Nasri Left for Manchester City - What's Left At Arsenal?

Nasri to follow the footsteps of his ex-captain Fabregas to quit Arsenal.

Done deal. Nasri is going to Manchester City following a £24m bid from the Eastland club.

The attacking midfielder is having a great season last year with Arsenal, but a contract breakdown with the club has angered the French to head for an exit. Not really a good news for fantasy managers though, as he will disrupt the current "comfortable" midfield order at Manchester City. Who will become the scapegoat of bench with Nasri's arrival? Or will he be benched as supersub instead? We'll know that for the coming weeks.

His departure will further worsen Wenger's squad crisis. With players including Song, Wilshere, Rosicky, Diaby, Frimpong, Gibbs, Koscielny, Djourou and Gervinho all either unavailable or doubtful, it seems impossible for them to escape from a defeat at Old Trafford on this coming Premier League weekend. Manchester United players should become super stud picks.

Goodbye Fabregas: A Big Loss for Fantasy Premier League

Fabregas is happy as his move to Barcelona is close to completion.

The prolonged saga has finally ended. Arsenal's ex-captain, Francesc Fabregas, is ready to join La Liga champion FC Barcelona after the club reached an agreement with Arsenal (finally).

The record holder for Arsenal's first team youngest appearance and youngest first team goalscorer wants to return to his mother club since last year, and after an extended war with Arsenal, Wenger has no choice but to let him go.

The Spaniard's departure is a big loss for FPL managers as he is one of the fantasy commodity with "big gun" status, capable to score over 200 points provided he is fit to play for 90% of the season. Hopefully players such as Ramsey and Wilshere will be able to step up and replace Fabregas' role in providing ammunition to Van Persie.

You will not be forgotten, Fabregas.

Is Gael Clichy the Starter for Arsenal's Collapse?

Gael Clichy
Fled away from the stained cannon.

Six years, nil trophy. Now everyone wants to get away from Arsenal. Is the empire that has once stood so strong, now is on the verge of destruction?

It looks possible. Gael Clichy has become the first player to jump the ship in order to board the juggernaut of Manchester City in a fee of approximately £7m. Samir Nasri's is also believed to escape from Gunners soon, and sources state that Manchester City, again, is preparing a £20m bid for the talented French.

With captain Cesc Fabregas looking desperately to return to Camp Nou as well, the future looks dark for the London giants. A rebuild or destruction of an empire? Let's see how Arsene Wenger does.

Game of the Season: Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool @ Emirates

Lucas Leiva
Conceded two important fouls which helped Liverpool to equalise.

Unbelievable DRAMA.

The game didn't promise much in the first 80 minutes. But it started to get crazy after that with a van Persie's one-on-one parried by Reina, and then the longer than usual eight minute stoppage time due to Carragher's time dragging injury. Now that's where the great drama started.

96th minute. Fabregas dribbled into the box and was continuously challenged by Spearing. The ref whistled! Penalty! Van Persie took it with a great angle and power and sent Pepe Reina the wrong way. 1-0! The Dutch took off his shirt and celebrated, but he would never believe what happened next...

98th minute. Lucas was challenged on the edge of penalty box, with the ball inside the box already but not him. Just a free kick. After a long set piece preparations, Suarez fired the ball and it was well deflected by the defenders. But the story didn't end...

Lucas took the ball and tried to maintain the possession, but Eboue made a silly push on the Brazilian. A payback penalty! Kuyt again took it in the absence of Gerrard. 1-1 and the whistle signaled the end of the game! Great game!

Now some of my reflections from this game:

• A very very fantastic display from the Reds' two youthful full backs. Both John Flanagan and Jack Robinson have contained the Gunners' flanks very very well. This is indeed totally out of my expectations. Liverpool need not to worry about the future of their defence with them and Martin Kelly.
• On the other hand, the men in the middle, Skrtel and Carragher, were much more vulnerable to attacks.
• How respectable is Jamie Carragher? It was totally shown on his injury. The claps were so loud, even when it's not Anfield. Salute.
• Van Persie again showed how important he is for Arsenal to challenge for the title. Numerous golden chances he has today, only to be denied by godly Reina. Bad luck. Five pre-bonus fantasy points weren't too bad for his fantasy managers anyway.
• Another man on bad luck was Koscielny. If his attempt on the first half hit the net instead of post, things would go very differently.

Drama of the season. Do you agree?

Also featured on today was Stoke's 5-0 humiliation to Bolton in the FA Cup semifinals.

Thursday's Tragic?

Cesc Fabregas
Persie was out, and now Walcott and him too?

A short summary of football news happened these days:

• Inter lost to Bayern at San Siro, again. A big day for Italian football as all three of their representatives at Champions League lost at home in the first leg. Four CL spots for Germany clubs next year for sure.
• Arsenal won to close the gap between Manchester United to a point. Unfortunately, two big guns - Fabregas and Walcott - were out before the end of the match with injuries.
• 0-0 draw from Manchester United against Marseille. Not too bad in my opinion.
• Tottenham lost to Blackpool - fallen from the sky after a win against Milan.
• Adam will be suspended for two games after getting his tenth yellow. And it's two games.

Stay tuned for Gameweek 28 Fantasy Preview.

Sunday Sparks

Daniel Sturridge
Made it three out of three at Bolton.

A not so crazy weekend as compared to last week's record-breaker 43 goals, but a couple of amazing goals made this week a memorable one. Here are some highlights:

• As mentioned on my last post, Rooney's fantastic overhead kick is really too enjoyable. Could be easily the goal of the season.
• Nani continued his show his consistency on the Manchester derby victory with a goal and an assist. That makes my decision to bench him a very awful one.
• Van Persie! Ten goals in seven games, he is really the most terrorising striker in premier league currently.
• Walcott and Fabregas are also on good points this week. It should be a great gameweek for those who invest heavily on Arsenal players.
• Birmingham got a clean sheet and I am more than happy about it. Labelled as flop for so long, Zigic's towering existence finally shows great importance.
• 0-0 between Blackburn and Newscastle was the last thing I expected.
• Aston Villa failed to take down Bloomfield Road as they shared a draw with Blackpool. Bent once again was pivotal; a quick and clean pass and he sent Agbonlahor to a one-on-one and scored a goal.
• Liverpool failed to make it five wins out of five, as opposed to what I expected. Meireles made it five goals out of six games with yet another stylish volley. Luis Suarez was pretty unlucky with one shot on bar and another on post, but two bonus points has justified his hard work.
• West Ham made a superb comeback after trailing for three goals to earn a point from West Brom. Worth noticing is Demba Ba who scored two goals.
• Niko Kranjcar gained my respect as he scored yet another victorious goal to make Tottenham escaping from two draws.
• And of course, Sturridge remains incredible at Bolton as he scored his third goal for Bolton in as many number of matches.

Gameweek 27 Fantasy Preview

Michael Appleton

The new West Brom manager faces gameweek double on his first game in charge.

A very cinematic Gw 26 saw West Brom manager Robert Di Matteo sacked and the game between Arsenal and Newcastle subjected to possible matchmaking claim. That's Premier League by the way.

Eights teams playing twice this gameweek, are you ready for the heat? Congratulations for those who still have their wildcard, don't forget to use it!

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Carlos Tevez

"None of my teammates love the blue shirt more than I," I doubt.

Manchester United v Manchester City

A very interesting derby at such interesting times.

The Red Devils just have their unbeaten record broken at 29 games. That's a double-edged sword - either their players are relieved of their stress and play better or they loss their confidence and collapse.

On the other hand, City finally secured a clean sheet after a month with Carlos Tevez scoring his 47th, 48th and 49th goals for the Eastlands. The 50th milestone will be good enough to motivate him to score.

A quite even match-up, but since United have to prepare for their Champions League fixtures, I think they won't be able to focus too much on this game. Draw should be very possible for Tevez's side.

Prediction: Man Utd 1-1 Man City

The Rest

• Arsenal v Wolves (3-0) - The Gunners should be wary of Wolves strength. Care though, as the big names might be rotated to prepare for Champions League.
• Birmingham v Stoke City (1-0) - Huth might be superb, but the Brums' defence are capable to guard him.
• Blackburn v Newcastle (1-2) - The 4-4 draw should be a boost for the Magpies.
• Blackpool v Aston Villa (2-3) - Expect another entertaining high scoring match.
• Liverpool v Wigan (3-0) - Five consecutive clean-sheeted victories. That's what I foresee.
• West Brom v West Ham (2-2) - Unpredictable. But goals should fly.
• Sunderland v Tottenham (2-1) - Spurs might got torn between Premier League and Champions League.
• Bolton v Everton (1-2) - In form Saha should provide the edge for the Toffees.
• Fulham v Chelsea (1-2) - Tough game for the Blues with possibility to slip points.
• Birmingham v Newcastle (1-1) - Tough and close.
• West Brom v Wolves (2-2) - Another high scoring match-up.
• Blackpool v Tottenham (2-3) - Goals continue to fly at Bloomfield Road.
• Arsenal v Stoke City (2-2) - Somehow I think the Potters will bring some pain to Wenger's side.

*Important: Teams like Tottenham, Arsenal and Birmingham are not playing on Gw28. So plan your transfers well.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Robin van Persie
To continue his unstoppable form?

Captain Picks

• Van Persie/Walcott/Fabregas - Good picks, but you'll bear the risk of rotation.
• Odemwingie - Two teams with weak defences awaiting.
• Adam - Always a wise choice during the doubles.

Buy-Ins

• Arsenal players - Good time to invest on some, if you still don't have any.
• Villa players - Smooth and easy fixtures on its way.
• Liverpool players - King Kenny makes Liverpool a different team.

Squad of XV

GK: Foster*

DF: Dann, Clichy, Huth

MF: Meireles, Walcott, Adam, Brunt, Van der Vaart*

F: Van Persie, Odemwingie(C)

Subs (in order): Szczesny, Skrtel, Best, Evatt

Captain: Odemwingie

Emergency Captain: Value

*Subject to fitness.

Gameweek 22 Fantasy Preview

Drogba v Terry
Both clashed as the former contributed one goal and one assist but the latter  leaked three goals.

Chelsea once again disappoint us with a 3-3 draw against out of form Aston Villa. Once a leader, Chelsea now sit on fifth, behind Tottenham Hotspur after their derby rival secured a 1-0 win against Fulham.

On the other hand, two fantasy stars missed a penalty each this week - Tevez and Odemwingie - and I owned them both! Such a catastrophe for me since December as each and every transfer I made were disastrous. This was further worsen by Kolarov - who played 58 minutes when Man City got a clean sheet!

Finally, congratulations to Rooney - who scored his first goal from open play after so many months. But now, lets have an overview for the next gameweek...

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Cesc Fabregas
Mr Fab on fire.

Arsenal v Man City
Manchester Blues are set to revenge after a humiliating defeat at home earlier this season.

This time the showdown will be much more exciting as both teams are on red hot form. The Manchester side collected 15 points from their last six games, with the London side two points less.

Compact fixtures is not a problem for both sides as they have ample talents to substitute. Arsenal have all their attackers on fire including Walcott, Arshavin, Bendtner, Van Persie, Nasri, Song, and most importantly, captain Cesc. The skipper scored 23 fantasy points from the last two games he had played. A good lead by example.

However City is by no means weaker than Arsenal. Silva has been very influential nowadays, playing a role similar to Modric at Tottenham despite lacking statistical returns. Meanwhile, Balotelli's outstanding form is a constant threat for Tevez - which will motivate the latter to give more effort on the pitch. Not to be forgotten are City's defensive midfielders who will not hesitate to play ugly tackles for the sake of victory.

A draw will not help both sides so this match should have a winner. I will lean towards the away side, as the Gunners usually fear brutal midfielders and City has a good record at away.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-3 Man City


The Rest

• Blackpool v Birmingham (2-2) - Tight and close as Birmingham strive to get away from bottom three.
• Fulham v West Brom (1-1) - Fulham is still lack of defensive resolution so I think the Baggies will sneak away with a result.
• Man Utd v Stoke City (2-0) - It's the Theatre of Dreams where United win all but one. Nani is expected to be ready for this game.
• Aston Villa v Sunderland (2-2) - Pretty unpredictable but it looks like Villans will once again get frustrated by another draw.
• Newcastle v West Ham (1-1) - Carroll might still be doubtful for this one so the Hammers has a strong chance to push themselves further away from relegation zone.
• Wolves v Chelsea (1-3) - With the attackers back on track, victory is expected for the Blues.
• Blackburn v Liverpool (3-3) - Steve Kean won't park the bus like Big Sam so expect big leakages for both sides.
• Bolton v Wigan (2-1) - N'Zogbia continues his suspension so put your chips on Elmander and co.
• Everton v Tottenham (1-3) - No more Tim Cahill, no more power.
• Blackpool v Liverpool* (1-2) - The Reds will like to pay a revenge against the Seasiders for both killing them at home and making their January fixtures ultimately compact.

*Gameweek double

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

D.J. Campbell
The best time to benefit from his service?

Captain Picks

• Gerrard/Torres - At least you won't get a two this time.
• Adam - One three points bonus is suffice to benefit from his captaincy.
• Drogba/Malouda - Wolves is always Lions' food.

Buys-In

• Drogba/Malouda - Chelsea's offence is reactivated.
• Adam/DJ Campbell - Compact fixtures. One always score bonus while the other is on form.

Sells-Out

• Wolves - Their next series of games - Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, Bolton, Man Utd, Arsenal!
• Chamakh - Totally overpowered by Van Persie.
• Asian Cup participants (Park, Lee, Cahill etc) - They won't contribute anything to you this month, in any way.

Squad of XV

GK: Van der Sar

DF: Skrtel, Vidic, A Cole

MF: Gerrard(C), Fabregas, Adam, Van der Vaart

F: Torres, Drogba, DJ Campbell

Subs (in order): Jaaskelainen, Barton, Knight, Hughes

Gameweek 20 Fantasy Preview

Cesc Fabregas
Lead the Gunners to win easily against Chelsea.

On contrary to last weekend, snow damaged me a lot this gameweek with figures from the city of Liverpool like Torres and Tim Cahill all absent. Compounded with Nani's illness, I scored the worst gameweek score this season.

Credits to Arsenal for easing a 3-1 victory against Chelsea and making the latter suffer their worst league run since 1999 - six points from eight matches. The Blues' title hunt is officially over - they are now six points behind with one match disadvantage.

A friendly reminder: remember to top up Liverpool players (perhaps Blackpool as well) as they will have two gameweek doubles on January, summing a total of six league matches on the first month of 2011.

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres
Will they fire up against one of the league's worst defences?

All Games

• Man City v Aston Villa (2-1) - City has just settled their internal problems while the Villans are facing a downhill fall.
• Stoke City v Fulham (2-0) - The home team obviously has better form.
• Sunderland v Blackpool (2-0) - The Black Cats will transfer all their frustrations on the Seasiders.
• Tottenham v Newcastle (3-1) - Expect demolition from the home side.
• West Brom v Blackburn (2-1) - I don't think Steve Kean can fill up the boots of Sam Allardyce.
• West Ham v Everton (1-1) - West Ham will strive to continue their victory but that is too hard against Tim Cahill's team.
• Birmingham v Man Utd (1-2) - United will be expecting a tough challenge but they should make it through.
• Chelsea v Bolton (2-0) - This should finally end the Blues' humiliating record.
• Wigan v Arsenal (1-2) - N'Zogbia and Rodallega are too lonely to face the attacking flairs from the Gunners.
• Liverpool v Wolves (3-0) - The Reds are well rested for two weeks and will be ready to eat Wolves as their starter of their festive meal.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Rafael Van der Vaart (left)
A perfect return on last gameweek. Will his goal-scoring form continue?

Captain Picks

• Torres - Wolves are too easy for him.
• Van der Vaart - Newcastle's defence is easy for him as well.
• Drogba - Goals will be much needed for him to initiate the rebound of the Blues.

Buys-In

• Liverpool players - A stunning six Premier League fixtures on January which includes two gameweek doubles.
• Chelsea players - Now that the toughest run of their season is over, you can expect them to bounce back.
• Van der Vaart - An amazing return tells you that you simply can't drop him from your squad.

Sells-Out

• Fulham players - Mark Hughes' position is on danger.

Squad of XV

GK: Reina

DF: Kyrgiakos, Huth, Vidic

MF: Van der Vaart, Nani, Nasri, Parker

F: Torres(C), Bent, Drogba

Subs (in order): Carson, Tchoyi, Shawcross, Hutton

Captain: Torres

Emergency Captain: Value

Starting XI Value: £89.2m

Total Team Value: £107.9m

Gameweek 18 Fantasy Preview

Arsene Wenger

Has to play Barca again in Champions League.

Last week was such a sensational week with Manchester United won Arsenal and cemented a comfortable position for them to win the Premier League.

Unfortunately, things had gone worse for Arsene Wenger as the Champions League round of 16 draw which had commenced just now has put them together with Barcelona. The Gunners' match history against Barca is awful.

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Frank Lampard

Back to starting XI to ensure Chelsea remain in contest for the Premier League trophy.

Chelsea v Manchester United

It's now or never for Chelsea as they face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge this weekend to keep their last hope for the Premier League title.

The Blues had only managed to grab six points from the last seven games and that has caused them to drop from first place to fourth. However, things may now go very different with the return of Frank Lampard, which allows the formation of Chelsea's best midfield combination again.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will again miss their playmaker Paul Scholes. His absence means that Chelsea will most likely control possession in the midfield as the likes like Fletcher and Carrick are no match of Essien and Lampard in terms of ball control.

One positive for Chelsea and one negative for Manchester United, I think Chelsea will be able to pick up their first win after one and a half month.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Man Utd

The Rest

• Sunderland v Bolton (1-2) - Sunderland to suffer their first home defeat against one of the best away team in the Premiership.
• Arsenal v Stoke (2-1) - A tough game for Gunners but they should be able to make it through.
• Birmingham v Newcastle (0-1) - An unforeseeable game with both sides having the chance to sneak away a victory.
• Blackburn v West Ham (1-0) - Big Sam had just been fired but they should still be able to survive at home against the team at the bottom of the table.
• Wigan v Aston Villa (2-1) - It's not easy to deal with N'Zogbia.
• Liverpool v Fulham (3-0) - Anfield is still a formidable fortress for the Reds.
• West Brom v Wolves (2-1) - With Odemwingie back on form, the home side have my vote of confidence.
• Blackpool v Tottenham (1-1) - The Seasiders' game may once again be delayed due to the lack of undersoil heating at Bloomfield Road.
• Man City v Everton (2-1) - Tevez back to game despite his intention to quit.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Fernando Torres
Does he deserve a trust this week?

Captain Picks

• Fabregas - The captain is back to take charge of Arsenal's attack.
• Torres - Both Liverpool's and Torres' home stats are still amazing.

Squad of XV

GK: Robinson

DF: Samba, Kyrgiakos, Kolarov

MF: Fabregas, Gamst Pedersen, Meireles, Lampard, Bale

F: Torres(C), Tevez

Subs (in order): Carson, Dann, Dawson, Welbeck

Captain: Torres

Emergency Captain: Value

Starting XI Value: £87.9m

Total Team Value: £107.1m

Gameweek 15 Fantasy Preview

Wayne Rooney
Climbing up hard.

Yes, Wayne Rooney is back but how about his form? Certainly looking good in the Champions League game. Also, Van der Vaart's condition remains unknown so choose Bale if you haven't get both Bale and VdV and decide to get one of them.

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Ashley Young
Marked as £80m by Gerard Houllier after being pursued by Man Utd and Liverpool.

Aston Villa v Arsenal
Another frenzy Saturday opener as Aston Villa face Arsenal at the unbeatable Villa Park.

The Villans are yet to lose at their home ground, with a proud record of holding Chelsea and drawing Man Utd after a two goal lead. Things may go pretty tough for them though, with the absence of several key players including captain Stiliyan Petrov (long term knee injury) and Marc Albrighton (appendicitis). However, the arrival of ex-Gunners Robert Pires certainly helps them, both experience and tactics to play against the Frenchman's former employer.

On the other hand, Arsenal continues to miss Thomas Vermaelen and captain Cesc Fabregas for their title conquest. Koscielny is still very unreliable and this big hole may be greatly exploited by Gabriel Agbonlahor. Arsenal will have to rely on Fabianski and Nasri's marvel in both ends to get something from Villa.

I think Villa should be able to at least continue their unbeaten record at Villa Park.

Prediction: AST 1-0 ARS

Gareth Bale
Needs to keep his mind cool after missing a penalty in the Champions League clash against Bremen.

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool
Well rested Liverpool is set to snatch something from White Hart Lane as the home side celebrates for their Champions League progress.

Van der Vaart remains a doubt for Tottenham but I don't think that would matter much as they now have a fit Defoe to lead the line. The latter will definitely reduce the number of chances wasted by the team with his clinical strikes.

On the other side, the skipper Steven Gerrard remains injured, but Lucas will be released from suspension to lock Modric's passes. However, it remains a concern whether Carragher and Skrtel/Kyrgiakos can guard Defoe and Crouch/Pavlyuchenko well and whether Glen Johnson can keep up with Gareth Bale's speed.

Liverpool's away form is too pathetic to win this, but I think there's a high chance of drawing. Expect goals from both sides.

Prediction: TOT 1-1 LIV

The Rest

• Bolton v Blackpool (3-1) - Captain K. Davies or Elmander again everyone?
• Everton v West Brom (3-0) - Captain Tim Cahill. Quite a big shock if he fails to give us something.
• Fulham v Birmingham (1-0) - Fulham needs to collect points against weak-at-away Birmingham.
• Man Utd v Blackburn (2-0) - Those with United's defender should prosper.
• Stoke City v Man City (0-1) - Tough match-up for City but they shouldn't slip.
• West Ham v Wigan (2-1) - May be the last game for Avram Grant so he should make it a happy ending.
• Wolves v Sunderland (0-2) - One goal each for Welbeck and Bent?
• Newcastle v Chelsea (0-2) - A great opportunity for Drogba and co to signal their return. UPDATE: Heavy snow at Tyneside so expect the game to be postponed.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Tim Cahill
I strongly believe that he will do this in the match against WBA.

Captain Picks

• Tim Cahill - WBA is totally out of form.
• Elmander/K. Davies - It's so hard to believe Blackpool defence can hold them up at Reebok Stadium.
• Nani - Despite Rooney's return, he will still play the most important role at United until the former reaches his prime.
• Drogba/Malouda - Newcastle's defence is too fragile for them.

Buy-Ins

• Elmander/K. Davies/Lee - They lead Bolton's in-form attack.
• Rafael - Cementing a strong starting position at Man Utd.
• Rooney - If you believe that he will find his form fast.

Sell-Outs

• Fabregas - Injured.
• Gyan - Doubtful and lost his position to Welbeck.
• Elmohamady - Lost his starting position surprisingly.

Squad of XV

GK: Van der Sar

DF: Vidic, Baines, Ivanovic

MF: Cahill(C), Nani, Dempsey, Lee

F: Elmander, Davies K., Drogba

Subs (in order): Green, Hughes, N'Zogbia, Coleman

Captain: Cahill

Emergency Captain: Value

Starting XI Value: £84.1m

Total Team Value: £104.4m

Fabregas OUT

Cesc Fabregas
Arsenal's captain will join Gerrard on the sidelines.

Arsenal failed to secure an early progress in the Champions League group stage after a 0-2 defeat to Braga. What's worse? Their emperor on the pitch, Fabregas, was injured.

Fabby will be out for two to three weeks and may miss the important clash against Manchester United. Bad news for his owners.

On the good side, this means Nasri will once again take the central role in Arsenal and bang in lots of points. Time to jump into the bandwagon.

Things That You Can Do By Selling Drogba

Didier Drogba
"What's wrong? Why are we keep losing?"

Drogba has been the most terrible investments over the past two months - costing £13m but hardly contributed any. His has been goalless over the past six premier league games he was playing, with fantasy returns of 2-6-1-2-2-2, barely passing two points per game on average. What's worse? Awaiting Chelsea are seven tough games, which in order are:

• Newcastle
• Everton
• Tottenham
• Man Utd
• Arsenal
• Bolton
• Aston Villa

The Ivorian will still have a fair chance to score in the first three coming fixtures, but I'm not so positive that he will score more than one each. With the aforementioned factors, I think it's time to end the misery of owning Drogba and change him to someone else.

With £13m you can continue to hold an out of form Drogba or:

• Own the best striker partnership in the Premier League currently - K Davies and Elmander. And you can still have a small change for that.
• Change Drogba for the in form luxurious striker Fernando Torres, and spend the additional £1.1m on other areas.
• Change him for one middle price striker (Gyan, K Davies, Elmander, Carroll etc.) and upgrade one £4m defender into a £7m one. Or even two.
• Change him for one middle price striker as above and make one of your midfielder to become Fabregas.
• Buy two luxurious goalkeeper (Hart, Cech, Van der Sar, Reina).

There's so much you can do by selling Drogba. So what's your choice?

Arsenal: Not There Yet

Younes Kaboul
The hero of Tottenham of the day.

Arsenal once again failed to climb to the summit as they slipped all three points to Tottenham, losing 2-3.

This was a disastrous result for the Gunners, especially after having a 2-0 lead at the end of first half.

Nevertheless, it is a happy day for fantasy managers as all the fantasy favourites like VdV, Bale, Nasri, Fabregas and Chamakh were performing.

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

The Long List of Casualties Over The Week

Luis Nani
The popular fantasy captain candidate of the week will only feature on his seat.

This must be the injury week of Premier League as numerous big names suffered different degrees of body damages:

• Nani - groin
• Fletcher - ankle
• Van der Vaart - hamstring recurrence
• Joe Cole - hamstring
• Fabregas - hamstring (expected to start this weekend)
• Malouda - ankle (claimed to be able to play this weekend)

Something relieving though, all of them should only out for at most two to three weeks.

Gameweek 10 Fantasy Preview

Theo Walcott
Will he run to the top spot in FPL?

My life is getting busy recently and I would like to apologize for the reduced number of posts in the coming month. Anyway, let's review the recent League Cup tourney:

• Theo Walcott scored a brace which will certainly draw plenty of managers into the fantasy bandwagon.
• Javier Hernandez scored in three consecutive matches as Manchester United marched forward.
• West Ham progressed through the next round thanks to Obinna and co.
• Downing scored an extra time winner for Aston Villa.

Also remember that Carlos Tevez will out for the next one or two gameweeks so hold on before you buy in.

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PART I: PRE-MATCH ANALYSES

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez
Will his scoring streak end?

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur
This match-up at Old Trafford often ends with a total domination by the home side, but things may get different this time as Tottenham reaches a new level in offence piloted by Bale and Van der Vaart.

There are a lot of negative factors of United to be exploited by Tottenham, particularly:

• United played a Carling Cup fixture during this midweek whilst Tottenham had a full week of rest.
• Nani will have more difficulty guarding Bale than the other way round.
• Modric-Huddlestone CM combination is as solid as, if not better, than Scholes-Fletcher partnership.

However, I don't think that's enough for Tottenham to make up a victory at Manchester. United's defence is unarguably one level higher than Tottenham and Berbatov-Chicharito combination will possibly destroy away's defence. Crouch will need to double up his accuracy if they are to grab points from Manchester United, in my opinion.

Prediction: Man Utd 3-1 Tottenham

The Rest

• Arsenal v West Ham (3-1) - Captain Fabregas, captain Nasri, captain Chamakh.
• Blackburn v Chelsea (0-2) - Samba is back, but that won't change the outcome much.
• Everton v Stoke City (2-0) - The Toffees are back on track and shouldn't lose this one.
• Fulham v Wigan (1-1) - The cottagers are losing themselves and Wigan should be able to sneak in.
• Wolves v Man City (0-2) - No Tevez but does that matter? No.
• Aston Villa v Birmingham (2-1) - Zigic starts to find his form but Birmingham can't be trusted at away, yet.
• Newcastle v Sunderland (2-2) - Newcastle are still short of home wins other than the 6-0 demolition of Villa.
• Bolton v Liverpool (1-2) - Victory shouldn't be a problem for the Reds if they can play like how they play against Blackburn.
• Blackpool v West Brom (2-3) - The Baggies are quite familiar with their former Championship opponent and should be able to outplay the Seasiders again.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Marouane Chamakh
A good chance for goals.

Captain Picks

• Fabregas/Nasri/Chamakh - It's quite hard to guess who will cast the main character, but he should be one of them.
• Brunt - A good gambling pick.

Buy-Ins

• Bosingwa - His price should rocket the next 2-3 weeks.

Sell-Outs

• Tevez - Keep if you believe that he'll only out for one week; otherwise sell.

Squad of XV

GK: Howard

DF: A Cole, Coleman, Warnock
MF: Nasri, Fabregas, Brunt, N'Zogbia, Nolan
F: Chamakh(C), Torres

Subs (in order): Friedel, Richards, Bosingwa, Carroll
Captain: Chamakh
Emergency Captain: Value
Starting XI Value: £80.2m
Total Team Value: £103.0m

Gameweek 9 Fantasy Preview

Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney
Duo to reunite at Manchester in blue?

Wayne Rooney steals all the media attention this week with his intention to leave Old Trafford. It is predicted that his next destination will be out of these four: City, Chelsea, Real and Barca.

Gareth Bale
A fantastic hat-trick.

Meanwhile, Bale produced a terrific solo performance to avoid a humiliating defeat to the defending Champions League champion Inter Milan. The 21-year-old should have already rose his market price to more than £20m with that play.

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PART I: PREVIEWS

Emmanuel Adebayor
The notorious ex-Gunner will face his former employer again.

Manchester City v Arsenal
The Gunners is quite unfortunate to travel to Eastlands in such time when Manchester City is on their best.

Tevez has been in a thunderous form and it's no surprise that he is leading the golden boot hunt currently with seven goals. Meanwhile, his substitute, occasionally his strike partner, Adebayor, has just hat-tricked on a Europa League match yesterday and is set to preform his best against the club he left. Not to be forgotten of course is the Silva-Johnson competition where both are playing very well to snatch a long term starting position for themselves.

On the Gunners side, Fabregas has returned to action with a solid performance in the 5-1 rampage against Shaktar Donetsk. Walcott is ready to play this week but his form is pretty unsure. Chamakh and Nasri should be the more assuring picks than the former two.

I think Arsenal's defence will continue to pull the team down with the absence of Vermaelen and Koscielny and City will record a four consecutive victories against the London club.

Prediction: MANC 2-0 ARS


The Rest

• Tottenham v Everton (2-1) - Everton's unbeaten streak will come to an end at White Hart Lane with the magnificent Rafael Van der Vaart on the score sheet again.
• Birmingham v Blackpool (1-1) - Blackpool will have another solid performance to snatch a solid point.
• Chelsea v Wolves (3-0) - Heavily one-sided on the paper but Chelsea's form has not been that good recently.
• Sunderland v Aston Villa (0-0) - Houllier will play it patiently to find a chance but the game will end with nothing.
• West Brom v Fulham (2-1) - Odemwingie is struggling to fit but Premier League veteran Chris Brunt should be able to sort things out.
• Wigan v Bolton (1-0) - N'Zogbia has been spectacular and that form should continue.
• West Ham v Newcastle (2-2) - Things have not been right for the Magpies recently.
• Stoke City v Man Utd (2-2) - The Red Devils is still struggling to defend when they are leading.
• Liverpool v Blackburn (0-1) - Liverpool sucks a big time under Roy Hodgson.

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PART II: SQUAD SELECTIONS

Charles N'Zogbia
Will he become the superstud again?

Captain Picks

• Drogba/Malouda - Who wouldn't take advantage against Wolves?

Buy-Ins

• Chelsea players - Round two of long easy fixtures for them.
• Arteta/Cahill - Quite an easy going fixtures for long term hold.

Squad of XV

GK: Kirkland

DF: A Cole, Alcaraz, Elmohamady

MF: Malouda, Nani, N'Zogbia, Van der Vaart, Brunt

F: Drogba(C), Tevez

Subs (in order): Robinson, Dann, Varney, Jara

Captain: Drogba

Emergency Captain: Value

Starting XI Value: £83.4m

Total Team Value: £101.2m

Saturday Quick Review

Hatem Ben Arfa
Nothing's better than a debut goal of victory.

Hatem Ben Arfa is the man of the day with a incredible long-distance fire which defeated Tim Howard who was brilliant until then. Here are some highlights:

• Parker scored again! Maybe not as heroic as Peter Parker, but if you are to pick one from West Ham, he's the man.
• Everton is disappointing. Newcastle basically controlled the game even on the road. Ben Arfa is a superbly cheap fantasy star in making.
• Van der Vaart opened his score account through penalty, and this is a good signal to buy him.
• A dramatic day for Scott Dann's owners: first an own goal, then an assist. Still better than other Birmingham defenders though.
• Odemwingie scored again. A good bargain if you are unable to afford Carroll currently.
• Ashley Young and Kenwyne Jones were both on the scoresheet. Definitely the first to consider in FPL for respective teams.
• Arsenal struggling with Fabregas out currently. It should be a minor injury though. UPDATE: Darren Bent scored a last-second equaliser in this controversial game.

UEFA Champions League Review

Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Scored in Champions League with FIVE CLUBS.

Matchday 1 of UEFA Champions League ended with little surprise other than Internazionale's draw. Here's some highlights:

• Rafa seems to have no more magic to cast. He brought Liverpool down together with the two notorious bosses, and now he's still far from spring with Inter Milan. A draw with two goals conceded is such an insult to the formidable squad built by Mourinho.
• Messi played a prominent role again as Barca won 5-1 easily. His 51% ownership by UEFA fantasy managers is easily justified.
• Ibrahimovic just doesn't have any problem to play everywhere. His brace against Auxerre is his fifth club to score Champions League goals.
• Fabregas is just unbelievable. With him Arsenal has every single hope to beat any team in the world. And with him available the likes like Arshavin and Chamakh rarely fails to perform. 6-0, perfect.
• Chelsea thrashed their opponent again even with Lampard and Drogba absent. 21 goals in five games! Who can stop them?
• Ronaldo continues his scoring drought. 11 shots against Ajax, nil were scored.
• Tottenham played an impressive European debut with Crouch heading in a beautiful goal. They only managed to earned a draw though.
• Antonio Valencia hurt himself after a clean tackle by Broadfoot. The Ecuadorian lost his balance and that cost him half a year away from pitch. Ouch! Good news for Nani owners?
• A very bad game for Manchester United indeed. They lost two points, and they lost Valencia for most part of the season.

Antonio Valencia
Out of form recently, and now out of field for a long duration. What a pity.