match ban, which he opted not to appeal. Thank you Luis for such a wonderful performance, both in reality and fantasy.
• This effectively means that Robin Van Persie's (£13.8m, 236 season pts) claim on the Golden Boot is almost certain, which his nearest possible contender Gareth Bale (£10.5m, 213 season pts) 6 goals shy from the Dutch's 24.
• On Europe, we saw the downfall of Spanish giants — Barcelona and Real Madrid — with a combined score of 1-8 against the rising Germans — Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

FEATURED: Arsenal v Manchester United @ Emirates
Van Persie has proven how correct is his decision to jump ship from London to Manchester, but die-hard Gunners' supporters will not approve his betrayal definitely. And they will put all their hopes on the current crop of Arsenal players to give him the punishment.

Olivier Giroud (£7.6m, -1 pt) will begin his 3-game punishment after a red-card against Fulham so it'll up to either Lukas Podolski (£8.1m, 1 pt) or Theo Walcott (£8.8m, 5 pts) to lead the line. You can't be sure, but the one who step up will definitely try to benefit from that and achieve something.

On the other side, the Red Devils may go complacent after securing the title — unless they are going for Premier League record of 96 points or somehow fears that Van Persie will still possibly lose his almost-Golden Boot. With that taken into account, I am going for a home win — Arsenal need points more than United anyway.

Prediction: ARS 2-1 MUN

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester City
Their second place is for them to lose. Not much to play, but they are the much better team than their opponent, so let's go for them anyway.

Carlos Tevez (£9.1m, 2 pts) is the obvious replacement for Luis Suarez and has played 90 minutes or more in each of his last five Premier League fixtures. It's now two weeks away from FA Cup final and Mancini for sure would want Carlito to shift into his best condition by playing him in an effective way.

David Silva (£9.1m, - pts) and Sergio Aguero (£10.9m) are expected to return, though we will need to guess whether will them start. The duo, together with their current replacements Samir Nasri (£8.0m, 7 pts) and Edin Dzeko (£6.8m, 2 pts), will be quite some risky picks.

Andy Carroll (£8.2m, 2 pts) is in quite some form recently, but I doubt he can bang City's defence this time.

Prediction: MCI 3-0 WHU

PLAYER FOCUS: Bale
Though Wigan are on relegation crisis, I don't see how they are going to contain the almighty Gareth Bale and get their much needed three points. Prepare for some Bale-icious stride.

GAMEWEEK 35 DREAM TEAM

Cech

Baines — Shawcross — Zabaleta

Bale (VC) — Fellaini — Mata — Yaya Toure

Van Persie — Tevez (C) — Sturridge

Subs: Begovic — Sessegnon — Cuellar — Samba

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 34 Fantasy Preview

Meet the nominees for PFA player of the year. From left to right, top before bottom: Gareth Bale, Michael Carrick, Juan Mata, Luis Suarez, Robin Van Persie and Eden Hazard.

Hope that you have gone through a smooth double gameweek. For those who didn't, don't give up as there are still five gameweek to go!

FEATURED: Tottenham v Manchester City @ White Hart Lane
Of course Rafael Benitez's return to Anfield as an opposition manager is a big one, but the battle at White Hart Lane has definitely a better reason not to miss.

Gareth Bale (£10.5m, 200 season pts) is not expected to return as of yet — Andre Villas-Boas simply has to be patient and wait for his full recovery instead of risking the Welsh to preserve Tottenham's chances to finish within top four.

That means Emmanuel Adebayor (£9.0m, - pts) will have to bear the burden of scoring on his shoulder. The Togolese has only 3 league goals so far, he a goal and an assist in his last Premier League game certainly indicated a better him. And playing against his former club, he will definitely be more motivated to score.

As for the visitors, Manchester City have close to zero possibility to defend their title by now, neither do they feel threatened at second with Chelsea trailing them by 7 points. David Silva (£9.2m, - pts) is a slight doubt but is expected to play nonetheless, while Carlos Tevez (£8.7m, 8 pts) is having a great run recently (4 goals in his last 6 games) and will definitely pose some threat to Spurs' defence.

City are at a comfortable second, but I think they have too much class for Bale-less Tottenham.

Prediction: TOT 1-2 MCI

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
This could be the coronation day for the Red Devils, and they are definitely ready for that.

Robin Van Persie (£13.7m, 16 pts) has officially ended his scoring drought with 2 goals in his last 2 games. With his return in form, you can confidently pass your captain armband to him and hope for the best.

Shinji Kagawa (£8.0m, 11 pts) could be the provider again after setting up two goals at Upton Park on Wednesday, while Wayne Rooney (£12.1m, 4 pts) will hope to be the star of the pitch instead of transfer headlines.

A clean sheet is very likely at the back too, so you may want to get one of their members.

Prediction: MUN 2-0 AST

PLAYER FOCUS: Michu
The Swans are well rested, and against defensively poor Southampton, it's really Michu's (£8.1m, 173 season pts) opportunity to shine.

GAMEWEEK 34 DREAM TEAM

De Gea

Samba — Turner — Sagna

Kagawa — Walcott — Michu (VC) — Fellaini

Tevez — Van Persie (C) — Remy

Subs: Cesar — Snodgrass — Demel — O'Shea

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 33 Fantasy Preview

One goal per game in this double gameweek?

It's the much anticipated double gameweek craze! Are you ready for this do or die moment? Teams with two games in hand this week include:

• Manchester United
• West Ham
• Arsenal
• Everton
• Fulham

FEATURED: Arsenal v Everton @ Emirates
With just four points separate this two teams apart, this direct match-up could proved to be decisive at the end of the season.

The Gunners will face Norwich at home before facing the Toffees at the same venue again, so it presents a great chance to harvest from their players. Santi Cazorla (£10.1m, 2 pts) is the obvious pick undoubtedly as he carries the team forward with Theo Walcott (£8.6m, - pts) still not returning to his full fitness. At the back Lukasz Fabianski (£4.3m, 3 pts) represents great value with his alluringly low price.

On the other side, Everton are facing Queens Park Rangers before this touch encounter so their players are worth your investment this week too. Marouane Fellaini (£7.4m, - pts) is definitely what you should be getting, though it gives no harm to give Leighton Baines (£7.7m, 4 pts) and Leon Osman (£6.5m, 2 pts) their chances too.

I think Cazorla will shine in this one and Arsenal will take over Tottenham's fourth place at the end of this gameweek.

Prediction: ARS 2-1 EVE

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
The title could well been decided but I see no reason why the Red Devils won't go into full throttle in this double gameweek with no other trophies to hunt.

Robin Van Persie (£13.6m, 2 pts) looks to have used up his quota of excellence at the moment but a 13-14 mil fantasy striker surely has the quality of bouncing back. It could be this gameweek and you never know.

But until then, Wayne Rooney (£12.0m, 1 pts) looks to be the safer and more consistent option currently for you to reap the rewards in this double gameweek.

At the back, all are prone to some degree of rotation except David De Gea (£5.8m, 1 pt) — if United can get two clean sheets he is the one who is most possible to max the points out.

Prediction: STO 1-2 MUN, WHU 0-2MUN


PLAYER FOCUS: Berbatov
Keep calm and pass your fantasy scoring burden to Dimitar Berbatov (£7.4m, form: 8) — he is so in form at the moment and such double gameweek can really only help his cause.

GAMEWEEK 33 DREAM TEAM

Fabianski

Baines — Ferdinand — Sagna

Silva — Gerrard — Cazorla (C) — Fellaini

Berbatov — Rooney — Carroll

Subs: Schwarzer — Osman — Riether — Demel

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 32 Fantasy Preview

Gareth Bale is out!

I believe a big group of fantasy managers have their plans spoiled with the injury of Gareth Bale (£10.9m, 13 pts) a.k.a. the most in-form player in the Premier League. The Welsh should be out at least for the next two gameweeks (Tottenham don't play in Gameweek 33 anyway), so let's see where we can find a replacement for the winger.

FEATURED: Manchester United v Manchester City @ Old Trafford
So the defending champions, who have only mere theoretical possibilities of retaining their title, will visit their arch-rivals, who are 99% certain to clinch their 20th top-flight league title. Certainly won't affect the league standings much, but this should still be a wonderful match-up for the pride of both teams.

The Red Devils' star striker Robin Van Persie (£13.6m, 7 pts) — who now only leads the FPL scoreboard by a mere 1 point — has gone goalless for his last four Premier League games. Certainly not the type of return his investors expect, and he should really break the duck this time to repay his fantasy managers' faith. The good news is of course, the return of Wayne Rooney (£12.0m, - pts) to support the Dutch after suffering from groin injury for England.

On the other side David Silva (£9.2m, 11 pts), while not having the same unstoppable form he had last season, seems to have found his peak as the season ends with two double-digit scores in the last four games. He should continue to pull strings for the team to allow his teammates such as Carlos Tevez (£8.7m, 6 pts) — who is in equally good form with 3 goals in the last 4 games — to finish.

While Manchester United have more than enough cushion to clinch the title already, their early exits in Champions League and FA Cup means they can give out 100% on this game. At Old Trafford, their counterpart should be unable to stop them to speed up their crowning moment.

Prediction: MUN 2-1 MCI

TEAM FOCUS: Liverpool
Anfield should be turned into goals arena as the Reds await the visit by the Hammers.

Liverpool have won four of their last five league fixtures, scoring 15 goals in the process. Luis Suarez (£11.2m, 6 pts) continues to be fantasy managers favourite and with only four points behind the fantasy leader Van Persie, he might as well surpass overtake the Dutch to lead the scoreboard after this game.

Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard (£9.6m, 9 pts) continues to hit his high in years, and is set to play for more minutes than any of his last five seasons this term. An evergreen figure?

Phillippe Coutinho (£6.9m, 5 pts) is the cheaper alternative to Gerrard, with the youngster linking impressively well upfront ever since his arrival. Daniel Sturridge (£7.2m, - pts) could start upfront and score some goals too.

Prediction: LIV 3-1 WHU

PLAYER FOCUS: Michu
Michu (£8.3m, 6 pts), the most impactful Premier League buy of the season, has been pretty quiet recently. But with Norwich as their opposition, it's pretty hopeful for him to score and gain some form for end-season rush isn't it?

GAMEWEEK 32 DREAM TEAM

Begovic

Monreal — Azpilicueta — Enrique

Michu — Gerrard — Cazorla (VC) — Hazard

Suarez (C) — Remy — Lambert

Subs: Cesar — Gervinho — Wilson — Davies

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 31 Fantasy Preview

Seriously? Liam Ridgewell infuriates fans with his ridiculous joke shot.

So England failed to get the much needed six points in the World Cup Qualifier and continues to sit on second spot. Their World Cup conquest is certainly in crisis after a draw against Montenegro.

FEATURED: Southampton v Chelsea @ St Mary
There are no heavyweight match-ups this gameweek, so let's switch our view to Southampton, where both sides will be wanting wins for very different reasons.

Chelsea only have a one-point-lead against Tottenham and will have to take this fixture down to strengthen their chances of direct Champions League qualification. Eden Hazard (£9.4m, 14 pts) will be the man to make this happen, as he has scored double digit twice in the last 4 games.

The Saints on the other hand will want to secure survival in the Premier League as soon as possible — they are now only 4 points away from the dropping zone. Rickie Lambert (£7.1m, 9 pts) and Morgan Schneiderlin (£4.7m, 9 pts) will be the man to get should you believe Southampton can be the David in this match-up and beat the Goliath after their heroics against Liverpool last week.

It will be closer than expected. I think the Blues will go through though despite all the difficulties.

Prediction: SOU 1-2 CHE

TEAM FOCUS: Arsenal
Reading have been very terrible recently, so the Gunners will have all the chance to pierce through their defence at the Emirates.

Santi Cazorla (£9.4m, 3 pts) has signs of returning form recently, and though he did not contributed any goals and assists in his last 2 Premiership games, the absence of Theo Walcott (£9.0m, 3 pts) means that the Spaniard will carry the team in their conquest of top four finish. A good captain pick for the gameweek.

Olivier Giroud (£7.5m, 5 pts) is the man to pick upfront, while Lukas Podolski (£8.1m, - pts) could benefit from Walcott's absence and grab his first start in six games.

Should be a comfortable Arsenal victory.

Prediction: ARS 2-0 RDG

PLAYER FOCUS: Berbatov
With 3 goals in the last 3 games, Dimitar Berbatov (£7.0m, 9 pts) is certainly in a fine form. I can't see why he can't make it four in a row against last-placed Queens Park Rangers.

GAMEWEEK 31 DREAM TEAM

De Gea

Monreal — Azpilicueta — Zabaleta

 Bale (VC) — Hazard — Cazorla — Coutinho

Berbatov — Van Persie (C) — Giroud

Subs: Al-Habsi — Schneiderlin — Riether — Figueroa

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 30 Fantasy Preview

Can Loic Remy lead QPR to their third consecutive victory?

There are a lot of nice fixtures for you to capitalise this week, so let's get ready for a big fantasy feast!

FEATURED: Everton v Manchester City @ Goodison Park
Everton are still hopeful for a Champions League finish with only five points separating them and fourth-placed Chelsea and a win against Manchester City will definitely boost their odds.

It's all about Marouane Fellaini (£7.6m, - pts) this season for the Toffees, with the Belgian their attacking focal point with 11 league goals and 6 assists already this season. Big and lethal.

Manchester City might have not much to pursue already this season, but their quality is immense and they aren't that safe at second neither. Carlos Tevez (£8.6m, - pts) is the man you should pursue if you want some City's exposure as Sergio Aguero (£10.9m, - pts) is expected to be unfit until end of the month.

I think City will conquer Goodison Park as the Toffees are not really in good form recently.

Prediction: EVE 1-2 MCI

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
Is there any better time to captain Robin Van Persie (£13.7m, 192 season pts)? I don't know, but this Saturday seems like one of the best gameweek to do so.

Reading now sit second from the bottom, leading Queens Park Rangers only by goal difference. With Brian McDermott just sacked not long ago, expect some uncertainties in the Royals' tactics.

Shinji Kagawa (£7.9m, - pts) could do some magic again after a hat-trick against Norwich, and a clean sheet is quire likely too.

Prediction: MUN 3-0 RDG

PLAYER FOCUS: Remy
It's cheating to write on Luis Suarez (£11.1m, 190 season pts) or Gareth Bale (£10.8m, 185 season pts) here — both are having delicious fixtures this weekend — so let's go for Loic Remy (£5.9m, 8 pts) instead, the critical player in Harry Redknapp's operation salvation.

Remy now started four league games out of a possible seven for QPR, and has then scored 3 goals already for the side. Thanks to his two goals in the last two games the Rs have gotten their first consecutive victories of the season, and another win will more than likely bring them away from the last position in the league.

Aston Villa isn't a very tough opposition, so Remy could really strike it three-in-a-row and possibly help QPR to get 9 points out of 9 as well, sending them to cloud nine.

GAMEWEEK 30 DREAM TEAM

Mignolet

Vertonghen — Azpilicueta — Evra

 Bale (VC) — Kagawa — Cazorla — Mata

Suarez — Van Persie (C) — Remy

Subs: Begovic — Coutinho — Cameron — Cuellar

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 29 Fantasy Preview

Can Suarez extend his lead in the Golden Boot race?

There are very limited games in hand this week with FA Cup stealing the limelight. Let's just try your best to field 11 players and hope for the best, and hopefully you can cope it better this little piece of guidance.

FEATURED: Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur @ Anfield
Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal will not be playing this gameweek, but thankfully there is Tottenham's visit to Liverpool make this gameweek a interesting one at least.

Gareth Bale (£10.6m, 10 pts), scoring 59 points from the last 5 games, will have a direct battle with Luis Suarez (£10.9m, 17 pts) who is on a sky high form as well having just scored a hat-trick against Wigan last week. The battle of aces.

Supporting Bale would be on-form Glyfi Sigurdsson (£7.8m, 5 pts), who played a role as important as Bale in Spurs' 3-0 demolition of Inter Milan just days ago. Joining the cause is Jermaine Defoe (£7.9m, 1 pt) who has fully recovered but may be rested after a full game action in the mid-week.

As for the Merseyside team, Phillippe Coutinho (£6.6m, 10 pts) is expected to start for the Reds again after such a spectacular performance against Wigan. Daniel Sturridge (£7.5m, - pts) is fit again and will definitely split the attention from Suarez if he starts.

The stamina edge the Reds enjoy could be the deciding factor of this match. A home win for me.

Prediction: LIV 2-1 TOT

TEAM FOCUS: Newcastle
The rest of the "big brands" of the Premier League are not featuring on gameweek 29, so let's stick on to the old-timer Newcastle.

Fantasy managers simply cannot ignore Moussa Sissoko (£6.6m, 2 pts) — the latest installment of the Magpies has scored 37 points already in just 5 games. Instant impact.

Yoan Gouffran (£7.0m, 2 pts) is another performing new-joiner, though to a lesser extent. He could burst in this game though.

Prediction: NEW 2-0 STO

PLAYER FOCUS: Lambert
It's tough to perform in this gameweek with such limited options, but having Rickie Lambert (£7.2m) on your side should make things easier.

Against Norwich, the low-profile striker should be able to tap in a goal or two.

GAMEWEEK 29 DREAM TEAM

Elliott

Samba — Yanga-Mbiwa — Enrique

 Bale (VC) — Coutinho — Sissoko — Michu

Suarez (C) — Benteke — Lambert

Subs: Boruc — Snodgrass — Bassong — Olsson

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 28 Fantasy Preview

Fiery Bale: The thunderous midfielder has now scored 6 goals in his last 4 Premier League games.

Rafa Benitez led the Blues to cruise into the next round of the FA Cup but vowed to quit at the end of the season. I don't think he will still be Chelsea's manager next season anyway.

FEATURED: Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal @ White Hart Lane
Mr Bale will be the main cast for the show this week as Tottenham welcome Arsenal in the famous North London Derby match-up.

Spurs were the losers in the first leg encounter — conceding 5 goals in the process — and would definitely want return the favour to Arsene Wenger's side. They can be confident indeed this time, with Gareth Bale (£10.3m, 15 pts) in such an unstoppable form that not even Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can match at the moment.

Joining the cause are ex-Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor (£9.0m, 2 pts), who scored only 2 league goals so far this season and hopes the extra motivation against his former club will do him good. The rest of Tottenham's attackers, judging by their playing minutes, are just too risky to be recruited into your fantasy team.

Looking across, Santi Cazorla (£9.3m, 15 pts) seems to have regained his magic feet after scoring 3 goals in the last 2 matches. This will definitely give more pressure to Spurs backline as they have to split their attention from the ever consistent and threatening ace of Arsenal Theo Walcott (£9.5m, 2 pts).

Seems to be a very delicious goal feast, and I think both sides will end the game with a stalemate.

Prediction: TOT 2-2 ARS

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
I feel sorry for the Canaries, but the fatal blow by the Devils' trident is imminent.

It doesn't look good for Robin Van Persie's (£14.0m, 4 pts) owners as he is not expected to play a full 90 minutes and may even play none with Sir Alex Ferguson preparing ahead for the game against Real Madrid. Coupled with Manchester United's missing fixture for the next gameweek, the pressure is mounting high on his sale.

This gives a great opportunity for Wayne Rooney (£11.9m, 1 pt) this week. The lad only played 30 minutes against Queens Park Rangers last week and will be full of energy to push for this one. Nani (£8.2m, 6 pts) has been doing well recently and may again get SAF's nod for a start this week.

Prediction: MUN 4-0 NOR

PLAYER FOCUS: Aguero
Has Sergio Aguero (£10.9m, 2 pts) lost his magic? Manchester City have signs of restored aura recently and I think Maradona's son-in-law should benefit from that sooner rather than later. He needs to be more accurate in his shooting though.

GAMEWEEK 28 DREAM TEAM

De Gea

Baines — Zabaleta — Azpilicueta

 Bale (C) — Mata — Fellaini — Silva

Suarez (VC) — Aguero — Rooney

Subs: Boruc — Sissoko — Marc Wilson — Clyne

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 27 Fantasy Preview

Jack Wilshere burst into tears after a heavy defeat to Bayern Munich at Emirates Stadium.

Mixed fortunes for Premier League teams at Europe as Liverpool got knocked out of Europa League while Arsenal got dented heavily at home by Bayern Munich. Let's see how they reach as Premier League moves on to gameweek 27. Kindly take note that Liverpool and Swansea have pre-played their fixture on gameweek 26 in anticipation of League Cup final for the Swans. They will play no games for this gameweek.

FEATURED: Manchester City v Chelsea @ Etihad
It's a battle for runner-up as Chelsea travel to Manchester City with four-point gap between them.

Eden Hazard (£9.3m, 13 pts) brought the Blues through to the round of 16 of Europa League with a dramatic late goal against Sparta Prague. He had scored in both of his last two games and could be the main threat again to the opposition apart from Juan Mata (£10.1m, 1 pt) — the Blues' chief in offence.

On the other side, City finally got a win after more than a half-month with Carlos Tevez (£8.7m, - pts) starting ahead of Edin Dzeko (£7.5m, 7 pts) this time. Still looks tough to read through Mancini's brain despite the departure of Mario Balotelli.

So it leaves Sergio Aguero (£10.9m, 2 pts) as the most rotation-free man up front, though his price can hardly be justified with his mediocre performance this season. This is the same as well to David Silva (£9.3m, 2 pts) and Yaya Toure (£7.7m, 1 pt) — two big fantasy jewels of last season.

Close match, but I think City have the stamina advantage to take this down.

Prediction: MCI 2-1 CHE

TEAM FOCUS: Arsenal
This might be the last easy game for the Gunners in awhile, so let's enjoy.

Theo Walcott (£9.5m, 7 pts) are the obvious picks as usual, while Olivier Giroud (£8.0m, 2 pts) and Santi Cazorla (£9.3m, 8 pts) are capable to do some damage too if you are looking for goals.

If they can hold off Christian Benteke (£6.9m, 8 pts) then I can see a third consecutive clean sheet coming.

Prediction: ARS 3-1 AST

PLAYER FOCUS: Van Persie
Harry Redknapp simply doesn't look godly enough to save QPR from Robin Van Persie's (£14.0m, 12 pts) desolation... The Red Devils won't lose such a golden chance to further cement their leading position will they?

GAMEWEEK 27 DREAM TEAM

Schwarzer

Baines — Jenkinson — Rafael

 Walcott (VC) — Sissoko — Fellaini — Bale — Nani

Van Persie (C) — Giroud

Subs: Federici — Le Fondre — Zabaleta — Harte

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 26 Fantasy Preview

Meet Newcastle's latest super value buy Moussa Sissoko.

I'll make it short as I am on holiday mood now, so let's begin!

FEATURED: Manchester United v Everton @ Old Trafford
Old Trafford it's never a heaven for the visitors, and Everton will have a tough time dealing with it.

Marouane Fellaini (£7.8m, 15 pts) did great last gameweek scoring 2 goals for the Toffees, but is classified as 75% playing by the FPL committee. You should start him with confidence anyway if you own him. Leighton Baines (£7.6m, 4 pts) is another man to consider, having scored 43 fantasy points in the past five games.

Nevertheless, I think it's the usual Manchester United show with both Wayne Rooney (£11.9m, 8 pts) and Robin Van Persie (£14.1m, 5 pts) in superb form. However, there are some rotation risks with Real Madrid on Sir Alex Ferguson's mind.

A Manchester United win for me.

Prediction: MUN 2-1 EVE

TEAM FOCUS: Liverpool's Double Gameweek
Two straight home games for Liverpool in this double gameweek, and you know what to do.

Luis Suarez (£10.8m, 2 pts) did not lose his popularity despite the rise of Daniel Sturridge (£7.7m, 5 pts) — he shouldn't lose it anyway with his great consistency and versatility. Definitely the best pick from Liverpool. Sturridge is as great as Suarez with his lower price but is a slight doubt for the first game.

At the midfield Jordan Henderson (£5.4m, 1 pt) is doing impressively well in recent weeks and could crack something out of the two matches. Steven Gerrard (£9.7m, 10 pts) is enjoying his second youth currently with his outstanding performance and could hit the 200-point milestone again. Great picks.

They could harvest some defensive points too, so getting one of their defenders will not look silly. Bear in mind they will not play the next gameweek though.

Prediction: LIV 3-1 WBA, LIV 2-0 SWA

PLAYER FOCUS: Mata
Chelsea need to bounce back from their dismal form, and Juan Mata (£10.1m, 9 pts) surely is their best bet to do so. Against Wigan it shouldn't be tough.

GAMEWEEK 26 DREAM TEAM

Tremmel

Enrique — Walker — Davies

 Mata — Gerrard (VC) — Michu — Bale

Suarez (C) — Aguero — Van Persie

Subs: Cesar — Snodgrass —  Cameron — Bertrand

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 25 Fantasy Preview

Are you kidding me? Queens Park Rangers bought defender Christopher Samba for a club record of £12.5m. I do not mean to humiliate Samba, but this is a freaking ridiculous price.

The winter transfer window ended with Queens Park Rangers' unbelievable £12.5m record deal for experienced ex-Premier League defender Christopher Samba. QPR certainly look more and more desperate in their struggling journey to survive at the Premier League.

Other notable transfers include Nacho Monreal's arrival at the Emirates Stadium as well as Danny Graham's switch to Stadium of Light. Let's just see how these new crop of players fare with their new clubs.

GAMEWEEK 24 HIGHLIGHTS

• Manchester United re-extended their lead to 7 points after a narrow victory over Southampton. Wayne Rooney (£11.8m, 13 pts) was the hero, having scored both goals for United.
• Manchester City meanwhile were held goalless at Loftus Road as QPR collected another famous point to keep their survival hopes alive.
• Luis Suarez (£10.5m, 6 pts) and Jordan Henderson (£5.3m, 12 pts) combined to give Liverpool a two-goal lead at the Emirates but in-form Theo Walcott (£9.5m, 8 pts) and Olivier Giroud (£7.9m, 11 pts) helped to salvage a point for Arsenal.

GAMEWEEK 24 TOP SCORERS

1. Leighton Baines (£7.5m, 17 pts): A couple of goals from the Toffees' defender made it 39 points from his last 4 games. Fixtures are still pretty favourable for him in the next 3 games.
2. Juan Mata (£10.1m, 14 pts): His heroics wasn't enough to take 3 points for Chelsea. Proceed with caution as the lad is doubtful against Newcastle with his ankle injury.
3. James McArthur (£5.4, 13 pts): He was involved in both goals of Wigan. Never look to be a fantasy prospect anyway.
4. Wayne Rooney (£11.8m, 13 pts): Back on fire but I am still skeptical of his playing minutes as well as influence when compared to Robin Van Persie (£14.1m, 2 pts).
5. Jordan Henderson  (£5.3m, 12 pts): 22 points from the last 2 games as the young midfielder is on the way to leave the "flop" tag behind him.

FEATURED: Manchester City v Liverpool @ Etihad
Another tough game for Liverpool as they visit to Etihad in their tough quest for a top four finish.

City drew against QPR last week and will look to not repeat such embarrassment against the Reds. Mario Balotelli has left to AC Milan for good and helps to increase the playing minutes of Sergio Aguero (£10.9m, 2 pts), Carlos Tevez (£8.9m, 2 pts) and Edin Dzeko (£7.5m, 1 pt). Not sure which two of them will start up front though, with David Silva (£9.5m, 3 pts) for sure will provide the needed support for them.

Jordan Henderson is the hot man for the Reds but the arrival of Phillipe Coutinho (£6.5m) should restrict his playing minutes sooner rather than later. The more reliable and less susceptible to rotation player is of course Luis Suarez (£10.5m, 6 pts) who can play and perform equally well at any position at the front four.

It's going to be a tough match, but I guess Vincent Kompany's (£7.1m, - pts) will prove to be a hard time for Roberto Mancini's side.

Prediction: MCI 1-1 LIV

TEAM FOCUS: Tottenham
Tottenham have not won in their last three Premier League fixtures, and that's too long.

West Brom are even worst with their 5 game victory-less streak, and that presents a big chance for Gareth Bale (£9.8m, 8 pts), Jermaine Defoe (£8.2m, 5 pts) and Aaron Lennon (£7.3m, 2 pts) to shine. New arrival Lewis Holtby (£7.5m) could get his time too after debuting against Norwich at Carrow Road earlier this week.

Prediction: WBA 1-3 TOT

PLAYER FOCUS: Giroud
It's hard to overlook Olivier Giroud (£7.9m, 11 pts) as he bursts into incredible form after a miserable first half of the season. Against Stoke, he will be the towering presence to pierce through the high physical defence of Tony Pulis' team.

GAMEWEEK 25 DREAM TEAM

Mignolet

Samba — Evra — Baines

 Mata — Bale (VC) — Fellaini — Walcott

Van Persie (C) — Fletcher — Giroud

Subs: Cesar — Henderson —  Bertrand — Bramble

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 24 Fantasy Preview

Wilfried Zaha to join Manchester United in a £15m move from Crystal Palace.

So Wilfried Zaha confirms his move to Manchester United, though the 20-year-old winger/forward will stay at Crystal Palace in a loan deal until the next summer. Meanwhile at neighbouring city Liverpool are on the verge of getting Inter Milan 20-year-old midfielder Philippe Coutinho. Not quite a silent transfer window.

The FA Cup is producing lots of surprises last weekend, including Tottenham's shock defeat to Leeds United and Oldham's even more incredible victory over Liverpool. Shocks.

GAMEWEEK 23 HIGHLIGHTS

• Arsenal players flourished in this double gameweek following a 5-1 maul over West Ham in the replacement fixture. Theo Walcott (18 pts), Lukas Podolski (17 pts), Olivier Giroud (15 pts) and Santi Cazorla (12 pts) were the outstanding performers.
• Clint Dempsey scored a last-gasp equaliser to cut down Manchester United's lead over Manchester City to five points.
• Liverpool produced another magnificent victory over their favourite prey Norwich as Daniel Sturridge scored 3 in his first 3 appearances with the Reds.

GAMEWEEK 23 TOP SCORERS

1. Theo Walcott (£9.4m, 18 pts): Not only that the forward is brilliant, but he is also consistent recently. Definitely my first pick from Arsenal.
2. Lukas Podolski (£8.3m, 17 pts): Lacks the consistency despite looking brilliant. Will need to do more to impress fantasy managers.
3. David Silva (£9.4m, 16 pts): Can the midfield maestro kick-start his season with this kind of performance? His price is definitely not bad for now.
4. Olivier Giroud (£7.8m, 15 pts): He improves steadily and certainly looks better to own now than before, though still not that value to money when there are cheaper candidates around such as Steven Fletcher (£7.1m, 13 pts).
5. Jonathan De Guzman (£5.8m, 15 pts): A rare striking performance from the midfielder. His price is not at the competitive range though so I do not recommend him.

FEATURED: Arsenal v Liverpool @ Emirates
Both sides are only 3 points away from each other and it's expected to be a tough match-up.

The Gunners are slowly following the footsteps of declining Liverpool, with Top 4 looking to be a not-so-easy task for them this season with Tottenham and Everton in front of the pecking order. But Liverpool are even worse as they are yet to beat any top 10 sides this season.

Theo Walcott will continue to be the greatest threat for Arsenal and is set to create havoc in Liverpool's defence which usually fails miserably against the top offensive sides. This should open up some decent chances for Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud — who scored twice against Brighton last weekend — to score as well.

Meanwhile it will be up to the S.S. partnership — Luis Suarez (£10.5m, 9 pts) and Daniel Sturridge (£7.4m, 6 pts) — to deal some wound to the Gunners' defence. Philippe Coutinho could already be a Red by then, but I don't expect him to get deployed immediately in Brendan Rodgers' system.

Certainly an interesting brawl, but Swansea are the only lesser side to have won at Emirates this season, and so I am going for a home win.

Prediction: ARS 2-1 LIV

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
It's too enticing to not go for Manchester United this week, with Southampton the visitors to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have only lost once this season at home, and won the rest. I have no reason to believe why they will lose points against the side who are just four points away from relegation zone.

Robin Van Persie (£14.1m, 9 pts) continues to be the most trusted fantasy forward with 45% of ownership and should definitely be your first captain choice this week. I still don't see any other good offensive fantasy assets for United anyway so I will stick to Patrice Evra (£7.2m, 1 pt) or Rafael Da Silva (£6.0m, 1 pt) as the second player to own from the Red Devils.

Should not have a hard time dealing with the Saints.

Prediction: MUN 4-0 SOU

PLAYER FOCUS: Silva
With Yaya Toure (£7.7m, - pts) left the team for African Cup of Nations and Samir Nasri (£8.0m, 1 pt) going out of form, David Silva (£9.4m, 16 pts) is the most reliable man from City's midfield and should play a pivotal role against Queens Park Rangers.

GAMEWEEK 24 DREAM TEAM

Begovic

Azpilicueta — Zabaleta — Evra

 Mata — Silva (VC) — Fellaini — Walcott

Van Persie (C) — Tevez — Fletcher

Subs: Guzan — De Guzman —  Wilkinson — Clark

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Eden Hazard Kicked The Ball Boy

Not a good news for Eden Hazard's (£9.4m, 127 season pts) fantasy managers. The lad kicked a ball boy in an attempt to grab the ball from him, who was trying to waste some time for Swansea, who eventually eliminated Chelsea to progress to the final of Capital One Cup.

As a result, a red was shown and the Belgian will miss the next 3 games. Fortunately though, there are ample of elite fantasy midfielders priced at similar range who you can get as a direct replacement, such as Juan Mata (£10.0m, 137 season pts), Santi Cazorla (£9.6m, 129 season pts), Steven Gerrard (£9.8m, 128 season pts), Theo Walcott (£9.4m , 120 season pts) and Gareth Bale (£9.8m, 118 season pts).

Good luck to all fantasy managers.

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 23 Fantasy Preview

Theo Walcott signed a new £100,000 a week contract ahead of double gameweek.

No big transfer news so far after Demba Ba and Daniel Sturridge, but perhaps Theo Walcott's decision to stay at Emirates with a new three-and-a-half year deal is as happy as a new blockbuster signing for Arsenal fans. Let's move on to gameweek 23 with another double gameweek awaits.

GAMEWEEK 22 HIGHLIGHTS

• The double-gameweek-ers did not disappoint with Juan Mata (16 pts), Eden Hazard (19 pts), Jason Puncheon (12 pts), Rickie Lambert (14 pts), Frank Lampard (13 pts), Nathaniel Clyne (11 pts) and Cesar Azpilicueta (10 pts) all returning double digit scores. Certainly impressive.
• Robin Van Persie shone again as Manchester United completed the double against Liverpool.
• Tottenham surprisingly failed to beat Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road — a game which Harry Redknapp claimed to be as good as the win against Chelsea last week.

GAMEWEEK 22 TOP SCORERS

1. Eden Hazard (£9.4m, 19 pts): Scored once in each of the two games and got handsomely rewarded with 4 bonus points. Can he carry on and record another impressive streak again?
2. Juan Mata (£10.0m, 16 pts): Completed an assist hat-trick against Stoke but somehow failed to do anything when faced Southampton at Stamford Bridge. Still a very good season holder nonetheless.
3. Rickie Lambert (£6.4m, 14 pts): The most value-to-money fantasy forward did it again with a goal in each of the two games. Superb man to hold for the season.
4. Jimmy Kebe (£4.6m, 13 pts): Took advantage of West Brom's dip of form and got an improbable win for the Royals.
5. Frank Lampard (£8.4m, 13 pts): Continues to impress despite ageing and is definitely attracting the eye of many to acquire his service when summer arrives.

DOUBLE GAMEWEEK: Arsenal and West Ham
Similar to last gameweek, there will be a replacement fixtures between Arsenal and West Ham. It's less enticing compared to Chelsea's or Southampton's one, but nonetheless you could do much worse than fielding Arsenal and West Ham players in your fantasy line-up.

FEATURED: Tottenham v Manchester United @ White Hart Lane
The executioner at Old Trafford will now try to execute the Red Devils again at White Hart Lane in their attempt to secure a Champions League spot.

Manchester United's has won all but one home Premier League game this season, and will seek to offer the revenge to Tottenham this time. Robin Van Persie (£14.1m, 6 pts) has been superb all season, and is the main reason why United have only lost 2 league points in the last 10 games. The Dutch, along with the just recovered Wayne Rooney (£11.8m, - pts), will be the main threat to Tottenham's defence.

Spurs will not surrender easily nonetheless, with Gareth Bale (£9.8m, 6 pts) the biggest challenge to Rafael Da Silva (£6.0m, 2 pts) down the left flank. Interesting match-up to see. Jermaine Defoe (£8.3m, 2 pts) will also be ready to provide the finishing touch as usual this season, especially with Emmanuel Adebayor's (£9.0m, 2 pts) departure to play African Cup of Nations.

Big showdown, but I think United will win as Spurs have not been doing great against the top sides this season both home and away — the first round victory is the only exception.

Prediction: TOT 1-2 MUN

TEAM FOCUS: Arsenal
It's all about Theo Walcott (£9.2m, 2 pts) in this gameweek, with the prospect to gain a lot of points through this double gameweek. The hybrid winger/forward will definitely play a pivotal part in the Gunners attempt to topple Chelsea at Stamford Bridge — which the Blues have only won once in their last 7 Premier League games — before playing an easier fixture against West Ham at home.

Santi Cazorla (£9.6m, 2 pts) and Lukas Podolski (£8.3m, 1 pt) are the two other popular attacking options you should consider, while Kieran Gibbs (£5.7m, 1 pt) is the best bet you can think of at the back.

Prediction: CHE 1-1 ARS, ARS 3-0 WHU

PLAYER FOCUS: Suarez
Luis Suarez (£10.4m, 2 pts) has some special affection for Norwich — he definitely loves to score against the Canaries and should bang in one or two again this time.

GAMEWEEK 23 DREAM TEAM

Jaaskelainen

Demel — Zabaleta — Gibbs

 Joe Cole — Cazorla — Gerrard — Michu — Walcott (C)

Suarez (VC) — Tevez

Subs: Federici — Lukaku —  Ben Davies — Bramble

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 22 Fantasy Preview

Demba Ba made an immediate impact at Chelsea with 2 debut goals.

The transfer window reopens with a few blockbuster signings, including:

• Demba Ba's move from Newcastle to Chelsea with the forward's release clause being activated.
• Daniel Sturridge's transfer from Chelsea to Anfield after a miserable season at Stamford Bridge.
• Joe Cole's return to West Ham to rediscover his best after going through some turbulent years in his career.

GAMEWEEK 21 HIGHLIGHTS

• Robin Van Persie and Javier Hernandez went on rampage again as each of them scored two goals and assisted once to secure a 4-0 victory against Wigan.
• Luis Suarez added two more goals to his tally to make sure that Van Persie has a good contender to battle against for the Golden Boot award.

GAMEWEEK 21 TOP SCORERS

1. Luis Suarez (£10.4m, 16 pts): Scored 4 goals in the last 2 games. The upcoming fixtures look tough but with such form he should be able to score again. And again.
2. Robin Van Persie (£14.1m, 16 pts): He will break 150-point-mark soon — a very impressive record for a forward when Premier League still has 17 games to go.
3. Javier Hernandez (£7.0m, 15 pts): His talent is just so wasted to warm the bench so much at Old Trafford — I wonder where does he stand if Wilfried Zaha joins the family of United's forwards.
4. Pablo Zabaleta (£5.9m, 15 pts): Playing with a great degree of consistency recently.
5. Joey O'Brien (£4.5m, 15 pts): His injury somehow was rewarded with 4 clean sheet points. Not likely to feature this week.

DOUBLE GAMEWEEK: Chelsea and Southampton
In case you still haven't noticed, there is a replacement fixtures between Chelsea and Southampton. You should know who to get (answers can be found in the next sections).

FEATURED: Manchester United v Liverpool @ Old Trafford
The stronger one-man team against the lesser one-man team. The lethal feet against the tricky feet. If you know what I mean.

Despite the gap between them continues to get wider and wider, Manchester United versus Liverpool is still by far one of the most exciting fixtures in the Premier League — the Reds always play at one level higher against their arch-rivals.

Robin Van Persie and Luis Suarez of course will be the diamonds of the battle — the latter has 15 goals in his bag already, yet still trails the even better former by one. Both deserve a place in your fantasy team with their outstanding performance and form.

The first leg of the season between them certainly looked encouraging for Liverpool despite losing, so let's assume that the addition of Daniel Sturridge (£7.3m, - pts) gives them a better conversion rate to prevent a defeat... That's the best they can do I think.

Prediction: MUN 2-2 LIV

TEAM FOCUS: Chelsea
Well, this is a no-brainer. The Blues are playing two games, and they are playing against two lesser oppositions.

Stoke City are the only undefeated team at home and could pose serious problems to Rafa Benitez's squad. But we all know that Chelsea have a lot of technically gifted players like Juan Mata (£9.9m, 1 pt) and Eden Hazard (£9.4m, 1 pt) are capable of doing, and they might just be able to end Stoke City's home undefeated streak.

Against Southampton it will be a much better prospect in terms of offence, but who will lead the line in the two games? The £50m Fernando Torres (£9.7m, 2pts) or the much cheaper but more lethal Demba Ba (£8.8m, - pts)? A tough question to answer, though owners of both should start them in your fantasy team without hesitation.

As for Southampton, Rickie Lambert (£6.3m, 2 pts) has proven his worth and should be the first man in your consideration should you want their exposure for this double gameweek — provided if your line-up if not the trio of Ba-Suarez-Van Persie. Jason Puncheon (£4.9m, 5 pts) deserves a mention too with his entry level price.

Prediction: STO 1-1 CHE, CHE 4-2 SOU

PLAYER FOCUS: Bale
Gareth Bale (£9.8m, - pts) returns from suspension... Ka-boom! And sends QPR from the joy of defeating Chelsea back into misery. Full stop.

GAMEWEEK 22 DREAM TEAM

Lloris

Russell Martin — Baines — Ivanovic

 Bale (VC) — Michu — Mata (C)  — Puncheon

Lambert — Van Persie — Ba

Subs: Federici — Joe Cole —  Harte — Wilkinson

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 21 Fantasy Preview

Theo Walcott claimed the match ball after such a heroic hat-trick against Newcastle.

It's fast and furious as the players have only two days of rest as they continue the hectic Christmas and New Year fixtures! Happy New Year to all fantasy managers!

GAMEWEEK 20 HIGHLIGHTS

• Theo Walcott (£8.7m, 26 pts) made his intention to play as centre forward clear after such a sublime hat-trick against Newcastle. His third goal was particularly exquisite, as he dribbled past several defenders and woke up despite being knocked down before tricking the keeper to the other way as he chipped the ball into the back of the net.
• Carrow Road was as happening as Emirates as Manchester City battled out a close game with Norwich before winning them 4-3. Edin Dzeko (£7.3m, 16 pts) almost got a hat-trick but the third goal turned out to be deflected by Mark Bunn (£4.1m, -1 pt) and was counted as an own goal instead.
• Meanwhile, it was pretty flat at Old Trafford as Manchester United maintained their lead by 7 points with a 2-0 victory over West Brom. Robin Van Persie (£14.0m, 6 pts) continued to fire despite only 26 minutes of action coming on from bench.
• Luis Suarez (£10.2m, 13 pts) fired twice as Queens Park Rangers ended 2012 deep down on the table with a comprehensive 0-3 defeat.
• It's now 0-15 for Aston Villa in the last 3 games as Paul Lambert draws himself nearer to job termination.

GAMEWEEK 20 TOP SCORERS

1. Theo Walcott (£8.7m, 26 pts): Incredible form. Hopefully he can repeat such feat again against Southampton.
2. Edin Dzeko (£7.3m, 16 pts): Superbly effective as always but always has such limited playing time.
3. Frank Lampard (£8.4m, 15 pts): It's sickening to know that Roman Abramovich doesn't plan to allow him to retire at Stamford Bridge after such a great performance by the lad.
4. Rickie Lambert (£6.1m, 15 pts): Did all he can up front despite failing to win it for Southampton. Looking good.
5. Ivan Ramis (£4.4m, 15 pts): The traditional goal plus clean sheet game for a defender. Great return from the injury.

FEATURED: Newcastle v Everton @ Sports Direct Arena
Frustrated Magpies will want to end their unlucky defeat streak as they await the challenge of Everton at home.

Newcastle have undergone a terrible week, having squandered a three-time lead to lose against Manchester United before seeing their three-time comeback a wasted effort, conceding 7 goals from Arsenal.

I don't know whether Demba Ba (£8.3m, 10 pts) is too tired to go on after playing 3 games in 8 days or is he busy on a negotiation with Chelsea, but if he does start again he should be the primary threat in offence as usual. Sylvain Marveaux (£4.2m, 11 pts) is doing his supportive role very well, and could earn a start again if he does not suffer from stamina issue.

As for the Toffees, Marouane Fellaini (£7.4m, - pts) has finally ended his suspension and will be full of energy to crush Newcastle's defence. A big, big threat for the Magpies along with Steven Pienaar (£6.8m, 7 pts), who has now delivered 37 points in the last 5 games.

A close one, but I think Newcastle will start 2013 in frustration just like how they ended 2012.

Prediction: NEW 2-2 EVE

TEAM FOCUS: Chelsea
The Blues are on fire, and against Queens Park Rangers, it's a no-brainer.

The Rangers now sat rock bottom of the table with only 10 points so far, and would have no chance of survival at all by any logic if it is not a manager of the calibre of Harry Redknapp who is on the seat currently.

But with 3 consecutive defeats it's hard to not go for Chelsea who have already won each and every of their last 4 Premier League games. Juan Mata (£9.8m, 7 pts) could be rested but nevertheless those who own him should play him with confidence — he had scored 39 points in his last 5 games. Eden Hazard (£9.5m, 2 pts) was quiet in the last game but should at least do some damage to the fragile defence of QPR this time along with the erratic Fernando Torres (£9.8m, 2 pts) who struggles to find some degree of consistency.

The defence could be able to keep it tight as well so you should consider to go for their defenders with Cesar Azpilicueta (£5.6m, 2 pts) a mouth-watering acquisition due to his low price.

Prediction: CHE 4-0 QPR

PLAYER FOCUS: Walcott
Theo Walcott has been performing exceptionally well in the role of striker, so one would expect him to continue to fire in front of fragile Southampton's defence.

GAMEWEEK 21 DREAM TEAM

Lloris

Vidic — Zabaleta — Azpilicueta

 Gerrard — Walcott (C) — Mata  — Lennon

Suarez (VC) — Van Persie — Torres

Subs: Foster — Dyer —  Naughton — Monk

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