| NAME | THIS WEEK | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1) |  |  |  | Dr_AFHMK |
7
 | 2605 | |||||
| 2 (2) | |  |  | immycader Imran Cader |
8
| 2420 | |||||
| 3 (3) | |  | | betojohn ioannis papanikos |
8
| 2390 | |||||
| 4 (4) | | |  | ArssenaL14 |
6
| 2250 | |||||
| 5 (5) | | | | Rutland Gooner |
3
| 2185 | |||||
Friday May 4
Brighton And Hove Albion v Manchester United
8pm BST, AMEX Stadium, Brighton
Brighton got a very good 0-0 draw at Burnley last week and the five points they have over the bottom three should be enough to keep them up. They have only lost four of their 18 home games, but they haven’t won in their last three at home. They haven’t won in six games and the clean sheet they kept last week was their first one in 14 games with only three teams scoring less goals.
With two very tough games this week I can’t see any Brighton players to recommend to fantasy managers.
United got a late winner at home to Arsenal’s second string last week to guarantee Champions League football for next season and make themselves strong favourites to finish second. They have won their last three away games and scored eight goals in the process while only City and Burnley have conceded less goals away from home. They have won seven of their last eight games and only City have conceded less goals.
With Romelu Lukaku injured the best bets for fantasy managers in the United team could be their goalkeeper and defenders with Paul Pogba possibly worth considering too.
I think United should be too strong for Brighton and should win with a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 0-2
Saturday May 5
Stoke City v Crystal Palace
12.30pm BST, bet365 Stadium, Stoke
Stoke managed a creditable 0-0 draw at Liverpool last week, but they need wins to try to stay up and nothing else will do in this game. They haven’t won in six home games and no other team has lost more games at home. They haven’t won in 12 games and they failed to score in five of those games with only West Ham conceding more goals.
Xherdan Shaqiri is the only Stoke player worth considering for fantasy managers.
Palace thrashed Leicester 5-0 last week and they must surely be safe from relegation for another season now. They are unbeaten in their last three away games and they kept clean sheets in two of those games. They have taken 11 points in their last six games and they still have an outside chance of finishing in the top half of the table.
Wilfried Zaha has done very well for fantasy managers in recent weeks and he’s certainly worth a punt.
I think this will be a very close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Bournemouth v Swansea City
3pm BST, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Bournemouth lost 2-1 away to Southampton last week, but with 38 points they should be safe for another season. They have only won once in their last five home games with no other team conceding more goals at home. They have only won once in their last 10 games and they haven’t kept a clean sheet in 11 games with only three teams conceding more goals.
I can’t see any Bournemouth players to recommend to fantasy managers.
Swansea lost 1-0 at home to Chelsea last week and they’re now only one point above the bottom three with three games to play. They haven’t won in seven away games with only Brighton and West Brom scoring less goals away from home. They haven’t won in six games and they failed to score in four of those games with no other team scoring less goals.
With two games this week Jordan Ayew is worth considering for fantasy managers, but it is a risk to pick any Swansea players.
Despite having little to play for I still think Bournemouth will take the three points.
Prediction: 2-1
Leicester City v West Ham United
3pm BST, King Power Stadium, Leicester
Leicester were beaten 5-0 at Palace last week as the end of their season goes from bad to worse. They haven’t won in five home games, but they did draw four of those games. They have only taken one point in their last four games and it looks like they will end up finishing ninth in the league.
With two games this week Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have to be of interest to fantasy managers, but not if Leicester don’t improve on their recent performances.
West Ham lost 4-1 at home to City last week and they still need another win to make sure they avoid the drop. They have only taken one point in their last five away games and they conceded 16 goals in those games with no other team conceding more goals away from home. They have only won once in their last eight games and they conceded 21 goals in those games with no other team conceding more goals.
With two games this week Marco Arnautovic is the West Ham player who might interest fantasy managers.
This is a tough game to call and the chances are it will end with the spoils shared.
Prediction: 2-2
Watford v Newcastle United
3pm BST, Vicarage Road,Watford
Watford lost 2-0 at Spurs last week and they must be eagerly awaiting the end of the season considering their recent results. They haven’t won in three home games and no other team has conceded more goals at home. They haven’t won in seven games and they failed to score in five of those games with only West Ham and Stoke conceding more goals.
I can’t see any Watford players to recommend to fantasy managers.
Newcastle lost 1-0 at home to West Brom last week and they have gone off the boil since securing their Premier League status for another season. They have only won once in their last six away games, but only seven teams have taken more points away from home. They lost their last two games, but they won the previous four and only six teams have conceded less goals.
With two games this week both Kenedy and Ayoze Perez might be of interest to fantasy managers.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see this game end in a draw too.
Prediction: 1-1
West Bromwich Albion v Tottenham Hotspur
3pm BST, The Hawthorns, Birmingham
West Brom won 1-0 away to Newcastle last week to keep their slim hopes of avoiding relegation alive, but they will go down if they don’t win this game. They have drawn their last two home games after losing the previous four and they haven’t kept a clean sheet in eight home games with no other team taking less points at home. They are unbeaten in four games with clean sheets in two of those games and it seems they just left Alan Pardew in charge for too long.
Both Salomon Rondon and Jay Rodriguez have done well for fantasy managers in recent weeks, but this might not be an ideal game to choose either of them.
Spurs won 2-0 at home to Watford last week to move a step closer to securing their Champions League spot for next season. They are unbeaten in nine away games with only City taking more points away from home. They have only lost once in their last 17 games and that was to the Champions with only the top two teams conceding less goals.
With two games this week Harry Kane is a very good choice for captain for fantasy managers while Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli cannot be ignored either.
I think West Brom will run Spurs close, but Spurs will take the three points that ultimately relegates West Brom.
Prediction: 1-2
Everton v Southampton
5.30pm BST, Goodison Park, Liverpool
Everton won 2-0 at Huddersfield last week and it looks like they will finish eighth. They have only lost one of their last seven home games and only the top six have taken more points and scored more goals at home. They have taken 14 points in their last seven games, but no other team in the top half of the table has conceded more goals.
Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott haven’t done too badly for fantasy managers since joining Everton and they might do well in this game too.
Southampton got a badly needed win at home to Bournemouth last week and they’re now only one point behind seventeenth placed Swansea. They haven’t won in five away games and they have only won two of their 17 away games. The win against Bournemouth was their first win in nine games and only their second in 22 games.
Dusan Tadic did very well for fantasy managers last week and he could be worth considering along with Charlie Austin this week as Southampton play twice.
Despite Southampton’s desperate need for points I think Everton will still take all three in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Sunday May 6
Manchester City v Huddersfield Town
1.30pm BST, Etihad Stadium, Manchester
City won 4-1 away to West Ham last week as they continued their pursuit of as many Premier League records as possible. They have won 15 of their 17 home games and have scored more goals at home than any other team, but three other teams have conceded less goals at home. They’re 16 points clear at the top of the table having scored more and conceded less goals than any other team and they have won eight of their last nine games.
With so much rotation in the City team it looks like Gabriel Jesus and Kevin de Bruyne might be the only attacking players to play every game for the rest of the season which makes them great choices for fantasy managers with two games this week while Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and David Silva are all very good choices too.
Huddersfield lost 2-0 at home to Everton last week and they’re still only three points above the bottom three with two really tough games this week. They have lost five of their last seven away games and only Watford have lost more away games. They have taken 11 points from their last nine games, but they have failed to score in five of their last seven games and no other team has scored less goals.
I can’t see any Huddersfield players to recommend to fantasy managers.
With City receiving the Premier League trophy I fully expect them to win this game very comfortably.
Prediction: 4-0
Arsenal v Burnley
4.30pm BST, Emirates Stadium, London
Arsenal played a below strength team at United last week due to their Europa League semi final and they were a little unlucky to lose 2-1. Only City have taken more points and scored more goals at home and they have won their last four home games while scoring 13 goals in the process. They have lost seven of their last 13 games and have conceded a lot more goals than the rest of the top six.
It’s not easy to know what players will play for Arsenal, but surely Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has to be a good bet for fantasy managers with two games this week.
Burnley could only draw 0-0 at home to Brighton last week and they have to win this game to keep their hopes of a top six finish alive. Only the top five have taken more away points than Burnley and only City have conceded less goals on their travels. They have only lost once in their last nine games, but they are the lowest scorers in the top half of the table.
Ashley Barnes has done well for fantasy managers in recent weeks, but they only play once this week.
Surely Arsenal can win Arsene Wenger’s last home gane in charge of them even if they’re still recovering from playing in Madrid on Thursday night.
Prediction: 2-1
Chelsea v Liverpool
4.30pm BST, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea won 1-0 away to Swansea last week to keep their slim hopes of a top four finish alive. Their home form has been their downfall this season with as many points away from home as at home. They have won their last three games and another win in this game will move them within three points of Liverpool with a game in hand, but vastly inferior goal difference.
Cesar Azpilicueta has been the top scoring defender for fantasy managers this season and he could do well with two home games this week while Eden Hazard has to be worth considering too.
Liverpool could only draw 0-0 at home to Stoke last week as they rested some players ahead of the second leg of their Champions League semi final, but a draw in this game would almost certainly guarantee a top four finish. They have only won once in their last four away games and they have conceded a lot more away goals than the rest of the top five. They have only won once in their last four games as their European commitments have distracted them, but they did keep clean sheets in three of those games.
With the golden boot still not assured Mohamed Salah will surely play and he’s the best bet in the Liverpool team this week as they only play once.
I think Chelsea might just get the better of a Liverpool team that have a very tough schedule at the moment.
Prediction: 2-1
Tuesday May 8
Swansea City v Southampton
7.45pm BST, Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Swansea play for the second time this week and this is a game they need to win and really cannot afford to lose. They lost their last home game, but they did win four of the previous five on their own ground and only Burnley have scored less goals at home. It looks like being a fight to the last day for them to try to stay up, but winning this game would probably keep them safe for another season.
As I said above Jordan Ayew could be worth a punt this week while Lukasz Fabianski might not do too badly either.
Southampton have given themselves a real chance of moving out of the bottom three and this could be the game that decides their fate. This is their second away game of the week and it could be the make or break game in their attempt to beat the drop.
With two away games this week it could be a risk for fantasy managers to pick Southampton players, but if they’re going to beat the drop some of their players might just be worth considering.
With so much at stake in this game it’s going to be a nervy affair and the chances are it will end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Wednesday May 9
Chelsea v Huddersfield Town
7.45pm BST, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea can still finish in the top four if they beat Liverpool on Sunday and win this game too. They have an FA Cup Final to look forward to also, buy that won’t count for much if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
With two home games Chelsea players have to be of interest to fantasy managers this week.
Huddersfield have to hope the teams below them haven’t caught up on them before this game or they will go into the final day needing a result to stay up. Consecutive away games to City and Chelsea is hardly a promising prospect for a team fighting relegation and they play at home to Arsenal on the final day. They might need another point or even two to stay up and it’s hard to see where those points will come from.
As usual I can’t see any Huddersfield players to recommend to fantasy managers despite them playing twice this week.
I can’t see anything other than a convincing Chelsea win in this game.
Prediction: 3-0
Leicester City v Arsenal
7.45pm BST, King Power Stadium, Leicester
Leicester might not be doing too well at the moment, but surely they must relish the thought of two home games in a week. Two wins this week would keep their chances of catching Everton for eighth place alive, but they will have to play an awful lot better than they have done recently to get those wins.
As I said already both Vardy and Mahrez might just do well for fantasy managers this week if they can finish their home games for the season strongly.
Arsenal might be tempted to rest some players depending on whether they have secured sixth place and if so they could have their work cut out in this game. They have lost their last six away games and it’s that away form which has seen them miss out on the top four for the second season in a row.
As I said above Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is probably the Arsenal player to have this week for fantasy managers while Aaron Ramsey could do well too if he plays.
I think Arsenal might just get the better of a very close game.
Prediction: 1-2
Manchester City v Brighton And Hove Albion
8pm BST, Etihad Stadium, Manchester
City play their second home game of the week and again it’s agsinst a team at the wrong end of the table. If they’re determined to set all sorts of Premier League records their two home games this week could see an awful lot of goals scored.
With two home games against teams with poor away records this is the ideal time for fantasy managers to fill their teams with City players once they can figure which ones will play.
Brighton probably have to hope the teams below them don’t pick up points this week as they have to play the top two in the league. They haven’t won in 11 away games and they failed to score in eight of those games with no other team scoring less goals away from home. If they lose to United and City it won’t get any easier on Sunday when they travel to Liverpool.
I can’t see any Brighton players to recommend to fantasy managers despite them playing twice this week.
I think City will stroll to another very comfortable home victory in this game.
Prediction: 4-0
Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United
8pm BST, Wembley Stadium, London
Spurs play their second game of the week and they will hope to guarantee a top four finish with all three points in this game. Their home form hasn’t been up to the standard they set last season, but even if it was they wouldn’t have kept pace with City.
Harry Kane needs plenty of goals to overtake Mohamed Salah for the golden boot and it’s certainly worth considering him as captain for this week for fantasy managers.
Newcastle play their second away game of the week and with little to play for they might struggle in this game. Their goal this season was to avoid relegation and they achieved that goal earlier than expected, but it leaves them with very little to play for during the rest of the season.
As I said above Perez and Kenedy might do well for fantasy managers this week, but probably not.
I think Spurs should take the three points without too much trouble.
Prediction: 3-1
Thursday May 10
West Ham United v Manchester United
7.45pm BST, London Stadium, London
West Ham have two games this week and their best chance of getting the points they need to avoid the drop probably lies in their weekend game at Leicester. They have taken 12 points from their last eight home games and it’s those points which have kept them just above the bottom three. It’s still possible they might need something from the last day and a home game against Everton might just be what they need in that game.
As well as Marco Arnautovic has done recently I think the chances are he won’t return too much for fantasy managers in this game.
United play their second away game of the week and they’re both against teams looking for another point or two to insure their Premier League safety. A strong finish would see them end up with a respectable points total, but they’re still going to be an awful long way behind City. They have a lot of work to do for next season if they want to try to close that gap.
With Lukaku out injured there could be an opportunity for Marcus Rashford to do well for fantasy managers.
I think West Ham might just have to worry about avoiding the drop right up until the last day as they will narrowly lose this game.
Prediction: 1-2
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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