| Rank | Player | Res | Cls | Exa | Slm | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 - |  | 37 | 81 | 63 | 17 | 198.0 |
2 - |  | 32 | 93 | 45 | 17 | 187.0 |
3 - | | 33 | 67.5 | 63 | 13 | 176.5 |
4 - |  | 28 | 70.5 | 57 | 11 | 166.5 |
5 1 |  | 28 | 70.5 | 48 | 12 | 158.5 |
My choice of Mohamed Salah as my captain backfired this week as he missed a penalty and ended up with no points, but the chances are I’ll pick him again this week in his last game before he heads off on international duty. It’s very difficult to predict which players or teams will do well as the postponements continue and the biggest challenge at the moment seems to be trying to get 11 players into my team. I’ll be leaving any changes I’m making until 30 minutes before the deadline to give me the best chance possible of allowing for any fixture changes.
Saturday 1 January
Arsenal v Manchester City
12.30pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London
Arsenal didn’t play in midweek due to Covid issues elsewhere, but they’re still in fourth place. They have won their last five home games and they kept clean sheets in their last four with only City taking more points at home and no other team conceding less goals on their own patch. They have won their last four games and they scored 14 goals in those games while only conceding one.
Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith-Rowe have all done very well for fantasy managers in recent weeks, but this could be a tough game for them.
City won 1-0 away to Brentford in midweek to extend their lead at the top of the table to eight points. They have won their last six away games and no other team has conceded less goals on the road with only Liverpool scoring more. They have won their last 10 games and they scored 31 goals in those games as well as keeping six clean sheets with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals.
City’s defenders and keeper are all very good options for fantasy managers while Kevin de Bruyne might be the only attacking player to miss out on squad rotation.
I think City will put an end to Arsenal’s good run as they continue to stretch their lead at the top of the table.
Prediction: 0-2
Watford v Tottenham Hotspur
3pm GMT, Vicarage Road, Watford
Watford led at home to West Ham in midweek, but they ended up losing 4-1 and they’re still only two points above the bottom three. They have lost their last three home games and they conceded nine goals in those games with only Norwich taking less points at home and only Newcastle conceding more goals. They have lost their last five games and they conceded 15 goals in those games and they are the only team without a clean sheet to their name.
Emmanuel Dennis is the Watford player to have for fantasy managers while Josh King is worth considering too.
Spurs came from behind to get a 1-1 draw away to Southampton in midweek and they’re now five points off the top four with two games in hand. They have only won once in their last six away games with only Norwich scoring less goals on their travels. They have taken 15 points from their last seven games and they kept four clean sheets in those games.
Heung-Min Son is the Spurs player to have for fantasy managers while Harry Kane seems to have found his form again too.
I think Spurs should have enough to win this game by a couple of goals at least.
Prediction: 1-3
Crystal Palace v West Ham United
5.30pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London
Palace won 3-0 at home to Norwich in midweek and they’re now only one point off the top half of the table. They have only lost one of their 10 home games with only five other teams taking more points and scoring more goals at home. The win against Norwich was only their second win in eight games and they have some tough games coming up.
With Conor Gallagher probably missing it’s hard to see which Palace players to recommend to fantasy managers.
West Ham came from behind to win 4-1 away to Watford in midweek and that win was enough to keep them in fifth place. The win against Watford was their first away win in five games, but only three other teams have taken more points and scored more goals on the road. That win against Watford was their first win in four games and only three other teams have scored more goals.
Jarrod Bowen is the West Ham player to have for fantasy managers while both Michail Antonio and Said Benrahma look like they might have found some form again too.
I think this will be a close game and the chances are the spoils will be shared.
Prediction: 1-1
Sunday 2 January
Brentford v Aston Villa
2pm GMT, Brentford Community Stadium, London
Brentford lost 1-0 at home to City in midweek, but they still have nine points to spare over the bottom three. They lost their last home game after winning the previous two, but only Watford and Norwich have lost more games at home. They have only won two of their last 11 games and they have a tough run of games coming up.
I can’t see any Brentford players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
Villa didn’t play in midweek which meant they dropped back into the bottom half of the table as some of the teams below them won. They have won two of their last three away games, but no other team has lost more away games. They have lost three of their last five games, but those games were against the top three.
Ollie Watkins and John McGinn could both do well for fantasy managers over the next few weeks.
I think this will be a very close game with Villa probably just about taking the three points.
Prediction: 1-2
Everton v Brighton And Hove Albion
2pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool
Everton didn’t play in midweek, but they still have eight points to spare over the relegation zone. They have only won once in their last five home games and they conceded 11 goals in those games. They have only won once in their last 11 games and only five other teams have conceded more goals.
I’m not sure there are any Everton players to choose for fantasy managers at the moment, but they have a very good run of games coming up which could make Demarai Gray and the fit again Dominic Calvert-Lewin good options.
Brighton got a late goal to draw 1-1 away to Chelsea in midweek and that point was enough to keep them in the top half of the table. They haven’t won in their last seven away games, but they drew six of them and no other team has drawn more games away from home. They have only won once in their last 13 games, but they drew nine of those games and no other team has drawn more games.
I’m not sure there are any Brighton players doing enough to make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.
This isn’t an easy game to call and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Leeds United v Burnley
2pm GMT, Elland Road, Leeds
Leeds didn’t play in midweek, but they are still have five points clear of the bottom three. They lost their last home game, but that was their first home defeat in six games and only three other teams have won less games on their own ground. They lost their last three games and they conceded 14 goals in those games with only the bottom two conceding more goals.
Raphinha is the Leeds player to have for fantasy managers as they play two of the teams below them in their next three games.
Burnley lost 3-1 away to United in midweek and they’re still in the bottom three, but they’re only two points from safety. They’re one of two teams without an away win with only Newcastle taking less points on the road. They haven’t won in six games, but they drew four of those games with only Southampton and Brighton drawing more games and only Norwich and Wolves scoring less goals.
I can’t see any Burnley players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
This is a big game for two teams at the wrong end of the table and the chances are it will end all square.
Prediction: 1-1
Chelsea v Liverpool
4.30pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea could only draw 1-1 at home to Brighton in midweek and they’re now eight points behind City at the top of the table, but they did move up to second place. They have only won one of their last five home games, but they drew the other four with only Liverpool scoring more goals at home. They have only lost one of their last 10 games, but they drew five of them and only City have conceded less goals.
Romelu Lukaku might just be a good choice for fantasy managers while Mason Mount is worth considering too.
Liverpool lost 1-0 away to Leicester in midweek to drop back to third place, but they have a game in hand on the two teams above them. They have only won two of their last five away games, but no other team has scored more goals on the road. They have only taken one point from their last two games after winning the previous six and only City have scored more goals.
Mohamed Salah is still a must have for fantasy managers while Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold are very good options too.
This is a huge game for the two teams trying to keep pace with City at the top of the table and I think Liverpool might just get the better of Chelsea.
Prediction: 1-2
Monday 3 January
Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
5.30pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester
United won 3-1 at home to Burnley in midweek and they’re only four points off the top four with a game in hand. They have won their last three home games and they scored seven goals in those games. They have taken 14 points from their last six games and they don’t play any of the other big six teams in their next seven games.
Cristiano Ronaldo is still the United player most likely to make a difference for fantasy managers.
Wolves didn’t play in midweek, but they’re still in the top half of the table. They have only lost two of their last eight away games and they kept clean sheets in four of those games with only the top two conceding less goals on their travels. They have only won one of their last six games and they only scored one goal in those games, but they only conceded two with only City conceding less goals goals and only Norwich scoring less.
Wolves have a good run of fixtures coming up after this one which could make their defenders and keeper very attractive to fantasy managers.
I think Wolves will make a real game of it and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Tuesday 11 January
Southampton v Brentford
7.45 pm GMT, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
Southampton drew 1-1 at home to Spurs in midweek after playing for almost an hour with 10 men. They are unbeaten in six home games, but they drew four of those games and no other team has drawn more games at home. They have only lost one of their last six games, but they drew four of them and no other team has drawn more games.
Armando Broja is the Southampton player to have for fantasy managers at the moment while James Ward-Prowse is in pretty good form too.
Brentford play their second game of the week and they have the chance to gain some points before they travel to Liverpool and City in their next two away games. They have only taken two points from their last five away games and their next two away games are very tough. They have lost three of their last five games, but they still have nine points to spare over the bottom three.
I still can’t see any Brentford players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
I think this will be a very close game with Southampton probably winning by a single goal.
Prediction: 2-1
Everton v Leicester City
8pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool
Everton play their second home game of the week and neither of them are an easy proposition. Their home record hasn’t been good recently, but two home games in one week gives them a chance to rectify that. They have a very good run of games coming up and they could climb the table if they can find some form soon.
As I said already both Demarai Gray and Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be good fantasy choices for fantasy managers
Leicester won 1-0 at home to Liverpool in midweek and that win should install some real confidence in them. They have only taken two points from their last four away games and they conceded 11 goals in those games. They have taken 10 points from their last five games and they could do very well in their next six games.
This is Leicester’s only game this week and James Maddison is their in form player for fantasy managers at the moment.
I don’t think there will be too much between these two teams, but the chances are Leicester will win.
Prediction: 1-2
Wednesday 12 January
West Ham United v Norwich City
7.45 GMT, London Stadium, London
West Ham get to play their second game of the week and they could move into the top four with two wins. They lost their last home game after taking 10 points from the previous four and only three other teams have scored more goals at home. A home game against the team at the foot of the table should be a home banker for them.
Just about any of the West Ham players look like good choices for fantasy managers in this game.
Norwich lost 3-0 away to Palace in midweek, but they are still only three points from safety despite looking like they have no chance of staying up. No other team has lost more games, conceded more or scored less goals away from home. They have lost their last five games and they conceded 14 goals in those games without scoring any with no other team conceding more or scoring less goals.
I can’t see any Norwich players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
I can’t see anything other than a comfortable West Ham win in this game.
Prediction: 3-0
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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