Kick-Off: Gameweek 4 Fantasy Preview

Robin van Persie scored 4 in Holland's 11-0 domination over San Marino.
Good sign to take him in?

Overview
The transfer market is closed and the international breaks are over as Premier League will be back into real business. Be sure to monitor your players' injury status and make appropriate adjustments to that.

7-Gameweek Fixture Analysis (Published Monthly)
In heaven run

1. Newcastle (@QPR, @AST, BLA, @WOL, TOT, WIG, @STO) - Some moderately tough opponents but shouldn't pose much problems for them to collect some reasonable amount of fantasy points in both offensive and defensive departments.
2. Tottenham (@WOL, LIV, @WIG, ARS, @NEW, @BLA, QPR) - Considerably easy and all game looks winnable except for the one against Liverpool (I'd say 50-50).
3. West Brom (@NOR, @SWA, FUL, @SUN, WOL, @AST, LIV) - If they can build a good momentum in September with relatively easier opponents they might as well achieve good result in October.

In hell run:

1. Blackburn (@FUL, ARS, @NEW, MCI, @QPR, TOT, @NOR) - Still very tough upcoming fixtures, but the Rovers' games will get easier at the end of October.
2. Everton (AST, WIG, @MCI, LIV, @CHE, @FUL, MUN) - Fixtures get very tricky after the game against Wigan. You should start to dump Toffees' players unless you believe they will get good results in the next two months.
3. Manchester United (@BOL, CHE, @STO, NOR, @LIV, MCI, @EVE) - Offense is not an issue, but be cautious when picking United defenders with such tricky fixtures.

On Wildcard, Again
If you have the patience, I would suggest wait for another 2-3 gameweeks and see which latest signings settle well in their new team before using your wildcard. Of course, don't hesitate to use it if your team has too many junk players currently.


Game of the Week: EVERTON v ASTON VILLA

Can Tim Cahill break his duck?

Financially difficult Everton will search for their first home win of the season against in-form Aston Villa.

The home side has just sold Mikel Arteta to Arsenal, directly benefiting Leighton Baines' owners as the left-back will take almost all of Everton's set piece duties now. Unfortunately though, Baines has hamstring problems and is a doubt this weekend.

Villa is in good form and will strive to snatch an away win with their strikers, particularly Agbonlahor, looking sharp. Jermaine Jenas will make the midfield line more composed should he starts.

It will be close, with Tim Cahill taking all the offensive burden on his shoulders at Goodison Park.


Prediction: EVE 2-1 AST
Pick: Tim Cahill, Agbonlahor


Fantasy Game of the Week: MAN CITY v WIGAN

Nasri broke his finger and
is doubtful for this match.

Arsenal game against Swansea looks equally promising, but let's stick with the team with the best form at the moment.

Dzeko blasted 4 goals against Tottenham in the last gameweek, and is looking more and more likely to lock his starting position as centre forward. Certainly a great choice as captain for this week.

Nasri, who scored 13 fantasy points last week, injured his finger and is a major doubt for this weekend. Bad news for the French owners and good news for Silva's. Expect the Spaniard to supply plenty of chances to Dzeko and Aguero (or Tevez?).

Wigan will be hoping for Di Santo to perform the magic again, but I am more inclined for a clean sheet to the home side. Do take note that Kolo Toure is finally free from suspension, and will compete with Lescott for a starting place.


Prediction: MCI 3-0 WIG
Pick and captain: Dzeko, Silva
Pick: MCI defenders
Drop: WIG players


Pick and Drop

VdV is out for 6 weeks.

Pick and Captain:

1. Van Persie - A no brainer against newboys Swansea.
2. Rooney - His form is blasting, both in Manchester United and England.

Pick:

1. Arteta, Walcott - Expect these guys to rip off Swansea's defence.
2. Suarez - His tricky runs will be crucial to break Stoke's defence.
3. Holt - Should finally find some form after scoring against Chelsea. West Brom won't be too tough for him.
4. Mata - Expect him to disrupt Sunderland's defence.
5. Mertesacker - His towering presence will give security to the Gunners' defence.

Drop:

1. SWA defence - Van Persie is too hot to handle.
2. Van der Vaart, Vermaelen, Drogba - Injured.

Transfer Traffic

For evaluation on deadline day newcomers click here.

Green light (buy):

1. Dzeko, Rooney, A Young - Each scored over 20 points last gameweek. You should've benefited from price rise if you got them earlier.
2. Bosingwa - Increasing likely to steal RB position for the whole season.
3. Suarez - His is the super ace of Liverpool.
4. Mata - Adds an important dimension to Chelsea's attack.
5. Arteta - The new heart of Arsenal's midfield.
6. Best - With Ba struggling to settle, he should become the finisher of Newcastle.
7. Agbonlahor - Best Villa player at the moment.
8. Van Persie - His supplies are back.

Yellow light (watch/hold):

1. Simpson/R Taylor - Wait to see who's going to be benched with Santon's arrival.

Red light (sell):

1. Van der Vaart, Vermaelen, Drogba - Injured.
2. Torres, Carroll - Failed to impress.
3. Kalou - His position at Chelsea is downgraded as full-time benchwarmer.

Gameweek 4 Dream Team

Szcznesny

Kompany -- De Laet -- Hughes

Silva -- Walcott -- Tim Cahill -- A Young

Dzeko (VC) -- Van Persie (C) -- Holt

Subs: Begovic -- Hoolahan -- Jose Enrique -- A Ferdinand

Reviews on Deadline Day Deals

Per Mertesacker is the best deadline day deal in my opinion.

Some reviews on notable deadline day transfers:

1. Arteta (£8.1m) - He actually took a pay cut to join Arsenal. Is expected to become the new playmaker of the team and steal some set piece duties of Van Persie. Pick.
2. Mertesacker (£6.0m) - A very solid buy by Arsenal. Should take defence to another level but is rather expensive. Watch.
3. Santos (£6.5m) - Too expensive for an Premier League unproven defender with a rather leaky side. Avoid until he shown great offensive capabilities. Avoid.
4. Benayoun (£6.9m) - Not too sure about his position as a starter or a benchwarmer. If it's the former, he will resemble a great fantasy bargain with his creativity. Watch.
5. Hutton (£5.0m) - Should become first choice RB of Villa, but with no discount compared to Stephen Warnock. Pick.
6. Jenas (£5.5m) - Pretty cheap for a midfielder who is capable of breaking 100-point ceiling. Watch.
7. Dann (£5.0m) - The former Birmingham defender joins Blackburn to bolster their defence, but it remains to be seen how is it going to be improved. Watch.
8. Yakubu (£5.5m) - He's getting older, but with limited options upfront at Blackburn, he can be a steal if he somehow finds his form. Watch.
9. N'gog (£5.4m) - Don't know how it he going to get his place with K Davies and in-form Klasnic upfront. Needs to wait for his chance. Avoid.
10. Meireles (£7.4m) - A surprise move. 50-50 on him whether to replace in-form Ramires or Mikel for a starting spot. Watch.
11. Drenthe (£6.0m) - Former Real Madrid left-back is expected to take a spot in midfield, but I don't see how is he going to contribute much in offence. Avoid.
12. Grygera (£5.0m) - An experienced defender who can play in both CB and RB. Pretty hard to predict where he stands in Fulham's defence. Watch.
13. Ruiz (£7.0m) - The new Fulham striker has some decent scoring record and is expected to share goal burden with Zamora and A Johnson. Watch.
14. Coates (£5.5m) - A big threat for Carragher's CB spot. Should replace him sooner or later. Watch.
15. Bellamy (£7.5m) - Expect a supersub role for him. Apparently overpriced. Avoid.
16. Hargreaves (£5.0m) - One of the worst deals in my opinion. Avoid.
17. Santon (£4.5m) - Surprisingly cheap for a former Inter defender. Expected to be a direct replacement for Jose Enrique. Pick.
18. Wright-Phillips (£6.4m) - May give immediate impact to QPR's attack. Pick.
19. Puncheon (-) - Great talent that should perform well alongside Barton, Taarabt and Wright-Phillips. Fantasy impact remains a question. Watch.
20. Crouch (£6.9m) - Fits nicely into Stoke's system but will not be too productive in my opinion. Watch.
21. Palacios (£4.9m) - Historically a good defensive midfielder but not a good fantasy midfielder. Avoid.
22. Bendtner (£6.4m) - Should be pairing up with Gyan to provide greater dimension to Sunderland's offence. Watch.
23. Parker (£6.5m) - Good time to arrive as Van der Vaart will out for some months. Pick.
24. Adebayor (£8.0m) - Has good scoring record and should shine with offensive-minded Tottenham. Pick.

Missing some? Kindly inform me. Thank you.

Gameweek 5 Fantasy Preview

Carlos Tevez
New hairstyle which symbolizes his determination?

English clubs had a mix of fate in European action, but let's forget that and head into Premier League encounters this weekend - we have an England derby this Sunday! Here is my last gameweek's score - I'm satisfied with it.

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PART I:PREVIEWS

Joe Cole
Will his return provide the much needed creativity in Liverpool's extremely dull midfield?

Manchester United v Liverpool

A little too early for such important encounter, but let's just focus on the game itself. Both have shabby starts in the Premier League this season, with Liverpool the worse as they failed to convince their fans of their performance both home and away.

For the home side, they had just lost Valencia for "a good portion of the season" but that doesn't account for much difference. The Ecuadorian suffered from a dip of form - alongside with Rooney - and Nani is on his highs. The Portuguese is definitely a bigger threat for newcomer Paul Konchesky with his superb speed.

Another man for United that worth mentioning is Dmitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian is too good for Liverpool's shaky defence to guard off and unless Reina gives a top-class performance again, I won't expect a clean sheet for the Merseysiders.

As for Liverpool, Joe Cole showed his importance to the club again as they overpowered Steaua - even the dull Lucas scored! Liverpool maintained a 100% record at Europa League with his presence. He'll finally have the chance to play his first full league game with Liverpool, but how much impact can he make? I'm on doubt with his teamwork with Gerrard and Torres as they have not really have a good pair up yet.

Meanwhile, his new teammate Raul Meireles, who also joined this summer, seems to have a good start in Liverpool. He's certainly better than Lucas and Poulsen in the CM post and should provide at least some threat from the middle as compared to the former two if he starts.

But let's take a look at David N'gog. His second goal last night was such a brilliance! He's getting more and more mature and threatening. Certainly one to watch if he managed to come out from the bench.

Still, I think Manchester United is too strong at home to not win. Berbatov on form, Nani on form, Scholes on form. No reason not to get this one.

Prediction: MANU 3-1 LIV

The Rest

• Stoke City v West Ham (0-0) - This game is hardly predictable.
• Aston Villa v Bolton (2-0) - Villa are yet to fail at home.
• Blackburn v Fulham (0-1) - Hughes' team works perfectly as a unit, which attracts my vote of confidence.
• Everton v Newcastle (3-0) - Everton should get their first victory. A good time to buy Arteta in my opinion.
• Tottenham v Wolves (1-0) - Tottenham is obviously stronger.
• West Brom v Birmingham (2-1) - West Brom should snatch the chance to win against Birmingham who's weak at away.
• Sunderland v Arsenal (1-3) - Gyan made an immediate impact, but Fabregas is just too strong for the Black Cats.
• Wigan v Man City (1-3) - It's time for City to escape from those ridiculous draw and defeat.
• Chelsea v Blackpool (5-0) - Another thrash in the making. Drogba is the obvious captain choice.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Didier Drogba
The monster is ready to get the captain armband again.

Captain Picks

• Drogba/Malouda - There are not much weaker oppositions than Blackpool.
• Tevez - Wigan's attacking football will doom itself in front of Mr Carlito.

Buy-Ins

• Arteta - It's only a matter of time for him to start scoring from set pieces.
• Dembele - Cost-effective striker with Zamora injured.

Sell-Outs

• Valencia - Out for this season.

Squad of XV

GK: Cudicini

DF: Luke Young, Faye, Kaboul

MF: Downing, Bale, Fabregas, Arteta, Dorrans

F: Drogba(C), Tevez

Subs (in order): Robinson, Jones, Dembele, Jara

Captain: Drogba

Emergency Captain: Value

Starting XI Value: £82.2m

Total Team Value: £100.8m

Everton 3-3 Man Utd: In Pictures

Can you believe it? Everton snatched a last minute draw in Goodison Park just now!!! Two goals in a minute! Such an exciting game! Now I'll bring you some narrative of the game in pictures:

Rooney out of the squad in order to protect him psychologically.
Out of form Valencia is out of the squad as well.

Goal (39th minute)! Steven Pienaar scored. Everton 1-0 Man Utd.

Darren Fletcher equalised (42th minute)! 1-1.

Vidic scored through a free-kick header (46th)! Man Utd led by 2-1.

Mr Silky Smooth scored through a beautiful counter (65th)! Man Utd 3-1 Everton.

Yakubu came on. Very effective substitute to give more control to Everton upfront.

Van der Sar performed numerous classic saves and looked too good for Everton to score before the arrival of stoppage time...

Tim Cahill scored with his trademark header with 20 seconds remaining! It seemed hard to change the tide nonetheless, but...

A big mess in United's penalty area and Arteta got a free shot. GOAL! Three goals apiece. United lost two points!

Jonny Evans again looked so shaky in United's defence. One of the main culprit for United's draw.

Despite the draw, I think Liverpool should worry a lot as United's attack is so silky and effective. A big tough test for Roy Hodgson and his squad.

P/s: The pictures used are only for illustration purposes.