Gameweek 29 is just around the corner and ready to undoubtedly provide us all with more fantasy football ups and downs. This Saturday could truly be the day of the differential with the majority of the games taking place in the bottom half of the table. It's proved tougher than ever to put our finger on which players are going to bring home the points this weekend, with a fixture list harder to pull apart than West Brom's defen... oh wait... we can't really use that metaphor anymore.
Chelsea and Southampton will be kicking off Sunday Funday, as the Saints travel to the Bridge looking to resolve their poor form with a win against a side that are running away with the league. That might be easier said than done however, with goals even more rare for Saints than they were for Villa in recent times.
Later that day we will see the race for the top four take another turn as Manchester United take on Tottenham at Old Trafford. It's a game we're so uncertain about we think it's probably best to leave all but Harry Kane out of your squads � who wouldn't want the young sprout in their side following his incredible run of form?!
It seems difficult to see where clean sheets may come from this weekend, with our trusted Ben Foster letting us down last week and so many difficult fixtures to pick an indefinite winner, but we think we've collectively decided on a list that could bring you fortune following Liverpool's trip to Swansea on Monday…
Goalkeepers [mks_col] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] Despite their poor run of form that has seen them slip within four points of fast approaching Arsenal, Manchester City have one of the best chances for a clean sheet this weekend as they visit relegation candidates Burnley. With Manuel Pellegrini opting to regularly rotate his City defence, it would seem that Joe Hart is a logical choice as the England number 1 is the only player who's place is nailed on, aside from his slightly more expensive teammate Vincent Kompany. Now we mention it, cue Willy Caballero earning his 3rd start between the sticks this weekend. This Saturday, England's number 1 faces a Burnley side who're sitting 2nd from bottom and drifting further from safety. [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Having only found the back of the net 2 times in their last 4 games, we think Hart is a solid shout for a clean sheet this weekend and likely to pick up a few saves from a goal hungry Danny Ings. Despite Burnley's last away trip to a top four club ending in a draw with runaway league leaders Chelsea, following that Nemanja Matic sending off, we think that in the hands of title chasing City they'll be lucky to escape with much more than a damaged bid for survival. If you fancy a slight gamble and would rather save your pennies to invest in your attack then we believe you should look no further than Sunderland's Costel Pantilimon. Note that this would be a risk following the apparent revival of Aston Villa under Tim Sherwood's recent attacking football, but given Villa's goal scoring record, we still fancy the 6'8 Romanian goalkeeper to at least redeem any lost points in saves.
Defenders [mks_col] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half]It might be a slight rarity to see an Arsenal defender in your back four following their somewhat defensive pandemic this season. With West Ham struggling to maintain the form they did at the beginning of their Premier League campaign, and Arsenal on a run of positive results since the turn of the year, we think Kieran Gibbs would be a decent addition to your sides. It's always good to have attacking full backs in your fantasy team as they offer good returns at both ends of the pitch and last week the young Englishman assisted both Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud in the Gunners 2-1 away win at QPR. [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Arsenal have won four on the bounce now and appear more defensively solid than they were earlier on in the season � partially aided by Francis Coquelin who has made the most tackles in the league this side of the New Year. With Chelsea hosting a Southampton side who have also started to slide down the table following a run of form that has seen them score just 2 in their last 6 matches and with Graziano Pelle still looking for a barn door to hit, we think this weekend would be a good time to shove one or two of their defenders in your side. [mks_col] [mks_one_half] Branislav Ivanovic seems the obvious choice with his run of form that has asserted himself as one of the best fullbacks in the world, along with his ability to repeatedly convert set pieces with that beautiful Serbian forehead. However, if you're strapped for cash but believe some Chelsea defensive coverage is essential, then you could look towards Kurt Zouma for a cheap way in the the league leaders back line. The 20-year old French defender has been a revelation at Stamford Bridge this season and looks as though he will fill the void left by John Terry when the Englishman eventually decides to hang up his boots... and focus on a full-time career chasing married women. [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Stoke have climbed up the table to 8th following their 3 successive wins, and with their defensive form in those matches largely to credit for their success, we feel as though a Stoke defender would be a wise bet this weekend. With Ryan Shawcross and new-boy Philipp Wollscheid both doubtful for their trip to the Hawthorns, we've turned to Stoke's full backs who have picked up 2 assists each so far this season. Phil Bardsley's being the most recent coming against Everton last weekend, making him the more in-form choice over his fellow full back Erik Pieters. With West Brom converting a measly 2 goals in their last 3 games, we think both defenders offer equally as good returns. We like to think the tie between Newcastle and Everton will end goalless this weekend, but can pretty much guarantee that one team won't find the back of the net after 90 minutes. Phil Jagielka has been a rock for Everton at the back this year, and without a goal threat through Newcastle's Papiss Cisse following a spat, sorry spit at Jonny Evans it's hard to see where the magpies goals will come from.
Midfielders [mks_col] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] With an away fixture against Burnley this weekend we believe Manchester City have a solid chance of converting several goals, and when that's the case it would be silly not to include David Silva. City have a fair few midfielders to choose from, but this season Silva has arguably been the most consistent. The crafty little Spaniard played his part in the victory over Leicester last Gameweek and we're backing him to do the same again this weekend. 3 goals and an assist in his last 3 league games give us enough reason to add him into our team, not to mention the fact he as Kun Aguero in-front of him ready to convert anything sent his way. [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] When it come to choosing an Arsenal midfielder in recent weeks it's been apparent that you're playing with fire, with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla joining in with Oliver Giroud in recent weeks to help Arsenal with their assault up the league table. With Santi Cazorla playing a bit deeper following Sanchez's return, we believe it's a toss-up between the Sanchez and Ozil to bring home fantasy points. Mesut grabbed two assists in the Everton game while Sanchez claimed one of the goals in Arsenal's 2-1 win over QPR earlier this month. This week they take on a shaky West Ham side where either one could come out of their shell and make the difference. Ozil has been the more consistent of the 2 as of late and is also available for a few million less, but after scoring last week it's only matter of time until Sanchez explodes back in to his previous form. Eden Hazard is one of our most favoured players this season and with Chelsea taking on Southampton this coming Sunday we've decided to choose the midfielder once again to bring us home some decent returns. He's put in a couple of man of the match performances in recent weeks and also scored the winner against West Ham last Gameweek. Southampton have been a tough cookie to crack this campaign but with Koeman's side tumbling down the table, we think this weekend will prove easier for Chelsea than last time around. [mks_col] [mks_one_half] Steven Gerrard may be back from injury but it's 2 alternative Liverpool players who we have on our radar this weekend. Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson scored a couple of peaches against Manchester City a couple of weeks ago and Henderson ensured Liverpool continued their unbeaten run in 2015 with another goal and an assist during last Gameweeks midweek ties. Both are capable of doing the same once again when Liverpool face Swansea on Monday, and like the Arsenal duo it seems as though it's a bit of a gamble over who makes the cut. Regardless, it seems as though Steven Gerrard's move away from Anfield this summer may not be as negative as previously perceived. [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] We've discussed a lot of expensive midfielders thus far and it would be rude and unprofessional of us to leave you with a range of midfielders that will leave you with nothing but loose change to invest in the rest of your team. Though we backed Pantilimon in the Sunderland net we know were not fortune tellers and some of you may see Villa's run continuing. If you are one of those people then Scott Sinclair could be a cheap midfielder with the potential to pick up some points. He's bagged three times since Tim Sherwood took over, and a revival of the 25-year old may be on the cards following his disappointing move to the Etihad. Fabian Delph also scored last weekend in the F.A Cup win over West Brom, but that's a rarity for the defensive midfielder, and we'd suggest you don't get sidetracked by recent form. Another cheap alternative could be Jason Puncheon, who picked up a hat-trick against West Ham when Crystal Palace tormented the Hammers at the Boleyn ground. It may have been an alternative hat-trick of assists, but assists bring good returns! After strengthening in the transfer window we think they'll condemn QPR to yet another loss.
Forwards [mks_col] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] Back in Gameweek 25 we backed a certain Senegalese striker to deliver the goods against Aston Villa and ever since he's been a regular feature on our team sheet. Our main boy Dame N'Doye has picked up 3 goals and an assist in his last 4 starts and this week looks good to continue his run at the King Power Stadium. Leicester have only kept 1 clean sheet so far this year and currently boast the worst form in the Premier League, having only picked up 1 point in their last 6 matches. Tim Sherwood's attacking philosophy is starting to pay off at Villa after they recorded back-to-back derby wins last week. [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Christian Benteke - much to the relief of every Villa fan - FINALLY found the back of the net having not scored since before Christmas. Last week they managed to put 2 past the defensive fortress that is West Brom, before mirroring that in the F.A cup at the weekend. If you haven't got Pantilimon in goal, Benteke could be worth a punt up top this Gameweek. You may have noticed that a few big names were missing from our list of strikers; we decided that to avoid repetition, we would highlight a few differentials for you to consider. However, it'd be crazy of us to not briefly acknowledge a few of the big guns that you most definitely shouldn't overlook this weekend. Kun Aguero will be the first name added to a lot of managers teams as he and his Man City teammates need a win to keep pressure (if you can call it that) on league leaders Chelsea. After blanking last week against Leicester, the leagues joint top goalscorer will be looking to return to his previous form that saw him score 3 goals and provide 4 assists in the 5 games before that win over the Foxes. [mks_col] [mks_one_half] Weather experts have reported a hurricane is set to sweep through Manchester this weekend. Reports suggest that United fans should stay at home and away from Old Trafford with the newly named Hurricane Harry tearing recklessly through any defence that tries stop it. Harry Kane is now just 1 goal away from Kun Aguero and Diego Costa at the top of the goal scorer's table and with 11 goals already this year including 2 against both Chelsea and Arsenal the English youngster looks poised to continue his fine goalscoring form in a fixture that's vital to Spurs' bid for Champions League football. [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Olivier Giroud's form also shouldn't go unnoticed, as the Frenchman has tucked away 3 in 3 now for the Gunners. This week he faces West Ham and with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil pulling the strings behind him he's likely to be gifted chances that even Graziano Pelle could score.
Goalkeepers [mks_col] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] Despite their poor run of form that has seen them slip within four points of fast approaching Arsenal, Manchester City have one of the best chances for a clean sheet this weekend as they visit relegation candidates Burnley. With Manuel Pellegrini opting to regularly rotate his City defence, it would seem that Joe Hart is a logical choice as the England number 1 is the only player who's place is nailed on, aside from his slightly more expensive teammate Vincent Kompany. Now we mention it, cue Willy Caballero earning his 3rd start between the sticks this weekend. This Saturday, England's number 1 faces a Burnley side who're sitting 2nd from bottom and drifting further from safety. [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Having only found the back of the net 2 times in their last 4 games, we think Hart is a solid shout for a clean sheet this weekend and likely to pick up a few saves from a goal hungry Danny Ings. Despite Burnley's last away trip to a top four club ending in a draw with runaway league leaders Chelsea, following that Nemanja Matic sending off, we think that in the hands of title chasing City they'll be lucky to escape with much more than a damaged bid for survival. If you fancy a slight gamble and would rather save your pennies to invest in your attack then we believe you should look no further than Sunderland's Costel Pantilimon. Note that this would be a risk following the apparent revival of Aston Villa under Tim Sherwood's recent attacking football, but given Villa's goal scoring record, we still fancy the 6'8 Romanian goalkeeper to at least redeem any lost points in saves.
Defenders [mks_col] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half]It might be a slight rarity to see an Arsenal defender in your back four following their somewhat defensive pandemic this season. With West Ham struggling to maintain the form they did at the beginning of their Premier League campaign, and Arsenal on a run of positive results since the turn of the year, we think Kieran Gibbs would be a decent addition to your sides. It's always good to have attacking full backs in your fantasy team as they offer good returns at both ends of the pitch and last week the young Englishman assisted both Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud in the Gunners 2-1 away win at QPR. [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Arsenal have won four on the bounce now and appear more defensively solid than they were earlier on in the season � partially aided by Francis Coquelin who has made the most tackles in the league this side of the New Year. With Chelsea hosting a Southampton side who have also started to slide down the table following a run of form that has seen them score just 2 in their last 6 matches and with Graziano Pelle still looking for a barn door to hit, we think this weekend would be a good time to shove one or two of their defenders in your side. [mks_col] [mks_one_half] Branislav Ivanovic seems the obvious choice with his run of form that has asserted himself as one of the best fullbacks in the world, along with his ability to repeatedly convert set pieces with that beautiful Serbian forehead. However, if you're strapped for cash but believe some Chelsea defensive coverage is essential, then you could look towards Kurt Zouma for a cheap way in the the league leaders back line. The 20-year old French defender has been a revelation at Stamford Bridge this season and looks as though he will fill the void left by John Terry when the Englishman eventually decides to hang up his boots... and focus on a full-time career chasing married women. [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Stoke have climbed up the table to 8th following their 3 successive wins, and with their defensive form in those matches largely to credit for their success, we feel as though a Stoke defender would be a wise bet this weekend. With Ryan Shawcross and new-boy Philipp Wollscheid both doubtful for their trip to the Hawthorns, we've turned to Stoke's full backs who have picked up 2 assists each so far this season. Phil Bardsley's being the most recent coming against Everton last weekend, making him the more in-form choice over his fellow full back Erik Pieters. With West Brom converting a measly 2 goals in their last 3 games, we think both defenders offer equally as good returns. We like to think the tie between Newcastle and Everton will end goalless this weekend, but can pretty much guarantee that one team won't find the back of the net after 90 minutes. Phil Jagielka has been a rock for Everton at the back this year, and without a goal threat through Newcastle's Papiss Cisse following a spat, sorry spit at Jonny Evans it's hard to see where the magpies goals will come from.
Midfielders [mks_col] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] With an away fixture against Burnley this weekend we believe Manchester City have a solid chance of converting several goals, and when that's the case it would be silly not to include David Silva. City have a fair few midfielders to choose from, but this season Silva has arguably been the most consistent. The crafty little Spaniard played his part in the victory over Leicester last Gameweek and we're backing him to do the same again this weekend. 3 goals and an assist in his last 3 league games give us enough reason to add him into our team, not to mention the fact he as Kun Aguero in-front of him ready to convert anything sent his way. [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] When it come to choosing an Arsenal midfielder in recent weeks it's been apparent that you're playing with fire, with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla joining in with Oliver Giroud in recent weeks to help Arsenal with their assault up the league table. With Santi Cazorla playing a bit deeper following Sanchez's return, we believe it's a toss-up between the Sanchez and Ozil to bring home fantasy points. Mesut grabbed two assists in the Everton game while Sanchez claimed one of the goals in Arsenal's 2-1 win over QPR earlier this month. This week they take on a shaky West Ham side where either one could come out of their shell and make the difference. Ozil has been the more consistent of the 2 as of late and is also available for a few million less, but after scoring last week it's only matter of time until Sanchez explodes back in to his previous form. Eden Hazard is one of our most favoured players this season and with Chelsea taking on Southampton this coming Sunday we've decided to choose the midfielder once again to bring us home some decent returns. He's put in a couple of man of the match performances in recent weeks and also scored the winner against West Ham last Gameweek. Southampton have been a tough cookie to crack this campaign but with Koeman's side tumbling down the table, we think this weekend will prove easier for Chelsea than last time around. [mks_col] [mks_one_half] Steven Gerrard may be back from injury but it's 2 alternative Liverpool players who we have on our radar this weekend. Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson scored a couple of peaches against Manchester City a couple of weeks ago and Henderson ensured Liverpool continued their unbeaten run in 2015 with another goal and an assist during last Gameweeks midweek ties. Both are capable of doing the same once again when Liverpool face Swansea on Monday, and like the Arsenal duo it seems as though it's a bit of a gamble over who makes the cut. Regardless, it seems as though Steven Gerrard's move away from Anfield this summer may not be as negative as previously perceived. [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] We've discussed a lot of expensive midfielders thus far and it would be rude and unprofessional of us to leave you with a range of midfielders that will leave you with nothing but loose change to invest in the rest of your team. Though we backed Pantilimon in the Sunderland net we know were not fortune tellers and some of you may see Villa's run continuing. If you are one of those people then Scott Sinclair could be a cheap midfielder with the potential to pick up some points. He's bagged three times since Tim Sherwood took over, and a revival of the 25-year old may be on the cards following his disappointing move to the Etihad. Fabian Delph also scored last weekend in the F.A Cup win over West Brom, but that's a rarity for the defensive midfielder, and we'd suggest you don't get sidetracked by recent form. Another cheap alternative could be Jason Puncheon, who picked up a hat-trick against West Ham when Crystal Palace tormented the Hammers at the Boleyn ground. It may have been an alternative hat-trick of assists, but assists bring good returns! After strengthening in the transfer window we think they'll condemn QPR to yet another loss.
Forwards [mks_col] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] Back in Gameweek 25 we backed a certain Senegalese striker to deliver the goods against Aston Villa and ever since he's been a regular feature on our team sheet. Our main boy Dame N'Doye has picked up 3 goals and an assist in his last 4 starts and this week looks good to continue his run at the King Power Stadium. Leicester have only kept 1 clean sheet so far this year and currently boast the worst form in the Premier League, having only picked up 1 point in their last 6 matches. Tim Sherwood's attacking philosophy is starting to pay off at Villa after they recorded back-to-back derby wins last week. [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Christian Benteke - much to the relief of every Villa fan - FINALLY found the back of the net having not scored since before Christmas. Last week they managed to put 2 past the defensive fortress that is West Brom, before mirroring that in the F.A cup at the weekend. If you haven't got Pantilimon in goal, Benteke could be worth a punt up top this Gameweek. You may have noticed that a few big names were missing from our list of strikers; we decided that to avoid repetition, we would highlight a few differentials for you to consider. However, it'd be crazy of us to not briefly acknowledge a few of the big guns that you most definitely shouldn't overlook this weekend. Kun Aguero will be the first name added to a lot of managers teams as he and his Man City teammates need a win to keep pressure (if you can call it that) on league leaders Chelsea. After blanking last week against Leicester, the leagues joint top goalscorer will be looking to return to his previous form that saw him score 3 goals and provide 4 assists in the 5 games before that win over the Foxes. [mks_col] [mks_one_half] Weather experts have reported a hurricane is set to sweep through Manchester this weekend. Reports suggest that United fans should stay at home and away from Old Trafford with the newly named Hurricane Harry tearing recklessly through any defence that tries stop it. Harry Kane is now just 1 goal away from Kun Aguero and Diego Costa at the top of the goal scorer's table and with 11 goals already this year including 2 against both Chelsea and Arsenal the English youngster looks poised to continue his fine goalscoring form in a fixture that's vital to Spurs' bid for Champions League football. [/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half] [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Olivier Giroud's form also shouldn't go unnoticed, as the Frenchman has tucked away 3 in 3 now for the Gunners. This week he faces West Ham and with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil pulling the strings behind him he's likely to be gifted chances that even Graziano Pelle could score.
