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

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

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

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

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

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

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

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

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

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

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

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

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

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Kick-Off: Gameweek 20 Fantasy Preview

Dimitar Berbatov with his showy self-explanatory tee.

Fast is the theme for this week as Premier League heads into its third gameweek in the same week. Let's begin!

GAMEWEEK 19 HIGHLIGHTS

• An interesting match-up between Manchester United and Newcastle which the Red Devils displayed their strong character by coming back from behind three times before Javier Hernandez (£6.9m, 10 pts) scored the winning goal in final minutes. Great, great game.
• The lead for Manchester United is now 7 points as Adam Johnson (£6.7m, 11 pts) inflicted the dead blow to his former club Manchester City.
• Juan Mata (£9.7m, 11 pts) compensated for his lack of production in gameweek 17 after scoring the winning goal against Norwich.
• Gareth Bale (£9.8m, 21 pts) scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Aston Villa conceded 12 goals and scored none in the last 2 games. Terrible, terrible form.
• Everton and West Brom are the other two clubs to score 33 points apart from fourth-placed Tottenham as both of them also recorded wins over Wigan and Queens Park Rangers respectively.
• The roller coaster form goes on and on for Liverpool as they conceded 3 goals against Stoke City who are famous in defence but not offence.

GAMEWEEK 19 TOP SCORERS

1. Gareth Bale (£9.8m, 21 pts): Fantasy managers will cheer for his swift return of form.
2. Jonathan Walters (£6.5m, 15 pts): Considered one of the best mid-priced performers so you should consider getting him.
3. Chris Brunt (£5.5m, 13 pts): Hopefully this is an indication of better things to come. He is still some distance from his best that we once recognized.
4. Juan Mata (£9.7m, 11 pts): He is Chelsea's ace after all in Benitez's plans, so this is rather expected.
5. Adam Johnson (£6.7m, 11 pts): The lad is getting more playing time, but with no premium players around him his upside potential is limited.
6. Kenwyne Jones (£5.0m, 11 pts): The almost forgotten striker is getting regular playing time now. No harm to scout him.
7. Carlos Cuellar (£4.6m, 11 pts): With Sunderland getting tighter at the back recently, you might want to get him.
8. Kyle Naughton (£4.2m, 11 pts): If some long-term injury happens at Tottenham's best four he will get consistent playing minutes.

FEATURED: Everton v Chelsea @ Goodison Park
Both sides will have much to battle for as Chelsea visit to Goodison Park this Sunday.

The Blue Lions are now 4 points behind of second-placed Manchester City, with a game on hand. They will certainly need to get this game — not only to apply pressure to the Blue Moons, but also to avoid being chased up by the crowded pack behind, which include Everton.

Juan Mata will continue to be the focal point of Chelsea's attack if he is not rested like Eden Hazard (£9.6m, - pts) when playing against Norwich. The Belgian should really start and could be the main contributor again as usual. Fernando Torres (£9.8m, 2 pts) is the less attractive option compared to the former two but is also the most rotation prone one — he has started all Premier League games for Chelsea this season.

As for the Toffees, Marouane Fellaini (£7.4m, - pts) will serve the last of his three-game suspension so it will be up to the supporting cast such as Leon Osman (£6.3m, 10 pts) and Steven Pienaar (£6.8m, 2 pts) to craft the offence. Nikica Jelavic (£8.2m, 1 pts) had been silenced in the last three games, but Victor Anichebe (£4.3m, 5 pts) will be ready to help to provide the firepower if necessary.

I think Chelsea will continue to win, but not in an easy way.

Prediction: EVE 1-2 CHE

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
Manchester United will sit at Old Trafford again as they welcome the challenge of West Bromwich Albion.

Robin Van Persie (£13.9m, 9 pts) is fairly probable of being benched after two successive 90 minutes of action, though Wayne Rooney's (£11.9m, - pts) injury makes it hard for Sir Alex Ferguson to drop him. If you own him, you should continue to play him with confidence and pray for the best. Javier Hernandez (£6.9m, 10 pts) is on fire and should continue to earn SAF's trust — start him with confidence.

Unfortunately United's midfield provides little fantasy for your fantasy team with Shinji Kagawa (£7.9, - pts) just finished dating with the nurses and will only feature on the bench at best while the wingers are struggling to achieve compared to last season. Defensively their best four are quite pricey now, but Patrice Evra (£6.9m, 10 pts) has been very great offensively so far and might just earn your consideration despite his prohibitive price.

Old Trafford is always a hell for the visitors.

Prediction: MUN 2-0 WBA

PLAYER FOCUS: Suarez
The lad is having a slight injury but is expected to be fit for the match. You never know when Luis Suarez (£10.2m, 4 pts) is going to burst again and blast in some goals, but against QPR the chances are higher isn't it?

GAMEWEEK 20 DREAM TEAM

De Gea

Vidic — Huth — Zabaleta

 Michu — Cazorla — Mata  — Bale

Suarez (VC) — Van Persie (C) — Torres

Subs: Begovic — Walters —  Collins — Naughton

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Kick-Off: Gameweek 16 Fantasy Preview

The Blues' three musketeers failed to bring their team to the round of 16 despite a emphatic victory.

Chelsea won 6-1 in their last Champions League fixture of the season, sitting only third in group standings as Manchester City couldn't even qualify for Europa League after yet another loss, ending only with 3 points without a victory. Is English influence on Europe football diminishing?

GAMEWEEK 15 HIGHLIGHTS

• Rafa Benitez got only 1 point in his first 3 games for Chelsea after a poor defeat against West Ham. What an embarrassing record.
• Chelsea's London rivals, Arsenal didn't fare well too as a defeat to Swansea at home marked a poor run of only 1 victory in their last 6 Premier League games.
• Manchester United needed to come from behind again to win in a 7-goal thriller at Madejski but the win nonetheless extended their lead to three points as Manchester City failed to win against Everton.
• Luis Suarez (£10.4m, 1 pt) is going to serve for one-match suspension after collecting his fifth yellow of the season against Southampton.

GAMEWEEK 15 TOP SCORERS

1. Michu (£7.8m, 16 pts): After some period of silence, the Spaniard rediscovers his goalscoring form with 4 goals in 4 games. Expect the buy bandwagon to return.
2. Wayne Rooney (£11.8m, 16 pts): Unfortunately to Robin Van Persie's (£13.8m, 6 pts) owners, Rooney is still the primary penalty taker of the team. Certainly needs drag the battle to determine who's the boss at Old Trafford.
3. Daniel Agger (£6.4m, 15 pts): 31 points in his last 4 FPL games, which include 6 bonus points. The Dane is certainly showing some fine form here and the upcoming fixtures look pretty fantasy friendly too.
4. Jermaine Defoe (£8.3m, 13 pts): Don't look like he will lose his position as Spurs' first choice forward as least for this season. Solid pick.
5. Demba Ba (£8.2m, 13 pts): Scored an important brace to end Newcastle's poor run of 4 consecutive defeats. Looks awesomely consistent as his maximum goal drought is only 2 league matches so far.

DOUBLE GAMEWEEK: Sunderland and Reading

This double gameweek has little meaning actually, as both teams do not have any big scorers. Still, start their players if you happen to own them anyway as 180 minutes of action will give you 4 points even if they don't contribute any goals, assists or clean sheets.

FEATURED: Manchester City v Manchester United @ Etihad
The battle for top comes in a pretty critical moment as City host United at home.

The gap between the Manchesters is now 3 points wide, and a win is much needed for City to ensure that this is still at least a two-horse race. The battle for the forward spots is pretty intense now, though I am pretty sure that Sergio Aguero (£11.0, 1 pt) will pin down one of the places to play against the Red Devils. David Silva (£9.4m, 2 pts) is a much more rotation-proof figure in City's offence, but he may not be fit enough to play following a hamstring injury.

For the away side, injury is plaguing the midfielders so expect Wayne Rooney to play in the hole supporting Robin Van Persie and Javier Hernandez (£7.5m, - pts) or Danny Welbeck (£7.8, 1 pt) upfront.

I am not too convince about City winning at home with such mediocre form recently, so I guess I will vote for a draw.

Prediction: MCI 1-1 MUN

TEAM FOCUS: Chelsea
Martin O'Neill's team is struggling recently and it presents a great chance for Rafa Benitez to grab his first Premier League win as Chelsea's manager.

The Blues thrashed Nordsjaelland 6-1 in the Champions League, with Fernando Torres (£9.4m, 5 pts) rediscovering his form by scoring 2 goals. That could serve as a great momentum for him to get back on the scoring track.

Juan Mata (£9.5m, 7 pts) also scored a goal against Nordsjaelland and will be hopeful to replicate his scoring form too.

Benitez should really start winning to avoid premature axing by Roman Abramovich...

Prediction: SUN 0-2 CHE

PLAYER FOCUS: Michu
Michu has been very streaky so far this season, so he may go with full ammunition this weekend and bag one goal or two again against Norwich.

GAMEWEEK 16 DREAM TEAM

Cesar

Sean Morrison — Mertesacker — Cuellar

 Gardner — McAnuff— Michu (C) — Mata

Le Fondre — Berbatov — Torres (VC)

Subs: Gazzaniga — Lallana —  Rangel — Nelsen 

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Kick-Off: Gameweek 13 Fantasy Preview

Roman Abramovich certainly loves the personnel from Merseyside.

A week of sackings as Roberto Di Matteo became the first Premier League manager to be discharged from his job this season following a 0-3 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League. Shocking. Replacing him is ex-Liverpool gaffer Rafael Benitez, until the end of the season.

The Blues of London certainly need a miracle to progress to the next round now, while the Blues of Manchester — Manchester City — are officially out of the tournament. Both Manchester United and Arsenal have secured their progress though.

Also being sacked is Queen Park Rangers' ex-manager Mark Hughes, after such a horrible season with only 4 points despite having a more than decent squad. He is then quickly replaced by Harry Redknapp, one of the best manager since Premier League's establishment 20 years ago.

Let's see how these sides respond in the Premier League as we head into the 13th gameweek of the season.

GAMEWEEK 12 TOP SCORERS

1. Carlos Tevez (£9.4m, 19 pts): Explosive. The Argentine is now leading the fantasy scoreboard and looks set to become the first player to break the 100-point milestone.
2. Jose Enrique (£5.7m, 18 pts): Looks superb to play out of position. If he can lock down the left wing spot he could be the next fantasy hot cake.
3. David Silva (£9.3m, 16 pts): And finally the Spaniard scored something which tallies with his price. Needs a few more of such performance to regain fantasy managers' confidence though.
4. Santi Cazorla (£9.4m, 13 pts): The expected one to perform when Arsenal perform.
5. Adam Le Fondre (£4.8m, 13 pts): A good, low-cost benchwarmer in your fantasy team considering his penalty duties.

FEATURED: Chelsea v Manchester City @ Stamford Bridge
Rafa Benitez will have a tough start at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea face league leaders Manchester City.

The Blues have gone four matches without a win and will definitely hope for a change under the new gaffer. Fernando Torres (£9.5m, 2 pts) is the man on the radar now as he had flourished well under the leadership of Benitez and will hope to replicate the same thing again.

Frank Lampard (£8.4m, - pts) and John Terry (£6.6m, - pts) will continue to spend time with the physios, and thus offensive burden will continue to lay heavily on Juan Mata (£9.6m, 1 pt) and Eden Hazard (£10.1m, 7 pts) while defensively it will continue to leak in my opinion.

Roberto Mancini certainly has huge pressure after witnessing the sack of Roberto Di Matteo and will go all out to deliver the necessary result to avoid following Di Matteo's footsteps. Carlos Tevez (£9.4m, 19 pts), David Silva (£9.4m, 16 pts) and Sergio Aguero (£11.0m, 11 pts) will continue be Mancini's main weapon to rely on if they are to get something from London this Sunday.

Tough one to call given the uncertainty that new manager gives, but I believe City should be able to knock down unsettled Chelsea.

Prediction: CHE 1-2 MCI

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
A managerial change at Queens Park Rangers, but I don't think that will change Manchester United status as the most fantasy friendly team this week.

United went for a full rotation in Champions League defeat against Galatasaray and will have their elites fully prepared for a full scale demolition. Wayne Rooney (£11.7m, - pts) will be fit for the clash, though Robin Van Persie (£13.7m, 2 pts) remains the best pick of the team and perhaps across the league as well for this week's FPL captain.

The Rangers don't score a lot of goals, so it's likely for Rafael Da Silva (£6.4m, 1 pt) and co to get some good returns.

Prediction: MUN 3-0 QPR

PLAYER FOCUS: Kone
Wigan will host Reading who have only kept one clean sheet so far this season, so I think Arouna Kone (£6.5m, 2 pts) has quite the chance to get something from the game and become a decent pick for this gameweek.

Luis Suarez (£10.3m, 11 pts) continues to get popularity among fantasy managers as well as with his unstoppable form, scoring 5 goals in last 4 Premier League games.

GAMEWEEK 13 DREAM TEAM

Al-Habsi

Rafael — Shawcross — Enrique

Adam Johnson — Cazorla — Sterling — Bale

Tevez (VC) — Van Persie (C) — Suarez

Subs: Begovic — Pablo Hernandez —  Mertesacker — Cuellar

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Sunday Aftermath: United On the Summit

"Oops!" Van Persie made Arsenal's £24m revenue from him a painstaking one after scoring the critical opener against them. 

A weird weekend as none of the teams from the top half of the table won except the new league leaders, Manchester United. Here are some highlights:

• Robin Van Persie (£13.5m, 8 pts) embarrassed Arsene Wenger as he capitalised on Thomas Vermaelen's (£7.1m, 1 pt) mistake to score an early opener against Arsenal. Incredible consistency which makes his hefty price tag more and more justified.
• Wayne Rooney (£11.8m, 2 pts) was given the authority to take the penalty on top of Van Persie but somehow missed it. He made up for his mistake later on by making an assist for Patrice Evra's (£6.8m, 10 pts) — still a miserable fantasy gameweek however.
• Meanwhile, Marouane Fellaini (£7.1m, 15 pts) bossed Craven's Cottage as he scored both goals of Everton against Fulham. The Toffees dominated the game but was left frustrated by Steve Sidwell's (£5.0m, 8 pts) late equaliser.
• Norwich have now gotten 7 points out of 9 in their last 3 league games as Bradley Johnson (£4.7m, 11 pts) converted Robert Snodgrass' (£5.8m, 8 pts) assist into the net.
• Fallen fantasy star Gabriel Agbonlahor (£6.9m, 9 pts) scored his first goal of the season as Aston Villa snatched 3 points away from Stadium of Light.
• Victor Moses (£6.3m, 11 pts) grabbed his chance well to score the opening goal for Chelsea but Pablo Hernandez (£6.1m, 9 pts) stopped Chelsea from climbing back to the top of the league table with a late equaliser.
• A stunning day at White Hart Lane as Tottenham failed to deliver any goals at home against Wigan.
• Manchester City's 22 shots proved to be a waste of effort as they shared a point with West Ham in a 0-0 draw.
• Both Queens Park Rangers and Reading failed to grab their first win of the season as they shared one goal apiece at Loftus Road.
• Luis Suarez (£9.7m, 9 pts) is certainly on fire currently but his side failed to snatch all three points at Anfield against Newcastle.

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Kick-Off: Gameweek 9 Fantasy Preview

Another early goodbye for Joe Hart and co?

Only Manchester United managed to win in Champions League among Premier League clubs this midweek as Manchester City are on the verge of group stage elimination for 2 seasons in a row after scoring only 1 point in 3 games. A big humiliation for the Premier League champions, I suppose.

GAMEWEEK 8 TOP SCORERS

1. Juan Mata (£9.1m, 18 pts): Clearly the unstoppable man at the moment. You might want to consider swapping him with Eden Hazard (£10.3m, 9 pts) as he is much cheaper.
2. Mark Noble (£4.8m, 15 pts): Definitely a decent footballer who can provide occasional goals and assists, but such a high scoring gameweek will be a "once in a blue moon" event in my opinion.
3. Chris Baird (£4.4m, 15 pts): Started for 5 straight games already in Premier League. Could be a decent pick, though you shouldn't hope for much offensive points like last gameweek.
4. Wayne Rooney (£11.8m, 14 pts): The birthday boy is on fire. Seems to be more valuable than Robin Van Persie (£13.4m, 11 pts) who provide similar production at cheaper price.
5. Kevin Nolan (£6.5m, 12 pts): A solid season-long pick who can provide consistent production plus good upside potential. Grab him before he becomes too expensive to own.

FEATURED: Chelsea v Manchester United @ Stamford Bridge
The 6-point brawl in the title race will commence this Sunday as league leaders Chelsea face second-placed Manchester United at their homeground.

The Blues conceded their first defeat of the season in Champions League encounter against Shaktar Donetsk. A shocking one, but things are quite different as Stamford Bridge.

Manchester United definitely have a very leaky defence, being conceded first in 8 of their 11 matches this season. Unfamiliar trait from the Red Devils, with Chelsea looking forward to exploit.

Juan Mata and Eden Hazard are your best bet as always, with Fernando Torres (£10.0m, 2 pts) a slight risk with his unpredictable form. Frank Lampard (£8.6m, 1 pt) is a doubt after limping off with an injury in Champions League fixture — Hazard should be the primary penalty taker then.

On the other side Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie continue to be the main pillars of the club. Unfortunately Shinji Kagawa (£8.3m, 0 pt) is doubtful with a knee injury, which means that the formation identical to the last match — Rooney playing along with Van Persie and Danny Welbeck (£8.0m, 10 pts) in a three-pronged set-up — could be adopted again.

Tough one to call, but I think Chelsea elites should be able to take advantage of United's defensive crisis.

Prediction: CHE 2-1 MUN

TEAM FOCUS: Arsenal
Arsenal have lost both of their last two games and scored none in both, but I think that will end this weekend as they host Queens Park Rangers who lay deep bottom of the table.

Santi Cazorla (£9.5m, 2 pts) continues to top my list of Arsenal players — a goal plus an assist is highly probable for the Spaniard this gameweek. Lukas Podolski (£8.6m, 2 pts) meanwhile is the man you can trust up front, with Olivier Giroud (£8.4m, 2 pts) and Yao Gervinho (£7.6m, 2 pts) the less popular options.

Defensive wise a clean sheet is quite possible so there's no wrong investing on the likes such as Carl Jenkinson (£5.2m, 2 pts) and Vito Mannone (£4.6m, 2 pts).

Prediction: ARS 3-0 QPR

PLAYER FOCUS: Bale
A very delicious fantasy cuisine for this gameweek, definitely. Gareth Bale (£9.5m, - pt), who just became a father last week, will definitely be looking forward to bombard Southampton's defence to embrace his child. Solid, solid captain pick of the week.

Dimitar Berbatov (£7.0m, 2 pts) will face Reading this week, and I have no reason to believe that why he won't score.

GAMEWEEK 9 DREAM TEAM

Manonne

Riise — Coloccini — Baines

Cazorla (VC) — Nolan — Hazard — Bale (C)

Tevez —  Podolski — Berbatov

Subs: Guzan — Duff —  McCartney — Wisdom

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Sunday Aftermath: Mata's Madness

After a disappointing start this season, Juan Mata is just 7 points away from FPL leader Eden Hazard (60 pts).

So Juan Mata (£9.0m, 18 pts) continued his scintillating form at White Hart Lane! Here are some highlights:

• Gareth Bale (£9.5m, - pts) missed the game to witness the delivery of his first child. Unfortunate timing, otherwise Tottenham should have a fair chance to win it.
• Eden Hazard (£10.3m, 9 pts) continued to deliver consistency with 2 assists, though at the moment Mata is definitely the better of the two with both greater form and cheaper price.
• Two defenders — namely Chris Baird (£4.4m, 15 pts) and John Arne Riise (£5.5m, 10 pts) — combined to help Fulham to win against Aston Villa. Riise has 4 assists already this season, which is not bad for his mid-range price.
• Raheem Sterling (£4.9m, 11 pts) delivered his first goal of the season, and was well rewarded with 3 bonus points as Liverpool won their first home game of the season. Luis Suarez (£9.5m, 5 pts) was the contributor, but wasted tons of chances in the game against Reading.
• Interestingly, Liverpool have collected 2 consecutive clean sheets. Not quite expected, really.
• Else at Old Trafford, Wayne Rooney (£11.7m, 14 pts) scored a "hat-trick" (2 goals plus an own goal) as he completed his 200 Premier League goal milestone and Manchester United won 4-2 against Stoke City. His strike partners Robin Van Persie (£13.4m, 11 pts) and Danny Welbeck (£8.0m, 10 pts) also scored double digit points — all three are great buys if Sir Alex Ferguson sticks with the current formation.
• At Liberty Stadium we saw Miguel Michu (£7.2m, 8 pts) back with his magic feet as Swansea recorded their first league victory since August. Pablo Hernandez (£6.1m, 9 pts) showed his class with a goal as well, but Jonathan de Guzman (£5.7m, 11 pts) was the true hero, having provided the assists for both goals of the Swans.
• James Milner's (£6.1m, -2 pts) red card almost costed City some league points but Edin Dzeko (£7.5m, 11 pts) made sure that it's 3 points in City's hands in just 11 minutes of action. Another frustrating story in FPL — superbly effective yet having his talent wasted on bench.
• Carlos Tevez (£9.4m, 7 pts) continued to provide, but can that stop his sale bandwagon?
• West Ham hammered Southampton 4-1 with club captain Kevin Nolan (£6.4m, 12 pts) continued to deliver super value performance with a goal and an assist. The man of the match was Mark Noble (£4.8m, 15 pts) though, scoring 2 goals.
• At Carrow Road we saw Arsenal getting a shock defeat as Grant Holt (£6.0m, 8 pts) scored in 3 consecutive league games. A man to monitor.
• Demba Ba (£8.3m, 3 pts) assisted for Yohan Cabaye's (£6.8m, 9 pts) but scored an own goal later as Newcastle have to satisfy with a draw at Stadium of Light against Sunderland.
• Junior Hoilett (£5.8m, 10 pts) was lively throughout the game but QPR have to satisfy with a draw after yet another sloppy defensive performance, despite playing with one man more for half an hour.
• Steven Pienaar (£7.0m, -1 pt) was the victim of harsh officiating, and will miss the Merseyside derby next week.

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Kick-Off: Gameweek 7 Fantasy Preview

Van Persie and Rooney: Possibly the toughest ever partnership for defenders.

The English clubs are doing pretty well in UEFA Champions League, with only Manchester City failed to win this midweek. Van Persie, Rooney and Mata are among the performing players, but can they carry forward their fine form into this week's Premier League?

GAMEWEEK 6 TOP SCORERS

1. Luis Suarez (£9.5m, 20 pts): You don't frequently see a 20-pointer, but he is definitely one of the players who are capable to do such impressive one-man-show. Not so sure on his consistency though.
2. Nikica Jelavic (£8.4m, 16 pts): Still very clinical in front of goal. His return will make Everton an even tougher side to face.
3. Gareth Bale (£9.4m, 16 pts): Tottenham have pretty much get themselves on the right track. The Welsh should continue to be the main fantasy contributor of the team this season.
4. Nuri Sahin (£6.7m, 15 pts): The on-loan player from Read Madrid is certainly on a hot streak. Just like Suarez, sustainability is a question to be unfolded.
5. Juan Mata (£8.8m, 13 pts): All of sudden the Spaniard got back his ace position from Eden Hazard (£10.3m, 2 pts). Scored another brace in UEFA Champions League and looks unplayable at the moment.
6. Demba Ba (£8.2m, 13 pts): 5 goals in last 3 shows how good he are. Plays Manchester United this gameweek but nonetheless fantasy managers should still feel comfortable to play him with the Red Devils' patchy defence.
7. Peter Crouch (£6.6m, 13 pts): A very underrated forward, sitting third among fantasy forwards in terms of total score. Short-term fixtures look unfavourable though.

FEATURED: Newcastle v Manchester United @ Sports Direct Arena
Tough game for Manchester United as they travel to Newcastle to try to take something away from the Magpies this weekend.

"Van Rooney" is the hot phrase in the football world now after Wayne Rooney (£11.7m, 4 pts) assisted both Robin Van Persie's (£13.5m, 5 pts) goals in Champions League clash against Cluj this midweek. The priciest duo in FPL are surely having a great chemistry, though Sir Alex Ferguson's unpredictable rotation policy might hinder them to deliver their value.

Unfortunately though, the back line continues to haunt Ferguson's team with Nemanja Vidic (£6.9m, - pts) set to out for 2 months. The Red Devils have now gone 4 games without a clean sheet in all competitions, and the defensive crisis will surely open up the opportunity for Demba Ba (£8.2m, 13 pts) to shine. A big man to watch from Alan Pardew's side.

It won't be easy for both sides, but I believe Manchester United's poor defence will pull their leg this time.

Prediction: NEW 2-2 MUN

TEAM FOCUS: Chelsea
The Blues will host Norwich — who conceded 5 goals last week — this week, and that is such a great opportunity for fantasy managers to exploit.

Mata fired yet another 2 goals in Champions League and definitely should be the man on your radar, but let's not write off Hazard just yet — this game may help him to bounce back to his earlier stunning form.

Fernando Torres (£9.9m, 11 pts) is another man that you can consider, while the defence looks good to earn a clean sheet as well this week.

Prediction: CHE 4-0 NOR

PLAYER FOCUS: Bale, Jelavic
Blazing Tottenham will face not so great Aston Villa this week, and that certainly is a great chance for Bale  to grab even more points to push himself up in the ranks of fantasy.

Wigan is traditionally not a good side in defence, so it's a good time to jump into Jelavic's bandwagon and hope for some clinical finishing from the Croatian.

Miguel Michu (£7.3m, 2 pts) has a solid opportunity to score against Reading, but to hold him could mean that you will lost a few pennies as some fantasy managers have lost patience and started to sell him. It's a call for you to decide.

GAMEWEEK 6 DREAM TEAM

Howard

Johnson — McAuley — A Cole

Michu — Fellaini  — Mata — Bale (VC)

Suarez —  Jelavic (C) — Torres

Subs: Gazzaniga — Sterling—  Jenkinson — Rangel

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Sundat Aftermath: What's the MATA?

Juan Mata is responding after Eden Hazard's marvel earlier this season.

Interesting Saturday fixtures as we saw Chelsea bagging-in 3 points from Emirates Stadium while Tottenham Hotspur got their first win at Old Trafford since 1989. Here are some notes:

• Juan Mata (£8.8m, 13 pts) returned in style. 1 goal + 1 assist + 3 bonus points made the Spaniard one of the top scorers of the week in Chelsea's victory over Arsenal. With Eden Hazard (£10.3m, 2 pts) totally out of form, fantasy managers may get tempted to switch to Mata and use the extra money elsewhere.
• And just when people are jumping on the sell bandwagon of Fernando Torres (£9.9m, 11 pts), the striker came back with a tough goal and an assist. He is the only available forward that Chelsea have currently, so he should still give you at least some consistent returns, if not spectacular.
• At the back of the Blues defence Petr Cech (£6.6m, 3 pts) had a wonderful performance and is definitely the only luxury-line keeper I would recommend at the moment.
• On the other side, Yao Gervinho (£7.4m, 8 pts) scored another goal and seems to secure one of the starting position at the moment with his fine form.
• Laurent Koscielny (£5.4m, 1 pt) on the other hand was disastrous at the back and was the main culprit for the Gunners' home defeat.
• At Old Trafford, Gareth Bale (£9.3m, 16 pts) was involved in all the 3 goals as Tottenham won 3-2 against Manchester United.
• Jan Vertonghen (£6.4m, 9 pts) scored a beautiful opener for Spurs, while Clint Dempsey (£9.2m, 7 pts) wasted no time to show his skills by tapping in the third goal of his side.
• Wayne Rooney (£11.7m, 4 pts) made an influential return for the Red Devils, but the defence was really too calamitous for them to earn a victory. They have at least 1 legitimate penalty claim denied though.
• A tough game for Manchester City but they eventually overcame it with a comeback victory at Craven's Cottage. Carlos Tevez (£9.8m, 4 pts) continued to be under-productive this time, but nonetheless got 2 bonus points for his performance.
• Meanwhile, captain Vincent Kompany (£7.4m, 1 pt) struggled a lot during that game as City still fail to capture their first clean sheet.
• 7 goals were scored at Carrow Road as it has become Luis Suarez's (£9.4m, 20 pts) most favourite ground, as he completed 2 hat-tricks in as many games there. Superb one-man show.
• Another man on fire for Liverpool was Nuri Sahin (£6.7m, 15 pts), who seems to click into Liverpool system already.
• Interestingly the Reds' young revolution are beginning to take shape with Raheem Sterling (£4.7m, 17 years old), Andre Wisdom (£4.5m, 19 years old) and Fernandez Saez (£5.0m, 18 years old) all on the starting line-up against Norwich.
• 5 goals in 3 games for Demba Ba (£8.1m, 13 pts) as Newcastle took 1 point away from Madejski Stadium. What an incredible form for the Senegalese forward.
• Also scoring a brace on Saturday were Everton's Nikica Jelavic (£8.4m, 16 pts) and Stoke City's Peter Crouch (£6.6m, 13 pts) in their respective wins over Southampton and Swansea.
• Another man on fire was Steven Fletcher (£7.4m, 8 pts) as he scored all of Sunderland's Premier League goals since his arrival. A cautious trend for Martin O'Neill, but that is really a happy signal for Fletcher's fantasy managers.
• Shane Long (£6.0m, 9 pts) scored a fine opener for West Brom only to be equalised by Darren Bent (£8.2m, 5 pts) from the bench as points were shared at Villa Park.

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Saturday Screamers: RVP Strikes!

Robin Van Persie grabbed his first goal for the Red Devils.

Another great Saturday night with comprehensive victory by Swansea, Everton and Manchester United! Here are some highlights:

• Robin Van Persie (£13.0m) scored his first goal for Manchester United in his first shot for the team through a wonderful volley. Class.
• His teammate Shinji Kagawa (£8.5m) also scored his first goal for United with an unmarked rebound. Two men to monitor.
• Wayne Rooney (£12.0m) only featured as a sub disappointingly and ended the game on a stretcher. The striker is expected to out for 4 weeks. A good news for Van Persie and Kagawa's owners and prospective owners though as it will remove rotation fears.
• David de Gea (£6.0m) continued to show good form between the post, but porous defence continues to hinder him from reaping good points.
• Damien Duff (£6.0m) made it 2 goals in 2 games for Fulham, which tallied his record last season. The winger is showing some form lately - a good short-term choice, perhaps.
• As for Swansea, Michu (£6.8m) did it again and leads the Golden Boot race with 3 goals. His price has already hiked by £0.3m in just one week, and I expect at least another £0.2m increase before gameweek 3's deadline. Grab him fast if you plan to get the highest goalscoring midfielder of La Liga last season.
• Danny Graham (£6.0m) opened his account for Swansea too as predicted. Most of the Swans' goals will share between Michu and him - a decent third forward pick in my opinion.
• A surprisingly flying start for Everton, scoring 6 league points out of possible 6. Maruoane Fellaini (£6.6m) scored again, which surprised me. Also on the scoresheet are Nikica Jelavic (£8.5m) and Steven Pienaar (£6.5m) - the usual suspects.
• Meanwhile, goals from Franco Di Santo (£5.5m) and Arouna Kone (£6.5m) helped to secure victory for Wigan over newcomers Southampton. Victor Moses (£7.0m) is leaving Wigan for Chelsea, so one would expect the duo to take over the offensive burden of the club.
• Tottenham failed to hold on their lead by Benoit Assou-Ekkoto (£6.5m) at White Hart Lane. Gylfi Sigurdsson (£9.0m) made an assist, but the rest of the attacking pack just didn't look sharp.
• Norwich and QPR, who both lost by 5 goals last week, shared one goal apiece at Carrow Road.
• And finally, Reading will have another double gameweek soon as the game between Sunderland and them was postponed because of waterlogged pitch.

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Monday Mirror: The "Fell" of the Red Devils

Maruonne Fellaini celebrating his goal with teammates Nikica Jelavic and Steven Pienaar.

A shocking Monday night football saw Premier League runners-up Manchester United lost comprehensively to Everton, who are usually slow starters. Here are some brief notes:

• Marouane Fellaini (£6.5m) shone by scoring the only goal of the game. Not the usual fantasy suspects,  but he played very well and could be a good short-term acquisition.
• Also playing well was Leighton Baines (£7.0m). He was linked with a move to Old Trafford before, but it still doesn't materialise yet currently. He almost scored a goal through a free kick, which was tipped off by David de Gea (£6.0m).
• The Spanish goalkeeper looked much more like a top goalkeeper yesterday, making numerous fine saves. Can be a good season-long hold in your fantasy line-up.
• Wayne Rooney (£12.0m) played an unspectacular game to be honest, while Robin Van Persie (£13.0m) had too little time to make a good debut.
• I have emphasized a lot of times on United's central midfield weakness, but it seems like Sir Alex Ferguson is actually avoiding that issue and focused on building his already saturated forward line-up. What's the point of getting another forward when what you need is really a Lucas/Fellaini/Parker type of player? Time is irreversible, and Paul Scholes (£5.5m) won't get any younger by playing on the pitch.
• The Red Devils can consider themselves unlucky though, with so many centre backs (Ferdinand, Jones, Evans and Smalling) out injured, forcing Carrick and Valencia to fill the void at the back.

That's all for today. Don't forget we still have Chelsea v Reading tomorrow for gameweek 1. Stay tuned!

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!

Kick-Off: Gameweek 1 Fantasy Preview

The dream partnership.

I am sure sports lovers have undergone a great summer with Euro 2012 and London 2012 Olympics around. But nothing brings excitement and passion as much as Premier League action and managing your own Premier League team at Fantasy Premier League! And here we go, the gameweek 1 of 2012/13 Premier League season! Live up the game!

In case you have no idea on how to play the game or improve your game, feel free to read FPLZ 2012/13 Fantasy Season Preview Series by clicking this link.

FEATURED: Manchester United v Everton @ Goodison Park
Great season opener awaits as league runners-up Manchester United set to travel to Liverpool with a new striker in the name of Robin Van Persie (£13.0m).

The Dutch is set to start with Wayne Rooney (£12.0m) and form possibly the best strike partnership in earth's history. It remains unknown though whether the team-up will flourish both in reality and fantasy or falter.

There are other things to unveil for fantasy managers in this game as well, such as Shinji Kagawa's role in the team, Sir Alex Ferguson's favourite defensive line-up for the season and the complicated battle between the wingers of United. Big questions to answer.

The Red Devils should have no trouble to win though.

Prediction: MUN 3-1 EVE

TEAM FOCUS: Chelsea and Reading's DGW (Double Gameweek)
Interestingly the double gameweek this season begins so early - at gameweek 1 itself! Chelsea and Reading will play twice each, but of course emphasis will be placed on the defending UEFA Champions League Champion who have done so many big moves this summer.

Fernando Torres (£10.0m) will surely grab the spotlight - he is the Blue's most senior and experienced striker currently and has found some good form since the end of last season. He scored in the Community Shield against Manchester City, which may give more reason to fantasy managers to land him in their line-up.

Getting Chelsea midfielders which consist of Eden Hazard (£9.5m), Juan Mata (£9.5m), Frank Lampard (£9.0m), Ramires (£7.0m), Oscar (£8.5m) and more is a pretty risky move right now - Roberto Di Matteo needs more time to conduct his experiment after landing so many new players. The defenders, on the other hand, are more reliable in my opinion so landing Ashley Cole (£6.5m) into your team can be a good choice.

As for new boys Reading, Pavel Pogrebnyak (£5.0m) represents a great investment. The Russian has been doing pretty well in the Royals' pre-season, so fantasy managers can consider giving him a shot. You can consider getting Danny Guthrie (£4.5m) in too with his very affordable price.

It can be very risky to put all eggs into Chelsea and Reading's basket, but you can always use your wildcard to tweak your team if things go badly.

Prediction: WIG 1-2 CHE; RDG 1-1 STO; CHE 2-0 RDG

PLAYER FOCUS: Aguero and Silva
It's only gameweek 1 and pre-season is hardly an accurate indicator, so let's just focus on fantasy-proven players.

It's hard to keep your eye away from Sergio Aguero (£11.5m) and David Silva (£10.0m) as they are facing new boys Southampton this week. Aguero is one of the top fantasy forwards last season with 23 league goals last season, while Silva is one of the most consistent fantasy player I  have ever seen in my career as a fantasy manager. Both are reliable, if not great, fantasy picks.

I also like the prospect of new Arsenal ace Lukas Podolski (£8.5m) at home against Sunderland and Fulham new signing Mladen Petric (£6.0m) at home against Norwich, but it's always risky to pick new fantasy players without any Premier League exposure before.

STATUS UPDATES

• Joe Hart (£7.0m): Back injury (75% playing).
• Phil Jones (£6.0m): Back injury (short-term).
• Laurent Koscielny (£5.5m): Calf injury (short-term).
• Clint Dempsey (£9.5m): On the verge of transfer (short-term).
• Yohan Cabaye (£7.0m): Lack of match fitness (75% playing).
• Demba Ba (£7.5m):  Lack of match fitness (75% playing).
• Bobby Zamora (£6.0m): Knee injury (50% playing).
• Theo Walcott (£9.0m): Thigh injury (75% playing).
• Stephane Sessegnon (£8.0m): Ankle injury (75% playing).

GAMEWEEK 1 DREAM TEAM

Hart

Vermaelen — Hangeland  — A Cole

Silva — Guthrie — Nolan — Mata

Pogrebnyak — Torres (C) — Aguero (VC)

Subs: Jaaskelainen — Allen — McCartney — Fabio

Can't wait to get more? Like FPLZ official Facebook page to get the latest updates regularly!