Gameweek 12 review:
Many goalkeepers profited from the previous game week with more lopsided matches and stalemates. Out of them are season favorites Alex McCarthy, Nick Pope, and Emiliano Martinez who continue to extend their form and have become strong options to be included in everyone’s team. On the contrary, Chelsea lost their clean sheet to a frustrating penalty by Gylfi Sigurðsson in a one-goal loss against Everton, which meant that Kurt Zouma, Reece James, and Dominic Calvert Lewin returned with blanks. As predicted last week, both Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes blanked in the Manchester Derby. However, there are a lot of good games in the run for both the players and hopefully they can boost their form once again.
Another frustrating result saw Fulham draw against favorites Liverpool. Mohamed Salah extended his form through a penalty while budget favorite Diogo Jota suffered a terrible injury in the Champions League fixture against Midtjylland, which leaves him on the sidelines for a predictable 13 games. As for the forwards, both Harry Kane and Patrick Bamford continued their impressive run of form by producing valuable returns against Crystal Palace and West Ham United respectively. Our predicted lineup last week scored 53 points which is slightly above the weekly average of 51 points. We were expecting a few more points, but a slurry of bookings and the loss of clean sheets from an unfortunate double-up cost us very much.
Team Selection for Gameweek 13:
Playing XI:
In goal, our choice for the previous game week Alex McCarthy is going to retain his place. He plays Arsenal next week, and considering how shaken they are right now, it is hard to ignore him. He also plays a defensively weak Fulham (sorry Liverpool) within the next 3 GWs, which is an added bonus.
Last week was a lesson, not to double up on any teams’ defence. Anything can happen in football, and to stay on the safe side that move should be avoided. So Kurt Zouma is transferred out and in comes Stuart Dallas from Leeds United. He has been versatile in his playing positions and has been in superb form lately. Leeds also faces some leaky teams like Burnley, West Brom, and Newcastle United in the next five GWs. So there would be more chances to rack up some attacking returns. The transfer also means freeing up money for buying a potential replacement for Diogo Jota. From the previous GW, Reece James and Ezri Konsa retain their positions.
There weren’t any pressing issues from the midfield last week, since there were no expectations. Liverpool host Tottenham, a defensively strong side that is yet to taste defeat from a top 6 side. We think that Liverpool could do this job and even if they couldn’t, Mohamed Salah remains an option that cannot be ignored due to his form and Liverpool’s fixtures. Both the Manchester teams, on the other hand, face Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion, the bottom-most teams in the league. The lucrative fixtures give us hope that Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes can return attacking hauls. From last week, Jack Grealish is going to retain his position in the team. The question lies with replacing Diego Jota. Jarrod Bowen looks like another cheap alternative that would fit within the budget mids. The hammers have an interesting and easy line of fixtures coming up, so the chances of a good return are high.
Forwards Harry Kane and Patrick Bamford didn’t let us down. So the plan is to stick with them till any pressing issue pops up. Both the forwards have returned points regardless of the fixture difficulty. So going with them is almost a no-brainer.
The Bench:
Continuing with the previous week, the bench is filled by Illan Meslier, Neco Williams, Rhian Brewster, and Tariq Lamptey. Lamptey being a bit pricey for his returns looks like a bit of a burden. So, he is going to be on the deathwatch this week following which he could be replaced.
Captain Choice:
This week, Kevin De Bruyne is going to be our captain choice. A home fixture against West Brom could be the easiest ever possible for Man City on paper and KDB would be expected to play a key role towards a big win. Bruno Fernandes would be awarded the Vice-Captain band.
Ones to watch out for:
Che Adams- Good attacking returns, budget option, differential option, faces a shaky Arsenal
Callum Wilson- 10 goal contributions in 10 games, faces leaky Fulham and Leeds
Jamie Vardy- Has decent returns in the past few games, faces Everton
Jannik Vestergaard- 5 clean sheets in 10 league starts, faces Arsenal who are without an attacking return
