THIS WEEKEND ARGUABLY will feature the game that could make or break Man City’s season – and by extension, Fantasy Football players.
Encounters such as Arsenal v Man City are the type of games that separate the good fantasy players from the great.
Most people are smart enough to know that picking Van Persie on the week of a home game against Bolton is likely to pay off. However, it represents a bold move to make him captain on the week they play Chelsea away – and one that would have paid off incidentally, given that he ended up a scoring a hat-trick in the fixture in question this season.
So deciding whether to fill your team with Man City or Arsenal players tends to make make the difference at the top of Fantasy League table, just as the games in question often significantly effect the outcome of the Premier League.
Two players to pick this week
Robin Van Persie (Arsenal): At the risk of repeating myself (I recommended him last week), RVP is becoming almost an essential Fantasy Football pick. In fact, his influence on the Arsenal side is becoming so great that Arsenal are starting to resemble the Steven Gerrard-inspired Liverpool of a years back, who were often described as a “one-man team,” such was the player’s impact on the side. I therefore fully expect Van Persie to play a key role against Man City on Sunday.
Kyle Walker (Tottenham): Despite only being 21, Walker has already established himself as an automatic starter for Spurs this season and is fast developing into one of the Premier League’s best full-backs. Moreover, he is an excellent choice for Fantasy Football players – Tottenham have one of the best defensive records in the Premier League, while he is also capable of scoring the odd screamer, as he did against Arsenal earlier in the season.
Two players to avoid this week
Leon Best (Newcastle): At the start of the season, Best enjoyed the type of form that had many people calling for his inclusion in the Irish team. However since then, he has had injury problems, and despite subsequently regaining his fitness, he has had to be content with a place on the Newcastle bench of late. And so, while he was originally incredibly good value at £4.8m, he is now more of a liability than an asset.
Peter Crouch (Stoke): Stoke secured an impressive victory against Spurs last week. However, don’t let that fool you into filling your team with their players, as they are arguably the most unpredictable side in the Premier League. While they have the potential to draw with Man United, they also have a tendency to produce the odd shocking display – their 5-0 loss to Bolton being a prime example.
Predictions for the week:
Blackburn 1-1 West BromEverton 2-1 Norwich
Fulham 2-1 Bolton
Newcastle 3-1 Swansea
Wolves 1-1 Stoke
Wigan 0-3 Chelsea
QPR 1-2 Man United
Aston Villa 1-1 Liverpool
Tottenham 2-0 Sunderland
Man City 2-2 Arsenal
How my team got on last gameweek: Poor enough. My strikers performed well, earning 26 points between the two of them, however my defence unfortunately secured a meagre tally of four points overall.
Who’s leading TheScore.ie’s league? Paudie O’Neill’s ‘Deceptively Slow’ remain on top this week, after scoring a solid 64 points.
Read: Previews: Who’s in and who’s out for this weekend’s fixtures>
