Dec 14

Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 26 Headlines

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Welcome to this week's Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 26 headlines article. Once again the @fplbet team go over the main talking points within the fantasy football community and provide their insight and opinion. In this week's article we discuss the form of Diego Costa under Guus Hiddink, Arsenal's Mesut Ozil, the possible transfer out of Dimitri Payet, Roberto Firmino's FPL potential and the stubborn Southampton defence.

THE RETURN OF DIEGO COSTA.

Diego Costa is back to his best under interim manager Guus Hiddink, is the Chelsea forward now a viable FPL option once again? The aggressive striker is always in the spotlight, whether it's scoring an important goal or scrapping with an opposing defender. He loves the attention, it's just a matter of using the abuse from fans as motivational fuel - rather than letting it get to his head. Costa successfully pulled this off in his latest match vs. Man United by knuckling down and scoring an injury time equaliser. The Brazilian born Spanish International will be disappointed with his contribution (9 goals, 4 assists) so far this season, however, since Guus Hiddink's arrival he's smashed in 6 goals in 8 appearances. Costa is not the most creative of strikers, but this has never been his strong suit - instead his ability to find the back of the net is. This is why he's on our watch list and going by the bookies goal scoring odds, Costa often leads the pack. One thing to be aware of when selecting the volatile striker is the fact he has already received 7 yellow cards this campaign, which is just one less than his 2014/15 total � Costa is definitely edging towards a suspension in the near future.

JUMPING THE GUN ON OZIL TRANSFER

Was selling the man with the most assists in the Premier League a good idea? He was on the scoresheet yesterday, but with a few tough fixtures coming up for the Gunners, is it worth keeping faith in the German playmaker? Having only picked up a total of nine points in five games since starting the new year, many thought it was time to cash in on Ozil and bring in a new midfielder for the upcoming weeks. This was despite him having the most assists (16) so far in the Premier League along with grabbing the odd goal in the process for the Gunners. However, in his last game against Bournemouth, Ozil looked to be back on track as he clinched his fourth goal of the season and racked up a tally of ten points in the process. He has been playing in a very advanced position, similar to the role of Dele Alli at Spurs, hence why both have managed to contribute so much this season.  What many people don't know is that Ozil has had more key passes per match than any other Premier League player this season, with an average of 4.3. Although Arsenal have a few tough fixtures coming up with league leaders Leicester next week, then Man United the week after, and they also face Swansea City which is possibly an easier game than the two fixtures beforehand - Ozil remains a good consideration for your fantasy teams. He earned a total of 28 points across the three matches when Arsenal played these teams earlier on in the season. The majority of those points would have been for the four assists he gained and the one goal he scored. Therefore, if Ozil is back to his good run of form already, then he should be a key player in these fixtures. Another positive is Ozil's tendency to pick up bonus points - collecting 23 bonus already in this campaign. So despite some of his recent performances being slightly off his high standards, the Bournemouth game may be the start of another points surge for the midfield maestro.

PONDERING OVER PAYET

It's now four consecutive Premier League games that Dimitri Payet hasn't contributed a goal or assist in. Has the time come to ditch the West Ham man, or should you stick with him through these tough times? Before his injury Payet was a must have for any FPL side, but things have taken a downward spiral since his stunning return to first team football in Gameweek 21; where he scored one and assisted another in the Hammers 3-1 win over Bournemouth. Since then his highest score has been three points. Don't get us wrong, Payet is a wonderfully gifted footballer who oozes class both on and off the ball but it just hasn't been happening for him lately in-front of goal. He has been his usual creative self having 154 touches in the final third, more than any other midfielder in the Premier League and 20 ahead of Arsenal's Mesut Ozil. The 28-year-old has created the third most chances of any player in the last 3 GW's and is West Ham's first choice corner and free kick taker. Despite his poor return in his past four fixtures, the future does look positive for both West Ham and Payet owners - Slaven Bilic's side face out of form Norwich City at Carrow Road before welcoming Sunderland to the capital. It's fair to say that both Alex Neil's and Sam Allardyce's defences have been underwhelming in recent weeks and have been littered with mistakes. Goals could be on offer in Gameweek 26, and Payet will be desperate to get in on the act.

FANTASTIC FIRMINO

Firmino is quickly making a name for himself in England; as a quality player and perhaps the best out-of-position FPL pick out there. He currently leads the line for Liverpool, but is your FPL team worth putting on the line for him? The Brazilian has now scored five goals and contributed with two assists in his last five Premier League games for Liverpool. Firmino has occupied the number nine role for the Reds' and has thrived here. The former Hoffenheim man struggled to adapt to English football following his £29 million move from the Bundesliga, but with time to adapt, the 24-year-old is now flourishing in his new surroundings. Since occupying the ‘striker' position, Firmino has been involved in a lot more attacks and has seen his fair share of the ball. In his last three games he has had 29 touches in the penalty area and also 120 touches in the final third. It's clear to see he is getting the ball in good attacking area, which is backed up by his 11 shots and six created chances in his last three gameweeks. There is one downside to Firmino and that's Liverpool's fixture list. Although Jurgen Klopp's side face Aston Villa away in Gameweek 26 they then have a blank gameweek as they take on Manchester City in the Capital One Cup Final. Then in Gameweek 28 they play Man City again, this time in the league, before a trip away to Crystal Palace and finally a home tie against Chelsea. If Firmino can prove himself to be fixture proof he will be a great addition to your FPL side.

SOLID SAINTS

Southampton sit comfortably within the top 10 of the Premier League, and have kept FIVE consecutive clean sheets, but should most of the plaudits be given to their defence and the man between the sticks, Fraser Forster? The Saints now have five consecutive clean sheets in their last five Premier League matches, with some of these against top teams such as Arsenal and Man United, and they haven't conceded a goal since GW20. So is it time to think about placing some of the Southampton backline in your fantasy teams? Their next three fixtures look favourable, facing Swansea next week who have only averaged one goal per home game this season. However, they do face Chelsea the week after that who granted are a much stronger team, but the Saints also kept a clean sheet against Arsenal in GW24 who are a full ten places above Chelsea. Then after that test, Southampton face Bournemouth in GW28, who they have already kept a clean sheet against once already this season. Fraser Forster has also begun to shine for the Saints and has even been argued to be a possible replacement for Jack Butland in your fantasy teams. With a price of just £4.9 million he is definitely worth contemplating, especially after some great saves he's pulled off in recent weeks. Speaking of prices, Cédric is a great option for fantasy teams as he is just £4.8 million and owned by just 2.2% of managers. Also Fonte and Van Dijk, who are in themselves relatively cheap offer a huge goal threat. As well as this, with the system Southampton are playing at the minute, Cédric might gain a few assists playing RWB. With Matthew Targett still suffering with injury, Betrand played in the LWB position against West Ham which meant he could attack much more and use the pace he has. As Betrand moved to the LWB position, Japanese defender Maya Yoshida dropped into the back three and of course then went on to score the winner against West Ham.

Thanks for reading our Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 26 Headlines article. Let us know your opinions in the comments below.