Kick-Off: Gameweek 31 Fantasy Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: SOU 1-2 CHE

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

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

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

Should be a comfortable Arsenal victory.

Prediction: ARS 2-0 RDG

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

GAMEWEEK 31 DREAM TEAM

De Gea

Monreal — Azpilicueta — Zabaleta

 Bale (VC) — Hazard — Cazorla — Coutinho

Berbatov — Van Persie (C) — Giroud

Subs: Al-Habsi — Schneiderlin — Riether — Figueroa

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 27 Fantasy Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: MCI 2-1 CHE

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

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

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

Prediction: ARS 3-1 AST

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

GAMEWEEK 27 DREAM TEAM

Schwarzer

Baines — Jenkinson — Rafael

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

Van Persie (C) — Giroud

Subs: Federici — Le Fondre — Zabaleta — Harte

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 25 Fantasy Preview

Are you kidding me? Queens Park Rangers bought defender Christopher Samba for a club record of £12.5m. I do not mean to humiliate Samba, but this is a freaking ridiculous price.

The winter transfer window ended with Queens Park Rangers' unbelievable £12.5m record deal for experienced ex-Premier League defender Christopher Samba. QPR certainly look more and more desperate in their struggling journey to survive at the Premier League.

Other notable transfers include Nacho Monreal's arrival at the Emirates Stadium as well as Danny Graham's switch to Stadium of Light. Let's just see how these new crop of players fare with their new clubs.

GAMEWEEK 24 HIGHLIGHTS

• Manchester United re-extended their lead to 7 points after a narrow victory over Southampton. Wayne Rooney (£11.8m, 13 pts) was the hero, having scored both goals for United.
• Manchester City meanwhile were held goalless at Loftus Road as QPR collected another famous point to keep their survival hopes alive.
• Luis Suarez (£10.5m, 6 pts) and Jordan Henderson (£5.3m, 12 pts) combined to give Liverpool a two-goal lead at the Emirates but in-form Theo Walcott (£9.5m, 8 pts) and Olivier Giroud (£7.9m, 11 pts) helped to salvage a point for Arsenal.

GAMEWEEK 24 TOP SCORERS

1. Leighton Baines (£7.5m, 17 pts): A couple of goals from the Toffees' defender made it 39 points from his last 4 games. Fixtures are still pretty favourable for him in the next 3 games.
2. Juan Mata (£10.1m, 14 pts): His heroics wasn't enough to take 3 points for Chelsea. Proceed with caution as the lad is doubtful against Newcastle with his ankle injury.
3. James McArthur (£5.4, 13 pts): He was involved in both goals of Wigan. Never look to be a fantasy prospect anyway.
4. Wayne Rooney (£11.8m, 13 pts): Back on fire but I am still skeptical of his playing minutes as well as influence when compared to Robin Van Persie (£14.1m, 2 pts).
5. Jordan Henderson  (£5.3m, 12 pts): 22 points from the last 2 games as the young midfielder is on the way to leave the "flop" tag behind him.

FEATURED: Manchester City v Liverpool @ Etihad
Another tough game for Liverpool as they visit to Etihad in their tough quest for a top four finish.

City drew against QPR last week and will look to not repeat such embarrassment against the Reds. Mario Balotelli has left to AC Milan for good and helps to increase the playing minutes of Sergio Aguero (£10.9m, 2 pts), Carlos Tevez (£8.9m, 2 pts) and Edin Dzeko (£7.5m, 1 pt). Not sure which two of them will start up front though, with David Silva (£9.5m, 3 pts) for sure will provide the needed support for them.

Jordan Henderson is the hot man for the Reds but the arrival of Phillipe Coutinho (£6.5m) should restrict his playing minutes sooner rather than later. The more reliable and less susceptible to rotation player is of course Luis Suarez (£10.5m, 6 pts) who can play and perform equally well at any position at the front four.

It's going to be a tough match, but I guess Vincent Kompany's (£7.1m, - pts) will prove to be a hard time for Roberto Mancini's side.

Prediction: MCI 1-1 LIV

TEAM FOCUS: Tottenham
Tottenham have not won in their last three Premier League fixtures, and that's too long.

West Brom are even worst with their 5 game victory-less streak, and that presents a big chance for Gareth Bale (£9.8m, 8 pts), Jermaine Defoe (£8.2m, 5 pts) and Aaron Lennon (£7.3m, 2 pts) to shine. New arrival Lewis Holtby (£7.5m) could get his time too after debuting against Norwich at Carrow Road earlier this week.

Prediction: WBA 1-3 TOT

PLAYER FOCUS: Giroud
It's hard to overlook Olivier Giroud (£7.9m, 11 pts) as he bursts into incredible form after a miserable first half of the season. Against Stoke, he will be the towering presence to pierce through the high physical defence of Tony Pulis' team.

GAMEWEEK 25 DREAM TEAM

Mignolet

Samba — Evra — Baines

 Mata — Bale (VC) — Fellaini — Walcott

Van Persie (C) — Fletcher — Giroud

Subs: Cesar — Henderson —  Bertrand — Bramble

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 24 Fantasy Preview

Wilfried Zaha to join Manchester United in a £15m move from Crystal Palace.

So Wilfried Zaha confirms his move to Manchester United, though the 20-year-old winger/forward will stay at Crystal Palace in a loan deal until the next summer. Meanwhile at neighbouring city Liverpool are on the verge of getting Inter Milan 20-year-old midfielder Philippe Coutinho. Not quite a silent transfer window.

The FA Cup is producing lots of surprises last weekend, including Tottenham's shock defeat to Leeds United and Oldham's even more incredible victory over Liverpool. Shocks.

GAMEWEEK 23 HIGHLIGHTS

• Arsenal players flourished in this double gameweek following a 5-1 maul over West Ham in the replacement fixture. Theo Walcott (18 pts), Lukas Podolski (17 pts), Olivier Giroud (15 pts) and Santi Cazorla (12 pts) were the outstanding performers.
• Clint Dempsey scored a last-gasp equaliser to cut down Manchester United's lead over Manchester City to five points.
• Liverpool produced another magnificent victory over their favourite prey Norwich as Daniel Sturridge scored 3 in his first 3 appearances with the Reds.

GAMEWEEK 23 TOP SCORERS

1. Theo Walcott (£9.4m, 18 pts): Not only that the forward is brilliant, but he is also consistent recently. Definitely my first pick from Arsenal.
2. Lukas Podolski (£8.3m, 17 pts): Lacks the consistency despite looking brilliant. Will need to do more to impress fantasy managers.
3. David Silva (£9.4m, 16 pts): Can the midfield maestro kick-start his season with this kind of performance? His price is definitely not bad for now.
4. Olivier Giroud (£7.8m, 15 pts): He improves steadily and certainly looks better to own now than before, though still not that value to money when there are cheaper candidates around such as Steven Fletcher (£7.1m, 13 pts).
5. Jonathan De Guzman (£5.8m, 15 pts): A rare striking performance from the midfielder. His price is not at the competitive range though so I do not recommend him.

FEATURED: Arsenal v Liverpool @ Emirates
Both sides are only 3 points away from each other and it's expected to be a tough match-up.

The Gunners are slowly following the footsteps of declining Liverpool, with Top 4 looking to be a not-so-easy task for them this season with Tottenham and Everton in front of the pecking order. But Liverpool are even worse as they are yet to beat any top 10 sides this season.

Theo Walcott will continue to be the greatest threat for Arsenal and is set to create havoc in Liverpool's defence which usually fails miserably against the top offensive sides. This should open up some decent chances for Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud — who scored twice against Brighton last weekend — to score as well.

Meanwhile it will be up to the S.S. partnership — Luis Suarez (£10.5m, 9 pts) and Daniel Sturridge (£7.4m, 6 pts) — to deal some wound to the Gunners' defence. Philippe Coutinho could already be a Red by then, but I don't expect him to get deployed immediately in Brendan Rodgers' system.

Certainly an interesting brawl, but Swansea are the only lesser side to have won at Emirates this season, and so I am going for a home win.

Prediction: ARS 2-1 LIV

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
It's too enticing to not go for Manchester United this week, with Southampton the visitors to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have only lost once this season at home, and won the rest. I have no reason to believe why they will lose points against the side who are just four points away from relegation zone.

Robin Van Persie (£14.1m, 9 pts) continues to be the most trusted fantasy forward with 45% of ownership and should definitely be your first captain choice this week. I still don't see any other good offensive fantasy assets for United anyway so I will stick to Patrice Evra (£7.2m, 1 pt) or Rafael Da Silva (£6.0m, 1 pt) as the second player to own from the Red Devils.

Should not have a hard time dealing with the Saints.

Prediction: MUN 4-0 SOU

PLAYER FOCUS: Silva
With Yaya Toure (£7.7m, - pts) left the team for African Cup of Nations and Samir Nasri (£8.0m, 1 pt) going out of form, David Silva (£9.4m, 16 pts) is the most reliable man from City's midfield and should play a pivotal role against Queens Park Rangers.

GAMEWEEK 24 DREAM TEAM

Begovic

Azpilicueta — Zabaleta — Evra

 Mata — Silva (VC) — Fellaini — Walcott

Van Persie (C) — Tevez — Fletcher

Subs: Guzan — De Guzman —  Wilkinson — Clark

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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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Sunday Aftermath: Chicharito's Fury

Javier Hernandez celebrated Saturday with an "indirect" hat-trick.

It was another great weekend for Manchester United as they extended their lead in Premier League to two points. Here are some key points:

• It's such a waste to allow Javier Hernandez (£7.5m, 15 pts) to warm the bench, and he just proved it again. The impact sub scored 2 and made 1 own goal for the opponent in just 45 minutes of action against Aston Villa, which was an reiteration of his unmatched positioning and poaching skill.
• On the other side, it was second consecutive start for youngster Andreas Weimann (£5.2m, 12 pts). The lad has now scored 4 bonus points in 2 games, and is showing some good potential for his cheap price.
• Meanwhile, Arsenal made their worst start in their Premier League history as they lost another 2 points to Fulham. There's good news though, as Olivier Giroud (£8.4m, 12 pts) is starting to show his value and scored a brace for the home side.
• Manchester United will be glad to sell Dimitar Berbatov (£7.4m, 16 pts) to Craven's Cottage as the Bulgarian was the big hero in the game, having directly involved in all 3 goals to halt the progress of the Gunners. Another man who performed nicely in fantasy terms for Fulham was Alex Kacaniklic (£4.7m, 9 pts).
• Marouane Fellaini (£7.6m, 13 pts) was the man at Goodison Park again as he scored 28 fantasy points in the last 2 games. Unbelievably consistent and is one of the season man to own for me.
• A goalless draw between Reading and Norwich made sure that they continue to stuck at bottom half of the table.
• It was also a draw at St Mary's, with Nathan Dyer (£5.4m, 9 pts) finally scored after a long silence.
• Charlie Adam (£6.6m, 10 pts) scored his first goal for a very long time as Stoke City defeated Queens Park Rangers who remained last in league standings.
• Wigan succumbed to a home defeat against West Bromwich Albion, but Arouna Kone (£6.5m, 6 pts) is definitely having a fine time there with his fourth goal of the season. Could turn out to be a good acquisition in some part of the season.
• Early Sunday showdown saw Manchester City recovered from Tottenham's first-half goal to stay within 1 game gap against derby rivals Manchester United. Edin Dzeko (£7.5m, 5 pts) was the super-sub again with a game-killing goal, but will never become a fantasy force with his limited playing time.
• Kevin Nolan's (£6.8m, 11 pts) fame as a goalscoring midfielder continues to flourish as he netted his fifth in league this season to record a good victory against Newcastle. Another clean sheet suggests that Jussi Jaaskelainen (£5.0m, 8 pts) is a must in your goalie set-up.
• Else at Stamford Bridge Chelsea could made it 3 or 4 up in first half but ended up with only one instead as they ended the game with a draw thanks to a second-half equaliser from Luis Suarez (£9.9m), who is in rich vein of form.

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

ARSENAL F.C.

The new Arsenal home kit for 2012/13 season.
Do you notice the stripes on the sleeves?

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Dramatic Comeback
The Gunners had started their season terribly, which included a humiliating 2-8 defeat to their rivals Manchester United. Fortunately, a fantastic run starting at the middle of the season helped them to move all the way up to claim yet another UEFA Champions League qualification next season. Van Persie, who remained injury free for the first time in his career for one whole season, deserved to take a huge credit for that.

This Summer: RVP to Leave?
It was good news that arrived the Emirates first with German international Lukas Podolski joining. This seems to be a great signing, as Podolski does carry some sort of "ace" quality - which will share some of the burden away from captain Robin Van Persie. However, shock later arrived with the skipper announced to not sign a new contract with Arsenal on his website. It is still an unknown myth whether Olivier Giroud is bought to increase the squad's depth or to replace the captain.


Upcoming Season: Huge Uncertainty
Clearly RVP's decision to stay or go will have a large influence on Arsenal's course in this coming season. I am more inclined to believe that having a Van Persie is better than having both Podolski and Giroud - they won't be able to better last season's record without the captain in my opinion. But if he stays, then Arsenal should be one of the favourites for Premier League title.

Van Persie's score
distribution last
season.

Mighty Skipper: Van Persie (FI: 0.889) 
It's a no-brainer definitely, if Robin Van Persie (£13.0) stays. RVP's 269 points last season is one of the best in fantasy history. As he finally went through an injury-free season in his Arsenal's career, you can expect him to be more resistant to injury in the future and score consistent fantasy points. The only downside of the £13.0m rated forward is the partial diversion of offence from him to Podolski (and possibly Giroud).


Powerhouse Picks: Vermaelen (FI:0.652), Walcott (FI: 0.526), Podolski (FI: N/A)
Ever since joining, Thomas Vermaelen (£7.0m) has been a very important player in Arsene Wenger's formation. Being a defender who is capable of moving forward and score goals, the defender resembles a great fantasy investment despite his high price tag. Although being plagued by injuries last season, the Belgian still managed to score 6 goals in only 2477 minutes last season, which was a very high figure among defenders.


Meanwhile, Theo Walcott (£9.0m) continues to exhibit the maturity he has obtained last season. He is now more calm and composed, and delivers better consistency than before. Fantasy managers can expect him to improve and improve - his best times are still some distance away.


Lukas Podolski (£8.5m) is always a prolific goalscorer, both in club and country level. The German international scores about 1 goal in every 2.5 games - a pretty good figure for a hybrid left-wing/forward. Priced only £8.5m (even cheaper than Walcott), the lad is capable of producing some super-value performance, and might even step up as the team's ace should RVP leaves.


Rising Star: Chamberlain (FI: 0.293)
Bought from Southampton, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (£7.5m) has exhibited great potential last season as he featured regularly in the second half of the season. His most notable performance, of course, was the 7-1 demolition against Blackburn, where he scored 2 goals.


Although it is expected that his playing time to be as limited as last season thanks to Podolski's arrival, but if the German or Walcott somehow get sidelined for a long time, fantasy managers can rely on him to deliver some explosive performance (PI: 1.129, tops Arsenal's list). His price hike this season may limit his value though.


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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!

Olivier Giroud: Super Goal Poacher in Action?

As Montpellier president Louis Nicollin claimed that star striker Olivier Giroud transfer to Arsenal is complete, FPLZ analyzes the fantasy potential the French forward provides.

Shooting
Giroud is indeed a very prolific goalscorer, scoring 25 goals in 43 games for Montpellier HSC last season. Primarily left-footed, the forward has shown exceptional comfort to score with both feet. He has also shown great shooting variations, which include chips, narrow angles and also power shots.

Header
With a height of 1.92m (6 ft 3.5 in), Giroud is a towering presence for Montpellier last season. It was no surprise that the forward has the highest aerial duel success rate (at 70%) of any striker playing for a top four team in Europe. This will surely come to Arsenal's advantage as the Gunners will now have a targetman to support them upfront.

Rebound
This is one of the most astounding ability of the 25-year-old striker. Giroud has one of the best attacking reactions across Europe, and was frequently the first to react on his teammates' shots to rebound and score goals.

Assist
While Giroud is good at finishing, he is not a selfish striker. The fact that he delivered 11 assists last season suggests that he can team up with his new teammates readily. Nonetheless, the forward should really improve on his passing, which has only 67% of completion last term.

Verdict
Wenger has indeed got himself a good striker then. It remains to be seen whether he is bought as a direct replacement for Robin Van Persie or not, but nonetheless I believe he will play a prominent role upfront. Fantasy managers can expect a 15-20 goal season if he features as a season-long starter, and that will largely depend on Van Persie's future.