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 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 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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Sunday Aftermath: The 12th Man

Mark Halsey: The game spoiler.

Poor officiating had once again spoiled the game as Manchester United won controversially at Anfield. Here are some highlights:

• If Mark Halsey is listed in Fantasy, he should have gotten all the points that Robin Van Persie (£13.5m, 6pts) and Antonio Valencia (£8.8m, 5 pts) got this gameweek. Controversial judgement by him in my opinion as he awarded United for such a soft penalty but denied Liverpool's more legitimate penalty claim earlier.
• Rafael da Silva (£5.6m, 11 pts) scored a unbeatable goal at Anfield and is the man you should closely monitor from the Red Devils as he scored a sky high 6.75 points per game.
• Anders Lindegaard (£5.4m, 3 pts) performed superbly well yesterday and with that kind of performance, expect David de Gea (£5.8m, 0 pts) to rot longer on the bench.
• Steven Gerrard (£9.4m, 9 pts) scored the only goal for Liverpool but  I still don't see any value from Liverpool players yet, though the next few fixtures can be the time for them to start performing.
• Meanwhile at Etihad Stadium, Manchester City squandered their lead to share a point with Arsenal. Defenders Joleon Lescott (£6.4m, 11 pts) and Laurent Koscielny (£5.4m, 9 pts) scored one each for respective teams.
• Santi Cazorla (£9.2m, 7 pts) delivered yet another assist as he shows that he is really not far away from Eden Hazard (£10.3m) in terms of class.
• Sergio Aguero (£11.0m, 2 pts) made his return and pushed Carlos Tevez (£9.9m, 1 pt) back on the bench. Tevez's potential could get severely dented as Mario Balotelli (£8.8m, 1 pt) is also back in action to compete for a starting spot.
• At Sports Direct Arena Demba Ba (£7.8m, 9 pts) combined with Hatem Ben Arfa (£7.8m, 8 pts) to score the only goal of the game. Ba is definitely on fire and is one of the best forward to get in £7-8m band.
• On the contrary, Ba's compatriot, Papiss Cisse (£9.2m, 0 pts), missed a penalty and is out of form at the moment. Stay away from him indefinitely.
• Gareth Bale (£9.3m, 8 pts) carried forward his stunning form as Tottenham won at home against Queens Park Rangers. The same applies on Jermaine Defoe (£7.7m, 8 pts), who scored yet another goal to extend his fine goal run.
• Steven Fletcher (£7.2m, 9 pts) scored in all games he had played for Sunderland this season after yet another goal against West Ham this time. Scoring on the other end is Kevin Nolan (£6.2m, 7 pts) as both represent good offensive acquisitions from respective teams.
• Dimitar Berbatov (£7.2m, 8 pts) is unstoppable at the moment as he delivered a 1 assist plus 3 bonus points performance in Fulham's victory over Wigan. Damien Duff (£6.2m, 8 pts) is doing pretty well currently with 33 points already this season.
• Romelu Lukaku (£6.5m, 9 pts) scored as expected as West Brom recorded a narrow win against Reading. A man to monitor.
• Southampton recorded their first victory of the season as Rickie Lambert (£6.1m, 13 pts) scored  2 goals. One superb striker in the budget category.
• At Stamford Bridge Chelsea almost lost 2 points to Stoke City but Ashley Cole (£6.5m, 15 pts) prevented that with a last minute goal. Finally he is responding to Branislav Ivanovic's (£7.0m, 6 pts) dominance on the right.
• Marouane Fellaini (£7.1m, 12 pts) and Leighton Baines (£7.2m, 11 pts) led the show at Liberty Stadium as Swansea sufferred a terrible 0-3 defeat to the Toffees.

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

Liverpool F.C.

The Reds with their kit by new sponsor.

You can download the full analyzed squad data here.

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

Last Season: Worst Yet
It was indeed quite surprising that Liverpool had undergone their worst ever Premier League season last term under the management of the legendary Kenny Dalglish. Terribly overpriced purchases, coupled with stubborn tactical approach (reluctance to start in-form Maxi Rodriguez regularly) has led to such a catastrophic season. Luck did not go in their favour neither, as they hit the posts and bars so regularly as if they were the "goals".

This Summer: New Manager, New Hope
Brendan Rodgers becomes the new Liverpool manager after such a successful Premier League debut season with Swansea City. There are more outs (Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez, Fabio Aurelio and the latest, Alberto Aquilani) than ins (Fabio Borini) currently, with the negotiation to buy Clint Dempsey fails to reach a consensus.

Upcoming Season: Tiki-Taka Transformation?
It is expected to see Rodgers blending his trademark continental football style into the team. However, things can be tough with majority of Liverpool team so used to English style of football. Nonetheless, tiki-taka should be rolled on easier with one or two more additions to the squad.

Suarez: Ajax vs Liverpool.

Hoping for A Better Year: Suarez (FI: 0.421)
Not quite a fine season for Luis Suarez (£9.5m) with only 11 goals - I would have expect the Uruguayan who has just signed a new contract with Liverpool to have at least a 15-goal season.

Still, fantasy committee are putting good faith on him by tagging him £9.5m this season. He should improve though, as I believe the tiki-taka approach should fit him better. Hopefully he can achieve a 15 goal o even 20 goal season then.

Gerrard's historical P90.

Back to His Best?: Gerrard (FI: 0.347)
Steven Gerrard (£9.5m) has been mediocre for the past few seasons due to a series of injuries and tactical failures, but signs do indicate that he is returning to his best.

Gerrard's P90 last season wasn't that bad actually - 5.54 was his third best over the last 6 seasons. Sure, injuries are limiting his playing time, but if he can stay fit this season, you can be hopeful of a solid season from the skipper, especially when he has done so well in the Euro tournament.


Rodgers' Choice: Borini (FI: N/A)
It was quite a long time before Rodgers acquired his first signing at Liverpool, and that lad is Fabio Borini (£8.0m), someone Rodgers had known long enough. The gaffer first worked with the Italian when he was an youth team coach at Chelsea, then at Swansea where Borini joined on loan.

The understanding is there between the two, so one would expect Borini to click instantly into Rodgers' system. Still, it remains to be seen whether Rodgers has the players to unleash Borini's potential.

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Steven Gerrard: Better Than Ever?

On top of this paragraph is the highlights of Steven Gerrard's performance on EURO 2012 group stage. Majestic. Incisive. Wide vision. All rounder. Captain marvel.

He will definitely be the most important piece of chess of Brendan Rodgers. Hopefully Gerrard's fantasy price won't surge following his impressive form for his country.

Fernando Torres: What Do the Two Goals Against Ireland Indicate?

Can we expect a better season ahead?

Spain completed its redemption after much skepticism by demolishing Ireland with a score of 4-0. Much to our surprise, striker Fernando Torres, who has been so poor for his country over the past two years, is showing signs of revival in the national football arena as he slotted two of the four goals Spain has scored. This surely arouses fantasy managers' interest whether FT9 will rise to become a fantasy superstar again in 2012/13 season, and FPLZ will analyze on this.

£50m Move to Chelsea: The Beginning of Nightmare?
It's not a secret that Torres' successful spell in the Premier League for his first few years was partly credited to Liverpool's tactical reliance on him and the skipper, Steven Gerrard. Together, the duo had produced the best chemistry in the Premier League over the decade and recorded fantastic goal scoring figures over the years. However, when El Nino felt unhappy and decided for a change in winter of 2010/11 season, things became very different.

Chelsea, unlike Liverpool, wasn't a two-man team. They had plenty of reliable offensive points which included Malouda, Drogba, Lampard, Anelka, and to some extent, Kalou. Unfortunatley, Torres couldn't merge well with his new teammates. While it took some time for Carlo Ancelotti, manager at that moment, to decide, he had no choice but to bench the Spaniard as the season came close to the end. At that half of a season, Torres scored only one goal - a big humiliation for a striker of his calibre.

Such phenomena didn't change with the arrival of Andre Villas-Boas, whom actually deteriorated the Blue's attacking prowess and made Drogba and him took turns playing on the field. However, as AVB got sacked  on 4 March 2012 and Roberto Di Matteo took over his helm, things started to change.

Roberto Di Matteo: El Nino's Saviour?
For some reason, unlike his predecessors Di Matteo seems to know the better way to utilize Torres. Torres ended his goal drought of 24 games on 18 March 2012 by scoring two and setting up another two in Chelsea's 5-0 victory against Leicester City in an FA Cup encounter. In the same month, El Nino scored a Premier League goal against Aston Villa, as his resurgence has started to make its surface.

It took almost another month for the Spaniard to score, but this one, for me, was a pivotal moment for him. The last minute goal against Barcelona in Champions League semi-final had effectively wrapped up the game and sent the Blues to Munich. More importantly to Torres though was the fact that he scored against what majority called "the best club in the world".

It was indeed a great morale booster for Torres, as he scored a hat-trick on 29th April, five days after he scored against Barcelona. That was a long awaited moment for his fans, as confidence slowly regrew in the striker's mind. Despite not starting the Champions League final, El Nino featured as a sub in that game, and earned a corner which Drogba scored to bring the game into the extra time.

With Torres getting back his goalscoring confidence in the national team as well, we can be hopeful that the once lethal Fernando Torres will return soon.

2012/13 Season: The Prospect
The coming season certainly looks bright for Torres, with Di Matteo continues to be in charge at Chelsea. He is currently uncontested at the forward position (that may change if Chelsea managed to land Porto's ace player, Hulk). Not only that, the current Chelsea also has much more "pacey" players such as Mata, Hazard and the latest signing, Marko Marin to complement his explosive style of play. If he can continue to improve and pick up his lost form, FT9 will surely become a hot fantasy commodity again, just like what he did seasons ago with Liverpool.

Brendan Rodgers: The Winners and Losers Under His Management?

Meet the new Liverpool gaffer.

Overview
Clearly Brendan Rodgers has taken the tough road to join Liverpool in his attempt to bring the old brand of football back to where "it's supposed to be". FPLZ analyzes the impact that the new Liverpool manager is going to bring to the players, especially in fantasy terms.

Out of the Topic: Public Relations Management
It's good to see Liverpool is not taking in another Roy Hodgson - a manager who is so poor in handling the players, the fans, and the press. Rodgers gives Fenway Sports Group a complete different package from the current England national team manager - not only the very different style in tactics, but also his much more superior PR management. For example:

“I know there are three types of supporters at every club,” he said. “Number one is those who, no matter who the manager is, they love their club and they will love their manager because Liverpool is their life and their passion. The second group is supporters who will accept you but to earn their real respect you will have to be successful. That’s fine.


"The third group are the critics and you never change them ever. Ever."


"I only want to work with the people who love the club. I have always had good relations with the media and with the supporters. I’m open and honest. I understand that not everybody will want me here. But that’s part of the dance.”


It remains to be seen how well would he cope with the constant high expectations at Merseyside, but at the moment, he has shown good degree of charisma and has definitely earned my respect.

Tactical Analysis
Tiki-taka was the famous brand Rodgers has established at Swansea, and thanks to such style of play he had managed to win against the big teams such as Manchester City, Arsenal and also Liverpool. It was indeed quite surprising that he actually led Swansea to beat Arsenal via an even more "Arsenal" way.

His tiki-taka approach heavily emphasizes on small triangular pass-and-move, where there are always two players sticking around the ball holder to provide support and ensure that the ball is always under their control. This definitely is not expected to blend instantly into Liverpool's current crop of players, though there are some players who can adapt to this style at ease.

The Defence
The back line is perhaps the most prepared ones for Rodgers infusion of tiki-taka play. Reina has always been a good commander and should have no problem adapting to the new tactics; Agger will be more than happy to stick the ball to the ground; Enrique and Johnson are both fast, offensive wing backs and should also cope well. Skrtel may struggle a bit in the beginning, but with all his defensive partners more than ready to adapt, he should be comfortable with the new style soon enough.

The Midfield
In the midfield, Lucas has developed into a great ball distributor - no problem, though I don't see how a DM is going to benefit from this fantasy wise; Gerrard is always the world class player who can take on any challenges - no problem as well; Sigurdsson, if he's joining, should blend readily since he had already flourished under Rodgers at Swansea.

The Offence
Suarez is the type of player you had expect him to blend instantly into the tiki-taka system - playing with Barcelona is always his ambition anyway; I am a little bit skeptical towards Carroll's response to this new system, especially when Ibrahimovic had actually deteriorated Barca's tiki-taka play in the past; Downing, on the other hand, still gets my vote of confidence despite his poor season - his stats wasn't that bad honestly.

The Bench
Henderson will need a good time to adapt in my opinion - he's a good runner, but needs to know his direction; Adam for me is the biggest loser under Brendan Rodgers - he likes to play long balls and that violates the principles of tiki-taka; Maxi, if he stays, should fuse readily with the system as Argentinians are good ground players; while Aquilani, if he returns, may become Rodgers favourite with the flair he's providing; not to be forgotten is the returning Joe Cole who had a successful revival at Lille - he can be the important chess piece of the new gaffer.

Verdict
I believe you have gotten the idea who will become good Liverpool fantasy assets in this coming season. Agger, in my opinion, will definitely be the top gainer under Rodgers' system with increased participation in offence, while players such as Gerrard, Suarez and Downing can expect a better season ahead if the new gaffer can deliver the same thing he had delivered at Swansea in the past.

Read here for a intensive tactical analysis on Liverpool written by TPiMBW on "The Path Is Made By Walking".

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

Kick-Off: Gameweek 27 Fantasy Preview

A bad England senior team coach debut for Stuart Pearce.

Overview
Congratulations to Liverpool to finally win a trophy after so many years. A pretty boring final to be honest, though the extra time and penalty kick sessions were heart pounding. What's the odds of two Gerrards miss penalty together?

On the other story, the England national football team looks to be on big disarray as Pearce was unable to lead England to a win against Netherlands. Scott Parker is chosen to be the squad captain surprisingly though I do not doubt the Tottenham's midfielder ability to lead.

Game of the Week: LIVERPOOL v ARSENAL

Skrtel is playing his best
season ever with Liverpool.

Just championed Liverpool will face Arsenal at Anfield to salvage their chances of Champions League qualification for next season.

The Carling Cup title should definitely boost the Reds' morale, but injury figures were increased after the final tie and that could hinder their chances of winning this one. Daniel Agger will be out for several weeks with injury on his ribs, while captain marvel Steven Gerrard is likely to miss this encounter with a hamstring problem.

Defence will be on huge pressure will Agger not around as Martin Skrtel usually only plays well with the Dane beside him. Upfront Dalglish will have to rely on Suarez and Bellamy again - Carroll looks to be de-synched from the team again after a mediocre display against Cardiff.

On the other side, Robin Van Persie will continue to lead the line and should do a big part for this game in his charge of 200th fantasy points. Walcott, who did brilliantly last week, will be hopeful to continue the feat, although it's still a doubt whether the "one week brilliant, three to four weeks silent" form continues.

I don't expect a clean sheet game to be honest, and Liverpool should retain their undefeated home result while on their way to become the worst undefeated at home record.

Prediction: LIV 1-1 ARS
Drop: LIV and ARS defence


Fantasy Game of the Week: MANCHESTER CITY v BOLTON WANDERERS

Yaya Toure is a fantastic lad.

The ruthless City is back and expect a slaughtering festival at Etihad Stadium this week.

The return of Yaya Toure certainly marked a great improvement in City's results as they beat Blackburn comfortably last week. Aguero plus one of Balotelli and Dzeko should lead the line and score, so remember to bolster up your attacking force with City's players.

At the back, Kompany will continue to cover his team with his great vision and positioning. Should be a comprehensive clean sheet victory against Bolton which only able to score once in its last four games.

Prediction: MCI 3-0 BOL
Pick and Captain: Aguero, Silva
Pick: Yaya Toure, Kompany, Balotelli, Dzeko
Drop: BOL players


Pick and Drop
Pick and Captain:

• Pogrebnyak - Two eight-pointer in two games he had played.

Pick:

• Yakubu - Should be able to take a charge against out of form Villa.
• Young - On form as United faces Tottenham which has poor record against them.

Drop:

• Richards - Out of Mancini's favour.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

• Yaya Toure - Priced attractively.
• A Young - In form both for club and country.
• Aguero - Should be having fine games this week and the next.
• Kompany - Still the best City defender to select.

Yellow light (watch):

• Bale - Doubtful for United game.

Red light (sell):

• Richards - No starting spot for him.
• Terry - Out until April.
• Darren Bent - Injured.

Gameweek 27 Dream Team

Hart

Shawcross -- Skrtel -- Simpson

Silva -- Mata -- Young -- Dempsey

Aguero (C) -- Ba -- Pogrebnyak

Subs: Vorm -- Dyer -- Hibbert -- Senderos

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

Kick-Off: Gameweek 20 Fantasy Preview

BerbaTOP: 6 goals scored in his last 3 Premier League games.

Overview
Big shocker on the last gameweek with Manchester United lost to Blackburn at Old Trafford. Berbatov is charging with red hot form though, and looks as if he will win the golden boot if he starts all the remaining league games.

Another big news is the return of the King of Highbury - Thierry Henry to Arsenal in a short 2-3 months loan spell. The French should play a big role in this period as both Gervinho and Chamakh will go to south of Europe for African Cup of Nations.

Gameweek Double
The replacement fixture of Tottenham against Everton will take place this week so remember to stock 3 Tottenham players in your team as they are playing both games this gameweek at home. The options at Everton are much less delicious though.

Game of the Week: MANCHESTER CITY  v LIVERPOOL

Soul restored for Liverpool?

Manchester City will continue to defend their top position in a tough game against Liverpool.

Thanks to Manchester United's shocking defeat City should still at top of the league despite losing to Sunderland. They will have stamina disadvantage though - Liverpool played two days earlier than them on last gameweek's fixture.

No injury problems for them so expect the likes like Silva and Aguero to be the key men of the team. Don't put too much hope on clean sheet though, as the captain of the other side - Steven Gerrard - is back and has provided significant impact against Newcastle on last game. Big man to watch.

Bellamy is on red hot form and has a point to prove to Mancini, meanwhile Carroll looks better on last game will high quality supply from Gerrard.

Tight game on hand. I'm predicting points loss for City due to their tiredness and Liverpool's tendency to play better against better sides.

Prediction: MCI 1-1 LIV
Pick: Silva, Bellamy


Fantasy Games of the Week: TOTTENHAM'S DOUBLE v WEST BROM & EVERTON

Assou-Ekkoto is one of the
silent performer at White
Hart Lane.

Well, both games are at home, so you certainly cannot afford to not have Tottenham players.

Bale is stunningly on form and thus should be your captain of the week although Adebayor could as well be one to take the armband. Van der Vaart is also a good choice but I will definitely give the priority to the former two.

I prefer a 2 (attacker) + 1 (defender) setup here so one should take either one of Benoit Assou-Ekkoto or Kyle Walker for this occasion. BAE is the more preferable one here as he's £0.6m cheaper than the latter and scores similar fantasy points.

Both West Brom and Everton have closed down their defences pretty tight lately, but 2 games on hand for a flying team is definitely enticing. All in for Tottenham players.

Prediction: TOT 2-1 WBA, TOT 1-0 EVE
Pick and Captain: Bale, Adebayor
Pick: Van der Vaart, Assou-Ekkoto, Walker


Pick and Drop
Pick:

1. Osman - The best performer of Everton for gameweek double.
2. Baines - Pretty pricey, but a good player to score from set pieces nonetheless.
3. Yakubu - On fire again.
4. S Fletcher - Will get plenty of chances in front of fragile Chelsea's defence.
5. Berbatov - In top form.

Drop:

1. STO defence - Blackburn might be on the relegation zone, but that's not the fault of offensive department.
2. BOL defence - Defence is problematic and is further complicated by Gary Cahill's almost certain departure.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

1. Berbatov - Scored 6 goals already in the last 195 minutes he had featured.
2. Bale/ Adebayor/ Van der Vaart/ Assou-Ekkoto/ Walker - It's gameweek double folks.
3. Yakubu - Has started to become the idol of Blackburn.
4. Bellamy - Should be getting Dalglish's trust after such fantastic performance.
5. Valencia - Continues to perform consistently.

Yellow light (watch):

1. Gerrard - The heart of Liverpool is making significant impact upon his return.
2. Ireland - Led the cast for Villa's famous victory at Stamford Bridge.
3. Nani - Continues to fire blanks.

Red light (sell):

1. De Gea - Lindegaard is obviously the better keeper currently.

Gameweek 20 Dream Team

Guzan

Assou-Ekkoto -- Baines -- Samba

Bale (C) -- Osman -- Valencia -- Silva

Adebayor (VC) -- Van Persie -- Yakubu

Subs: Vorm -- Moses -- Koscielny -- Brown

Happy New Year: Gameweek 19 Fantasy Preview

A fresh one-match ban for Suarez will prevent him
from facing Newcastle.

Overview
Further drama on Suarez's incident as he will be facing a one-match ban against Newcastle following the middle finger incident at Craven's Cottage. Just one thing to note: Fulham is neither fined nor warned about their fans misconduct to constantly attack Suarez through chants. Such a fair English Fools Association.

Game of the Week: LIVERPOOL v NEWCASTLE

Ben Arfa is one of the
cheapest fantasy commodity
with big gun prospects.

The battle for sixth. Two of the top tier defences across the league.

Liverpool has the worst home record among the top 7 despite being undefeated at Anfield, with draw rate as high as 66.7%. Certainly a stat that can boost Newcastle's morale. 11 home goals is also the worst of the top 7, so don't be surprised if the away team gets a clean sheet.

Suarez will not be available for this game (and perhaps the other 8 games to come) so expect at least one of Bellamy and Carroll to start upfront. The Geordie will face his old club again but it certainly won't be an easy game against the solid back four of Newcastle. Gerrard could also make it a start at Anfield - certainly the light of hope Liverpool needs.

On the other side, Demba Ba will continue to boss the front line and give Liverpool's defence a big test. Ben Arfa has played very well featuring from the bench last game and could as well start the game with Ba. Two delicious fantasy stocks.

Liverpool has historically done very well against the Magpies at home. The Reds should really end their unlucky streak already.

Prediction: LIV 2-1 NEW
Pick: Ba, Ben Arfa, Bellamy
Drop: Suarez


Fantasy Game of the Week: MANCHESTER UNITED v BLACKBURN

Valencia performs consistently
regardless of whether he is
playing as RW or RB.

Sure, Blackburn had managed to draw Liverpool, but blame Liverpool for their poor chance conversion. Against Manchester United, they have no chance.

Two straight 5-0 victories have surely rocketed the morale of fellow Red Devils sky high. Both Nani and Rooney didn't play for a full 90 minutes game against Wigan - superb captain choices. Berbatov might start too after a spectacular hat-trick, but just don't bet on him yet.

A big victory again might just send Steve Kean to execution and bring United to the summit. Sorry Blackburn.

Prediction: MUN 4-0 BLA
Pick and Captain: Nani, Rooney
Pick: Valencia, MUN defence
Drop: BLA players


Pick and Drop
Pick and Captain:

1. Van Persie - Might be rested, but nonetheless presents great scoring opportunity against QPR.
2. Bale - Hot and unstoppable, though Michel Vorm might stand on his way.

Pick:

1. Gervinho - In good form.
2. S. Fletcher - Against poor Bolton he should be able to do it again.
3. Sturridge/ Mata - The usual performer at Chelsea.
4. Holt - Norwich will put hopes on him to rebound from a defeat.
5. STO defence - Wigan has only scored 6 goals on the road this season.

Drop:

1. QPR defence - Arsenal hardly fails to score.
2. BOL players - In confidence crisis.
3. SWA defence - Looks impossible to stop Bale, Adebayor and Van der Vaart altogether.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

1. Bale - Fabulous and unstoppable.
2. Nani/ Rooney/ Valencia - United on fire.

Yellow light (watch):

1. Berbatov - His superb form might rekindle Ferguson's interest to start him.
2. Lindegaard - Started for 2 straight league games and kept 2 straight clean sheets.
3. Carroll - Suarez to start his suspension soon so he will get his chance.

Red light (sell):

1. BOL players - Whoever they are, sell. Second round of hellish fixtures is near for them.
2. Adam - Played terribly recently with Gerrard returning.
3. Suarez - Suspension begun.

Gameweek 19 Dream Team

Lindegaard

Shawcross -- Vermaelen -- Enrique
Nani (VC) -- Bale -- Mata -- Silva
Rooney (C) -- Van Persie -- Sturridge

Subs: Sorensen -- Hoolahan -- Walker -- R Martin

Kick-Off: Gameweek 11 Fantasy Preview

Yaya Toure got a brace in Champions League match but hardly
sparkle in Premier League, yet.

Overview
Mixed fortunes in the Champions League as the Manchester (City and United) duo won comfortably while the London duo (Chelsea and Arsenal) had to satisfy with a draw. So no English clubs will get through early.

A couple of fantasy friendly matches will be commenced in this coming gameweek so make sure that you have enough coverage of Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City players. Might be a gameweek with sky high average.

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

1. ARS (WBA, @NOR, FUL, @WIG, EVE, @MCI, @AST) - Easy enough for Van Persie to climb himself to the summit of fantasy.
2. BLA (CHE, @WIG, @STO, SWA, @SUN, WBA, BOL) - Pretty crucial for them to perform well in this coming run of fixtures to avoid relegation.
3. EVE (@NEW, WOL, @BOL, STO, @ARS, NOR, SWA) - Time for their redemption after being caught stuck at the bottom half of the table.
4. MUN (SUN, @SWA, NEW, @AST, WOL, @QPR, @FUL) - Nothing too tough for the defending champion.
5. TOT (@FUL, AST, @WBA, BOL, @STO, SUN, CHE) - Considerably easy especially when Van der Vaart is on red hot form.

In hell run:

1. CHE (@BLA, LIV, WOL, @NEW, MCI, @WIG, @TOT) - Playing against four of the top seven in the next 7 games is really a tough test for Andre Villas-Boas.
2. MCI (@QPR, NEW, @LIV, NOR, @CHE, ARS, STO) - As tough as Chelsea. Further worsened with some crucial Champions League games (especially the one against Bayern Munich) sandwiched in between.
3. FUL (TOT, @SUN, @ARS, LIV, @SWA, BOL, MUN) - Martin Jol will have to give some emphasis to defence to survive through this period.
4. NEW (EVE, @MCI, @MUN, CHE, @NOR, SWA, WBA) - Back to back games against the leading pack? They will need to play with 120% to record some impressive results.

Game of the Week: NEWCASTLE v EVERTON

With R Taylor's value rocketed
to £5m, Simpson is the only
defender at Newcastle who's
easily accessible (£4.2m).

Two interesting teams to play against each other. Newcastle, which don't look so good on paper but play extremely well at the moment; Everton, which has the quality but not the form.

The Toon Army is now on an unbelievable form, standing proudly on the third place of league standings. Resolute defence, coupled with a great striking pair - namely Demba Ba and Leon Best - are consistently bringing Alan Pardew the right results. Everton, on the other hand, didn't play as poor as their league points shown. However, poor goal poaching ability are constantly dragging them behind, as what we saw last week against Manchester United.

Newcastle defenders are certainly worthy to be considered against such poor scoring Everton, which failed to score 4 times this season. Proceed with caution though, as Newcastle will be facing the Manchesters and Chelsea for the next 3 gameweeks.

In terms of offence it will be up to Ba, Best as usual and possibly Cabaye to break through Everton's defence with tough players like Jagileka, Distin and Fellaini providing the cover.

As for the Toffees, Drenthe's speed will be one powerful weapon to penetrate the solid defensive unit of Newcastle. Players like Cahill and Saha will definitely need to improve their shooting accuracy though if they want to win at St James' Park.

I am expecting a home win anyway for the zebra stripes to maintain their third position for another week before they march into the hellish fixtures.

Prediction: NEW 2-0 EVE
Pick: NEW defence, Ba, Best, Cabaye
Drop: EVE defence




Fantasy Game of the Week: LIVERPOOL v SWANSEA

Can Carroll score two match in
a row?

Three points will be crucial for Liverpool in order for the Reds to play the next two games after this (Chelsea and Man City) with confidence.

Suarez has started to find his form, and his miraculous runs can give fantasy managers a blazing trail of points. Surely a strong captain choice this week. Adam should also take advantage of Gerrard's latest injury and become the primary set piece taker of the team.

Defensively Enrique is still the best candidate so far with the lowest price of Liverpool's back four and his ability to surge forward. Stud.

Swansea might have been pretty good defensively, but bear in mind that all of that performances were at Liberty Stadium. 14 goals in 5 away games conceded suggests that they might suffer a heavy defeat at Anfield.

Scott Sinclair might be able to take away one goal or assist from here, but I think it's all about the Reds at their home ground.

Prediction: LIV 3-0 SWA
Pick and Captain: Suarez, Adam
Pick: Enrique, Carroll
Drop: SWA defence


Pick and Drop
Pick and Captain:

1. Robin van Persie - Ultimate form and is unstoppable.
2. Agbonlahor - Against newcomers' defence it should be easy for him.
3. Torres, Mata - Their pace and footwork should be able to slice the worst defence of the league into pieces.
4. Aguero - QPR's defence is too far away from his class.

Pick:

1. Gervinho, Ramsey - They are the main suppliers and receivers to and from RvP.
2. MUN defence - The return of Vidic should provide the stability on the back.
3. Van der Vaart, Adebayor - Solid pick for every gameweek.
4. Doyle - Looks good and should create lots of troubles inside of  Wigan's penalty box.
5. Sturridge - Severely underpriced.

Drop:

1. WBA defence - Hardly believable to a keep clean sheet.
2. NOR defence - Agbonlahor is too fast.
3. BLA defence - One of the worst league defence.
4. QPR defence - Poor coverage.
5. Gerrard - Injured.

Transfer Traffic

Green light (buy):

1. Adam - The key playmaker and set piece taker as Gerrard continues to be sidelined.
2. Van der Vaart, Adebayor - Smooth easy fixtures coming ahead.
3. Van Persie - A no-brainer.
4. Gervinho  - From zero to hero.
5. Walters - Low price, great role.
6. Mata - Complete player who can both score and assist.

Yellow light (monitor):

1. NEW players - Hellish fixtures ahead. See how they cope.
2. Carroll - Picking up some form.
3. Bale - Gaining form or just 1 week marvel? Time will tell.
4. Sessegnon - Against Man Utd it might be wiser to hold on for another week.
5. Kompany - One week suspension. Whether it's worth to hold him or sell him instead is a pretty subjective matter.

Red light (sell):

1. Rooney, Young - Massive sell trend. Sell to preserve your team value.
2. Gerrard - Constantly plagued by injuries.
3. CHE defence - Have not kept any clean sheets after gameweek 1.

Gameweek 11 Dream Team

Given

Simpson -- Jones -- Enrique

Ramsey -- Mata -- Adam -- Van der Vaart

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

Subs: Krul -- Eagles -- Ward -- Knight

Kick-Off: Gameweek 9 Fantasy Preview

Aguero returns wonderfully.

Overview
Both Manchester clubs have finally earned themselves their first victory in Champions League group stage respectively as they set for the first grand match of the season at Old Trafford in this coming Sunday. A pretty good Champions League midweek for Premier League clubs in fact as all four participants won. Rooney, Aguero, Ramsey and Torres (still not available) were the big man from respective teams.

Game of the Week: MANCHESTER UNITED v MANCHESTER CITY

Can De Gea pass the second
test after passing the first one
against Liverpool?

The first decisive game that can alter the direction where the Premier League trophy will go at May next year. Manchester United will take on the challenge against league leader and also their "noisy neighbours" Manchester City at Old Trafford.

City are really cementing themselves as a giant club currently, sealing 22 from possible 24 league points so far. The money spent by the Sheikhs has really given them incredible squad depth - players like Balotelli and Adam Johnson can easily make it through the starting XI of any other Premier League clubs, but yet they sit on City's bench frequently.

Silva and Nasri will continue to act as the dual-core processor at City - their supplies will be the very crucial factor in determining the outcome for City at Old Trafford. Aguero, who just scored the winning goal for City coming on through bench, shall give some hard time to United's defence.

The host Manchester United are doing fine too this season, but their form has dipped a bit recently. A lucky win against Norwich plus a difficult draw against Liverpool clearly shown that they are starting to struggle as the fixtures get more compact for them.

Rooney will lead the line as usual with Nani and Young providing the width. But will they play 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 against the ever threatening City? Hard to tell.

Vidic will really have to be in 100% focus if he starts. He has bad discipline history in big games (remember the red card hat-trick against Liverpool) so he simply has to be more alert about that.

I would have gone for a home victory a week ago, but the recent performance by United simply doesn't give me the confidence for that. Mancini has quite a chance to break United's 100% Premier League home record.

Prediction: MUN 1-1 MCI
Pick: Rooney, Aguero


Fantasy Game of the Week: QPR v CHELSEA

Meireles surely hopes to lock in
a first team place at Chelsea.

Sure, Liverpool are at home against Norwich, but with Norwich on form and Liverpool not so solid on the back so far, I'll rather go with Chelsea who just won 5-0 in the Champions League.

Torres scored more than one goal for the first time for Chelsea but is still unavailable for this week's Premier League action. No worries though, as both Sturridge and Drogba are more than ready to fill the Spaniard's boots, with on form Meireles providing the supplies behind them.

Lampard and Mata are perhaps the most safe player to start, but you do need to pay some good premiums for them (Lampard is super expensive and Mata don't seem to have a high ceiling yet). Ramires' injury has certainly paved a way to Meireles for a sure-starter, so you should really consider him who comes at a much cheaper price.

Defensively I still don't trust Terry and co, so it's really the Blues' attackers who matter.

Prediction: QPR 1-3 CHE
Pick and Captain: Sturridge, Meireles, Lampard
Pick: Mata
Drop: QPR defence, Ramires


Pick and Avoid
Pick and Captain:

1. Suarez/Adam/Gerrard - Against Norwich it's always a good choice to pass the armband any one of them.
2. Adebayor/Van der Vaart - They are against one of the worst defence of the league.
3. Van Persie - A no-brainer for his form.
4. Demba Ba - Scored 5 goals in 3 games and should score again against Wigan.

Pick:

1. Ramsey - Good form.
2. Best - Form is not as good as Ba.
3. Agbonlahor - Never fails to shine.
4. NEW defence - Rock solid.

Avoid:

1. NOR defence - Don't think they can escape from Anfield with no damages on the back.
2. BLA players - Awful all the way.

Transfer Traffic
Green light (buy):

1. Van der Vaart/Adebayor - Both are dictating Tottenham's offence.
2. Ba - Newcastle are playing extremely fine with him the key player upfront.
3. Ramsey - Cheap and productive.

Yellow light (watch):

1. Pilkington - Not really a good time to bring him in despite the form.
2. Adam - Watch whether he will be sacrificed to make way for Gerrard.
3. Arteta - Playing too deep.

Red light (sell):

1. Dzeko - Out of favour.
2. Downing - Played decently but somehow failed to contribute anything up till now.

Gameweek 9 Dream Team

Krul

Enrique -- Warnock -- R Taylor

Adam -- Van der Vaart -- Ramsey -- Meireles(VC)

Suarez -- Adebayor(C) -- Ba

Subs: Vorm -- Eagles -- Assou-Ekkoto -- Boyata