Kick-Off: Gameweek 32 Fantasy Preview

Gareth Bale is out!

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: MUN 2-1 MCI

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

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

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

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

Prediction: LIV 3-1 WHU

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

GAMEWEEK 32 DREAM TEAM

Begovic

Monreal — Azpilicueta — Enrique

Michu — Gerrard — Cazorla (VC) — Hazard

Suarez (C) — Remy — Lambert

Subs: Cesar — Gervinho — Wilson — Davies

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 31 Fantasy Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: SOU 1-2 CHE

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

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

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

Should be a comfortable Arsenal victory.

Prediction: ARS 2-0 RDG

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

GAMEWEEK 31 DREAM TEAM

De Gea

Monreal — Azpilicueta — Zabaleta

 Bale (VC) — Hazard — Cazorla — Coutinho

Berbatov — Van Persie (C) — Giroud

Subs: Al-Habsi — Schneiderlin — Riether — Figueroa

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 27 Fantasy Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: MCI 2-1 CHE

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

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

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

Prediction: ARS 3-1 AST

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

GAMEWEEK 27 DREAM TEAM

Schwarzer

Baines — Jenkinson — Rafael

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

Van Persie (C) — Giroud

Subs: Federici — Le Fondre — Zabaleta — Harte

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Eden Hazard Kicked The Ball Boy

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

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

Good luck to all fantasy managers.

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Sunday Aftermath: Howard Webb's School of Referees

Welcome our next graduate from Howard Webb's academy.

I am simply amused with Premier League's referee standard as Manchester United kept benefiting from such ridiculous officiating. Here are some highlights on last weekend's game:

• Robin Van Persie (£13.4m, 12 pts) was undoubtedly the man of the match (barring the ref) as he was directly involved in 2 of Manchester United's goals. He definitely is showing some performance that matches his price tag.
• On the other side Juan Mata (£9.3m, 9 pts) continued his fabulous performance with a brilliantly curled free-kick goal. Just 3 points between him and Eden Hazard (£10.3m, 5 pts) now, as fantasy managers are more and more tempted to switch to the former and use the extra sterling elsewhere.
• At Goodison Park Luis Suarez (£9.7m, 8 pts) almost embarrassed David Moyes — who accused him as a diver — as he scored one (and another disallowed but legitimate goal) and created Leighton Baines' (£7.5m, 4 pts) own goal in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with their Merseyside rivals. Surprisingly though he did not get any bonus points.
• So Gareth Bale (£9.7m, 10 pts) did dedicate a goal for his newborn daughter as Tottenham claimed 3 points at St. Mary's Stadium. Clint Dempsey (£9.2m, 9 pts) was the other goalscorer as he seemed to pin down a starting spot in Andre Villas-Boas' squad already.
• Demba Ba (£8.4m, 8 pts) and Papiss Cisse (£8.9m, 6 pts) both scored a goal in Newcastle's victory over West Bromwich Albion, but it was Romelu Lukaku (£6.4m, 9 pts) who claimed 3 bonus points despite losing.
• The buy call on Carlos Tevez (£9.4m, 9 pts) is expected to back on rise again as the Argentinian continued to perform consistently and scored the only goal for Manchester City in their victory against Swansea.
• Bryan Ruiz (£5.8m, 11 pts) starred for Fulham in their exhilarating 3-3 draw against Reading, with fantasy hotcake Dimitar Berbatov (£7.1m, 6 pts) scoring a goal too in the process.
• Arsenal continue to struggle in getting goals, though at least this time Mikel Arteta (£7.7m, 11 pts) scored one for the Gunners and secured 3 points for them.
• Christian Benteke (£6.5m, 7 pts) started ahead of Darren Bent (£8.0m, 1 pt) for Aston Villa and did not disappoint as he recorded one goal for the home side in their draw against Norwich City.
• It's 3 clean sheets in 4 games for Stoke City as they played a goalless draw with Sunderland. The upcoming fixtures look good too, so you should really take a look at the Potters' defence.
• None of the usual fantasy faces scored in Wigan's 2-1 victory over West Ham United, which was disappointing and boring.

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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

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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.

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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

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 4 Fantasy Preview

How long will Van Persie be out?

The Premier League was absent last week with international fixtures taking over, with fantasy favourite Robin Van Persie limping off for Netherlands. Louis Van Gaal said it was only a precautionary measure, but we shall wait and see.

GAMEWEEK 3 TOP SCORERS

1. Robin Van Persie (£13.4m, 15 pts): A dramatic hat-trick from the Dutch had helped United to turn defeat into victory. People at Old Trafford have no reason to miss Wayne Rooney (£11.7m) for the time being.
2. Carlos Tevez (£9.8m, 15 pts): 3 goals and 3 assists already so far for the Argentine. A cheaper version of Van Persie, yet as productive as him.
3. Gareth McAuley (£5.1m, 15 pts): The defender is producing RVP-esque return so far, but that is hardly sustainable in my opinion in the long run.
4. Winston Reid (£4.6m, 15 pts): 5 bonus points already this season. Perhaps he will be the Shawcross of the season — super-budget defender who is good at both ends.
5. Santi Cazorla (£9.0m, 13 pts): Superb play which finally got converted into fantasy points. Great work.
6. Matthew Taylor (£4.9m, 13 pts): Might still has the ace quality he once got at Bolton, but nonetheless it's too risky to get him now unless he can confirm a firm starting spot at West Ham.
7. Steven Fletcher (£7.0m, 13 pts): Great debut as the forward netted both goals against Swansea. Still a long way to tell though whether he can become the Papiss Cisse of this season.

FEATURED: Everton v Newcastle @ Goodison Park
Arguably the most balanced match-up of the week as in form Everton face Newcastle at home after a long international break.

The Toffees are without any injuries currently, so one would expect Nikica Jelavic (£8.5m), Steven Pienaar (£6.6m) and Marouane Fellaini (£6.9m) to continue to star in offence. I doubt Fellaini's long-term prospect though with Kevin Mirallas (£7.5m) expected to gain more playing time, pushing the Belgian backward.

On the other side, both Demba Ba (£7.7m) and Papiss Cisse (£9.4m) are struggling to find their spectacular form last season, with only one league scored by them in total currently. Hatem Ben Arfa (£7.7m) led Newcastle's scoresheet instead, with 2 goals in his bag already and is ready to give more. It does seem that the French is a better pick than the former duo at the moment. Both right-backs of the Magpies — Danny Simpson (£5.0m) and Ryan Taylor (£5.3m) — are injured, so don't be hopeful that they will get a clean sheet away from home.

Not an easy game to predict, but I think Everton have the slight advantage to get 3 points at home.

Prediction: EVE 1-0 NEW

TEAM FOCUS: Arsenal
Yes, Southampton had been scaring both Manchester City and Manchester United a big time, but that does not stop me from giving my vote of confidence to Arsenal.

Arsenal is currently the only club that are yet to concede a goal across four divisions in England, with Thomas Vermaelen (£7.0m) and Carl Jenkinson (£4.8m) both performed stunningly well. One must really own at least one of them.

On the offence, Santi Cazorla (£9.1m) and Lukas Podolski (£8.4m) are the obvious picks after both of them broke their duck on their last fixture. Olivier Giroud (£8.8m) is still struggling to find his first goal, but his poor finishing should really end sooner rather than later with so many supplies going to him.

Arsenal should really win this one and start pushing themselves to the leading pack.

Prediction: ARS 2-0 SOU

PLAYER FOCUS: Torres and Hazard
With Robin Van Persie (£13.4m) seems to have a minor injury doubt, Fernando Torres (£10.1m) and Eden Hazard (£10.1m) seems to be the safer option. Queens Park Rangers have been conceding 9 goals already, and with Mark Hughes still figuring his best XI, I do not expect leakages to end soon. You can do much worse than picking (and captaining) the duo, especially when Torres had hat-tricked against the Rangers last season.

With Manchester United at home against Wigan, one just cannot simply ignore players from Old Trafford. But with Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa (£8.6m) both having an injury, Antonio Valencia (£8.9m) seems like the safest bet at the moment.

GAMEWEEK 4 DREAM TEAM

Szczesny

Rafael — Hangeland — Jenkinson

Hazard — Valencia — Cazorla — Nolan

Torres (C) — Van Persie (VC) — Tevez

Subs: Schwarzer — Duff — Bertrand — Demel

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Sunday Aftermath: From Hero to Zero

Martin Skrtel was influential on both ends of pitch... One of the ends was a wrong end unfortunately.

Dramatic game at Anfield on Sunday as we saw Liverpool fantastic offence got jeopardized by their shabby defence. Here's my notes on yesterday's game:

• Martin Skrtel (£6.0m). The defender got all the flashlights as he dictated the game with one atomic header and one assist — to Carlos Tevez (£9.4m) unfortunately.
• Tevez once again became the hero for Manchester City, capitalizing both defensive errors of the Reds and recorded one goal and one assist. Great, great underpriced fantasy acquisition, especially when Sergio Aguero (£11.2m) is injured and QPR are the next team on City's fixtures.
• Brendan Rodgers started Raheem Sterling (£4.5m) instead of Stewart Downing (£6.4m) on the left flank surprisingly, and that has paid great dividends. The 17-year-old winger played as if he's a Premier League veteran — calm, composed, and low on errors. Might be the best £4.5m player to own if he can squeeze Downing away from starting XI.
• Luis Suarez (£9.5m) scored the first direct free-kick goal (watch here) of Premier League this season. A very beautiful goal. If and only if he can be more accurate in shooting on open play and provide more in fantasy terms...
• Yaya Toure (£8.0m) continued his spectacular and scored 9 fantasy points. The lad seems to be a better pick than David Silva (£10.0m) at the moment, who only featured as a substitute and broke his fantasy managers' heart.
• As for Arsenal, they failed to grab a goal once again and stuck 0-0 against Stoke City. Thomas Vermaelen (£7.0m) continued to shine though, getting yet another clean sheet and 2 bonus points. Still one of the most productive defender in the luxurious line.
• Meanwhile, Carl Jenkinson (£4.6m) continued to provide super-productive fantasy return for his price, scoring 16 points in aggregate — on par with his new captain Vermaelen. But can he maintain his position when Bacary Sagna (£5.5m, expected to return on 02 September) returns? Big question mark to answer.
• Michael Kightly (£5.5m) of Stoke also continued his fine form, scoring 5 bonus points in 2 games. Looks like the killer-passer in League Championship years ago (check his historical stats here) is getting back his magic feet.
• As for late Saturday game, Eden Hazard (£9.8m) combined with Fernando Torres (£10.1m) for both of Chelsea's goals in their win over Newcastle. The duo are attaining the "must have" status in FPL, with fantasy managers continue to jump into the bandwagon to get him despite Chelsea having no game in gameweek 3.
• Juan Mata (£9.4m), on the other hand, continued to disappoint fantasy wise, having played too deep to contribute any goals or assists.

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

Kick-Off: Gameweek 2 Fantasy Preview

Eden Hazard leading the league with 5 assists.

A phenomenal double gameweek saw Chelsea players giving supreme returns, especially from Branislav Ivanovic (24 pts) and new boy Eden Hazard (21 pts). Those who pick Juan Mata over the Belgian would certainly felt heartbroken. But let's move on, as we still have 37 gameweeks to go. Still lots of chance to overtake your rivals!

GAMEWEEK 1 TOP SCORERS

1. Branislav Ivanovic (£6.6m, 24 pts): Joint league top scorer with 2 goals. Exceptional for a defender.
2. Eden Hazard (£9.6m, 21 pts): 5 assists already with only 2 Premier League appearances. Too good for a new boy.
3. Michu (£6.8m, 18 pts): Top performer so single gameweek players. If his shot on bar went in instead he would hit the 20-point mark as well.
4. Mladen Petric (£6.1m, 16 pts): Carried forward his pre-season form successfully and scored some great goals.
5. Nathan Dyer (£5.6m, 16 pts): Still the budget player that I like. Opening his season with 2 goals.
6. Frank Lampard (£9.0m, 16 pts): Both of his goals this gameweek were from the spot, but still he has shown that he still has fantasy value.

TRANSFER UPDATES

• Emmanuel Adebayor (Man City to Tottenham): Great move on the paper. The forward has achieved great success with the same club last season and is expected to continue such momentum.
• Louis Saha (Free agent to Sunderland): Finally a veteran forward for the Black Cats. Has good potential with the price of only £5.5m, provided that he stays away from injury.
• Steven Fletcher (Wolves to Sunderland): Another veteran forward for the Black Cats. At the price of £7.0m he is hardly tempting - Mladen Petric could easily outperform him at cheaper price.
• Matthew Jarvis (Wolves to West Ham): His arrival complicates West Ham's midfield line-up and might deteriorate the whole midfield unit's fantasy value. His price of £6.0m represents a good bargain though, provided that he plays regularly.

FEATURED: Manchester City v Liverpool @ Anfield
After a big scare by Southampton last gameweek, Manchester City will continue their title defence with a tough visit to Anfield this Sunday.

The Citizens have lost Sergio Aguero (£11.3m) through injury, while David Silva (£10.0m) was mediocre in his last game against the Saints, having missed a penalty. Fortunately though, that was compensated with Carlos Tevez (£9.2m) heroics. He is definitely looking sharp and is very affordable in FPL. Strongly recommended.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have sufferred a big loss last week against West Brom, with Daniel Agger (£6.5m) being sent off for a last-man challenge. Big blow for the Reds as Jamie Carragher (£5.5m) is too old to keep up the pace, while  Sebastian Coates (£5.0m) still lacks the experience to cope with teams as strong as City.

City might have lost here terribly a year ago, but I believe things will turn around this time and the Reds will suffer two consecutive defeats in the opening stage of their season.

Prediction: MCI 2-1 LIV

TEAM FOCUS: Swansea
Fantasy managers will need to pay more attention to Swansea after their 5-0 victory against QPR last week. They will face promoters West Ham at Liberty Stadium this week as it represents a great opportunity for them to grab 6 points out of 6.

Michu (£6.8m) started his first Premier League game spectacularly, and could be the star again against West Ham. Consider him as the new Sigurdsson - cheap and super-productive. On the other hand, Danny Graham (£6.0m) was silent against QPR but could be the man this time - he is the first choice forward of the Swans and scored 12 goals last season after all.

No disrespect to West Ham but the Hammers are one class lower than the Welsh Barcelona in my opinion.

Prediction: SWA 3-1 WHM

PLAYER FOCUS: Hazard, Adebayor and Cazorla
One simply cannot ignore Eden Hazard (£9.6m) after his 5-assist gameweek 1 showdown. He is very very penetrative and though he will play Newcastle - a much better Premier League team - this week, I believe with his quality he can continue to deliver.

Meanwhile, with Emmanuel Adebayor's (£9.5m) permanent move to Tottenham being finalized, fantasy managers can expect him to lead the front line of Spurs and bang in lots of fantasy points. At £9.5m, he is one of the undervalued forwards in FPL.

I like the immediate influence of Santi Cazorla (£9.0m) at Arsenal. He has great vision and is not afraid to shoot from far range - both are important to beat big-men teams like Stoke City.

Mladen Petric (£6.1m) is one player that you should not forget about as well, but he's playing against Manchester United at Old Trafford this weekend - not a good time to bring him into your fantasy team in my opinion.

STATUS UPDATES

• Demba Ba (£7.5m):  Shin injury (75% playing).
• Rio Ferdinand (£6.0m): Groin injury (expected to back on 2 September).
• Fabricio Coloccini (£5.0m): Knock (75% playing).
• Jose Enrique (£6.0m): Knock (75% playing).
• Phil Jones (£6.0m): Back injury (expected  to back on 2 September).
• John Terry (£7.0m): Muscle injury (50% playing).
• Daniel Agger (£6.5m): Suspended until 2 September.
• Clint Dempsey (£9.5m): Lack of match fitness (expected to back on 1 September).
• Sergio Aguero (£11.3m): Knee injury (expected to back on 15 September).

GAMEWEEK 2 DREAM TEAM

Vorm

Vermaelen — Clyne — A Cole

Michu (VC) — Hazard — Cazorla — Yaya Toure

Graham — Adebayor (C) — Tevez

Subs: Given — Jenkinson — Kacaniklic — Barnett

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Sunday Aftermath: Aguero Injury Woes

The most vice-captained fantasy player, Sergio Aguero, ended up with only 1 point.

After such a fascinating Saturday matchday, Sunday games came with equal excitements as well. Here are some big scenes:

• Sergio Aguero (£11.5m) went injured with only 11 minutes of action against Southampton (1 point). Big, bad news for about 30% of fantasy managers as they will need to make a forced transfer following his injury. A wildcard may as well ready to be used for some of the managers.
• Also failing to deliver was David Silva (£10.0m), who missed a penalty in a terrible fashion. He scored nothing for this gameweek, which is definitely a big butthurt to his owners.
• Meanwhile, Aguero's teammate and compatriot Carlos Tevez (£9.0m) proved to be as pivotal as before at Manchester City. He scored the opener goal against the Saints and with Aguero injured, his starting spot is pretty much secured for the next few weeks.
• Samir Nasri (£8.5m) was the star performer with 12 fantasy points (which include 3 bonus points). He might as well lock a place in Mancini's starting XI with such performance.
• I am greatly impressed by Nigel Adkins - he brought in 2 substitutes who brought immediate goals. Almost beaten the Premier League Champions last year. Splendid. Rickie Lambert (£6.0m) did not start, which surprised me, but scored a goal nonetheless.
• On the other game we saw Eden Hazard (£9.5m) provided all 2 assists in Chelsea's victory over Wigan. It's Hazard 1-0 Mata (£9.5m) then.
• Branislav Ivanovic (£6.5m) got 15 points thanks to his opening goal, while Frank Lampard (£9.0m) scored from the spot - he is still an important player for the Blues.
• As for the late Saturday game, Andre Villas-Boas had a poor start as Demba Ba (£7.5m) and Hatem Ben Arfa (£7.0m) combined to send Tottenham Hotspur in misery.
• Jermaine Defoe (£7.5m) scored only goal for the visitors though, and that is an encouraging sign to own him.

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!

FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Chelsea F.C.

Chelsea F.C.

Chelsea with their trademark blue home kit.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

Password: http://p-fplz.blogspot.com/

Last Season: Champion of the Champions
Being gone through a disappointing Premier League season, Roman Abramovich somehow got the grand prize he has thirsted long - the Champions League trophy. Nonetheless, the Blues should really strengthen their domestic performance, as a sixth in Premier League will not land them the Champions League ticket, and it is absurd to expect themselves to win Champions League two times in a row.

This Summer: Hazard-ous Threat
Abramovich is forking a lot of money this summer, with Eden Hazard £32m purchase the biggest move in Premier League so far. Joining the boat is his brother Thorgan Hazard, Werder Bremen winger Marko Marin and Brazil's Olympic participant Oscar. Meanwhile, Jose Bosingwa, Salomon Kalou and the Blues legend Didier Drogba were all released for free.

Upcoming Season: Di Matteo's Showtime
While Roberto Di Matteo brought the Champions League trophy to London for the first time, we must not forget the fact that Chelsea's Premier League winning percentage was actually worsened under him than his predecessor, Andre Villas-Boas. With generous support from the Russian owner, Di Matteo simply have no excuses to fail this time around. He must do all he can to avoid the fate of Liverpool's Kenny Dalglish, who succeeded as a caretaker manager but failed considerably when he led Liverpool again for one full season.

The Aces: Mata (FI: 0.536) vs Hazard (FI: N/A)

Mata and Hazard: In comparison.

It is expected that Eden Hazard's (£9.5m) arrival will change the whole complexion in Chelsea's formation. The new Belgian winger will definitely challenge the ace position of Juan Mata (£9.5m), which the Spaniard took away from the club's vice captain, Frank Lampard, last season.
While both are attacking midfielder-winger hybrid type of players, they do have some distinct differences. Mata is more Silva-esque - calm, silky and is a natural playmaker; Hazard, meanwhile, is more C. Ronaldo-esque - explosive, speedy and is a great at finishing.

With both players being priced at £9.5m this season, it will be a great dilemma for fantasy managers to choose between a proven fantasy player or a next superstar in the making.

Torres' FPL historical data.

Resurrection: Torres (FI:0.273)
Has the old Fernando Torres (£10.0m) really returned? This season should provide the clear cut answer.

Being an old-time fantasy favourite at Liverpool, the Spaniard failed to impress fantasy managers ever since he joined Chelsea, scoring only 7 goals in total out of 46 appearances.

Nevertheless, El Nino has shown signs of resurrection in the end of last season, which include a killer goal against Barcelona in the Champions League and a hat-trick against QPR in the Premier League. His return of form was further supported with a goal and an assist in EURO 2012 final, where he only featured as a sub.

With Daniel Sturridge being his only contender in the forward line currently, Torres should be able to grab more opportunity to perform this season. Hopefully the clinical and explosive Torres will be back finally.

Ageing Legend: Lampard (FI: 0.479)
It seems like the fantasy committee are negative about the prospect of Frank Lampard (£9.0m) in this coming season - he is priced at £9.0m, a £3.0m discount from this very same time of last term.

Has Fat Frank really lost the competitive edge to fight for a fruitful fantasy season? Though he might not get his tenth consecutive double-digit goal season this time, I still believe that the vice captain have the potential to deliver a solid 150+ points fantasy season, provided that he don't get benched that often this season.

Tough Battle Ahead: Sturridge (FI: 0.521)
Unsurprisingly Daniel Sturridge (£8.0m) placed second at Chelsea in terms of FPLZ Index, thanks to his consistent goal poaching and his cheap price.

His price has inevitably risen to £8.0m thanks to Drogba's departure and also his continuous improvement in terms of performance and reputation. That does not spoil his value though, as I am pretty confident that he can perform consistently as usual (P90: 5.12, third at Chelsea), provided that he wins a forward spot and gain the required playing minutes to perform.

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Fernando Torres: What Do the Two Goals Against Ireland Indicate?

Can we expect a better season ahead?

Spain completed its redemption after much skepticism by demolishing Ireland with a score of 4-0. Much to our surprise, striker Fernando Torres, who has been so poor for his country over the past two years, is showing signs of revival in the national football arena as he slotted two of the four goals Spain has scored. This surely arouses fantasy managers' interest whether FT9 will rise to become a fantasy superstar again in 2012/13 season, and FPLZ will analyze on this.

£50m Move to Chelsea: The Beginning of Nightmare?
It's not a secret that Torres' successful spell in the Premier League for his first few years was partly credited to Liverpool's tactical reliance on him and the skipper, Steven Gerrard. Together, the duo had produced the best chemistry in the Premier League over the decade and recorded fantastic goal scoring figures over the years. However, when El Nino felt unhappy and decided for a change in winter of 2010/11 season, things became very different.

Chelsea, unlike Liverpool, wasn't a two-man team. They had plenty of reliable offensive points which included Malouda, Drogba, Lampard, Anelka, and to some extent, Kalou. Unfortunatley, Torres couldn't merge well with his new teammates. While it took some time for Carlo Ancelotti, manager at that moment, to decide, he had no choice but to bench the Spaniard as the season came close to the end. At that half of a season, Torres scored only one goal - a big humiliation for a striker of his calibre.

Such phenomena didn't change with the arrival of Andre Villas-Boas, whom actually deteriorated the Blue's attacking prowess and made Drogba and him took turns playing on the field. However, as AVB got sacked  on 4 March 2012 and Roberto Di Matteo took over his helm, things started to change.

Roberto Di Matteo: El Nino's Saviour?
For some reason, unlike his predecessors Di Matteo seems to know the better way to utilize Torres. Torres ended his goal drought of 24 games on 18 March 2012 by scoring two and setting up another two in Chelsea's 5-0 victory against Leicester City in an FA Cup encounter. In the same month, El Nino scored a Premier League goal against Aston Villa, as his resurgence has started to make its surface.

It took almost another month for the Spaniard to score, but this one, for me, was a pivotal moment for him. The last minute goal against Barcelona in Champions League semi-final had effectively wrapped up the game and sent the Blues to Munich. More importantly to Torres though was the fact that he scored against what majority called "the best club in the world".

It was indeed a great morale booster for Torres, as he scored a hat-trick on 29th April, five days after he scored against Barcelona. That was a long awaited moment for his fans, as confidence slowly regrew in the striker's mind. Despite not starting the Champions League final, El Nino featured as a sub in that game, and earned a corner which Drogba scored to bring the game into the extra time.

With Torres getting back his goalscoring confidence in the national team as well, we can be hopeful that the once lethal Fernando Torres will return soon.

2012/13 Season: The Prospect
The coming season certainly looks bright for Torres, with Di Matteo continues to be in charge at Chelsea. He is currently uncontested at the forward position (that may change if Chelsea managed to land Porto's ace player, Hulk). Not only that, the current Chelsea also has much more "pacey" players such as Mata, Hazard and the latest signing, Marko Marin to complement his explosive style of play. If he can continue to improve and pick up his lost form, FT9 will surely become a hot fantasy commodity again, just like what he did seasons ago with Liverpool.

Eden Hazard: The Next Chelsea Ace?

Overview
With Roman Abramovich begun the transfer war with a £34m move for Lille's winger Eden Hazard, FPLZ assesses what kind of impact is the Belgian winger is going to provide in EPL and also FPL.

Dribbling
This is perhaps the most striking attribute the new Chelsea attacker has. Hazard's ball control in limited areas is as good as Mata, except that he's much faster. His addition is expected to create lots of hazards (more importantly fouls and cards) to oppositions' defenders.

Passing
While being good in one-on-one battles, Hazard's team play ability is also astonishing. This was clearly exhibited in the resurgence of his ex-teammate Joe Cole who was so poor seasons ago. Hazard's one-two passing and long range crossing and lobbing are definitely something that his opponents should really beware about.

Finishing
Aged 21, Hazard has displayed excellent maturity in shooting, especially on one-on-one attempts against goalkeeper. He is calm, composed and shoots equally well with both feet. Not a man that one can easily mark him off from attempting shots.

Set Pieces
Hazard had frequently taken free kicks and corners at LOSC Lille and was also the primary penalty taker there. With his good accuracy, fantasy managers could really benefit from his set piece service, though it remains to be seen how is it going to be split among Lampard, Mata and him.

Leadership
Being the ace player of Lille previously, I believe Hazard has adequately learnt what it takes to become a good leader. He may not be able to show the same kind of influence so soon in such a different football environment, but I can see a future Chelsea leader here.

Challenges
It's always the same challenge for those who are new to Premier League - physicality. Can he shrug off stocky defenders like Vidic and Vermaelen? Can he remain injury free in a league full of harsh tackles? Time will tell how long will Hazard need to adapt to English football.

Verdict
Being an all-rounder in offence, Hazard could really strike immediate impact in fantasy football. His fantasy valuation, in my opinion, will be around £10.0m. Whether will he worth the price will depend on both his playing time and also his role in set piece duties.

Read here for a detailed analysis on Eden Hazard published one year ago on "the elastico".