Kick-Off: Gameweek 38 Fantasy Preview

It's all about good news for Frank Lampard (£8.4m, 14 pts) as he becomes Chelsea's all-time top scorer, wins Europa League and signs a contract extension over the week.

A lot has happened since my absence, so let's just have a brief summary:

• A year of retirements. Sir Alex Ferguson is to end his coaching career with yet another Premier League title. King of all coaches.
• David Moyes' chance to shine with a big club finally arrives as he is appointed to be the successor of SAF. Huge pressure after all that has been achieved by the Red Devils over the past 20+ years, but I am pretty sure that the current Everton coach will be able to cope with that.
• Also retiring are Paul Scholes and David Beckham, two of the United's famous five. Ryan Giggs is looking to emulate Teddy Sheringham though, let's see how far can he go yet.
• Jamie Carragher will also quit his playing career after this Sunday. You can hardly find any player more loyal than him these days. Salute.
• Manchester City crashed out of FA Cup final after a defeat to Wigan, though the Latics can't be happy neither with their relegation confirmed just days before. How often do your see an FA Cup winner being relegated?
• Chelsea won the Europa League final with a stoppage time winner. The first club with both Champions League and Europa League title in hand at the same time (CL title will only be passed to one of the two German clubs next week after the final).
• Frank Lampard couldn't be more happy with his record breaking goals last gameweek plus a one year contract extension.

After all these news attack, let's begin our finale, then.

FEATURED: Newcastle v Arsenal @ Sports Direct Arena
The battle for fourth is the only remaining piece of puzzle this season, so let's see how the incumbent fourth place holder defends their position.

After going through all the troubles and turbulence, Arsenal now sit on fourth — holding the ticket to Champions League qualification — leading with only a point. Their fate is on their hands now — a win will permit them to participate in the European top-flight competition for another season.

And thus, they have all the reason to go all out. Santi Cazorla (£9.6, 16 pts) is the first player to contribute 4 assists in a single game this season after such a masterful performance which sent Wigan down to Championship. Lukas Podolski (£8.2m, 13 pts) was no mediocre either, scoring 2 goals for the first time in a single game for the Gunners. Adding in the ever consistent Theo Walcott (£9.2m, 8 pts), the trio are the must picks for this gameweek.

The Magpies have little to fight for except to improve their ranking and their share of prizes, neither do they have any deep rivalry with Arsenal. Incumbent fourth remains the incumbent, I think.

Prediction: NEW 1-2 ARS

TEAM FOCUS: Liverpool
Queens Park Rangers will be hoping for a sweet goodbye from the Premier League, but I don't think Liverpool will be showing them any mercy.

Luis Suarez-less Liverpool has become a tougher team to guard — which makes sense as the marking the Uruguayan is equivalent to stopping the whole team when he's around. Daniel Sturridge (£7.4m, 17 pts) has been a beast in his absence, producing his first hat-trick for Liverpool in the last game.

Phillipe Coutinho (£7.0m, 9 pts) has been magical with his passes, and I truly expect the duo to become the big pillars of the team in the next few years to come.

Big win to end the not so big season for the Reds.

Prediction: LIV 5-0 QPR

PLAYER FOCUS: Bale
He is the one who have all the reason to go full throttle, so let's cast your captain armband to the PFA Player and Young Player of the year, Gareth Bale (£11.0m, 2 pts).

GAMEWEEK 38 DREAM TEAM

Reina

Luiz — Dawson — Zabaleta

Bale (C) — Coutinho — Cazorla — Yaya Toure

Sturridge (VC) — Podolski — Adebayor

Subs: Jaaskelainen — Michu — Demel — Rangel

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 28 Fantasy Preview

Fiery Bale: The thunderous midfielder has now scored 6 goals in his last 4 Premier League games.

Rafa Benitez led the Blues to cruise into the next round of the FA Cup but vowed to quit at the end of the season. I don't think he will still be Chelsea's manager next season anyway.

FEATURED: Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal @ White Hart Lane
Mr Bale will be the main cast for the show this week as Tottenham welcome Arsenal in the famous North London Derby match-up.

Spurs were the losers in the first leg encounter — conceding 5 goals in the process — and would definitely want return the favour to Arsene Wenger's side. They can be confident indeed this time, with Gareth Bale (£10.3m, 15 pts) in such an unstoppable form that not even Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can match at the moment.

Joining the cause are ex-Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor (£9.0m, 2 pts), who scored only 2 league goals so far this season and hopes the extra motivation against his former club will do him good. The rest of Tottenham's attackers, judging by their playing minutes, are just too risky to be recruited into your fantasy team.

Looking across, Santi Cazorla (£9.3m, 15 pts) seems to have regained his magic feet after scoring 3 goals in the last 2 matches. This will definitely give more pressure to Spurs backline as they have to split their attention from the ever consistent and threatening ace of Arsenal Theo Walcott (£9.5m, 2 pts).

Seems to be a very delicious goal feast, and I think both sides will end the game with a stalemate.

Prediction: TOT 2-2 ARS

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
I feel sorry for the Canaries, but the fatal blow by the Devils' trident is imminent.

It doesn't look good for Robin Van Persie's (£14.0m, 4 pts) owners as he is not expected to play a full 90 minutes and may even play none with Sir Alex Ferguson preparing ahead for the game against Real Madrid. Coupled with Manchester United's missing fixture for the next gameweek, the pressure is mounting high on his sale.

This gives a great opportunity for Wayne Rooney (£11.9m, 1 pt) this week. The lad only played 30 minutes against Queens Park Rangers last week and will be full of energy to push for this one. Nani (£8.2m, 6 pts) has been doing well recently and may again get SAF's nod for a start this week.

Prediction: MUN 4-0 NOR

PLAYER FOCUS: Aguero
Has Sergio Aguero (£10.9m, 2 pts) lost his magic? Manchester City have signs of restored aura recently and I think Maradona's son-in-law should benefit from that sooner rather than later. He needs to be more accurate in his shooting though.

GAMEWEEK 28 DREAM TEAM

De Gea

Baines — Zabaleta — Azpilicueta

 Bale (C) — Mata — Fellaini — Silva

Suarez (VC) — Aguero — Rooney

Subs: Boruc — Sissoko — Marc Wilson — Clyne

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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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Kick-Off: Gameweek 22 Fantasy Preview

Demba Ba made an immediate impact at Chelsea with 2 debut goals.

The transfer window reopens with a few blockbuster signings, including:

• Demba Ba's move from Newcastle to Chelsea with the forward's release clause being activated.
• Daniel Sturridge's transfer from Chelsea to Anfield after a miserable season at Stamford Bridge.
• Joe Cole's return to West Ham to rediscover his best after going through some turbulent years in his career.

GAMEWEEK 21 HIGHLIGHTS

• Robin Van Persie and Javier Hernandez went on rampage again as each of them scored two goals and assisted once to secure a 4-0 victory against Wigan.
• Luis Suarez added two more goals to his tally to make sure that Van Persie has a good contender to battle against for the Golden Boot award.

GAMEWEEK 21 TOP SCORERS

1. Luis Suarez (£10.4m, 16 pts): Scored 4 goals in the last 2 games. The upcoming fixtures look tough but with such form he should be able to score again. And again.
2. Robin Van Persie (£14.1m, 16 pts): He will break 150-point-mark soon — a very impressive record for a forward when Premier League still has 17 games to go.
3. Javier Hernandez (£7.0m, 15 pts): His talent is just so wasted to warm the bench so much at Old Trafford — I wonder where does he stand if Wilfried Zaha joins the family of United's forwards.
4. Pablo Zabaleta (£5.9m, 15 pts): Playing with a great degree of consistency recently.
5. Joey O'Brien (£4.5m, 15 pts): His injury somehow was rewarded with 4 clean sheet points. Not likely to feature this week.

DOUBLE GAMEWEEK: Chelsea and Southampton
In case you still haven't noticed, there is a replacement fixtures between Chelsea and Southampton. You should know who to get (answers can be found in the next sections).

FEATURED: Manchester United v Liverpool @ Old Trafford
The stronger one-man team against the lesser one-man team. The lethal feet against the tricky feet. If you know what I mean.

Despite the gap between them continues to get wider and wider, Manchester United versus Liverpool is still by far one of the most exciting fixtures in the Premier League — the Reds always play at one level higher against their arch-rivals.

Robin Van Persie and Luis Suarez of course will be the diamonds of the battle — the latter has 15 goals in his bag already, yet still trails the even better former by one. Both deserve a place in your fantasy team with their outstanding performance and form.

The first leg of the season between them certainly looked encouraging for Liverpool despite losing, so let's assume that the addition of Daniel Sturridge (£7.3m, - pts) gives them a better conversion rate to prevent a defeat... That's the best they can do I think.

Prediction: MUN 2-2 LIV

TEAM FOCUS: Chelsea
Well, this is a no-brainer. The Blues are playing two games, and they are playing against two lesser oppositions.

Stoke City are the only undefeated team at home and could pose serious problems to Rafa Benitez's squad. But we all know that Chelsea have a lot of technically gifted players like Juan Mata (£9.9m, 1 pt) and Eden Hazard (£9.4m, 1 pt) are capable of doing, and they might just be able to end Stoke City's home undefeated streak.

Against Southampton it will be a much better prospect in terms of offence, but who will lead the line in the two games? The £50m Fernando Torres (£9.7m, 2pts) or the much cheaper but more lethal Demba Ba (£8.8m, - pts)? A tough question to answer, though owners of both should start them in your fantasy team without hesitation.

As for Southampton, Rickie Lambert (£6.3m, 2 pts) has proven his worth and should be the first man in your consideration should you want their exposure for this double gameweek — provided if your line-up if not the trio of Ba-Suarez-Van Persie. Jason Puncheon (£4.9m, 5 pts) deserves a mention too with his entry level price.

Prediction: STO 1-1 CHE, CHE 4-2 SOU

PLAYER FOCUS: Bale
Gareth Bale (£9.8m, - pts) returns from suspension... Ka-boom! And sends QPR from the joy of defeating Chelsea back into misery. Full stop.

GAMEWEEK 22 DREAM TEAM

Lloris

Russell Martin — Baines — Ivanovic

 Bale (VC) — Michu — Mata (C)  — Puncheon

Lambert — Van Persie — Ba

Subs: Federici — Joe Cole —  Harte — Wilkinson

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 16 Fantasy Preview

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

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

GAMEWEEK 15 HIGHLIGHTS

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

GAMEWEEK 15 TOP SCORERS

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

DOUBLE GAMEWEEK: Sunderland and Reading

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: MCI 1-1 MUN

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

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

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

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

Prediction: SUN 0-2 CHE

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

GAMEWEEK 16 DREAM TEAM

Cesar

Sean Morrison — Mertesacker — Cuellar

 Gardner — McAnuff— Michu (C) — Mata

Le Fondre — Berbatov — Torres (VC)

Subs: Gazzaniga — Lallana —  Rangel — Nelsen 

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 15 Fantasy Preview

Harry Redknapp got his first point as a QPR manager on his first game in charge.

No time for break as gameweek 15 will begin shortly! Let's start!

GAMEWEEK 14 HIGHLIGHTS

• Premier League celebrates its 250 millionth spectators this gameweek (link to Ryan Giggs' interview) since its establishment 20 years ago. What a great milestone.
• Both Manchester clubs won as they sit firmly on the top 2 position.
• Chelsea returned to third place despite only earning only a point against Fulham thanks to Swansea who ended West Brom's winning streak.
• Gareth Bale (£9.7m, 10 pts) was involved in all three goals at White Hart Lane as Tottenham won Liverpool 2-1.
• Points were shared at Goodison Park as both Everton and Arsenal went one down in league standings.

GAMEWEEK 14 TOP SCORERS

1. Wayne Routledge (£5.4m, 15 pts): Certainly a very volatile players, with 6 three-points-or-less gameweeks sandwiched in between 2 double digit gameweeks. Proceed with caution is my advice.
2. Cameron Jerome (£5.0m, 11 pts): A surprising performance from the sub. Doesn't look ownable yet with such limited playing time.
3. Gareth Bale (£9.7m, 10 pts): One of the most in form midfielder at the moment, though notably more expensive than the highest scoring fantasy midfielder at the moment...
4. Marouane Fellaini (£7.6m, 10 pts): ... and you know who he is. His fifth double digit gameweek already. What a fantastic season for him.
5. Gareth Barry (£5.3m, 10 pts): Contributed both assists in City's win over Wigan. His gameweek history doesn't look like he will produce a lot more though.
6. Robert Snodgrass (£5.8m, 10 pts): Don't look worthy with his high price tag among the players from mid-bottom-table clubs.

FEATURED: Manchester City v Everton @ Etihad
Fierce battle continues for Everton as they travel to Manchester in an attempt to stop the duopoly of the Manchesters.

Fellaini continues to be the man in form for the Toffees after scoring his seventh goal of the season against Arsenal yesterday. The Belgian is expected to play pivotal part again in the game at Etihad.

Carlos Tevez (£9.5m, - pts) was given a driving ban by Lancaster magistrates but that shouldn't stop him from travelling to City's home stadium and play for the team. He should really start after featuring only 22 minutes in the past 2 gameweeks.

An intense battle is anticipated, but City are in a very good form to lose now.

Prediction: MCI 2-0 EVE

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
The Red Devils are struggling to win comfortably recently, but against Reading it should be easier.

Robin Van Persie (£13.7m, 9 pts) continues to be the man to trust as he scored the only goal against West Ham to help United to stay at the summit. But let's not underestimate the impact Wayne Rooney (£11.7m, 2 pts) and Javier Hernandez (£7.6m, 2 pts) can bring too.

Should be a comfortable win.

Prediction: RDG 1-3 MUN

PLAYER FOCUS: Suarez
Southampton have only kept one clean sheet this season, so it is really one of the best opportunity for Luis Suarez (£10.4m, 2 pts) to score a couple of goals and extend his advantage in the pursuit of Golden Boot.

GAMEWEEK 15 DREAM TEAM

Cesar

Enrique — Ivanovic — Rafael — Garrido

 Silva — Walcott — Bale

Suarez (C) — Van Persie (VC) — Ba

Subs: Gazzaniga — Pablo Hernandez —  Jordi Gomez — Nelsen 

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 13 Fantasy Preview

Roman Abramovich certainly loves the personnel from Merseyside.

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

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

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

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

GAMEWEEK 12 TOP SCORERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: CHE 1-2 MCI

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

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

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

Prediction: MUN 3-0 QPR

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

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

GAMEWEEK 13 DREAM TEAM

Al-Habsi

Rafael — Shawcross — Enrique

Adam Johnson — Cazorla — Sterling — Bale

Tevez (VC) — Van Persie (C) — Suarez

Subs: Begovic — Pablo Hernandez —  Mertesacker — Cuellar

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 12 Fantasy Preview

A week of misery for England as they were crushed by Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a friendly. Ibra scored an unbelievable bicycle kick as well (view video above). Great, great player.

GAMEWEEK 11 TOP SCORERS

1. Dimitar Berbatov (£7.4m, 16 pts): Another bombastic performance from the Bulgarian forward. One of the best in terms of value for money.
2. Javier Hernandez (£7.6m, 15 pts): Almost guaranteed to start again this week with both Wayne Rooney (£11.8m , 2 pts) and Robin Van Persie (£13.6m, 5 pts) in doubt after such a stunning performance last week.
3. Marouane Fellaini (£7.6m, 13 pts): Rose £0.6m in price in just 2 weeks time. Get him fast if you plan to.
4. Olivier Giroud (£8.4m, 12 pts): Two goals were certainly good, but unless Arsenal can get more consistent it's a huge gamble to get him.
5. Andreas Weimann (£5.2m, 12 pts): The youngster capitalised his chance well, but as a fourth-choice striker his playing minutes is hardly guaranteed.

FEATURED: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur @ Emirates
It's a do or die game for Arsenal as they face Tottenham who are one point ahead of them in the league table this Saturday.

The Gunners are on a very shaky form recently, having grabbed only 7 points from a maximum of 18 in their last 6 league games. The fans surely have started to miss Robin Van Persie, where the team showed much consistent form last term with the Dutch talisman around.

Arsene Wenger will have to continue to rely on Olivier Giroud who delivered 2 goals last weekend to launch attack to Tottenham's goal line, with Santi Cazorla (£9.4m, 2 pts) and Lukas Podolski (£8.3m, 6 pts) providing the required support.

Meanwhile, Tottenham will be ready to exploit Arsenal's dip of form, although their form is even more terrible than the Gunners after suffering 2 consecutive league defeats. Steven Caulker (£4.8m, 8 pts) is the hot man recently, with the young defender already registered 2 league goals this season since playing his first game on gameweek 5. Nonetheless, it will be up to Gareth Bale (£9.7m, 2 pts) and Jermaine Defoe (£8.0m, 1 pt) to penetrate the defence.

Close call, and I think neither side can score 3 points.

Prediction: ARS 2-2 TOT

TEAM FOCUS: Liverpool
Manchester United against Norwich might be the more fantasy friendly match-up, but with several key players (Rooney and Van Persie) on doubt, I will stick to Liverpool, who hosts Wigan this Saturday.

Luis Suarez (£10.0m, 9 pts) is in a rich vein of form and has attracted £50m interest from Manchester City, having scored once each in his last 3 Premier League fixtures. With such form, he is simply a man that you can't resist. Expect him to score again and maybe even register one or two assists.

Steven Gerrard (£9.4m, 1 pt) could also break his silence and score some good fantasy scores, while Raheem Sterling (£5.3m, 2 pts) is the budget alternative from Merseyside as usual.

Defensive wise I remain skeptical about their ability to earn clean sheets, but of course they are more likely to get one in this game than the last three (Everton, Newcastle and Chelsea).

Prediction: LIV 2-1 WIG

PLAYER FOCUS: Hernandez
With Rooney and Van Persie in doubt, it is more likely than not for Javier Hernandez to start this week against Norwich City.

Chicharito's "hat-trick" is Premier League's hot topic last weekend, which not only shows his superb instinct as a forward but also how wasteful it is to make him warm the bench.

Sir Alex Ferguson definitely have no reason to bench him and risk further injuring his two senior forwards, so let's enjoy another great show from the Mexican.

GAMEWEEK 12 DREAM TEAM

Jaaskelainen

Johnson — Hughes — Baines

Nolan — Fellaini — Mata — Bale

Hernandez (VC) —  Berbatov — Suarez (C)

Subs: Cesar — Sterling —  McCartney — A. Ferdinand

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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 6 Fantasy Preview

John Terry quits England national team as a means of protest towards FA racism hearing.

John Terry quits England, Nuri Sahin (£6.7m) scored a brace with a very young Liverpool squad, Rooney returns in fine form and Manchester City got eliminated in League Cup surprisingly. What a week as we proceed to gameweek 6 of our favourite Fantasy Premier League.

GAMEWEEK 5 TOP SCORERS

1. Ashley Cole (£6.6m, 15 pts): Responded to Branislav Ivanovic's (£7.0m, 6 pts) supremacy as the gap between them is closed down into just 3 points. He is the cheapest among Chelsea's regular starting defenders and should really be your first consideration should you decide to get one of the Blues' guard.
2. Rickie Lambert (£6.1m, 13 pts): The man of ultimate influence at St. Mary's Stadium as he becomes one of the joint runner-ups for Golden Boot after scoring 2 goals last gameweek. The first man to pick if you are interested to invest in Southampton.
3. Marouane Fellaini (£7.2m, 12 pts): So Mr. Afro continued to dominate in offence even under the 4-4-2 system. The Belgian is simply a magnificent figure for the Toffees
4. Rafael Da Silva (£5.7m, 11 pts): The right-back in on a goal streak at the moment. Good offensive potential, only to be flawed by United's rather porous defence.
5. Joleon Lescott (£6.4m, 11 pts): Strong display, but I see no value in any City defenders yet as they are yet to collect their first clean sheet of the season.
6. Leighton Baines (£7.2m, 11 pts): Fine form for the left-back, who scored 7 points or more in 4 of his first 5 games of the season. But is that sustainable in the long run?

FEATURED: Arsenal v Chelsea @ Emirates
Confident Gunners will face Chelsea at home as they hope to continue their unbeaten streak in the expense of their derby rivals.

Laurent Kosciely (£5.4m, 9 pts) replaced sicked Thomas Vermaelen (£7.1m, 0 pts) on last game and performed brilliantly against Manchester City. Not so sure he will start though with Vermaelen expected to return, though it is quite probable that he will replace Per Mertesacker (£5.1m, 2 pts) in the starting line-up.

Upfront it will be all up to Santi Cazorla (£9.2m, 7 pts) and Lukas Podolski (£8.6m, 2 pts) to threaten Chelsea's defence. As for the Blues, both Eden Hazard (£10.3m) and Fernando Torres (£10.0m) are both out of form since returning from international break. They did play well against Wolves in League Cup though, with 6 players scoring 6 goals against them. Juan Mata (£9.3m, 6 pts) deserves a mention as he was the hero for both the League Cup tie and the league victory against Stoke City on last gameweek. Definitely a man to watch.

Not to underestimate Roberto Di Matteo's squad but Arsenal currently are on their highs and don't look like they will be beaten. My vote of confidence goes to the Gunners.

Prediction: ARS 2-1 CHE

TEAM FOCUS: Everton
Sure, Southampton won their first league game in style last week, but to play Everton still seems like a very tough task for them.

Nikica Jelavic (£8.4m, 0 pts) should return for this game after showing up in their defeat against Leeds United and is one of the favourite to perform alongside Steven Pienaar (£6.7m, 6 pts), Baines, Mirallas and also the unstoppable Fellaini. You should definitely own at least one of them for this fixture as Southampton are one of the sides who concede the most, averaging 3 goals per game.

PLAYER FOCUS: Fletcher
Steven Fletcher (£7.2m, 9 pts) is gaining serious interest from fantasy managers after scoring 4 goals in as many games. A home game against Wigan gives him yet another great chance to reinforce his reputation as a clinical finisher.

Demba Ba (£7.8m, 9 pts) continues to gain my preference as he will play against leaky Reading this Saturday.

GAMEWEEK 6 DREAM TEAM

Howard

Johnson — Rafael — Baines

Cazorla — Fellaini  — Nolan — Ben Arfa

Fletcher (VC) —  Van Persie (C) — Ba 

Subs: Jaaskelainen — Sterling—  Bramble — Demel

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 5 Fantasy Preview

Michael Carrick celebrated the only goal against Galatasaray.

European fixtures took place this midweek and players who played will certainly face stamina problems. Be prepared for unanticipated squad rotations.

GAMEWEEK 4 TOP SCORERS

1. Alexander Buttner (£5.5m, 17 pts): Great game by the Dutch as Patrice Evra's (£7.0m, 0 pts) position is threatened much earlier than expected. One of the man to scout but it is quite risky to own him at the moment.
2. Yao Gervinho (£7.3m, 15 pts): A sudden bombastic performance by the Ivorian. Doesn't look like a good fantasy prospect yet, especially when he only did averagely last season.
3. Matthew Lowton (£4.5m, 14 pts): Another erratic score like Gervinho. I do not recommend any Aston Villa defenders  at this moment unless they can tighten up the back line a bit.
4. Dimitar Berbatov (£7.1m, 13 pts): The new ace at Craven Cottage. One of the best third fantasy man up front at the moment.
5. Demba Ba (£7.7m, 12 pts): Man in fury. His potential will pretty much depend on Alan Pardew's tactical plan though.

FEATURED: Liverpool v Manchester United @ Anfield
Liverpool aim to get their first victory of the season as they await Manchester United's challenge at Anfield.

Justice seems to reach the doorsteps of Hillsborough victims finally after latest release of evidence last Wednesday, claiming that part of the deaths could be avoided if the police and emergency services authorities were more efficient. Definitely a very emotional moment for the players and supporters.

Jonjo Shelvey (£5.3m) scored a brace in Liverpool's 5-3 victory over Young Boys and could push for a start against Manchester United but Luis Suarez (£9.4m) and Raheem Sterling (£4.6m) should be the main threat of Liverpool again. The back-line seriously needs to be tightened up though if they are to sustain United's extravagant offence led by Robin Van Persie (£13.5m) and co. Big, big challenge.

Alexander Buttner (£5.5m) may start ahead of Patrice Evra (£7.0m) — who did poorly in Champions League — again. He certainly needs to do more to get good fantasy points again though. Shinji Kagawa (£8.6m) assisted Michael Carrick (£5.9m) in the Red Devils' Champions League win against Galatasaray — a man to watch.

As exciting as always despite the increased gap between them. Nonetheless, I don't think United can grab a win here as Liverpool always play at higher levels against greater oppositions.

Prediction: LIV 1-1 MUN

TEAM FOCUS: Tottenham
Tottenham will be hoping to get start their winning streak after breaking their victory duck against Reading, and a home game against Queens Park Rangers presents a great opportunity to do so.

Jermaine Defoe (£7.6m) should be the first pick against with Emmanuel Adebayor (£9.4m) suffering an injury. Great chance for a brace of goals again for the English. Another man who is expected to perform is Gareth Bale (£9.3m), who finally opened his goal account last gameweek against Reading.

Defensive wise they are also quite probable to get their first clean sheet of the season, so while I am not encouraging you to get their defenders (especially when they face Manchester United next gameweek), you should play them this gameweek if you have any of them in your fantasy team.

PLAYER FOCUS: Ba
Demba Ba (£7.7m) is certainly the man to watch, having scored both goals in the Magpies draw against Everton. A little bit risky with him missing the Europa League tie against Maritimo possibly due to recent disputes, but nonetheless a risk worth to be taken in my opinion.

Also on my radar is West Brom's Romelu Lukaku (£6.5m), who should start following Peter Odemwingie's suspension. He definitely has the quality to shine, just like what he had shown against Liverpool.

GAMEWEEK 5 DREAM TEAM

Foster

Walker — Ivanovic — Demel

Hazard (C) — Morrison — Ben Arfa — Bale

Torres — Defoe (VC) — Berbatov

Subs: Jaaskelainen — Puncheon —  McAuley — Santon

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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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Kick-Off: Gameweek 3 Fantasy Preview

Can Carlos Tevez continue to fire?

It was Chelsea and Swansea players who bossed the gameweek again with Hazard, Torres, Rangel and Michu all scoring double digit scores. Interestingly though, fantasy managers continue to jump into Hazard and Torres' bandwagon, despite Chelsea will take no part in gameweek 3 due to European Super Cup fixture against Athletico Madrid. Will the price rises worth more than the points sacrificed? Time will tell.

Do take note that Reading will play no part in gameweek 3 as well. My advice: plan your transfer wisely.

GAMEWEEK 2 TOP SCORERS

1. Angel Rangel (£5.1m, 14 pts): Scored a rather lucky goal and secured yet another clean sheet. Not bad to own though I believe Ashley Williams (£5.0m) will be a better pick in long run with his tendency to collect higher scores in EA Sports PPI than his defensive teammates (which means higher chances to claim bonuses).
2. Eden Hazard (£9.9m, 13 pts): Recorded his sixth assist and first league goal. This lad simply dominates and is on his way to become the next C. Ronaldo — the automatic fantasy captain — in FPL.
3. Carlos Tevez (£9.6m, 12 pts): Continued to dominate in Sergio Aguero's absence. A wonderful pick as I mentioned earlier this week.
4. Fernando Torres (£10.1m, 11 pts): Hazard simply made him alive. Great great stuff from El Nino.
5. Benoit Assou-Ekkoto (£6.5m, 11 pts): Pretty good offensively, but I still cannot trust Andre Villas-Boas yet especially in defence.

TRANSFER UPDATES

• Kevin Mirallas (Olympiakos to Everton): Had a dream debut for Everton against Leyton Orient in Capital One Cup fixture. Worth scouting with his price of £7.5m.
• Cesar Azpilicueta (Marseille to Chelsea): Could challenge Branislav Ivanovic's (£6.7m) position as right-back. Priced £6.0m.
• Nuri Sahin (Real Madrid to Liverpool): Great addition for Liverpool, though it remains unknown how effective he will be.
• Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea to QPR): Available at £5.0m, he will need to deliver offensively to compensate for QPR's fragility in defence.
• Julio Cesar (Inter Milan to QPR): Another ambitious signing. Perhaps he can give more clean sheets to QPR.
• Adam Johnson (Manchester City to Sunderland): He will get good playing minutes to show his fantasy effectiveness. Good fantasy price at £7.0m.
• Ki Sung-Yueng (Celtic to Swansea): Second Asian to join Premier League this season. Hopefully his footwork is as handsome as his k-pop face.

FEATURED: Liverpool v Arsenal @ Anfield
I was wrong last week about Liverpool's chance against Manchester City. They played pretty well offensively, only to be pulled down by their defensive errors. This week they will continue to play at home against Arsenal, who are both yet to score and concede any goals this season.

Nuri Sahin is still not listed in FPL — until we know his price only can we determine his value. He is good in long pass though. Luis Suarez (£9.5m) and Steven Gerrard (£9.5m) continue to be Liverpool's main fantasy force, though their value can only be justified if Brendan Rodgers' tiki-taka starts to flourish.

As for Arsenal, their defence are reaping a lot of points for fantasy managers. Thomas Vermaelen (£7.0m) is the usual luxurious pick to own, while Carl Jenkinson (£4.6m) has provided a super value alternative to fantasy managers. Both are good picks.

While in offence, Olivier Giroud (£8.9m), Lukas Podolski (£8.4m) and Santi Cazorla (£9.0m) should be able to take advantage of the Reds' porous defence, though I believe Liverpool should also make Arsenal concede with home advantage.

Prediction: LIV 1-1 ARS

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester City and Manchester United
Both clubs in Manchester have great fixtures this week, but let's talk about City who will play at home first. Against Queens Park Rangers who are notoriously poor on defence, they have all the chance to score. You can do much worse than getting Carlos Tevez (£9.5m), David Silva (£9.9m) and Yaya Toure (£8.0m) and play them.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will travel to St. Mary's Stadium in their attempt to take 3 points from Southampton. Robin Van Persie (£13.2m) and Shinji Kagawa (£8.6m) are two obvious picks given Wayne Rooney's (£11.9m) injury which will ruled him out for 8 weeks. Not so hype on their defenders though, given their shaky performance against Fulham.

Prediction: MCI 3-0 QPR, MUN 3-1 SOU

PLAYER FOCUS: Adebayor, Ba, Cisse and Michu
Tottenham are going to face Norwich at home this week, so one would expect their attacking pack to shine. I like the prospect of Emmanuel Adebayor (£9.6m) more though, as Rafael Van der Vaart (£8.9m) and Gylfi Sigurdsson's (£8.9m) roles are still relatively unknown in Andre Villas-Boas tactics and Gareth Bale (£9.5m) is struggling to find his form.

Newcastle will deal with Aston Villa who struggle under Paul Lambert's reign, so one would expect the front duo — Demba Ba (£7.7m) and Papiss Cisse (£9.5m) — to contribute fantasy points. Hatem Ben Arfa (£7.6m) should also perform.

Michu (£7.1m) continues to be my weekly pick meanwhile, until his performance suggests otherwise.

STATUS UPDATES

• Wojciech Szcznesny (£5.5m): Unknown (75% playing).
• John Terry (£6.9m): Muscle injury (75% playing).
• Rio Ferdinand (£5.9m): Groin injury (50% playing).
• John Arne Risse (£5.5m): Knock (75% playing).
• Younes Kaboul (£5.4m): Knee injury (unknown return date).
• Lucas Leiva (£4.9m): Thigh injury (unknown return date).

GAMEWEEK 3 DREAM TEAM

Hart

Rafael — Williams — Coloccini

Michu — Kagawa — Ben Arfa — Yaya Toure

Adebayor — Van Persie (VC) — Tevez (C)

Subs: Al-Habsi — Hangeland — Kacaniklic — Figueroa

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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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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

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