Happy New Year: Gameweek 19 Fantasy Preview

A fresh one-match ban for Suarez will prevent him
from facing Newcastle.

Overview
Further drama on Suarez's incident as he will be facing a one-match ban against Newcastle following the middle finger incident at Craven's Cottage. Just one thing to note: Fulham is neither fined nor warned about their fans misconduct to constantly attack Suarez through chants. Such a fair English Fools Association.

Game of the Week: LIVERPOOL v NEWCASTLE

Ben Arfa is one of the
cheapest fantasy commodity
with big gun prospects.

The battle for sixth. Two of the top tier defences across the league.

Liverpool has the worst home record among the top 7 despite being undefeated at Anfield, with draw rate as high as 66.7%. Certainly a stat that can boost Newcastle's morale. 11 home goals is also the worst of the top 7, so don't be surprised if the away team gets a clean sheet.

Suarez will not be available for this game (and perhaps the other 8 games to come) so expect at least one of Bellamy and Carroll to start upfront. The Geordie will face his old club again but it certainly won't be an easy game against the solid back four of Newcastle. Gerrard could also make it a start at Anfield - certainly the light of hope Liverpool needs.

On the other side, Demba Ba will continue to boss the front line and give Liverpool's defence a big test. Ben Arfa has played very well featuring from the bench last game and could as well start the game with Ba. Two delicious fantasy stocks.

Liverpool has historically done very well against the Magpies at home. The Reds should really end their unlucky streak already.

Prediction: LIV 2-1 NEW
Pick: Ba, Ben Arfa, Bellamy
Drop: Suarez


Fantasy Game of the Week: MANCHESTER UNITED v BLACKBURN

Valencia performs consistently
regardless of whether he is
playing as RW or RB.

Sure, Blackburn had managed to draw Liverpool, but blame Liverpool for their poor chance conversion. Against Manchester United, they have no chance.

Two straight 5-0 victories have surely rocketed the morale of fellow Red Devils sky high. Both Nani and Rooney didn't play for a full 90 minutes game against Wigan - superb captain choices. Berbatov might start too after a spectacular hat-trick, but just don't bet on him yet.

A big victory again might just send Steve Kean to execution and bring United to the summit. Sorry Blackburn.

Prediction: MUN 4-0 BLA
Pick and Captain: Nani, Rooney
Pick: Valencia, MUN defence
Drop: BLA players


Pick and Drop
Pick and Captain:

1. Van Persie - Might be rested, but nonetheless presents great scoring opportunity against QPR.
2. Bale - Hot and unstoppable, though Michel Vorm might stand on his way.

Pick:

1. Gervinho - In good form.
2. S. Fletcher - Against poor Bolton he should be able to do it again.
3. Sturridge/ Mata - The usual performer at Chelsea.
4. Holt - Norwich will put hopes on him to rebound from a defeat.
5. STO defence - Wigan has only scored 6 goals on the road this season.

Drop:

1. QPR defence - Arsenal hardly fails to score.
2. BOL players - In confidence crisis.
3. SWA defence - Looks impossible to stop Bale, Adebayor and Van der Vaart altogether.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

1. Bale - Fabulous and unstoppable.
2. Nani/ Rooney/ Valencia - United on fire.

Yellow light (watch):

1. Berbatov - His superb form might rekindle Ferguson's interest to start him.
2. Lindegaard - Started for 2 straight league games and kept 2 straight clean sheets.
3. Carroll - Suarez to start his suspension soon so he will get his chance.

Red light (sell):

1. BOL players - Whoever they are, sell. Second round of hellish fixtures is near for them.
2. Adam - Played terribly recently with Gerrard returning.
3. Suarez - Suspension begun.

Gameweek 19 Dream Team

Lindegaard

Shawcross -- Vermaelen -- Enrique
Nani (VC) -- Bale -- Mata -- Silva
Rooney (C) -- Van Persie -- Sturridge

Subs: Sorensen -- Hoolahan -- Walker -- R Martin

Man Utd's Season Begins: Gameweek 17 & 18 Fantasy Reviews

Ashley Young is expected to out until late January... Time to get
Valencia the super duper real deal guys.

Manchester United has scored 10 massive goals in just to games to close down the gap against Manchester City to just 5 goal difference. The real test for Mancini begins as the United's engine is officially ignited...

Team by Team Round-Up

• MCI: Failed to score for the first time this season against one of the worst defence of the league. Big shock. Three straight clean sheets nonetheless suggests that they're still one of the most reliable defence in England. Kompany remains the best bargain of all given Richards' absence due to injury. Offensively they're less consistent nowadays so don't put your shoes in yet if you haven't.
• MUN: 5-0 followed by another 5-0. The real season begins for them as Berbatov scored 4 goals in 2 games. A guy of pure class but certainly needs more playing time to gain a place in any fantasy team. Valencia is the real deal of the team given Young's absence and his ability to play as both winger and full back. One to watch. Evans is out due to injury as the cheapest access point to United's clean sheets is gone. Both Evra and Jones are pretty expensive while the rest are just so uncertain about their playing time.
• TOT: Speedy speed boy Gareth Bale crushed Norwich while Adebayor continued to show consistency scoring 6-5-7-5 over the last four games. Both are great buys.
• CHE: The fantasy points are still pretty widespread across players. Sturridge and Mata remain the "good but not great" buys, while Torres continues to be gloomy on the final third. Stay away from their shabby defenders.
• ARS: Van Persie is still the ace of the team, while Gervinho is starting to get some serious form when he is just days away from playing African Cup of Nations. Not so good. I like Benayoun's creativity but it looks like he's not fit enough to play 90 minutes.
• LIV: Charlie Adam single-handedly handed four league points away after failing to score a penalty against Wigan but scored an own goal against Blackburn. Two bottom three clubs. Great. Chance conversion is still terrible for the team. Lots of silly attempts going wide, lots of shots going too straight to the keeper, and when it's on target, opponents' keeper went into godlike mode. From De Gea to Hart, from Hart to Vorm, Ruddy and Bunn. Great keepers were all born at Anfield.
• NEW: It's great to see Ben Arfa scored his second goal for Newcastle after more than one year. The Magpies have now a second ace to rely on apart from Ba. I can see better attacking display from them.
• STO: Failed to score in both games but defensively it's still solid as long as they're playing with Shawcross. Nothing really sparkling to comment about.
• WBA: Hodgson's defensive tactics worked against City despite such a poor group of defenders. Odemwingie looks to rediscover his fantastic form. Certainly a man to watch.
• EVE: Saha and Cahill continues to stuck deep within scoring drought. Deep frustration. Osman is the only man who functions properly in offence.
• NOR: The results they got is just so predictable with the same usual bunch of players who perform.
• AST: Agbonlahor has lost his hot foot and we wouldn't know whether he will return to the Agbonlahor of last season.
• FUL: Dempsey is showing some consistency at the moment and is a good option for a mid-price midfielder.
• SWA: Nothing much to catch my eye except that Danny Graham has a nice footwork.
• SUN: A pretty much resurrected team under Martin O'Neill. It's still not so convincing offensively anyway.
• QPR: Mackie scored two games in a row. A man to match as we see how his partnership with Helguson develops.
• WOL: It's all about Steven Fletcher offensively. Best budget striker at the moment.
• WIG: Still the same old story of defeats and defeats. Poor sent off of Sammon though.
• BOL: Only 3 goals in last 6 league games as Owen Coyle's position is surely insecure now.
• BLA: Yakubu has gotten his tenth goal of the season but Blackburn is still rocking at the bottom of the league.

Gameweek 38 Fantasy Preview

So fast, we're reaching the end...

The end is so near, indeed. So how's your position currently? You've only one last week to improve your rankings, it might not help much, but it's better than nothing. At least make sure that there's a good ending will you?

Much drama are still going on at the final gameweek of the season, this includes:

• Race for third / Champions League direct qualification (Man City v Arsenal)
• Race for fifth / Europa League qualification (Tottenham v Liverpool)
• Survival battle (Blackburn v Birmingham v Blackpool v Wolves v Wigan, three spots for five)
• Golden boot battle (Carlos Tevez v Dimitar Berbatov)

These will guarantee excitements and goals galore during this weekend. Invest more on the front!

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Tevez and Van Persie
Photoshop makes the impossible possible.

Battle for Third (Man City v Arsenal)
Both sides will travel as the Gunners make a visit to Craven's Cottage whilst the new FA Cup champions make their way to Bolton.

Arsenal's form recently has been very dismal, managing to win only twice since March. Terrible defence and mentality has caused the team to suffer heavy slip-ups despite stunning form of Robin van Persie. That is also the reason why Manchester City has gone one point ahead of the London giants despite falling far far behind them for a major part of the season.

Speaking of their opponent, Fulham have been enjoying steady form recently. Barring the 2-5 defeat to Liverpool, the Cottagers have only conceded two league goals at home this year. Not a good news for Wenger.

Arsenal will desperately need three points to avoid cancellation of their pre-season revenue-generating tours, but with the current squad morale, I am very negative about that.

On the other hand, the Manchester Blues are on G6 currently after adding another trophy to their cabinet since 35 years ago. Coupled with Carlos Tevez's equaliser against Berbatov on the Golden Boot race, City are certainly high on morale to finish their season in style. More importantly, City's defence are more solid than the Gunners.

Bolton have good results at home just like Fulham, but defensive wise I'd say City should get at least the same point(s) from Bolton as Arsenal get from Fulham.

Prediction:
Fulham 2-1 Arsenal
Bolton 1-1 Man City
Man City secures third place.

Liverpool are outnumbered in terms of league points.

Battle for Fifth (Tottenham v Liverpool)
Europa League seems pretty slim for the Reds as they travel to Villa Park for a hard battle when Tottenham will sit comfortably at home playing against Birmingham.

Kenny Dalglish's legendary return was spoilt last week with a defeat at Anfield to Tottenham. The result has effectively give way for the latter to fifth, which means that Liverpool will need to pray that Tottenham will drop points in order for them to progress to the Europa.

Needless to say, Aston Villa is always a tough team to beat. Houllier will continue to absent, but still with the likes such as Ashley Young and Darren Bent, there will be great pressure for Liverpool's defenders.

On the other hand, Birmingham are well known for their stunningly poor away form, and it is quite a humiliation should Tottenham fail to bag three points on the closing game at White Hart Lane.

Prediction:
Aston Villa 1-1 Liverpool
Tottenham 3-0 Birmingham
Tottenham through to Europa.

Mick McCarthy
Looks forward to stay for another year.

Battle for Survival
Wolves v Blackburn: Head to head fight for survival. The victor will surely stay, while a draw will most probably make at least one of them stays. The Rovers have problems to score, so I think Wolves will have a very positive chance to stay.

Birmingham: As written above, the Brums are stunningly poor on the road. Pretty negative on their survival, unless the two clubs just below them suffer defeats.

Blackpool: It's one of the club that I wouldn't want them to relegate. Blackpool has been showing some pretty attractive football with their offence. People like Charlie Adam and DJ Campbell give Premier League some fresh breath. Unfortunately, their sluggish defence won't help them. Their opponent, Manchester United may have already won the league title, but the Red Devils still have reason to play their best. The starters want to warm up for Champions League final; the benchwarmers want to prove something to Sir Alex Ferguson. Goodbye Blackpool.

Wigan: Tide changes pretty quick. The comeback victory against West Ham has given them some momentum  this week, and given Stoke's collapse in the recent showdown against Manchester City, Wigan will have quite a chance to sneak away with at least one point for survival. Don't be too confident though, as Stoke rarely  give points to their visitors.

Prediction:
Wolves 2-1 Blackburn
Tottenham 3-0 Birmingham
Man Utd 2-1 Blackpool
Stoke City 1-1 Wigan
Blackpool and Birmingham relegates.
Wolves, Blackburn and Wigan stays.


The Rest
Prediction:
Everton 2-2 Chelsea
Newcastle 1-2 West Brom
West Ham 2-1 Sunderland

Dimitar Berbatov
Desperately needs a start to fight for golden boot.

Golden Boot Battle
There might be two golden boots this season, and that's interesting.

Carlos Tevez plays on the road, but his home-away goal of 13-8 shows that his away goal efficiency is only slightly lower compared to home. And given City's determination to protect their third position, Tevez should score at least one.

Dimitar Berbatov plays at Old Trafford. He picked 17 of his 21 league goals here - obvious home advantage. But he rarely plays since April, losing his place to Chicharito - a major doubt. However, he's very prolific in bullying the weak - one of the good captain this week. The Bulgarian should definitely get a starting position this time, but whether or not he will get quality support from second string players remains a question.

Pretty unpredictable in my opinion, I give up on predicting this and it's up to you guys.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Carlos Tevez
Just goals away to enjoy his best Premier League season.

Captain Picks

• Berbatov, Tevez - Fights for golden boot.

Buys-In

• Berbatov - Flies high.

Squad of XV

GK: Gomes

DF: Dawson, Hangeland, Fabio

MF: Modric, Dempsey, Malouda, N'Zogbia

F: Berbatov, Tevez, Odemwingie

Subs (in order): Begovic, Adam, Huth, Walker

Treble Gone Away From United

Gnegneri Yaya Toure
Scored the only goal to take Manchester City to Wembley.

An unfortunate day for Manchester United as they were outshone by their local rivals Manchester City.

Yaya Toure scored the only goal of the game but the Red Devils can only have themselves to blame for. Berbatov especially, has wasted a big deal of chances at the beginning of the game.

It looks like Mancini will win a trophy to secure his place. Good luck.

Sunday Sparks

Luis Suarez
Steals the headline with his zero angle goal.

Another interesting Premier League weekend as Arsenal slipped unexpectedly. Here are some highlights:

• Berbatov once again showed why he deserved to be nicked Berbatop as he decided the game from the bench. Johnny Evans's red card once gave Bolton the light of winning the game, but the Bulgarian acted as a black hole and sucked all the hopes away.
• On a side note, Nani continues to provide great value to his fantasy managers with nine points in total. Really a bad fortune for those who sold him earlier.
• Arsenal collapsed like nobody as they dropped another two points to West Brom. In fact, they were lucky to snatch one from the Hawthorns after trailing 0-2.
• A good thing to note though, Van Persie continues to show his imperialism at Arsenal. Still one man is not enough to save a team from failing.
• Green's godlike show has helped West Ham to salvage a point from White Hart Lane. His actions were well rewarded with 11 fantasy points.
• In addition, Bale was looking good with his return and you might need to him to finish off your season with a good result.

Charlie Adam
The commander is back to lead the show.

• Charlie Adam's return is so pivotal for Blackpool as the skipper took the Tangerines two goals ahead only to be drawn by Blackburn. Still great performance by him with 15 fantasy points.
• Stoke got a solid solid win against Newcastle. The best thing about it? Clean sheet of course!
• One thing note mentioning: Walters, Pennant and Higginbotham scored 40 points in total from this game!
• Cleverly made himself the man of the match as he led Wigan to reverse Birmingham's one goal lead.
• Coleman and Baines continue to become the main fantasy force of Everton as both of them picked up eight points in their win against Fulham.
• Still it's a good result for Dempsey's fantasy owners with his goal.
• Aston Villa lost surprisingly at home to Wolves. Without scoring any goals. Shameful.
• Luck was totally against Sunderland just now as Steve Bruce used two of his subs in the first thirty minutes and another before the 60th for all his injured players. And Mensah was even sent off for a soft challenge.
• Great work for Suarez anyway for his incredible zero angle goal as he continue his great Liverpool record, both in reality and fantasy.
• After a hat-trick, Kuyt continues to provide great fantasy returns as he scored another double digit today.
• The Chelsea-Man City encounter is going on now and let's see what Tevez-less City can do. UPDATE: David Luiz scored his second goal for Chelsea to further embarrass Torres's goal drought.

Gameweek 28 Fantasy Preview

Wayne Rooney
Fantasy managers will struggle to pick between Berbatov and him.

Van Persie's injury in the midway of Gw27 was a bad news for most fantasy managers. In fact, I missed my chance to score three digits for the first time this season due to that.

Now let's look ahead. A weird gameweek coming on with three teams (Arsenal, Birmingham and Tottenham) not playing and Manchester United playing twice. Don't be so convince to get United players though, as both are away and one of them is Chelsea! Not to be mentioned the Red Devils will also face Liverpool away on gameweek 29.

Now let's prepare to plan your moves for Gw28 with a little help of mine...

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Fernando Torres
Still not scoring his first goal for Chelsea.

Chelsea v Manchester United
Chelsea might have lose their chance to defend their title, but they have all the chance to frustrate leader Manchester United next Tuesday at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have just won 2-0 against Copenhagen in Champions League, with Anelka scoring twice. However, consistency will continue to be an issue for Ancelotti's team as they have only scored 10 points from their last six Premier League matches. Fernando Torres's performance continues to be magnified as he is still short of his first goal for Chelsea.

On the other hand, United had to settle for a draw at Marseilles in their Champions League encounter. Smalling looked really good on the game and should again provide resolute defending to the away side. The bigger problem for fantasy managers is who should we put our chips on? Berbatov or Rooney?

A game that looks tough to be predicted on paper, but I will go for a draw.

Prediction: Chelsea 0-0 Manchester United

The Rest

• Aston Villa v Blackburn (2-1) - Darren Bent will continue to pilot Villa's offence.
• Everton v Sunderland (1-1) - Tim Cahill out injured. I'm not so sure that somebody will step up.
• Newcastle v Bolton (2-1) - The Magpies are indeed better than what I expected without Carroll.
• Wigan v Man Utd (1-2) - A game that United should not lose.
• Wolves v Blackpool (1-1) - No Adam. It might be tough.
• West Ham v Liverpool (1-2) - Suarez should start to pick up goals.
• Man City v Fulham (2-1) - Mark Hughes will go back to City of Manchester Stadium once again, but I don't think he will walk out happily.
• Stoke City v West Brom (2-1) - Stoke bullied West Brom 3-0 at away, so why not at home?

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Luis Suarez
One of the possible captain alternatives apart from Man Utd double-gamers.

Captain Picks

• Nani/Rooney/Berbatov - Obvious choices.
• Suarez/Tevez - If you seriously think that the above three will fail.

Sells-Out

• Van Persie/Walcott - If you want to retain part of their risen values permanently.

Squad of XV

GK: Begovic

DF: Baines, Huth, Smalling

MF: Nani, Meireles, A Young, Etherington

F: Rooney, Suarez, Tevez

Subs (in order): Hennessey, Barton, Kelly, Clark

Captain: Nani

ECS: Value

BerbaTOP

Dimitar Berbatov
29 points - the second highest gameweek score from a single player I've seen since I played FPL.

He scored five goals in this gameweek double. Great.

However, I don't own BerbaTOP!!!

Those who have him should be scoring over 100 points comfortably.

This week is a very productive fantasy gameweek anyway with all the big names on big scores. Great to see.

Gameweek 24 Fantasy Preview

Ryan Babel
The EPL flop may escape from sinking Liverpool with a price of £6m.

The transfer window starts to heat up David Wheather (Middlesbrough to Bolton, £2.3m) the latest deal confirmed. Meanwhile, Luis "Hand of God II" Suarez possible move to Liverpool continues to top the transfer rumours.

Back to Fantasy. There will be three replacement fixtures this week, so do try to stock up double gamers whenever possible. The winter transfer wildcard can do you a lot of good this week, but I still believe try using it as late as possible.

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Darren Bent
Faces gameweek double on his debut gameweek for Aston Villa.

Teams with Gameweek Double

• Liverpool (Wolves@away, Fulham@home) - Kenny Dalglish is still waiting for his first victory in charge and it seems very possible in this gameweek. Wolves is weak at defence and adding a game against Fulham at home, attackers such as Torres and Kuyt remain the most attractive option from the Reds. Martin Kelly is the only defender I would recommend from Liverpool with such a mouth-watering price.
• Wigan (Arsenal@away, Aston Villa@home) - Not so sure about Latics. Arsenal is in an upbeat form at the moment and it will be hard for Martinez's side to win against the team who has kept three consecutive premier league clean sheets. It won't be easy as well against Villa since they have recruited Darren Bent who will ultimately solve their finishing weakness. N'Zogbia and Rodallega might score one or two, but don't expect much.
• Blackpool (Sunderland@home, Man Utd@home) - It's ridiculous if you still don't have Charlie Adam at your squad. The skipper has already scored 31 bonus points and there will be another gameweek double for him at gameweek 27. DJ Campbell is the second pick as always. As for the defence, I don't think they can guard Gyan of Sunderland and Berbatov, Rooney and Nani of United.
• Fulham (Stoke City@home, Liverpool@away) - I am not surprised to see Fulham score four points this week. Clinton Dempsey remains your Fulham's fantasy ace and may rack up a goal or assist and also bonuses. Hangeland can grab a clean sheet against Stoke. Fulham players won't be good long term buys though as they will face Chelsea and Man City on gameweek 27 and 28.
• Manchester United (Birmingham@home, Blackpool@away) - Six points are on Fergie's hands. Blackpool is the worst home player of the league, so no worries for United's woeful away performance. I expect one clean sheet out of the two, with Nani the most potential candidate for captain. You might want to bet on Berbatov - he can burst any time as long as he partners with Rooney.
• Aston Villa (Man City@home, Wigan@away) - I would have swapped for Bent directly right after his transfer was confirmed, but a game against Man City cancelled my plan. Bent will still be the most tempting bargain of the team since the likes such as Downing, Young and Albrighton will promise unlimited supplies for him to score. It's almost certain that Bent will get his first goal this gameweek.

All Games

• Wolves v Liverpool (1-1) - Rome was not built in one day so I don't expect Dalglish to recover the Reds' away confidence so fast.
• Arsenal v Wigan (3-0) - Captain Van Persie if you own him.
• Blackpool v Sunderland (1-1) - Holloway may sneak home with points as Sunderland is now in post-Bent transition period.
• Everton v West Ham (2-1) - Just deploy every single Everton player you have.
• Fulham v Stoke City (2-0) - The cottagers are in fine form and I expect that to continue against mid-table opposition.
• Man Utd v Birmingham (2-0) - Sir Alex to maintain his great record against his ex-players.
• Newcastle v Tottenham (2-2) - I expect tough challenge from Magpies.
• Aston Villa v Man City (2-3) - Darren Bent will add the dimension that Villa lacks but Man City is still too strong for them.
• Blackburn v West Brom (2-2) - Should be an entertaining match.
• Bolton v Chelsea (1-2) - Bolton's form has been lacklustre recently so I think Chelsea can complete the double.
• Blackpool v Man Utd (2-3) - One is poor at home while the other is poor at away. Victory should be on the side which has better class.
• Wigan v Aston Villa (1-2) - You just simply cannot ignore the effect of Darren Bent.
• Liverpool v Fulham (2-1) - Dalglish simply has to win to repay his fans' support.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Clinton Dempsey
The man that you should get from Fulham this week.

Captain Picks

• Nani/Berbatov/Rooney - Good games for them to rack up plenty of fantasy points.
• Dempsey - Major goal scorer + bonus pointer for two games.
• Van Persie - Wigan's a cake for him.
• Torres - Both opponents' defences aren't strong so he should have plenty of chance to score.

Buy-Ins

• Nani/Vidic - Most reliable Man Utd players in offence and defence each. Gameweek doubles at Gw 24 and 28.
• Downing/Young/Albrighton - Bent will help them to record more assists.
• Kelly - Amazingly cheap for a full back.
• Van Persie - Has been showing spectacular form recently.

Sell-Outs

• Bolton players - they're experiencing a sharp decline in form.

Squad of XV

GK: Van der Sar

DF: Vidic, Kelly, Hangeland

MF: Meireles, Adam, Dempsey, N'Zogbia, Nani(C)

F: Torres, Van Persie

Subs (in order): Kingson, Rodallega, Evatt, Alcaraz

Captain: Nani

Emergency Captain: Value

Gameweek 21 Fantasy Preview

Mario Balotelli
Goals seem too easy for him.

Compact fixtures had caused various unexpected results including Man City's easy demolition against Aston Villa, draws by Man Utd and Arsenal and most shockingly (perhaps not), Liverpool's fall at home against Wolves! Such a miserable month for Liverpool players' owners.

Also on the spotlight are Chelsea's first win after six consecutive winless streak thanks to Malouda and Fulham's stunning bounce with Baird scoring 20 fantasy points!

Will more unexpected results happen at the first and second day of 2011?

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Florent Malouda
Will he make it two in a row?

All Games

• West Brom v Man Utd (1-2) - West Brom's leaky defence will give United the chance to improve their embarrassing away record. Still, don't put too much of hope on them.
• Liverpool v Bolton (1-1) - The Reds certainly lost very much of their form after that long break.
• Man City v Blackpool (4-0) - The only question: Balotelli or Tevez? Or both?
• Stoke City v Everton (1-2) - Should be the last match for Tim Cahill before he leave for Qatar so he should give out all he has.
• Sunderland v Blackburn (1-2) - Steve Kean certainly is more adventurous than Big Sam at away.
• Tottenham v Fulham (3-0) - Bale and VdV always take turns so this time it the latter should shine.
• West Ham v Wolves (2-1) - A victory is a must for the Hammers to survive and this looks very likely at home.
• Birmingham v Arsenal (0-2) - The big guns were rested last gameweek so three points are certainly Wenger's target.
• Chelsea v Aston Villa (2-0) - Miserable Villans will provide the platform for the Blues to resume their form recovery.
• Wigan v Newcastle (2-2) - With N'Zogbia out, Wigan loses the winning edge.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Carlos Tevez
If he plays, he scores.

Captain Picks

• Tevez/Balotelli - Do you believe Blackpool will get two clean sheets in a row? I don't.

Buys-In

• Balotelli - This kid certainly look good especially in penalties. He fooled Friedel effortlessly.

Squad of XV

GK: Hart

DF: A Cole, Hutton, Kyrgiakos, Kolarov

MF: Van der Vaart, Nasri, Malouda, Cahill

F: Tevez(C), Berbatov

Subs (in order): Fabianski, Carroll, Pedersen, Coleman

Captain: Tevez

Emergency Captain: Value

Gameweek 19 Fantasy Preview

Santa Claus hopes that there will be Premier League games to enjoy after his tedious Christmas routine.

Tim Cahill made a number of fantasy managers survived the series of game delays after a fantastic 13 point display from this emergency captain. That makes a great margin between those who own him and those who don't!

And now here comes the busiest part of the Premier League season - Christmas. There will be four games in eleven days, and with the weather still not turning good yet, do take a very good care of your team in this period to win against your rivals in your mini league...

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Arshavin and Walcott
Can they get three points as their Boxing Day present?

Arsenal v Chelsea
The Blues will visit to Emirates this Monday as both sides will try their best to avoid being drop out of the title race.

Both teams missed last week's matches due to bad weather. Chelsea will continue to miss Alex and Bosingwa so Ferreira will continue to be the opportunity for Arsenal, especially when Arshavin should be more than familiar than anyone else against extreme weather.

The Gunners' recent meetings against Chelsea have been awful, but I think they will be able to get some advantage this time and sink Abramovich's army.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea

The Rest

• Fulham v West Ham (1-0) - The Hammers are still struggling to find their form.
• Blackburn v Stoke City (1-0) - Blackburn still look great without Big Sam.
• Blackpool v Liverpool (1-1) - Undersoil heating remain a problem for Blackpool's home game. Don't put too much hope on away Liverpool though.
• Bolton v West Brom (2-1) - The home side is clearly more reliable.
• Everton v Birmingham (2-1) - Tim Cahill to continue his fine form before leaving for Asian Cup in the next two weeks.
• Man Utd v Sunderland (2-1) - Welbeck will not be eligible against his former club so Gyan will take the chance. Home side will win though.
• Newcastle v Man City (1-2) - Tevez has resolved his problems with the club to the skipper should lead the club to victory.
• Wolves v Wigan (1-2) - Expect N'Zogbia to fire up against one of the poorest defence in the league.
• Aston Villa v Tottenham (1-1) - Expect no clean sheets from this close and unpredictable game.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Wayne Rooney
Your captain for Boxing Day.

Captain Picks

• Rooney/Nani/Berbatov - Strong home advantage and motivation for the Red Devils.
• Tim Cahill - On spectacular form.

Squad of XV

GK: Schwarzer

DF: Samba, Hangeland, Rafael

MF: Arshavin, N'Zogbia, Nani, Tim Cahill

F: Rooney(C), K Davies, Tevez

Subs (in order): Robinson, Albrighton, Coleman, Kyrgiakos

Captain: Rooney

Emergency Captain: Tevez

Starting XI Value: £84.1m

Total Team Value: £103.3m

Blackpool v Man Utd: POSTPONED

Snow brings disaster to those who made early transfers to bring in United's players.

A bad news for Nani, Rooney, Berbatov, Vidic etc. owners - their will not play this week due to heavy snow at Blackpool.

This leaves Arsenal's players as the obvious captain selections. Good luck.

Gameweek 16 Fantasy Preview

Victor Obinna
Made four for his team mate on a stylish 4-0 victory against Man Utd.

Arsenal is on the driving seat to claim Carling Cup trophy following Manchester United's surprise defeat against West  Ham. Luck has finally on the Hammers side and fellow fantasy managers should be well alerted to start to look for Avram Grant's players - Parker, Obinna, Piquionne, Carlton Cole etc..

Meanwhile, on Europa League we see Manchester City edging Red Bull Salzburg at ease with Mario Balotelli providing two goals. Liverpool on the other hand secured a draw to ensure both English clubs getting through the next round.

Expect more snows to come.

The more important news for fantasy managers, however, is the weather condition in United Kingdom. Santa Claus is coming soon, with snow his first gift. Games may be postponed at last minute so do drag your transfer decisions to the final minutes. Good luck.

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Tim Cahill
To rub salt into Chelsea's wound?

Chelsea v Everton
Chelsea will want to end their torment of winless streak at Stamford Bridge but that won't be easy with Everton visiting this weekend.

The Blue Lions are suffering from possibly the worst form since Roman Abramovich's reign. The condition further worsened by its chain reaction which causes the players like Drogba and Kalou to lose their touch of confidence. They certainly looked awful in finishing despite creating numerous chances.

But Everton isn't in a good shape as well. A 1-4 defeat to West Brom at Goodison Park wasn't something that I had imagined. Nevertheless, Tim Cahill continued his fantastic form to score in three consecutive league games.

Despite Chelsea's poor form, I will have to back them to win this as a victory is much needed to prepare them to face the next three league opponents - Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal. Essien is back, and that makes the difference.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Everton

Raul Meireles
Should have score more fantasy points with his kind of performance.

Liverpool v Aston Villa
Injury-plagued Liverpool will be hoping to snatch three points against under-par Aston Villa at Anfield.

The Reds lost their last game against Tottenham despite being the better side. What's worse? They had also lost their vice captain Jamie Carragher. Kyrgiakos is set to take up his position until Carra's return and he is the best bargain in Liverpool's defence.

The bigger question though is whether Joe Cole (4-2-3-1) or David N'gog (4-4-2) will partner Torres. The former is still struggling to find his form at Anfield while the latter might had his confidence stripped after conceding a penalty during his last league game.

On the other side, the Villans were knocked out from the League Cup by their derby rivals Birmingham. Contrary to Liverpool, they are escaping from the injury crises with Gabriel Agbonlahor finally found his boots to score against Birmingham during the tourney. His speed alongside with Ashley Young's and Downing's will give a lot of trouble to Liverpool's slow defenders.

Houllier will be eager to prove himself in front of his former club, but I think the Reds' at home with stamina advantage will stop him to do so.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa

The Rest

• Arsenal v Fulham (3-0) - No reason to lose.
• Birmingham v Tottenham (0-2) - I don't think Birmingham has the stamina to hold up Bale, Defoe and Lennon after a Carling Cup fixture.
• Blackburn v Wolves (2-0) - The Rovers to get tough at home and send Wolves home.
• Man City v Bolton (3-1) - City on form with Balotelli leading the strike.
• Wigan v Stoke City (1-2) - The tougher side wins.
• Blackpool v Man Utd (1-5) - Blackpool is poor at home. Expect the trio of Berbatov, Nani and Rooney to shine.
• West Brom v Newcastle (2-2) - Pretty tight match-up but it should be a leaky one.
• Sunderland v West Ham (2-2) - The Black Cats are still unbeaten at home but on-from Hammers should be able to get something away.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Maruonne Chamakh
Gets a captain tick.

Captain Picks

• Nani/Berbatov/Rooney - Ready to open up a big score line against Blackpool.
• Chamakh - Strong home advantage against the Cottagers.

Buy-Ins

• Liverpool players - Solid fixtures ahead.
• Gamst Pedersen - Nice fixtures as well. Check his injury status first anyway.

Sell-Outs

• Nolan - Tough games oncoming.
• Van der Vaart - Injured.
• Arteta - Suspended.
• Chelsea players - Hellish fixtures ahead. You might want to delay until the next gameweek though.

Squad of XV

GK: Fabianski

DF: Kyrgiakos, Samba, Richards, Vidic

MF: Bale, Nasri*, Nani(C), Brunt

F: Berbatov, Chamakh

Subs (in order): Robinson, Carroll, Etherington, Shawcross

Captain: Nani

Emergency Captain: Value

Starting XI Value: £75.5m

Total Team Value: £96.6m

*Latest news: Nasri is doubtful. Replace him with Arshavin when necessary.

The Crazy Premier League Weekend and El Clasico

Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid
Ronaldo will regret for what he said before the game.

Unbelievable. The strongest ever Real Madrid in history under the hands of Jose Mourinho still couldn't handle Barcelona. Goals from Xavi, Pedro, Villa (2) and Suarez ensured a perfect victory for the Catalans.

Meanwhile, the Premier League weekend is as entertaining as El Clasico with all 20 teams scored for the first time in the Premier League history. Here are the highlights:

• Arshavin finally found some great form with a stunning display against Aston Villa. On the other side, Clarke almost made himself the man of the match as he led the Villans to reduce the three goal deficit into one.
• Big disappointment towards Elmander and Davies as they failed to scored against Blackpool at Reebok Stadium. M. Davies should really pass all his fantasy points to K. Davies since there are only 0.1% of managers benefiting from his 10 points.
• Everton gave us a big shock to lose 1-4 against West Brom at home. Disgrace. Tim Cahill however continued his consistency with his header goal.
• Dempsey and Larsson scored one for each side as Fulham and Birmingham held draw at Craven Cottage.

Luis Nani and Dimitar Berbatov
The Bulgarian scored a whopping 25 fantasy points while the Portuguese contributed 12.

• Who else can be the star of the week other than the five-goal-Berbatov? He became the fourth player and also the first foreign player to score five goals in one game. Fantastic display after a nine match goal drought. Anyway, Blackburn playing style has been awful this season against superior oppositions.
• Congratulations to Manchester United as this win cemented them two points above Chelsea and also wrote off all the goal difference deficits against the defending champion.
• Manchester City painfully lost two points after a last-gasp equaliser by Stoke City.
• West Ham finally escaped from the curse of draws, beating Wigan 3-1. Piquionne, Parker and Obinna were the heroes, as usual.
• I had correctly predicted one goal each for Bent and Welbeck but Sunderland lost 2-3 to Wolves.
• Snow didn't manage to halt Chelsea's game against Newcastle but the Blue Lions' lost their lead after another disappointing offensive display by them. Drogba has now goalless for 10 hours and 36 minutes on the pitch - the second worst record of his career.
• Liverpool got punished for their failure to capitalise golden chances before Lennon scored a stoppage time goal. Johnson did well to control Bale, but Konchesky is just no match for Lennon in terms of speed. Tottenham had once again recovered three points from losing position, accounting for a total of 16 this season.
• Van der Vaart is injured once again. He will be sidelined for longer this time with his hamstring problem.

Gameweek 11 Fantasy Preview

Gerrard 3-1 Napoli
The real soul of the team is looking sharp ahead of Chelsea's match-up.

The European action has been impressive this week for English clubs with Bale again single-handedly finished Inter Milan and Gerrard completed a hat-trick against Napoli from the bench. United on the other hand killed off Bursaspor with goals from youth players - Bebe and Obertan. The only loser this week is Manchester City.

Of course, what's more important this weekend is that majority of the star performers are in doubtful/injury position. Headachessss.

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Who is the better 8?

Liverpool v Chelsea
First and foremost, let's see the updated injury statuses of Chelsea players:

• Lampard - 50-50
• Essien - Expected to start
• Malouda - Expected to miss

I think Essien's recovery will be crucial for the midfield battle between the two teams. I predict that there will be strong possession domination by the Blues should the Ghanaian plays.

However, I think Liverpool's formation will pretty much determine the outcome of the game. 4-5-1 with Torres alone - the Reds will most probably lose. 4-4-2 with N'gog taking Hodgson's favourite target man (Zamora) role - there's a fair chance for the home side so snatch point(s).

Of course, Kyrgiakos definitely must start to guard off Ivanovic, while Carragher and Skrtel must get rid of those unnecessary fouls inside the box.

Prediction: Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea

The Rest

• Bolton v Tottenham (2-2) - Bolton aerial offence should save them from a defeat.
• Birmingham v West Ham (2-0) - Birmingham is obviously the better team at home.
• Blackburn v Wigan (2-1) - A very close one, but I think the on-form Benjani should be able to help the Rovers to win.
• Blackpool v Everton (1-2) - Blackpool has a poor home record.
• Fulham v Aston Villa (0-1) - Dempsey has been outstanding, but Aston Villa is not Wigan.
• Man Utd v Wolves (2-0) - This should be a captain fight between Berbatov and Chicharito.
• Sunderland v Stoke City (1-0) - The Black Cats should be able to bounce from that humiliating defeat with the support of home fans.
• Arsenal v Newcastle (3-1) - Captain Chamakh or Fabregas (if he's fit). The rest of Arsenal's promising midfielders are all susceptible to rotations with so many talents like Nasri, Walcott, Arshavin, Song etc.
• West Brom v Man City (2-1) - City seems to be a different team without Tevez.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez
Is he the right man?

Captain Picks

• Fabregas/Chamakh - Arsenal is more than happy to face offensive-oriented Newcastle.
• Berbatov/Javier Hernandez - With Nani out, United's attack will focus on them.

Buy-Ins

• Javier Hernandez - He has at least another month of safe starting position.

Squad of XV

GK: Foster

DF: Dann, Elmohamady, Vidic

MF: Fabregas, Arteta, Obertan, Kalou

F: Chamakh(C), Chicharito, Bent

Subs (in order): Robinson, Luke Young, Ferguson, Coleman

Captain: Chamakh

Emergency Captain: Value

Starting XI Value: £78.1m

Total Team Value: £96.9m

Five-Star BERBATOV Crushed Liverpool's Defence Into Pieces

Dimitar BerbaTOP
A perfect ten for him.

A dramatic Super Sunday has ended just now with Berbatov scoring all three for United. Here are some of my opinions towards both teams from this match:

• Torres outshone Rooney, but Berbatov overpowered both. Two headers, one bicycle. You can't do much better in the greatest derby game of England.
• Joe Cole was quite daring and creative but there were no one who met his minds. Poor link-up play.
• Liverpool has been very problematic with aerial balls. All three goals conceded were from long deliveries. You send air cannons, and you can blast Liverpool's fort easily.
• United's defence, on the other hand, wasn't much better. Evans remains to be a bigger threat for United than opponent's striker. Bad sliding tackle which led to the penalty.
• I am in doubt of Roy Hodgson's plan. Why did he took out Raul Meireles? I knew that Liverpool would lose their shares of possession in midfield after he disappeared, but it was worse than what I thought.
• Nani had effectively tore Liverpool's left flank and is the second-most important player of United.
• Steven Gerrard scored two goals despite missing from the field most of the time. Not confident at all to get him anyway.
• The Red Devils have offence on par with Arsenal and Chelsea, but Ferguson certainly needs to fix his squad's defence to give a challenge on the title.

Steven Gerrard
He kissed again, but this time the screen was bitter.

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.