Kick-Off: Gameweek 36 Fantasy Preview

Awardsss: Gareth Bale is the winner of PFA Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year and Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year.

Gareth Bale (£10.7m, 12 pts) was all over the headlines after clinching a hat-trick of awards. Astounding. In the European football we saw Bayern completed a 7-0 sweep against Barcelona. The end of an era?

Let's back to our fantasy business anyway with another double gameweek awaiting us...

FEATURED: Manchester United v Chelsea @ Old Trafford
Reigning champions Manchester United will welcome the challenge of Chelsea at the Theater of Dreams.

With nothing else to compete for, the Red Devils will go all out against their new rivals since Roman Abramovich purchased the London club last decade. Robin Van Persie (£13.8m, 8 pts) continues to be the biggest threat and the player of the year of every Manchester United fans. Nonetheless, fantasy managers should take into account of the possibility of "experiments" by Sir Alex Ferguson as he prepares the team for the next season — rotations can possibly harm your fantasy returns from this team.

On the other side, Fernando Torres (£9.3m, - pts) led his side to reach the final of Europa League, and may give United's defence a tough run. Rotations are also a heavy downside here with such compact fixtures for the Blues, but at least Rafa Benitez's side have two games this gameweek to earn fantasy points.

David Luiz (£6.6m, 6 pts) is one good investment to consider, with his defence greatly improved compared to when he was initially at Stamford Bridge and his threatening long range efforts.

There are a lot of uncertainties in this game so let's just stick with a scoring draw.

Prediction: MUN 2-2 CHE

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester City
Sure, Tottenham have better reason to go all out, but City's fixtures are relatively much easier and they need to warm up for their FA Cup final too.

Carlos Tevez (£9.3m, 2 pts) is the obvious pick upfront despite scoring none in the last two games. Yaya Toure (£8.2m, 10 pts) will provide support from the back, and is also a good option for you in this double gameweek.

Defensively it seems rather negative for me against West Brom who have in-form Romelu Lukaku (£6.7m, 15 pts), though Swansea's rather weak offence recently presents the Citizens the chance to clinch a clean sheet.

Prediction: SWA 1-2 MCI, MCI 3-1 WBA

PLAYER FOCUS: Bale
Of course you have to go for Super-Bale, who still has all the reasons to fight for this season. His halo of glories will make his days tougher in front of his opponents, but nonetheless these should not be a problem for him.

GAMEWEEK 36 DREAM TEAM

Robles

Luiz — Dawson — Zabaleta

Bale (C) — Coutinho — Mata — Yaya Toure

Defoe — Tevez (VC) — Lukaku

Subs: Vorm — Walcott — Boyce — Azpilicueta

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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 34 Fantasy Preview

Meet the nominees for PFA player of the year. From left to right, top before bottom: Gareth Bale, Michael Carrick, Juan Mata, Luis Suarez, Robin Van Persie and Eden Hazard.

Hope that you have gone through a smooth double gameweek. For those who didn't, don't give up as there are still five gameweek to go!

FEATURED: Tottenham v Manchester City @ White Hart Lane
Of course Rafael Benitez's return to Anfield as an opposition manager is a big one, but the battle at White Hart Lane has definitely a better reason not to miss.

Gareth Bale (£10.5m, 200 season pts) is not expected to return as of yet — Andre Villas-Boas simply has to be patient and wait for his full recovery instead of risking the Welsh to preserve Tottenham's chances to finish within top four.

That means Emmanuel Adebayor (£9.0m, - pts) will have to bear the burden of scoring on his shoulder. The Togolese has only 3 league goals so far, he a goal and an assist in his last Premier League game certainly indicated a better him. And playing against his former club, he will definitely be more motivated to score.

As for the visitors, Manchester City have close to zero possibility to defend their title by now, neither do they feel threatened at second with Chelsea trailing them by 7 points. David Silva (£9.2m, - pts) is a slight doubt but is expected to play nonetheless, while Carlos Tevez (£8.7m, 8 pts) is having a great run recently (4 goals in his last 6 games) and will definitely pose some threat to Spurs' defence.

City are at a comfortable second, but I think they have too much class for Bale-less Tottenham.

Prediction: TOT 1-2 MCI

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
This could be the coronation day for the Red Devils, and they are definitely ready for that.

Robin Van Persie (£13.7m, 16 pts) has officially ended his scoring drought with 2 goals in his last 2 games. With his return in form, you can confidently pass your captain armband to him and hope for the best.

Shinji Kagawa (£8.0m, 11 pts) could be the provider again after setting up two goals at Upton Park on Wednesday, while Wayne Rooney (£12.1m, 4 pts) will hope to be the star of the pitch instead of transfer headlines.

A clean sheet is very likely at the back too, so you may want to get one of their members.

Prediction: MUN 2-0 AST

PLAYER FOCUS: Michu
The Swans are well rested, and against defensively poor Southampton, it's really Michu's (£8.1m, 173 season pts) opportunity to shine.

GAMEWEEK 34 DREAM TEAM

De Gea

Samba — Turner — Sagna

Kagawa — Walcott — Michu (VC) — Fellaini

Tevez — Van Persie (C) — Remy

Subs: Cesar — Snodgrass — Demel — O'Shea

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 33 Fantasy Preview

One goal per game in this double gameweek?

It's the much anticipated double gameweek craze! Are you ready for this do or die moment? Teams with two games in hand this week include:

• Manchester United
• West Ham
• Arsenal
• Everton
• Fulham

FEATURED: Arsenal v Everton @ Emirates
With just four points separate this two teams apart, this direct match-up could proved to be decisive at the end of the season.

The Gunners will face Norwich at home before facing the Toffees at the same venue again, so it presents a great chance to harvest from their players. Santi Cazorla (£10.1m, 2 pts) is the obvious pick undoubtedly as he carries the team forward with Theo Walcott (£8.6m, - pts) still not returning to his full fitness. At the back Lukasz Fabianski (£4.3m, 3 pts) represents great value with his alluringly low price.

On the other side, Everton are facing Queens Park Rangers before this touch encounter so their players are worth your investment this week too. Marouane Fellaini (£7.4m, - pts) is definitely what you should be getting, though it gives no harm to give Leighton Baines (£7.7m, 4 pts) and Leon Osman (£6.5m, 2 pts) their chances too.

I think Cazorla will shine in this one and Arsenal will take over Tottenham's fourth place at the end of this gameweek.

Prediction: ARS 2-1 EVE

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
The title could well been decided but I see no reason why the Red Devils won't go into full throttle in this double gameweek with no other trophies to hunt.

Robin Van Persie (£13.6m, 2 pts) looks to have used up his quota of excellence at the moment but a 13-14 mil fantasy striker surely has the quality of bouncing back. It could be this gameweek and you never know.

But until then, Wayne Rooney (£12.0m, 1 pts) looks to be the safer and more consistent option currently for you to reap the rewards in this double gameweek.

At the back, all are prone to some degree of rotation except David De Gea (£5.8m, 1 pt) — if United can get two clean sheets he is the one who is most possible to max the points out.

Prediction: STO 1-2 MUN, WHU 0-2MUN


PLAYER FOCUS: Berbatov
Keep calm and pass your fantasy scoring burden to Dimitar Berbatov (£7.4m, form: 8) — he is so in form at the moment and such double gameweek can really only help his cause.

GAMEWEEK 33 DREAM TEAM

Fabianski

Baines — Ferdinand — Sagna

Silva — Gerrard — Cazorla (C) — Fellaini

Berbatov — Rooney — Carroll

Subs: Schwarzer — Osman — Riether — Demel

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 32 Fantasy Preview

Gareth Bale is out!

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: MUN 2-1 MCI

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

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

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

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

Prediction: LIV 3-1 WHU

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

GAMEWEEK 32 DREAM TEAM

Begovic

Monreal — Azpilicueta — Enrique

Michu — Gerrard — Cazorla (VC) — Hazard

Suarez (C) — Remy — Lambert

Subs: Cesar — Gervinho — Wilson — Davies

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 30 Fantasy Preview

Can Loic Remy lead QPR to their third consecutive victory?

There are a lot of nice fixtures for you to capitalise this week, so let's get ready for a big fantasy feast!

FEATURED: Everton v Manchester City @ Goodison Park
Everton are still hopeful for a Champions League finish with only five points separating them and fourth-placed Chelsea and a win against Manchester City will definitely boost their odds.

It's all about Marouane Fellaini (£7.6m, - pts) this season for the Toffees, with the Belgian their attacking focal point with 11 league goals and 6 assists already this season. Big and lethal.

Manchester City might have not much to pursue already this season, but their quality is immense and they aren't that safe at second neither. Carlos Tevez (£8.6m, - pts) is the man you should pursue if you want some City's exposure as Sergio Aguero (£10.9m, - pts) is expected to be unfit until end of the month.

I think City will conquer Goodison Park as the Toffees are not really in good form recently.

Prediction: EVE 1-2 MCI

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
Is there any better time to captain Robin Van Persie (£13.7m, 192 season pts)? I don't know, but this Saturday seems like one of the best gameweek to do so.

Reading now sit second from the bottom, leading Queens Park Rangers only by goal difference. With Brian McDermott just sacked not long ago, expect some uncertainties in the Royals' tactics.

Shinji Kagawa (£7.9m, - pts) could do some magic again after a hat-trick against Norwich, and a clean sheet is quire likely too.

Prediction: MUN 3-0 RDG

PLAYER FOCUS: Remy
It's cheating to write on Luis Suarez (£11.1m, 190 season pts) or Gareth Bale (£10.8m, 185 season pts) here — both are having delicious fixtures this weekend — so let's go for Loic Remy (£5.9m, 8 pts) instead, the critical player in Harry Redknapp's operation salvation.

Remy now started four league games out of a possible seven for QPR, and has then scored 3 goals already for the side. Thanks to his two goals in the last two games the Rs have gotten their first consecutive victories of the season, and another win will more than likely bring them away from the last position in the league.

Aston Villa isn't a very tough opposition, so Remy could really strike it three-in-a-row and possibly help QPR to get 9 points out of 9 as well, sending them to cloud nine.

GAMEWEEK 30 DREAM TEAM

Mignolet

Vertonghen — Azpilicueta — Evra

 Bale (VC) — Kagawa — Cazorla — Mata

Suarez — Van Persie (C) — Remy

Subs: Begovic — Coutinho — Cameron — Cuellar

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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 26 Fantasy Preview

Meet Newcastle's latest super value buy Moussa Sissoko.

I'll make it short as I am on holiday mood now, so let's begin!

FEATURED: Manchester United v Everton @ Old Trafford
Old Trafford it's never a heaven for the visitors, and Everton will have a tough time dealing with it.

Marouane Fellaini (£7.8m, 15 pts) did great last gameweek scoring 2 goals for the Toffees, but is classified as 75% playing by the FPL committee. You should start him with confidence anyway if you own him. Leighton Baines (£7.6m, 4 pts) is another man to consider, having scored 43 fantasy points in the past five games.

Nevertheless, I think it's the usual Manchester United show with both Wayne Rooney (£11.9m, 8 pts) and Robin Van Persie (£14.1m, 5 pts) in superb form. However, there are some rotation risks with Real Madrid on Sir Alex Ferguson's mind.

A Manchester United win for me.

Prediction: MUN 2-1 EVE

TEAM FOCUS: Liverpool's Double Gameweek
Two straight home games for Liverpool in this double gameweek, and you know what to do.

Luis Suarez (£10.8m, 2 pts) did not lose his popularity despite the rise of Daniel Sturridge (£7.7m, 5 pts) — he shouldn't lose it anyway with his great consistency and versatility. Definitely the best pick from Liverpool. Sturridge is as great as Suarez with his lower price but is a slight doubt for the first game.

At the midfield Jordan Henderson (£5.4m, 1 pt) is doing impressively well in recent weeks and could crack something out of the two matches. Steven Gerrard (£9.7m, 10 pts) is enjoying his second youth currently with his outstanding performance and could hit the 200-point milestone again. Great picks.

They could harvest some defensive points too, so getting one of their defenders will not look silly. Bear in mind they will not play the next gameweek though.

Prediction: LIV 3-1 WBA, LIV 2-0 SWA

PLAYER FOCUS: Mata
Chelsea need to bounce back from their dismal form, and Juan Mata (£10.1m, 9 pts) surely is their best bet to do so. Against Wigan it shouldn't be tough.

GAMEWEEK 26 DREAM TEAM

Tremmel

Enrique — Walker — Davies

 Mata — Gerrard (VC) — Michu — Bale

Suarez (C) — Aguero — Van Persie

Subs: Cesar — Snodgrass —  Cameron — Bertrand

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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 23 Fantasy Preview

Theo Walcott signed a new £100,000 a week contract ahead of double gameweek.

No big transfer news so far after Demba Ba and Daniel Sturridge, but perhaps Theo Walcott's decision to stay at Emirates with a new three-and-a-half year deal is as happy as a new blockbuster signing for Arsenal fans. Let's move on to gameweek 23 with another double gameweek awaits.

GAMEWEEK 22 HIGHLIGHTS

• The double-gameweek-ers did not disappoint with Juan Mata (16 pts), Eden Hazard (19 pts), Jason Puncheon (12 pts), Rickie Lambert (14 pts), Frank Lampard (13 pts), Nathaniel Clyne (11 pts) and Cesar Azpilicueta (10 pts) all returning double digit scores. Certainly impressive.
• Robin Van Persie shone again as Manchester United completed the double against Liverpool.
• Tottenham surprisingly failed to beat Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road — a game which Harry Redknapp claimed to be as good as the win against Chelsea last week.

GAMEWEEK 22 TOP SCORERS

1. Eden Hazard (£9.4m, 19 pts): Scored once in each of the two games and got handsomely rewarded with 4 bonus points. Can he carry on and record another impressive streak again?
2. Juan Mata (£10.0m, 16 pts): Completed an assist hat-trick against Stoke but somehow failed to do anything when faced Southampton at Stamford Bridge. Still a very good season holder nonetheless.
3. Rickie Lambert (£6.4m, 14 pts): The most value-to-money fantasy forward did it again with a goal in each of the two games. Superb man to hold for the season.
4. Jimmy Kebe (£4.6m, 13 pts): Took advantage of West Brom's dip of form and got an improbable win for the Royals.
5. Frank Lampard (£8.4m, 13 pts): Continues to impress despite ageing and is definitely attracting the eye of many to acquire his service when summer arrives.

DOUBLE GAMEWEEK: Arsenal and West Ham
Similar to last gameweek, there will be a replacement fixtures between Arsenal and West Ham. It's less enticing compared to Chelsea's or Southampton's one, but nonetheless you could do much worse than fielding Arsenal and West Ham players in your fantasy line-up.

FEATURED: Tottenham v Manchester United @ White Hart Lane
The executioner at Old Trafford will now try to execute the Red Devils again at White Hart Lane in their attempt to secure a Champions League spot.

Manchester United's has won all but one home Premier League game this season, and will seek to offer the revenge to Tottenham this time. Robin Van Persie (£14.1m, 6 pts) has been superb all season, and is the main reason why United have only lost 2 league points in the last 10 games. The Dutch, along with the just recovered Wayne Rooney (£11.8m, - pts), will be the main threat to Tottenham's defence.

Spurs will not surrender easily nonetheless, with Gareth Bale (£9.8m, 6 pts) the biggest challenge to Rafael Da Silva (£6.0m, 2 pts) down the left flank. Interesting match-up to see. Jermaine Defoe (£8.3m, 2 pts) will also be ready to provide the finishing touch as usual this season, especially with Emmanuel Adebayor's (£9.0m, 2 pts) departure to play African Cup of Nations.

Big showdown, but I think United will win as Spurs have not been doing great against the top sides this season both home and away — the first round victory is the only exception.

Prediction: TOT 1-2 MUN

TEAM FOCUS: Arsenal
It's all about Theo Walcott (£9.2m, 2 pts) in this gameweek, with the prospect to gain a lot of points through this double gameweek. The hybrid winger/forward will definitely play a pivotal part in the Gunners attempt to topple Chelsea at Stamford Bridge — which the Blues have only won once in their last 7 Premier League games — before playing an easier fixture against West Ham at home.

Santi Cazorla (£9.6m, 2 pts) and Lukas Podolski (£8.3m, 1 pt) are the two other popular attacking options you should consider, while Kieran Gibbs (£5.7m, 1 pt) is the best bet you can think of at the back.

Prediction: CHE 1-1 ARS, ARS 3-0 WHU

PLAYER FOCUS: Suarez
Luis Suarez (£10.4m, 2 pts) has some special affection for Norwich — he definitely loves to score against the Canaries and should bang in one or two again this time.

GAMEWEEK 23 DREAM TEAM

Jaaskelainen

Demel — Zabaleta — Gibbs

 Joe Cole — Cazorla — Gerrard — Michu — Walcott (C)

Suarez (VC) — Tevez

Subs: Federici — Lukaku —  Ben Davies — Bramble

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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 21 Fantasy Preview

Theo Walcott claimed the match ball after such a heroic hat-trick against Newcastle.

It's fast and furious as the players have only two days of rest as they continue the hectic Christmas and New Year fixtures! Happy New Year to all fantasy managers!

GAMEWEEK 20 HIGHLIGHTS

• Theo Walcott (£8.7m, 26 pts) made his intention to play as centre forward clear after such a sublime hat-trick against Newcastle. His third goal was particularly exquisite, as he dribbled past several defenders and woke up despite being knocked down before tricking the keeper to the other way as he chipped the ball into the back of the net.
• Carrow Road was as happening as Emirates as Manchester City battled out a close game with Norwich before winning them 4-3. Edin Dzeko (£7.3m, 16 pts) almost got a hat-trick but the third goal turned out to be deflected by Mark Bunn (£4.1m, -1 pt) and was counted as an own goal instead.
• Meanwhile, it was pretty flat at Old Trafford as Manchester United maintained their lead by 7 points with a 2-0 victory over West Brom. Robin Van Persie (£14.0m, 6 pts) continued to fire despite only 26 minutes of action coming on from bench.
• Luis Suarez (£10.2m, 13 pts) fired twice as Queens Park Rangers ended 2012 deep down on the table with a comprehensive 0-3 defeat.
• It's now 0-15 for Aston Villa in the last 3 games as Paul Lambert draws himself nearer to job termination.

GAMEWEEK 20 TOP SCORERS

1. Theo Walcott (£8.7m, 26 pts): Incredible form. Hopefully he can repeat such feat again against Southampton.
2. Edin Dzeko (£7.3m, 16 pts): Superbly effective as always but always has such limited playing time.
3. Frank Lampard (£8.4m, 15 pts): It's sickening to know that Roman Abramovich doesn't plan to allow him to retire at Stamford Bridge after such a great performance by the lad.
4. Rickie Lambert (£6.1m, 15 pts): Did all he can up front despite failing to win it for Southampton. Looking good.
5. Ivan Ramis (£4.4m, 15 pts): The traditional goal plus clean sheet game for a defender. Great return from the injury.

FEATURED: Newcastle v Everton @ Sports Direct Arena
Frustrated Magpies will want to end their unlucky defeat streak as they await the challenge of Everton at home.

Newcastle have undergone a terrible week, having squandered a three-time lead to lose against Manchester United before seeing their three-time comeback a wasted effort, conceding 7 goals from Arsenal.

I don't know whether Demba Ba (£8.3m, 10 pts) is too tired to go on after playing 3 games in 8 days or is he busy on a negotiation with Chelsea, but if he does start again he should be the primary threat in offence as usual. Sylvain Marveaux (£4.2m, 11 pts) is doing his supportive role very well, and could earn a start again if he does not suffer from stamina issue.

As for the Toffees, Marouane Fellaini (£7.4m, - pts) has finally ended his suspension and will be full of energy to crush Newcastle's defence. A big, big threat for the Magpies along with Steven Pienaar (£6.8m, 7 pts), who has now delivered 37 points in the last 5 games.

A close one, but I think Newcastle will start 2013 in frustration just like how they ended 2012.

Prediction: NEW 2-2 EVE

TEAM FOCUS: Chelsea
The Blues are on fire, and against Queens Park Rangers, it's a no-brainer.

The Rangers now sat rock bottom of the table with only 10 points so far, and would have no chance of survival at all by any logic if it is not a manager of the calibre of Harry Redknapp who is on the seat currently.

But with 3 consecutive defeats it's hard to not go for Chelsea who have already won each and every of their last 4 Premier League games. Juan Mata (£9.8m, 7 pts) could be rested but nevertheless those who own him should play him with confidence — he had scored 39 points in his last 5 games. Eden Hazard (£9.5m, 2 pts) was quiet in the last game but should at least do some damage to the fragile defence of QPR this time along with the erratic Fernando Torres (£9.8m, 2 pts) who struggles to find some degree of consistency.

The defence could be able to keep it tight as well so you should consider to go for their defenders with Cesar Azpilicueta (£5.6m, 2 pts) a mouth-watering acquisition due to his low price.

Prediction: CHE 4-0 QPR

PLAYER FOCUS: Walcott
Theo Walcott has been performing exceptionally well in the role of striker, so one would expect him to continue to fire in front of fragile Southampton's defence.

GAMEWEEK 21 DREAM TEAM

Lloris

Vidic — Zabaleta — Azpilicueta

 Gerrard — Walcott (C) — Mata  — Lennon

Suarez (VC) — Van Persie — Torres

Subs: Foster — Dyer —  Naughton — Monk

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Kick-Off: Gameweek 20 Fantasy Preview

Dimitar Berbatov with his showy self-explanatory tee.

Fast is the theme for this week as Premier League heads into its third gameweek in the same week. Let's begin!

GAMEWEEK 19 HIGHLIGHTS

• An interesting match-up between Manchester United and Newcastle which the Red Devils displayed their strong character by coming back from behind three times before Javier Hernandez (£6.9m, 10 pts) scored the winning goal in final minutes. Great, great game.
• The lead for Manchester United is now 7 points as Adam Johnson (£6.7m, 11 pts) inflicted the dead blow to his former club Manchester City.
• Juan Mata (£9.7m, 11 pts) compensated for his lack of production in gameweek 17 after scoring the winning goal against Norwich.
• Gareth Bale (£9.8m, 21 pts) scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Aston Villa conceded 12 goals and scored none in the last 2 games. Terrible, terrible form.
• Everton and West Brom are the other two clubs to score 33 points apart from fourth-placed Tottenham as both of them also recorded wins over Wigan and Queens Park Rangers respectively.
• The roller coaster form goes on and on for Liverpool as they conceded 3 goals against Stoke City who are famous in defence but not offence.

GAMEWEEK 19 TOP SCORERS

1. Gareth Bale (£9.8m, 21 pts): Fantasy managers will cheer for his swift return of form.
2. Jonathan Walters (£6.5m, 15 pts): Considered one of the best mid-priced performers so you should consider getting him.
3. Chris Brunt (£5.5m, 13 pts): Hopefully this is an indication of better things to come. He is still some distance from his best that we once recognized.
4. Juan Mata (£9.7m, 11 pts): He is Chelsea's ace after all in Benitez's plans, so this is rather expected.
5. Adam Johnson (£6.7m, 11 pts): The lad is getting more playing time, but with no premium players around him his upside potential is limited.
6. Kenwyne Jones (£5.0m, 11 pts): The almost forgotten striker is getting regular playing time now. No harm to scout him.
7. Carlos Cuellar (£4.6m, 11 pts): With Sunderland getting tighter at the back recently, you might want to get him.
8. Kyle Naughton (£4.2m, 11 pts): If some long-term injury happens at Tottenham's best four he will get consistent playing minutes.

FEATURED: Everton v Chelsea @ Goodison Park
Both sides will have much to battle for as Chelsea visit to Goodison Park this Sunday.

The Blue Lions are now 4 points behind of second-placed Manchester City, with a game on hand. They will certainly need to get this game — not only to apply pressure to the Blue Moons, but also to avoid being chased up by the crowded pack behind, which include Everton.

Juan Mata will continue to be the focal point of Chelsea's attack if he is not rested like Eden Hazard (£9.6m, - pts) when playing against Norwich. The Belgian should really start and could be the main contributor again as usual. Fernando Torres (£9.8m, 2 pts) is the less attractive option compared to the former two but is also the most rotation prone one — he has started all Premier League games for Chelsea this season.

As for the Toffees, Marouane Fellaini (£7.4m, - pts) will serve the last of his three-game suspension so it will be up to the supporting cast such as Leon Osman (£6.3m, 10 pts) and Steven Pienaar (£6.8m, 2 pts) to craft the offence. Nikica Jelavic (£8.2m, 1 pts) had been silenced in the last three games, but Victor Anichebe (£4.3m, 5 pts) will be ready to help to provide the firepower if necessary.

I think Chelsea will continue to win, but not in an easy way.

Prediction: EVE 1-2 CHE

TEAM FOCUS: Manchester United
Manchester United will sit at Old Trafford again as they welcome the challenge of West Bromwich Albion.

Robin Van Persie (£13.9m, 9 pts) is fairly probable of being benched after two successive 90 minutes of action, though Wayne Rooney's (£11.9m, - pts) injury makes it hard for Sir Alex Ferguson to drop him. If you own him, you should continue to play him with confidence and pray for the best. Javier Hernandez (£6.9m, 10 pts) is on fire and should continue to earn SAF's trust — start him with confidence.

Unfortunately United's midfield provides little fantasy for your fantasy team with Shinji Kagawa (£7.9, - pts) just finished dating with the nurses and will only feature on the bench at best while the wingers are struggling to achieve compared to last season. Defensively their best four are quite pricey now, but Patrice Evra (£6.9m, 10 pts) has been very great offensively so far and might just earn your consideration despite his prohibitive price.

Old Trafford is always a hell for the visitors.

Prediction: MUN 2-0 WBA

PLAYER FOCUS: Suarez
The lad is having a slight injury but is expected to be fit for the match. You never know when Luis Suarez (£10.2m, 4 pts) is going to burst again and blast in some goals, but against QPR the chances are higher isn't it?

GAMEWEEK 20 DREAM TEAM

De Gea

Vidic — Huth — Zabaleta

 Michu — Cazorla — Mata  — Bale

Suarez (VC) — Van Persie (C) — Torres

Subs: Begovic — Walters —  Collins — Naughton

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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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