Welcome back to another Fantasy Premier League Clean Sheet Analysis For Gameweek 26. This week
NaturalFootyFan returns to highlight clean sheet potential ahead of the weekend's fixtures.
Gameweek 25 was another successful week for our Clean Sheet column, with three of our four recommended clubs securing shutouts. In-from Southampton continued their fantastic run with their fifth consecutive clean sheet, Spurs ran out 2-0 winners against a fatigued Watford side and our gamble of the week, Arsenal, beat Bournemouth by the same margin as their North London rivals. The only negative was Liverpool's incapability to hold the fort, as Sunderland snatched a late double to recover from a two-goal deficit.
Please note that all statistics (unless mentioned otherwise) are based on the player's last FOUR Premier League matches. We feel this is a good timeframe to judge form on as it includes two home and away matches.
In Form Defences Ahead Of Gameweek 26:
The table below displays the top ten in form defences based on clean sheets and goals conceded. The data is taken from the last four Premier League matches.
| Team |
Clean Sheets |
Goals Conceded |
| Southampton |
4 |
0 |
| Arsenal |
3 |
1 |
| Tottenham |
3 |
1 |
| Leicester |
2 |
2 |
| Man United |
2 |
2 |
| Aston Villa |
2 |
3 |
| Swansea |
1 |
3 |
| Watford |
1 |
3 |
| Chelsea |
2 |
4 |
| Bournemouth |
1 |
4 |
Once again
Southampton lead the pack having gone four matches without conceding a goal. Their latest clean sheet, versus West Ham, came in extremely difficult circumstances after going down to ten men just after the break (Wanyama red card). Nevertheless, The Saints showed resilience and dug deep to hold onto their single-goal advantage in 40 minutes of pure backs against the wall stuff. In Gameweek 26 they host a Swansea side who have failed to score in all three of their Premier League meetings at the Liberty Stadium against Southampton. Can they make it six clean sheets on the bounce… we have total confidence that they can.
Arsenal and
Tottenham make up the top three in our form chart after picking up three clean sheets and conceding a single goal apiece in their last four fixtures. Although they share defensive solidarity, the pairs attacking output is massively contrasting, with Arsenal scoring just twice compared to Tottenham's 11 over this period. This doesn't directly effect clean sheet potential, however, it does highlight that Spurs might be more comfortable to outscore their opponent rather than shutting them out. Arsenal, on the other hand, are struggling in front of goal at the moment, so might be more inclined to have a conservative approach.
Easiest Defensive Fixture In Gameweek 26:
The table below displays the top ten defences based on opposition goals scored (GS) and big chances (BC) created. Capital letters are used for home teams and lowercase for away teams. The data is taken from the last four Premier League matches.
| Team |
Vs |
GS |
BC |
| BOU |
sto |
0 |
1 |
| EVE |
wba |
1 |
4 |
| CRY |
wat |
2 |
5 |
| lei |
ARS |
2 |
9 |
| liv |
AVL |
3 |
2 |
| wat |
CRY |
3 |
5 |
| mun |
SUN |
4 |
4 |
| whu |
NOR |
4 |
5 |
| CHE |
new |
4 |
8 |
| sou |
SWA |
5 |
2 |
Bournemouth host a stuttering Stoke side that have failed to score in their last six hours and 12 minutes of Premier League action � creating just one big chance in the process. So it comes as no surprise that The Cherries have plucked out the easiest fixture in Gameweek 26. To further cement Bournemouth's status as favourites; none of the last 12 meetings between the pair, in all competitions, has ended as an away win (10 home wins, two draws).
Next on the list is
Everton. Their opposition, West Brom, arrive on the back of a toothless FA Cup display on Wednesday night - scraping through with a penalty shootout victory over League 1 side Peterborough. With three of their regular back four expected to miss out through injury (McAuley, Evans & Dawson), their full focus will be on patching up their defence - not scoring goals.
To complete the top three we have Alan Pardew's
Crystal Palace. This might come as a surprise to many, as Watford have been a dangerous side all season. Nevertheless, The Hornets have dropped off in recent weeks - failing to get on the scoresheet in their last 3 matches on the road and Palace are undefeated in 9 of their last 10 encounters with them in all competitions.
Bookies Clean Sheet Odds For Gameweek 26:
The table below displays the top ten teams based on the bookies odds to keep a clean sheet in Gameweek 26. The odds have been converted to an implied chance percentage.
| Team |
Clean Sheet Odds |
Implied chance |
| Everton |
2.05 |
49% |
| Chelsea |
2.15 |
47% |
| Man United |
2.15 |
47% |
| Liverpool |
2.25 |
44% |
| Bournemouth |
2.37 |
42% |
| Arsenal |
2.50 |
40% |
| Crystal Palace |
2.50 |
40% |
| Southampton |
2.50 |
40% |
| Norwich |
3.00 |
33% |
| Man City |
3.00 |
33% |
Everton come out on top in Gameweek 26. They play The Baggies who have failed to find the net in their last two trips to Goodison Park - with an average of just 36.55% possession over these two encounters. We are expecting Everton to dominate once again and push Tony Pulis' old-fashioned side nearer the danger zone.
Chelsea and
Man United sit just below The Toffees, as they face Newcastle (H) and Sunderland (a) respectively. This might just be coincidence, but Newcastle have a terrific record in televised matches (last 6: W-3, D-2, L-1) and guess what… they're going to be broadcast live on Saturday evening. Take this with a pinch of salt, but The Magpies often turn up the heat when the world is watching! In Man United's case, they are unbeaten in 24 of their last 26 matches against goal-shy Sunderland, who have managed just 13 goals at The Stadium of Light all season.
Clean Sheet Verdict:
Based on our analysis and research methods we now have our top three recommendations based on form, fixture and odds. We have also thrown in a gamble for good measure in preparation for Gameweek 26:
Form:
Swansea vs.
Southampton
The Saints have been colossal in recent weeks and have a flexible backline with personnel comfortable of playing in both a 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 formation. Fraser Forster is perhaps the Premier Leagues most in-form keeper and they face a side that has scored just 3 times in 7 matches against them.
Fixture:
Bournemouth vs. Stoke
Stoke have been in a dire run of form as of late, without a win in 6 matches in all competitions and have overall struggled to get a grip of a game since their 3-1 triumph over Norwich back in Gameweek 21. Bournemouth's aim will be to take advantage of this and with some breathing space above the relegation zone, a low scoring win or draw would suit them fine.
Odds:
Everton vs. West Brom
They come up against West Brom, who have not just scored the second fewest Premier League goals (8) away from home all season, but have attempted the fewest shots on target (73) this campaign. Joel Robles has kept a clean sheet in his last five consecutive Premier League games for Everton, so will be hoping to add another to his collection.
Gamble:
Arsenal vs. Leicester
For the second week running Arsenal make our gamble slot. They face league leaders Leicester, who highlighted last week vs. Man City that they are a tough side to keep out. At the end of the day, Arsenal proved they could keep Leicester at arms length earlier in the season and have conceded just 7 goals at The Emirates in the 2015/16 campaign. If you are expecting the unexpected, you won't find a better match-up than this.
