Kick-Off: Gameweek 35 Fantasy Preview

Number 20! Robin Van Persie scored a wonderful hat-trick which secured the title for Manchester United.

A big week has passed. I mean really BIG.

• Manchester United secured their 20th top-flight league title. It's their 13th in 21 Premier League seasons. What an astounding achievement.
• Meanwhile, Luis Suarez's (£10.8m, 212 season pts) crave for Branislav Ivanovic's (£6.9m, 130 season pts) meat have earned him a ten-match ban, which he opted not to appeal. Thank you Luis for such a wonderful performance, both in reality and fantasy.
• This effectively means that Robin Van Persie's (£13.8m, 236 season pts) claim on the Golden Boot is almost certain, which his nearest possible contender Gareth Bale (£10.5m, 213 season pts) 6 goals shy from the Dutch's 24.
• On Europe, we saw the downfall of Spanish giants — Barcelona and Real Madrid — with a combined score of 1-8 against the rising Germans — Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

FEATURED: Arsenal v Manchester United @ Emirates
Van Persie has proven how correct is his decision to jump ship from London to Manchester, but die-hard Gunners' supporters will not approve his betrayal definitely. And they will put all their hopes on the current crop of Arsenal players to give him the punishment.

Olivier Giroud (£7.6m, -1 pt) will begin his 3-game punishment after a red-card against Fulham so it'll up to either Lukas Podolski (£8.1m, 1 pt) or Theo Walcott (£8.8m, 5 pts) to lead the line. You can't be sure, but the one who step up will definitely try to benefit from that and achieve something.

On the other side, the Red Devils may go complacent after securing the title — unless they are going for Premier League record of 96 points or somehow fears that Van Persie will still possibly lose his almost-Golden Boot. With that taken into account, I am going for a home win — Arsenal need points more than United anyway.

Prediction: ARS 2-1 MUN

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester City
Their second place is for them to lose. Not much to play, but they are the much better team than their opponent, so let's go for them anyway.

Carlos Tevez (£9.1m, 2 pts) is the obvious replacement for Luis Suarez and has played 90 minutes or more in each of his last five Premier League fixtures. It's now two weeks away from FA Cup final and Mancini for sure would want Carlito to shift into his best condition by playing him in an effective way.

David Silva (£9.1m, - pts) and Sergio Aguero (£10.9m) are expected to return, though we will need to guess whether will them start. The duo, together with their current replacements Samir Nasri (£8.0m, 7 pts) and Edin Dzeko (£6.8m, 2 pts), will be quite some risky picks.

Andy Carroll (£8.2m, 2 pts) is in quite some form recently, but I doubt he can bang City's defence this time.

Prediction: MCI 3-0 WHU

PLAYER FOCUS: Bale
Though Wigan are on relegation crisis, I don't see how they are going to contain the almighty Gareth Bale and get their much needed three points. Prepare for some Bale-icious stride.

GAMEWEEK 35 DREAM TEAM

Cech

Baines — Shawcross — Zabaleta

Bale (VC) — Fellaini — Mata — Yaya Toure

Van Persie — Tevez (C) — Sturridge

Subs: Begovic — Sessegnon — Cuellar — Samba

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 19 Fantasy Preview

Six Chelsea players on last gameweek's dream team. How many do you own?

A not less than impressive gameweek 18 action featuring Chelsea's 8-goal demolition over Aston Villa, which Juan Mata (£9.5m, 6 pts) and Fernando Torres (£9.6m, 6 pts) both failed to register double digit scores. Weird, just weird.

GAMEWEEK 18 HIGHLIGHTS

• Manchester City managed to close down the gap to 4 points against Manchester United after Gareth Barry (£5.3m, 11 pts) scored a last minute goal to secure 3 points for the home side and left Reading stuck at the last place on the league table on Christmas. They are certainly playing more and more like a champion team — playing averagely and yet able to take three points into their bag.
• Manchester United, on the other hand, were held draw by Swansea — who have been doing so well against the top sides this season. The bright spot was, of course, the brawl between Robin Van Persie (£13.9m, 4 pts) and Ashley Williams (£4.8m, 4 pts), where the defender attempted to clear the ball but ended up striking the ball to Van Persie's face at close range.
• Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard (£9.3m, 17 pts) seems to be very hype in this festive season as he led his side to a 4-0 victory against Fulham. Stewart Downing (£5.7m, 11 pts) did surprisingly well this time as he scored his first Premier League goal, as well as first Premier League assist, for the Reds since joining the club last summer.

GAMEWEEK 18 TOP SCORERS

1. Steven Gerrard (£9.3m, 17 pts): His killer pass simply owns.
2. Ramires (£6.2m, 14 pts): Featured as a supersub and did not disappoint with his locomotive-style run. Two goals in 30 minutes, that is simply incredible.
3. Martin Skrtel (£5.9m, 13 pts): One thing unique about Liverpool defenders is that their best back four are all good at going forward. He just showed that again.
4. Eden Hazard (£9.5m, 13 pts): Recorded his first double digit gameweek after his price returned to his season starting value. Perhaps it's time to get him in again.
5. Steven Pienaar (£6.6m, 13 pts): He's in one hell kind of form with 28 points in last 3 gameweeks. Can he continue to take charge of Everton's offence in the absence of suspended Marouane Fellaini (£7.5m, - pts)?

FEATURED: Manchester United v Newcastle @ Old Trafford
The Magpies will certainly have a tough Boxing Day as they visit to Old Trafford tomorrow.

Newcastle are historically Manchester United's bully suspects, and have never won at Old Trafford since 1972 — that's an incredible 40 years.

Robin Van Persie is the favourite to lead the line again, though one might wonder the possibility of resting him, and/or possibly Wayne Rooney (£12.0m, 1 pt) by Sir Alex Ferguson and deploy Javier Hernandez (£6.9m, 1 pt) and/or Danny Welbeck (£7.8m, - pts) instead.

On the back Nemanja Vidic (£6.6m, 2 pts) is fully fit once again and played until the whistle was blown against Swansea last Sunday and should therefore lead the line again this time.

Newcastle has lost all of their last 3 Premier League away tie and I expect that to continue. Demba Ba (£8.3m, 2 pts) might of course blast one or two goals behind the line, but I don't think that's going to stop the Red Devils from reaping points from their favourite prey in the Premier League.

Prediction: MUN 3-1 NEW

TEAM FOCUS: Tottenham
It's unlucky that Aston Villa will face Tottenham after a calamitous defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Gareth Bale (£9.5m, 3 pts) is fit to war again so expect the floodgate to reopen at Villa Park. Jermaine Defoe (£8.4m, 2 pts) is more than happy to see him return as he had scored no goals in his absence.

I think Christian Benteke (£6.7m, 2 pts) surely has something up his sleeves so let's focus on Tottenham's offensive players instead of their defence.

Prediction: AST 1-3 TOT

PLAYER FOCUS: Pienaar
Steven Pienaar is in wonderful form in the absence of Fellaini, so expect him to get up and running again against Wigan at Goodison Park.

GAMEWEEK 19 DREAM TEAM

Hart

Vidic — Ivanovic — Baines

 Michu — Pienaar — Mata  — Bale (VC)

Defoe — Van Persie (C) — Suarez

Subs: Begovic — Gaston Ramirez —  Nelsen — Fonte

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Monday Mirror: The "Fell" of the Red Devils

Maruonne Fellaini celebrating his goal with teammates Nikica Jelavic and Steven Pienaar.

A shocking Monday night football saw Premier League runners-up Manchester United lost comprehensively to Everton, who are usually slow starters. Here are some brief notes:

• Marouane Fellaini (£6.5m) shone by scoring the only goal of the game. Not the usual fantasy suspects,  but he played very well and could be a good short-term acquisition.
• Also playing well was Leighton Baines (£7.0m). He was linked with a move to Old Trafford before, but it still doesn't materialise yet currently. He almost scored a goal through a free kick, which was tipped off by David de Gea (£6.0m).
• The Spanish goalkeeper looked much more like a top goalkeeper yesterday, making numerous fine saves. Can be a good season-long hold in your fantasy line-up.
• Wayne Rooney (£12.0m) played an unspectacular game to be honest, while Robin Van Persie (£13.0m) had too little time to make a good debut.
• I have emphasized a lot of times on United's central midfield weakness, but it seems like Sir Alex Ferguson is actually avoiding that issue and focused on building his already saturated forward line-up. What's the point of getting another forward when what you need is really a Lucas/Fellaini/Parker type of player? Time is irreversible, and Paul Scholes (£5.5m) won't get any younger by playing on the pitch.
• The Red Devils can consider themselves unlucky though, with so many centre backs (Ferdinand, Jones, Evans and Smalling) out injured, forcing Carrick and Valencia to fill the void at the back.

That's all for today. Don't forget we still have Chelsea v Reading tomorrow for gameweek 1. Stay tuned!

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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

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

FPLZ 2012/13 Season Preview: Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United players wearing the famous "picnic kit".

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Close But Not Enough
So Sir Alex Ferguson almost made a miracle by taking one of his weakest United to almost win the Premier League title. It was only almost though, as the Red Devils somehow stumbled their 8-point lead over local rivals Manchester City during the last few matches of Premier League last season, as their central midfield crisis penalized them.

This Summer: An Asian for An Asian
The Red Devils acquired yet another Asian after landing Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund in their attempt to further dominate the Asian market. Nonetheless, Park Ji-Sung was picked up by QPR soon enough, and the count of Asians in Manchester United remains to be one.

Nick Powell is the only other signing that arrived at Old Trafford, while Tomasz Kuszczak, Michael Owen, Ritchie De Laet and Paul Pogba are all leaving. Fabio da Silva meanwhile has parted way with his twin brother to join QPR on loan.

Upcoming Season: The Charge for 20th
Manchester United continue to be one of the favourites to win the Premier League title, especially when they have gotten themselves a world class midfielder which they have wanted for a long time. They will still be Manchester City's biggest obstacle to become the champion once more in my opinion.

Rooney's stats last
season.

Key Man: Rooney (FI: 0.778)
Hail Wazza Roo. Despite not winning the Premiership, Wayne Rooney (£12.0m) has recorded his best Premier League season so far, scoring 27 goals. It was also his best fantasy season as well, though it is only 6 points better than his previous best (2009/10).

With 230 points already it is hard to expect him to break the record again this term. Nonetheless, with United's rock solid offensive lineup which is now further enhanced with Kagawa's arrival, to match last year's standard of performance is a reasonable expectation on the English ace. Van Persie's possibility of joining Manchester United may hurt his fantasy points though.

Complicated Battle: Nani (FI: 0.617), Valencia (FI: 0.631), Young (FI: 0.528)

The Red Devils' wingers in comparison.

Manchester United has the best wingers across the Premier League, but that is not really a good news in fantasy terms - they have three equally excellent players competing for two spots!

Luis Nani (£9.0m), Antonio Valencia (£9.0m) and Ashley Young (£8.5m) represent the sweetest dilemma for Sir Alex Ferguson, but my advice for fantasy managers is simple - stay away. Unless any of them starts consistently, it is really not a wise decision to fund about 9% of your initial £100.0m transfer kitty on a player that you are not even certain that he will start.

Good Potential: Kagawa (FI: N/A)
The next Asian football legend is here at Old Trafford, and I see no reason why he cannot achieve success at Manchester.

Shinji Kagawa (£8.5m) is bought to resolve the lack of creativity in midfield and thus fantasy managers can expect him to be one of the Red Devils' focal points in offence. It might be a tough journey for him initially, but once he click with his new teammates he really has a huge fantasy potential.

Nonetheless, rotation might be an issue for him as well, with Danny Welbeck (£8.5m) and Javier Hernandez (£8.0m) both allowing Fergie to line a 4-4-2 formation instead of playing Kagawa in the hole.

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

Park Ji-Sung to QPR: Great Prospect Awaits?

Park with his new boss Tony Fernandes.

Queens Park Rangers continue their revolution under the ownership of Tony Fernandes as the ambitious boss has made yet another big move by taking in Manchester United's Asian superstar, Park Ji-Sung.

In fact the 31-year-old South Korean is expected to take over the captain armband of the team soon with Joey Barton, the ex-captain, being stripped off his captaincy earlier due to his disciplinary problems.

So what can we expect from Park in the fantasy world? Based on Park's previous statistics, he has scored 27 goals and 22 assists for Manchester United in 205 appearances - an average of 1 goal in every 7.6 games and 1 assist in every 9.3 games. Not very productive to be honest.

However, if we take into account the fact that Park featured quite frequently as a sub and further consider that he has to make way stars like C. Ronaldo, Rooney and Nani during his career at Old Trafford, we can believe that he will better the figure at Loftus road.

But can he improve his production to a level that it is profitable to get him in Fantasy Premier League? Time will tell.

Robin Van Persie Rejects Contract Extension

Van Persie is following the footsteps of Henry and Fabregas to become the next captain to leave Arsenal.

Not a very good news for fantasy managers: Robin Van Persie, who scored a whopping 269 points in Fantasy Premier League last season, announced yesterday on his website that he will not sign a new deal with Arsenal.

Depending on where he will go this might be a huge loss for FPL managers. A loss of an automatic captain pick. A loss of a player who is capable of replicating a C. Ronaldo-esque fantasy performance. A loss of a fantasy jewel who will only appear once or twice each decade.

Clubs like Juventus, Manchester City as well as Manchester United are all on the race to bid for the Dutch forward who only has another year left in his contract. FPL managers will hope that he will remain in the Premier League if he does leave this summer.

If he does depart from the Emirates, this will mean strikers Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski will play prominent roles upfront for the Gunners next season, though it remains a myth whether they can reproduce the height that Van Persie has set up previously.

Meanwhile, FPLZ season preview will be up pretty soon so stay tuned!

Shinji Kagawa: United's New Playmaker, Moneymaker, Or Both?

Overview
With Borussia Dortmund agreeing a £12m transfer of its superstar Shinji Kagawa to Manchester United, FPLZ analyzes the Japanese's impact to the both the fantasy and reality football world.

Dribbling
Similar to other players of Asian descent, Kagawa is 1.72 m tall and has a rather slim body build compared to players of other continents. However, this is well compensated by his superior dribbling skills, which at times are comparable to Barca's Lionel Messi. Combined with his footballing intelligence, the Dortmund's star is unplayable at times thanks to his exceptional first touch and ball control.

Positioning
Kagawa enjoys the freeman role, hovering a big area on the pitch. Attacking midfielder would be the best position to execute such a role, as it will unleash his great positioning talent - to appear at the right place at right time and deliver lethal balls to kill off his opponents.

Passing
Creativity is indeed the main reason United signed him. Kagawa's vision is one of the best in the world, as shown in his superb partnership with Poland's goal poacher Robert Lewandowski. One two pass is perhaps Kagawa's greatest asset - his ability to find space for his teammates is simply astonishing. However, as Manchester United practises a more dynamic approach in passing, it remains to be seen whether Kagawa can deliver long passes accurately and consistently.

Finishing
This is what that makes the playmaker a very lethal player compared to his Asian counterpart in United, Ji-Sung Park. Kagawa is able to finish equally well with both feet, and is very confident with powerful volleys. A total of 17 goals at Dortmund last season suggests that he will contribute a good portion of United's goals next season in the club's attempt to become the leader in Manchester and England again.

Marketability
For me I think the initial fee of £12m for Kagawa is a steal - his football ability alone would worth at least this amount of money already. Kagawa's arrival would definitely deepen United's pockets with further attraction of Asian market especially Japan. At least the jersey sales are not expect to experience a sharp decline when Park leaves the club in the next few years.

Verdict
Aged only 23, Kagawa has a bright future with Manchester United as his purchase solves United's biggest weakness for years - the lack of a world class central playmaker. The youngster shall link the front and the back, the left and the right effectively to take United's attack to new heights ever since Roy Keane's era. A £9.0m fantasy valuation, or more, is what you shall expect for a player of his pedigree.

Click here for a comprehensive scouting report of Shinji Kagawa by RangeRooney.

Finale: Gameweek 38 Fantasy Preview

Congratulations Chelsea!

Overview
Title race? Still on. Survival struggles? Still fighting. Champions League spot? Still in contest. All these make a wonderful finale to this season's Premier League. Exciting.

Game of the Week: Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers

Title hopes on his shoulder.

Three points is a must for both sides: the home side is eager to lift the top flight league trophy since 1968, while the away is hoping to maintain its spot at the Premier League to preserve the pride as last season's League Championship winner, especially when the other two promoters (Swansea and Norwich) were freed from relegation threats much earlier this season.

Aguero and Tevez should lead the line as usual to crush QPR's much fragile defence, with supports coming in from Silva and Yaya Toure. Defensively they should continue to be resolute, like how they held off in-form Papiss Cisse last game.

I can't see how QPR is going to go against all odds and crush City's title hopes. A pray for Bolton to not win sounds more realistic to me.

Prediction: MCI 2-0 QPR
Pick and Captain: Aguero
Pick: MCI defence, Silva, Tevez, Yaya Toure


Fantasy Game of the Week: Chelsea v Blackburn

Great ending for El Nino?

Blackburn has already relegated - this means they would play purely for the sake of entertainment. Chelsea, meanwhile, has nothing to fight for in this very last gameweek of the season and will surely play with less seriousness. Expect some big scoreline.

Torres could lead the line and score a hat-trick again just like what he did against QPR weeks before. Looking good for his price of  £9.9m. Yakubu on the other side looks to be a good investment as well, except that he will be facing Terry who needs to put on his best to lock a spot in England's 2012 Euro team sheet.

A big scoreline in the waiting.

Prediction: CHE 4-2 BLA
Pick and Captain: Torres
Pick: Mata, Yakubu
Drop: Defences


Pick and Drop
Pick and Captain
Rooney - Still chasing City.
Van Persie - Needs to lock on third place for Arsenal.

Pick
P Cisse - Always a good choice.
Van der Vaart - Still fighting for Champions League spot.

Gameweek 38 Dream Team

Vorm

Clichy -- Evra -- Walker

Mata -- Silva -- Valencia -- Van der Vaart

Aguero (C) -- Rooney (VC) -- P Cisse

Subs: Sorensen -- Sigurdsson -- Bosingwa -- Skrtel

Kick-Off: Gameweek 36 Fantasy Preview

Fired as a West Brom coach, reached UEFA CL Final.

Overview
In midweek we saw two richest clubs in the world, namely Barcelona and Real Madrid, got knocked out in Champions League semi-final. £50m Spaniard Fernando Torres actually scored the game sealing goal, and that goal alone possibly has redeemed the huge money spent by Roman Abramovich. Dramatic game by Chelsea. Salute.

Super Gameweek Double
8 teams will be on double this week, namely:

• Liverpool (@NOR, FUL)
• Fulham (@EVE, @LIV)
• Stoke (ARS, LIV)
• Everton (FUL, @STO)
• Chelsea (QPR, NEW)
• Newcastle (@WIG, @CHE)
• Bolton (@SUN, TOT)
• Tottenham (BLA, @BOL)

In my personal view, Everton has a really sound fixtures, especially when attackers like Jelavic are in fine form.

Game of the Week: MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED

Will Balotelli be forgiven?

Here comes the climax. Defending champion, leading by 3 points, Manchester United, travel to Etihad Stadium to challenge their #1 contender, Manchester City.

A series of shocking results saw Manchester United's 8 point lead got shrunken into just 3 points. With City at home, it's hard to say whether the title race will only be decided at round 38.

City is free of injuries at the moment so it is hard to expect who will Mancini partner for Aguero. While Tevez would be the most likely candidate, Balotelli could also get a head start despite protests from his teammates. Huge riddles to be solved for Sir Alex Ferguson then.

Another question for SAF would be the wings setup. Which two to pick from Nani, Young and Valencia? While Nani poses greater offensive threat, he also is more vulnerable in defence. What will be SAF's priority? My guess is defence.

It should be a dramatic contest, and I'm betting City to win to make create the most exciting Premier League finale ever.

Prediction: MCI 2-1 MUN

Fantasy Game of the Week: Everton's Double (FUL, @STO)

Pienaar enjoying his return
to Everton.

Everton have been in a pretty fine form at the moment, and that makes their players interesting purchases for this gameweek double.

Jelavic has been in superb form, scoring 4 goals in the last 2 games he played. Solid acquisition at interestingly cheap price.

His teammates such as Pienaar, Osman and Fellaini could also provide good offensive returns, while Hibbert will be the real value buy at the defensive line.

Prediction: EVE 2-0 FUL, STO 1-0 EVE

Pick and Captain: Jelavic

Pick: Pienaar, Osman, Hibbert, Fellaini

Gameweek 36 Dream Team

Friedel

Hibbert -- Bosingwa -- Simpson

Bale -- Dempsey -- Pienaar -- Ben Arfa (VC)

P. Cisse -- Jelavic (C) -- Suarez

Subs: Begovic -- Mata -- Kaboul -- Enrique

Kick-Off: Gameweek 30 Fantasy Preview

Get well soon Muamba!

Overview
Some meaningful football moments that happened in past hectic week:

• The cardiac arrest of Muamba definitely tops the list. The 23-year-old English is slowly recovering but God knows whether he will be able to get back to pitch. All the best Fabrice as you united the football arena!
• Lionel Messi becomes Barcelona's top scorer (234) after surpassing Cesar Rodriguez. The wonder man still has years to break the record again and again and at this rate, don't be surprised if he breaks the 400 goal milestone before he retires.

Game of the Week: Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur

Can Lampard push on for 150
fantasy points this season?

One of the famous London derby will take place at Stamford Bridge as struggling Tottenham tries to find a way to escape from their misery.

Tottenham has been performing very awfully since the mid of January, winning only two out of the last nine fixtures. Players have been performing very inconsistently and that makes fantasy selections from Tottenham very difficult. Adebayor could stay silent for a month or two, and then suddenly blasted a 20 point gameweek when you sold or benched him.

Meanwhile, Chelsea has regroup themselves under caretaker manager Di Matteo. The Blues' last game against Manchester City was their first ever defeat under the Italian coach. Senior players who got abandoned by Andre Villas-Boas such as Lampard and Drogba are all performing greatly ever since their manager has been changed.

Expect strong performances by the aforementioned players plus Mata at home. Torres should still be avoided despite man of the match performance at FA Cup quarter finals. Tottenham could give Chelsea a goal or two, but I think the Blues will leave the pitch happily after the game.

Prediction: CHE 2-1 TOT

Pick: Lampard, Mata, Drogba

Drop: TOT defence

Fantasy Game of the Week: Manchester United v Fulham

Valencia - the super consistent
value buy.

Liverpool might have a game against second-last placed Wigan, but we all know how unpredictable the Reds are at league. United's game against Fulham will be the safest bet.

Nani, along with Jones, is expected to be available in this game. I expect him to feature on bench, so start your Valencia, and Young, who missed out last game, with confidence. Rooney is a strong captain choice here - grab him if you can afford to.

Defensively Evans continues to be the most economic choice, though less economic now - he scored on last game and hence has a price bloom this week. Fulham has been shut for two games, but you can't ignore how threatening Dempsey and Pogrebnyak are.

Should be a comfortable win by again by United, but you never know...

Prediction: MUN 3-0 FUL
Pick and Captain: Rooney, Valencia

Drop: FUL defence

Pick and Drop

Pick and Captain:

• Van Persie  - Villa has only conceded more than two goals once this season, but Van Persie is most capable in handling tough defences.
• Suarez/ Gerrard  - Even tough they are very inconsistent, it's still a good bet to hold on to.

Pick:

• ARS defence  - I don't see Villa's sharpness.
• LIV defence - Wigan is one of the poorest converter apart from Liverpool.
• Sigurdsson  - You never know when he will score a brace again.
• Yakubu  - Bolton might not be in mood to play.

Drop:

• BOL players  - High degrees of uncertainty.
• WIG defence - Unless Liverpool hit posts and bars again.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

• Valencia - Sits on top of Ferguson's winger pecking order.
• Sigurdsson  - Best low cost buy of the season.
• Rooney  - Final quarter of the season is always United's best.

Yellow light (watch):

• A Young - You never know what will happen when Nani is fit for full game.
• Dempsey/ Pogrebnyak  - Been shut for two games.

Red light (sell):

• Silva - His production is far from promising.
• Ba - Less sharp after went for African Cup.
• Adebayor/ Bale  - The whole team has been under par.

Gameweek 30 Dream Team

Szcznesny

Skrtel -- Evans -- Taylor

Valencia -- Gerrard -- Sigurdsson -- Mata

Van Persie -- Rooney (C) -- Suarez (VC)

Subs: Vorm -- McClean -- McAuley -- Martin

Kick-Off: Gameweek 29 Fantasy Preview

Di Matteo saved Premier League's pride by progressing to
quarter finals of Champions League.

Overview
Liverpool's 3-0 victory over Everton certainly salvaged many double gameweek gamblers. Gerrard got a whopping 22 point gameweek thanks to his hat-trick, while Suarez provided 2 assists to score 14 points. Defenders like Skrtel and Enrique got a clean sheet too. Those who bought them certainly won't be disappointed, although they might expect more.

Meanwhile, Chelsea progressed through the last eight of Champions League in the expense of Napoli after extra time. Di Matteo is certainly on the run now as the new Chelsea coach, having won all games since he took over. Chelsea's players definitely should be on your radar by now.

Game of the Week: MANCHESTER CITY v CHELSEA

Frank Lampard: The
evergreen ace.

The greatest test for Di Matteo so far as they visit to Etihad Stadium to salvage their Champions League chance next season.

The former Italian international is rejuvenating the Blues at the moment, as Roman Abramovich's army won in all games under his charge. People are being reminded of Mourinho's era with him - resolute defense, strength battle and aerial advantage all reappeared under Di Matteo.

Senior players like Lampard and Drogba should lead the team again after a fantastic performance against Napoli. Huge pressure for City then, which will be without captain Kompany who is fantastic in positioning.

On the other side, City are losing grip in this concluding stage of the season, suffering two consecutive defeats at Europa League and Premier League. Aguero is unable to show us the super Aguero at the opening stage of the season, while Silva's form is also pretty woeful and has already been overtaken by Dempsey in terms of fantasy scores.

It will be a tough game to call, but as long as Chelsea continues to play Mourinho's style of football, I believe City will slip points again and hand the title to United.

Prediction: MCI 1-1 CHE
Pick: Lampard, Drogba
Drop: MCI defence


Fantasy Game of the Week: WOLVES v MANCHESTER UNITED

Rooney still has hopes
for Golden Boot.

Tottenham are facing Stoke at home but we all know how they struggled recently. Hence I will turn my head to Molineux - where league leaders Manchester United will visit to this week.

Wayne Rooney scored both goals in their victory against West Brom last week. The forward has 20 league goals now and still has chance to pressure Robin Van Persie (25 goals) in the golden boot race. Great motivation then, apart from grabbing the 20th league title for Manchester United.

Another man on form is Rooney's compatriot Ashley Young. The former Aston Villa's ace has got 26 fantasy points in his last two games and is expected to continue such fine run to demolish Wolves. Certainly a tough time for Wolves defenders to mark them both.

I am 50-50 about United's likelihood of a clean sheet, but nevertheless having at least one of the duo mentioned above is a must at this stage. Victory for Red Devils.

Prediction: WOL 0-2 MUN
Pick and Captain: Rooney, Young
Drop: WOL defence


Pick and Drop
Pick and Captain:

• Van Persie - An automatic choice.
• Ba/ Cisse - Norwich's defensive history makes them mouth-watering choices.
• Gerrard - The captain is inspirational.
• Suarez - He will make QPR defenders look silly.
• Dempsey/ Pogrebnyak  - The partnership is impressive.

Pick:

• Bale - Still reliable, but not reliable enough to be captained.
• LIV defence - QPR's attack shouldn't be tough for them.

Drop:

• STO defence - Tottenham is not expected to disappoint their fans.
• EVE defence - No one stops RvP.
• QPR defence - To stop both Gerrard and Suarez is not easy.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

• Young/ Rooney - On their high.
• Gerrard - In his cheapest price in these few years and still has skills.
• Suarez - Points are assured with Gerrard around.

Yellow light (watch):

• Bale/ Adebayor - Lacking consistencies at the moment.
• Cleverley  - Returned finally and we shall see how he cope with in these few gameweeks.

Red light (sell):

• Silva/ Aguero - Not in form and subject to heavy rotation.
• Kompany - Injured.

Gameweek 29 Dream Team

Schwarzer

Evans -- Skrtel -- Assou-Ekkoto

Dempsey -- Gerrard (VC) -- Young -- Lampard

Rooney (C) -- Van Persie -- Suarez

Subs: Al-Habsi -- Moses -- Simpson -- Cuellar

Tidal Change: Manchester United On The Summit

Rooney smiles after taking his team to the top of the league table
with two goals.

The tide has certainly changed. In the beginning of February we expect Manchester City to start to build up some cushion against Manchester United in terms of league points: City's February fixtures are pretty easy, while United's had to play against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham in one month.

The fact is: City not only failed to increase the gap, but lost their lead today after losing 0-1 to Swansea. Impressive display by Manchester United as Rooney and Young continue to sparkle. Great team. Great players.

Now that the role has reversed, I believe Manchester Red will cruise their way to the 20th. Momentum is really important at the final stage of league battle, and United has it.

Fantasy Shocker: Antonio Valencia Injured

Save your free transfer to take him out.

Yes, bad news for all who own him. Manchester United most pivotal player at the moment, Antonio Valencia, has injured his hamstring and will be out until mid of March.

His absence will definitely cause a big trouble to fantasy managers as he is not only a consistent performer, but is also very cheap relative to his production. Managers will find trouble to replace him, though it looks like cheaper players such as McClean, Sessegnon and Oxlade-Chamberlain could provide similar returns of the Ecuadorian.

Good luck to all fantasy managers.

Kick-Off: Gameweek 25 Fantasy Preview

The handshake routine will not be cancelled for Man Utd-Liverpool encounter.

Overview
A pretty two poled feelings last week with Van Persie's owners laughing happily and the rest left stunned. Can RvP repeat the feat? Not so positive against in-form Sunderland.

The shocking news this week is no other than Fabio Capello's resignation. The Italian coach is not happy with FA's decision to strip Terry's captaincy and thus decided to leave. Harry Redknapp tops the list to replace him.

Game of the Week: MANCHESTER UNITED v LIVERPOOL

Can Berbatov get a start
and hat-trick again?

Old Trafford will surely welcome Suarez with a great deal of abusive chants as Liverpool travel to Manchester for this number one rivalry in English football.

The usual handshake routine will not be cancelled according to FA and it will be interesting to see how Evra and Suarez react to each other. Strong personal rivalry. Luis Suarez will be eager to pay a revenge through his fancy footwork so expect tough times by defensive partnership of Evans and Ferdinand. In form Carroll could also be a big threat if he can get good aerial supplies by his teammates. Two big man to watch.

On the other side, all key players including the long missing Cleverly could be available for this game. It would be hard to predict the starting midfielders and forwards correctly, but I believe both Valencia and Rooney would still get the right to start and produce some havoc to one of the best defensive line (which might be without Jose Enrique) in the Premier League.

Surely it would be an intense game, but Liverpool's poor away attack (14 away goals only this season) will hinder their chances at Old Trafford. Expect good performances by the Red Devils.

Prediction: MUN 2-1 LIV
Pick: Valencia


Fantasy Game of the Week: SWANSEA v NORWICH

Sinclair has been pretty
impressive this season.

Spurs are welcoming the challenge of Newcastle, while City's away form has been mediocre recently, so I will change my focus to the battle between the two promoted teams this season. The Canaries beat the Swans 3-1 earlier this season, but we all know how different it will be at Liberty Stadium.

Sigurdsson has a flying start in the Premier League, while both Sinclair and Dyer are very threatening in the flanks. Up front they have Danny Graham who does a decent job as a forward. Expect goals from this quartet of attackers.

I will not be surprised if Norwich can score past the rubber hand Michel Vorm, but Swansea should really get a victory here.

Prediction: SWA 3-1 NOR
Pick: Sigurdsson, Sinclair, Dyer, Graham
Drop: NOR defence


Pick and Drop
Pick and Captain:

• Aguero - Broke his goal drought and that might be the opening of floodgate.
• Mata - Very pivotal in Chelsea's offence.

Pick:

• N'gog - Should score against Wigan.
• Zamora - Samba-less Blackburn will not have the quality to stop him.
• Van Persie - Always start him regardless of his opposition.
• Sessegnon/ McClean - Arsenal's defence is weak.
• Jarvis - Played well last week and should continue to perform.

Drop:

• NEW defence - Against Tottenham, clean sheet is hardly likely.
• AST defence - City's blades are sharp.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

• Richards - Good fixtures oncoming.
• Oxlade-Chamberlain - Sensational form.
• Demba Ba - His price sky leaped by £0.4m since his return.
• Van Persie - Get him before his price reaches a prohibitive level.
• McClean - Superbly cheap and in form.
• Sigurdsson - The bandwagon should start in the next few gameweeks.

Yellow light (watch):

• Yakubu - Observe Blackburn's performance before getting him in.
• Assou-Ekkoto - Fantasy managers are overly optimistic on him.
• Mata - Chelsea's form is quite unstable at the moment.
• Kompany - Still not sure whether he will play this week.

Red light (sell):

• LIV players - United this round, League Cup final next round (no league fixture), and Arsenal after that.
• Adebayor  - Terribly out of form.
• D Cisse - Red carded.

Gameweek 25 Dream Team

Vorm

Ekkoto -- Richards -- Senderos

Bale -- Sessegnon -- Silva -- Sigurdsson

Aguero (C) -- Ba -- Van Persie (VC)

Subs: Hennessey -- McClean -- Knight -- Bassong

Kick-Off: Gameweek 24 Fantasy Preview

Djibril Cisse scored his first goal on his debut for QPR.

Overview
Gareth Bale continued his C. Ronaldo-esque performance after bagging 15 fantasy points last gameweek, while Fraizer Campbell's return provided immediate effect as he led Sunderland to a 3-0 victory. Manchester City's surprise defeat took the title race back to square one for the Manchester clubs.

Transfer Deadline Day Deals
Some significant deadline signings are as follows:

• Djibril Cisse - Obvious enough. The former Liverpool and Sunderland man scored his first goal on his debut for QPR.
• Zamora - While he should become automatic selection at Loftus Road, you should also notice that Bryan Ruiz should play further upfront for Fulham.
• Jelavic - One of the rare "big" spends by Everton. He is expected to improve the offence upfront.
• Saha - The Frenchman is moving to Tottenham to rediscover his long lost form.
• Pogrebnyak - Replacing Zamora is this 28-year-old Russian who came from Vfb Stuttgart. With the height of 188cm one would expect him to play the targetman's role.
• Bridge - The almost forgotten man in the Premier League will now play at Sunderland on a loan basis. Interesting to see whether Bridge has forgotten his footwork or not.
• Kyrgiakos - The former Liverpool giant will also join Sunderland, which will definitely boost the Black Cats' defence to another level.
• Miyaichi - Bolton wrapped up the deal for the young Japanese. We shall see whether he could make great impact in Owen Coyle's team.
• Pizarro - Quite a surprise move in my opinion. But Pizarro is experienced and should be capable to take over Yaya Toure's void before he comes back, at least.

Game of the Week: CHELSEA v MANCHESTER UNITED

Can Torres score this time?

Time for a revenge at Stamford Bridge?

The Red Devils took down the Blues 3-1 at Old Trafford earlier in this campaign, with Torres missing the miss of the century. The Spaniard should still start though, given the fact that Andre Villas-Boas is short of strikers.

Daniel Sturridge looked sharp on the midweek game but was lack of any shooting accuracy. Meanwhile, it remains clueless whether Gary Cahill was brought in as Terry's partner or as a benchwarmer. It should be revealed this week.

For the red side, Nani and Rooney should be fit to play in this tie, while Lindegaard is expected to out for four weeks. That means David de Gea will have yet another chance to prove himself despite poor performance against Liverpool.

Personally I think Ashley Cole's suspension will provide the edge for United. Valencia should take full advantage of that and United is going to frustrate Chelsea again.

Prediction: CHE 1-2 MUN

Pick: Valencia

Fantasy Game of the Week: MANCHESTER CITY v FULHAM

Time for Aguero to end his
goalless streak.

Mancini will not allow his team to make mistake again as City hosts Fulham.

Aguero has not scored any goal in his last three league games, but that should end against Martin Jol's Fulham. Expect him and Silva to combine and perform finally.

The addition of Pizarro should provide the creativity to compete deep in midfield, though it remains to be seen whether he will make a start.

It's time for City to end the embarrassment and continue to move forward and lead the pack.

Prediction: MCI 2-0 FUL
Pick and Captain: Aguero, Silva
Pick: MCI defence
Drop: FUL defence


Pick and Drop
Pick and Captain:

• Van Persie - With Samba refused to play, Blackburn's defence is worthless.

Pick:

• Ba - Return to take charge of Newcastle's offence.
• Suarez - Freed from "jail" and should be full of power.
• Djibril Cisse - Looking forward to continue his fine form against woeful Wolves.

Drop:

• Ashley Cole - Suspended.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

• Ba - The super striker returns.
• Sessegnon - Unstoppable.
• Assou Ekkoto - His price rises without limit.
• Suarez - Reunites with better Liverpool.

Yellow light (watch):

• Cisse - See whether it's debutant's luck or his real class.

Red light (sell):

• Van der Vaart - Limped off last game.
• Ramires - Won't be back soon.

Gameweek 24 Dream Team

Krul

Kompany -- Simpson -- O'Shea

Sessegnon -- Silva -- Valencia (VC) -- Bale

Aguero (C) -- Ba -- Cisse

Subs: Szczesny -- Dyer -- Martin R -- Shorey

Kick-Off: Gameweek 22 Fantasy Preview

Josh McEachran is on loan to Swansea. Great fantasy prospect?

Overview
FPLZ wishes a happy Chinese New Year for all Chinese who are visiting this site as there are plenty to enjoy from Premier League this weekend - the title decider game between Manchester City and Tottenham, and also the all time classic between Arsenal and Manchester United.

Transfer News

• Papiss Cisse joins Newcastle. He had scored 37 goals in 65 games for Freiburg. We can only see him after the African Cup of Nations anyway.
• Josh McEachran is loaned to Swansea. At £4.6m the future of Chelsea could be a great stud if he get enough of playing minutes and performs.
• Blackburn will not let Christopher Samba to go in this transfer window even though the captain had requested to be transfer listed. Arsenal is keen to grab his signature.
• Jermaine Defoe is happy to stay with Tottenham Hotspur. He is reportedly a target for Liverpool.
• Ritchie De Laet was sent back to Manchester United as the loan of the plagued defender seems to be a bad business for the Canaries.
• Talks are still being done by QPR to land Chelsea outcast Alex.

Game of the Week: MANCHESTER CITY v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
It's one of the title deciding game as Manchester City takes on third-placed Tottenham at Etihad Stadium.

Emmanuel Adebayor will not be eligible to face his "actual" club as the loan contract suggests. That means Jermaine Defoe will lead the line to face Kompany-less defence. Players like Bale, Van der Vaart and Modric will be very happy to exploit on that weak point of City.

However, one must not underestimate the aura of Etihad Stadium. The Citizens are yet to slip even a point at their home ground, scoring an average of 3 goals per game and conceding only 4 goals in all 10 home games played. Aguero has scored an average of 9.1 fantasy points at home - a possible captain candidate despite the toughness of this fixture.

I hope Tottenham can win the game and take themselves to the summit at May, but City at home is just too strong to be beaten.

Prediction: MCI 1-0 TOT
Pick: Aguero, Silva


Fantasy Game of the Week: NORWICH v CHELSEA
Well, Liverpool are visiting to Reebok Stadium, but I believe the Blues can give something more than the Reds.

Chelsea only managed to grab a 1-0 victory against Sunderland on their last fixture, but Sunderland is a much better team than Norwich under the leadership of Martin O'Neill. Against the Canaries I believe they can deliver more.

Much hopes on attack will be on Fernando Torres who performed a spectacular bicycle kick which deflected and rebounded by Lampard. The Spaniard had also being fouled inside the box twice but were not awarded a penalty for both offences.

Expect the best from El Nino, Lampard, Mata and Sturridge. I still have no clue whether Gary Cahill will be slotted in directly to pair up with Terry, but if he plays I believe Chelsea will not concede silly goals like when Luiz is around.

As for Norwich, there is still a high chance that either one of Holt and Morison to break the duck, but I believe Chelsea will get the much needed three points.

Prediction: NOR 1-3 CHE
Pick and Captain: Torres
Pick: Lampard, Mata, Sturridge


Pick and Drop
Pick and Captain:

• Gerrard - Should be leading his team to take charge against Bolton.
• Helguson - Should fire under the better approach of Mark Hughes.
• Van Persie - Will be looking forward to send Evans to hell.

Pick:

• LIV defence - Reliable especially against sides like Bolton.
• STO defence - West Brom are losing their direction recently.
• S. Fletcher - Super consistent.
• Valencia/ Nani - Much to exploit on the flanks against Arsenal's patchy defence.
• Ben Arfa - Cabaye is still injured so he should get his chance to show off.

Drop:

• ARS defence - Too patchy to face Manchester United.
• BOL players  - Liverpool's defence is just too tough while Bolton's is too weak.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

• Gerrard - If Liverpool scores, it is most probably his goal or assist.
• Steven Fletcher - Super ace of Wolves which resembles Van Persie's importance at Arsenal.
• Dyer - Running on a hot streak.

Yellow light (watch):

• Torres - Still not trustworthy until he proves himself.
• Gary Cahill - Never buy before his performance is reviewed.
• Rooney - His finishing looks really poor recently.

Red light (sell):

• Yakubu - Suspended.
• Adebayor - Pretty silent recently plus ineligible to face City.

Gameweek 22 Dream Team

Sorensen

A. Ferdinand -- Skrtel -- Gary Cahill

Valencia -- Gerrard (VC) -- Mata -- Silva

Torres -- Van Persie (C) -- Aguero

Subs: Vorm -- Dyer -- Savic -- Simpson

Kick-Off: Gameweek 21 Fantasy Preview

Thierry Henry enjoying his sensational return after scoring
the only goal against Leeds.

Overview
The Mancs are not alone. The title race has officially became a three-horse race following Tottenham's victory over Everton. Interestingly, Benoit Assou-Ekkoto scored fantasy 24 points in this gameweek double. Those who had him must be smiling now.

African Cup of Nations
Numerous players will left the Premier League for a month to play for their country. The big names include Demba Ba, Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure, Cheik Tiote, Gervinho, Marouanne Chamakh, Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Adel Taarabt.

Latest News and Transfers

• Robbie Keane the latest MLS player to join Premier League loan spell. His destination is Aston Villa.
• Mark Hughes the new QPR manager.
• Steven Gerrard pens a contract extension.
• Gibson leaves Manchester United for Everton.

7-Gameweek Fixtures Analysis (Published Monthly)
In heaven run:

• CHE (SUN, @NOR, @SWA, MUN, @EVE, BOL, @WBA) - Sunderland and Manchester United are tricky, but the rest should be fine. Beware of FA Cup and Champions League games which sandwiched in between though.
• FUL (@BLA, NEW, WBA, @MCI, STO, @QPR, WOL) - The attackers are more settled. Could be on for a run.
• MCI (@WIG, TOT, @EVE, FUL, @AST, BLA, BOL) - Quite easy. Beware of rotation policy though.
• NEW (QPR, @FUL, @BLA, AST, @TOT, WOL, SUN) - The absence of Demba Ba is kindly compensated by a string of favourable fixtures.
• QPR (@NEW, WIG, @AST, WOL, @BLA, FUL, EVE) - A good platform to begin for Mark Hughes.
• WBA (NOR, @STO, @FUL, SWA, @WOL, SUN, CHE) - The road is pretty clear for Hodgson.

In hell run:

• BOL (@MUN, LIV, ARS, @NOR, WIG, @CHE, @MCI) - The second round of the hellish fixtures. Most probably Owen Coyle will be axed in the next two months.
• LIV (STO, @BOL, @WOL, TOT, @MUN, EVE, ARS) - Things get pretty tough  after Bolton's game with the Carling Cup and FA Cup tie against Manchester brothers the opener. Big test.
• MUN (BOL, @ARS, STO, @CHE, LIV, @NOR, @TOT) - Tough opponents in the midst of compact fixtures. Big test as well.
• TOT (WOL, @MCI, WIG, @LIV, NEW, @ARS, MUN) - To face five of the top seven in the next seven games is simply crazy.

Game of the Week: ASTON VILLA v EVERTON

Shay Given could make
a shock return.

Two of the dark horses of previous seasons which have pretty much deteriorated to meet again in the most played fixture in the top-flight league.

Villa would welcome Robbie Keane from MLS, while his teammate Landon Donovan will be playing on the other side. The former certainly was a great striker at Tottenham, while the latter has shown his prominence during his short spell with Everton two seasons ago.

Shay Given is close to recovery and is expected to sit on the bench. On the other side, Distin and Osman would be out for this one but new signing Gibson is ready to take the challenge.

Donovan should add some firepower to wasteful Everton offence, but the lack of players will cause them to suffer.

Prediction: AST 2-1 EVE
Pick: Donovan

Fantasy Game of the Week: MANCHESTER UNITED v BOLTON

David N'gog has scored against
Man Utd before.

The Red Devils surely are looking for a way to escape from the streak of defeats. And luckily, Bolton is there to offer a way.

Bolton got yet another rare victory against Everton, with potential leaver Gary Cahill one of the goal scorer. Don't get blinded though, it was Everton's pathetic finishing that led to the victory.

United might had suffered two painful defeats, but the derby victory against Manchester City has certainly lifted their mood back. Expect strong rebound by Rooney, Nani and Valencia but don't put so much hopes on their leaky back line.

Pick and Captain: Rooney, Nani, Valencia

Drop: BOL defence

Pick and Drop
Pick and Captain:

• Gerrard - The talisman is as strong as ever.
• Van Persie  - No problem with Henry ready to help.
• Aguero  - With Silva expected to feature on the bench, he is the only City man to trust.
• Bale - Flying everywhere, but beware of a possible rest on the bench.

Pick:

• Yakubu - Scoring favourite against Fulham.
• Adebayor/ Van der Vaart - They won't cool down for so long.
• Ben Arfa - The scoring hope in the absence of Ba.
• Ruiz - Has become the architect of the team.
• LIV defence - The most probable clean sheet of the week.

Drop:

• CHE defence - Never mess with Martin O'Neill's Sunderland.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

• Bale - The bandwagon is still not ended.
• Sessegnon - Playing with more effectiveness under Martin O'Neill.
• Aguero - Awesome fixtures ahead.
• Yakubu - Everyone's picking him.
• Assou-Ekkoto  - Splendid at both ends.
• Simpson - Ultra cheap.

Yellow light (watch):

• Thierry Henry - Still too early to say how effective is him fantasy wise.
• Donovan - Might be able to boost Everton's goal scoring ability.

Red light (sell):

• African Cup participants
• Kompany - Is serving his match suspension.
• Jagielka - Injured.

Gameweek 21 Dream Team

Friedel

Enrique -- Evans -- Simpson

Nani -- Bale (VC) -- Mata -- Gerrard

Rooney (C) -- Van Persie -- Yakubu

Subs: Krul -- Ben Arfa -- Savic -- Warnock

News Update: 9 Jan 2012

Why always me?

A summary of highlights occurred over the past few weeks:

• Neil Warnock has been sacked by QPR after a series of terrible results see them only a point above the relegation zone currently.
• Scholes "retired" his retirement and plays again as Manchester United looks short of central midfielder. A signal of no transfer funds available anyone?
• Manchester United led Manchester City 3-0 at half time but conceded two in the next half with one man up for around 80 minutes of the game. I don't know how you guys feel, but to park the bus with one man up is a humiliation for me.
• Manchester United will face Liverpool in the next round of the FA Cup anyway, with the latter just thrashed Oldham 5-1.
• Thierry Henry to have a two-month return to Arsenal. He's one of the most expensive fantasy premier league player of all time. Let's see how he does this time.
• Also coming from MLS is Landon Donovan, who plays for Everton for the second time. Can he improve the goals stat of the Liverpool club? It seems to be a yes currently.
• Multiple foreign clubs are targeting Liverpool star Luis Suarez to steer his way out of the 8-match ban.
• Meanwhile, Liverpool are leading the race to sign Newcastle's ace Demba Ba. It is understood that the Senegal international has a £10m release clause in his contract.