| Rank | Player | Res | Cls | Exa | Slm | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | 32 | 46.5 | 63 | 11 | 152.5 |
2 1 |  | 37 | 43.5 | 60 | 11 | 151.5 |
3 - |  | 28 | 69 | 42 | 11 | 150.0 |
4 - |  | 33 | 54 | 45 | 11 | 143.0 |
5 - |  | 30 | 57 | 45 | 11 | 143.0 |
I had a reasonably good week with my fantasy team last week and I moved up slightly in the overall rankings. If it wasn’t for making Mohamed Salah my captain things would have gone differently and he will be keeping the armband for the foreseeable future. He was helped by Ola Aina, Matheus Cunha and Gabriel Magalhaes, but too many of my players look like they need replacing.
I can’t wait for the next wildcard to be available, but I probably won’t use it until I know when there are some double Gameweeks to contemplate. Meanwhile I still don’t know the fate of Matheus Cunha as he awaits his FA hearing while Joao Pedro hasn’t done much in recent weeks and Bukayo Saka looks like his injury could keep him out for a long time. If I have to sell Saka I might have to reorganise my team completely which would mean taking a hit of four or even eight points.
Thursday December 26
Manchester City v Everton
12.30pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester
City lost 2-1 away to Villa last week and they’re now four points behind the top four as well as 12 points behind the leaders. They have lost two of their last three home games, but their next two games on their own ground are against teams in the bottom seven. They have lost six of their last eight games and they conceded 16 goals in those games.
With a very good run of games coming up Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol could be of real interest to fantasy managers if City can find some form.
Everton drew 0-0 at home to Chelsea last week and they’re now four points clear of the relegation zone. They have only taken two points from their last four away games and they failed to score in all of those games with only Southampton scoring less goals on the road. They have only lost twice in their last 12 games, but they drew seven of them and they have kept clean sheets in five of their last six games.
Everton’s defensive record at the moment makes their keeper and defenders very appealing to fantasy managers.
I think City will get a badly needed victory in this game with a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 2-0
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace
3pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Bournemouth won 3-0 away to United last week and that win moved them up to fifth place in the table. They have taken 13 points from their last six home games with only Liverpool and Arsenal conceding less goals on their own patch. They have taken 13 points from their last five games and they have a good run of games over the next few weeks.
Bournemouth’s players have spread out the points for fantasy managers between them, but Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, Milos Kerkez and Evanilson are all worth considering.
Palace’s unbeaten run came to an abrupt end last week when they lost 5-1 at home to Arsenal. They have taken eight points from their last four away games and three of their next four games on their travels are against teams in the bottom half of the table. They had only lost one of their previous eight games before losing to Arsenal with only three other teams scoring less goals.
Daniel Munoz and Ismaila Sarr are the Palace players who have looked good for fantasy managers recently.
I think Bournemouth will continue their remarkable season with another narrow victory in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Chelsea v Fulham
3pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea drew 0-0 away to Everton last week which saw them drop four points behind Liverpool at the top of the table. They’re unbeaten in their last seven home games and they don’t play any of the other big six teams in their next six games on their own ground. They’re unbeaten in nine games and they scored 20 goals in those games with only Spurs scoring more goals and only Liverpool and Arsenal conceding less.
Cole Palmer is the Chelsea player to have for fantasy managers with Nicolas Jackson and Robert Sanchez good choices too.
Fulham drew 0-0 at home to Southampton last week, but they’re still sitting comfortably in ninth place. They’re unbeaten in their last four away games, but they drew three of them with no other team drawing more games on the road. They have only lost one of their last nine games, but they drew five of them and no other team has drawn more games.
Antonee Robinson is the Fulham player making an impression for fantasy managers with Alex Iwobi looking the part too.
I think Fulham might be able to put up enough of a fight to get a draw from this game.
Prediction: 1-1
Newcastle United v Aston Villa
3pm GMT, St. James’s Park, Newcastle
Newcastle won 4-0 away to Ipswich last week to move back into the top half of the table. They haven’t been as good at home so far this season as usual, but they have taken four points and scored seven goals in their last two games on their own patch. They have won their last two games without conceding a goal and they scored eight goals in those two games, but they have some tough games coming up.
Alexander Isak is in fantastic form for fantasy managers at the moment with Anthony Gordon a good option too.
Villa won 2-1 at home to City last week and they’re only three points off the top four. They have lost their last four away games and they conceded 11 goals in those games with only two other teams conceding more goals on their travels. They have won three of their last four games, but they were all at home and no other team in the top half of the table has conceded more goals.
Morgan Rogers is the Villa player looking good for fantasy managers at the moment while Jhon Duran is a good option too.
I think Newcastle will make home advantage pay to win this game narrowly.
Prediction: 2-1
Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur
3pm GMT, City Ground, Nottingham
Forest won 2-0 away to Brentford last week to consolidate fourth place in the table. They have won four of their last five home games with only Liverpool and Arsenal conceding less goals on their own ground. They have won their last three games and they scored seven goals in those games with only Liverpool and Arsenal conceding less goals.
Chris Wood is the best of the bunch in the Forest team for fantasy managers with their defenders and keeper good choices too.
Spurs lost 6-3 at home to Liverpool last week and they’re still in the bottom half of the table with the season nearly halfway over. They have won two of their last three away games and they scored nine goals in those two victories, but their next two games on the road are against teams in the top four. They have lost three of their last four games and they conceded 11 goals in those games with no other team scoring more goals.
Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Son Hueng-Min and Dominic Solanke are all doing well for fantasy managers.
I think Forest might just be able to get the better of Spurs in a very tight game.
Prediction: 2-1
Southampton v West Ham United
3pm GMT, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
Southampton drew 0-0 away to Fulham last week, but they’re now six points adrift at the foot of the table. They have lost their last three home games and they conceded 13 goals in those games with no other team conceding more goals on their own patch. They have only taken two points from their last seven games and they haven’t scored in the last three with no other team scoring less goals and only Wolves and Leicester conceding more.
I can’t see any Southampton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
West Ham drew 1-1 at home to Brighton last week and they’re now a lot closer to the top half of the table than they are to the bottom three. They have only won once in their last seven away games and their next four away games after this one are all very difficult. They’re unbeaten in three games, but they drew three of them and only five other teams have conceded more goals.
Jarrod Bowen is still the West Ham player who should be of interest to fantasy managers.
I think West Ham will move a little closer to the top half of the table with a win in this game.
Prediction: 1-2
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United
5.30pm GMT, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton
Wolves won 3-0 away to Leicester last week and that win moved them up one place in the table, but they’re still in the relegation zone. They have lost their last two home games and they conceded six goals in those games with no other team taking less points on their own ground and only Southampton conceding more goals. They had lost four games in a row before beating Leicester and they conceded 12 goals in those games with no other team conceding more goals.
If Matheus Cunha is suspended for Wolves then Jorgen Strand Larsen is probably the next best bet for fantasy managers.
United lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth last week and they just don’t seem to be able to get themselves out of the bottom half of the table. They have only won once in their last six away games with no other team conceding less goals on the road, but only three other teams scoring less. They have lost three of their last four games and they conceded nine goals in those games with only four other teams scoring less goals.
Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo are the United players who can make a real impression for fantasy managers.
I think United should be able to get three badly needed points in this game with a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 1-3
Liverpool v Leicester City
8pm GMT, Anfield, Liverpool
Liverpool won 6-3 away to Spurs last week and that win moved them four points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand on the teams below them. Only Brentford have taken more points at home with no other team conceding less points on their own patch and eight of their next nine home games are against teams in the bottom half of the table. They’re unbeaten in 12 games and they won nine of those games with only Spurs scoring more goals and no other team conceding less.
Mohamed Salah is an absolute must have for fantasy managers with Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota plus Liverpool’s defenders and keeper good choices too.
Leicester lost 3-0 at home to Wolves last week, but they’re still two points clear of the relegation zone. They have lost their last three away games and they conceded 11 goals in those games with no other teams conceding more goals on their travels. They have only won once in their last nine games and they conceded 23 goals in those games with only Wolves conceding more goals.
Jamie Vardy is probably the only Leicester player for fantasy managers to even consider.
I can’t see anything other than a comprehensive Liverpool victory in this game.
Prediction: 4-0
Friday December 27
Brighton And Hove Albion v Brentford
7.30pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton
Brighton drew 1-1 away to West Ham last week and they’re now only one place above the bottom half of the table. They lost their last home game after being unbeaten at home before that, but no other team has drawn more games on their own ground. They haven’t won in five games, but they drew three of them and no other team has drawn more games.
The Brighton players I have championed recently have done much for fantasy managers, but I still think Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma have something to offer.
Brentford’s unbeaten home run came to an end last week when they lost 2-0 against Forest and that defeat meant they stayed in the bottom half of the table. They’re one of two teams without an away win with no other team taking less points on the road and only Southampton and Everton scoring less goals. They have lost three of their last four games and they conceded nine goals in those games with only three other teams conceding more goals.
Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo are the Brentford players who have done well for fantasy managers, but they do their best work at home.
I think Brighton will probably make home advantage count to take three badly needed points in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Arsenal v Ipswich Town
8.15pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London
Arsenal won 5-1 away to Palace last week, but they’re still six points behind Liverpool at the top of the table and they have played an extra game too. They’re the only team still unbeaten at home with only Brentford and Spurs scoring more goals on their own patch. They’re unbeaten in seven games and they scored 17 goals in those games with only three other teams scoring more goals and no other team conceding less.
With Bukayo Saka injured Arsenal’s best choices for fantasy managers are probably in their defence with Gabriel Jesus an outside bet too after his recent return to form.
Ipswich lost 4-0 at home to Newcastle last week, but they’re still only two points from the relative safety of 17th place. They have won two of their last three away games, but they have a very tough run of away games coming up. They have lost four of their last five games and they haven’t kept a clean sheet in 13 games with only Southampton and Everton scoring less goals.
I can’t see any Ipswich players doing enough to interest fantasy managers at the moment.
I can’t see anything other than a comfortable Arsenal victory in this game.
Prediction: 4-0
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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