Welcome to the latest Gameweek Review… First up we go over to Peter who is stationed out near Vicarage Road for a look back at the most recent action before I look a little closer at who did what in the FFUK league. Over to you Peter…
Thanks Chris. Whoa! Hold that Horse! It’s time to pause for a minute and reflect on the weekend that was, and what a weekend! Ladies and gentlemen hold on to your pants it’s the Gameweek 32 review!
Starting at the start, Chelsea saw off Villa in relative style, though like many recent Villa matches, this watched like a training game. 4 goals from Pedro, Pato and Loftus-Cheek actually made me feel sorry for Villa, and I’m now trying to get players in for every single match against Villa until the end of the season. Next up Arsenal and City repeated the same 4-0 scorelines versus Watford and Bournemouth respectively. So Sanchez is back. And KDB is back. And many people are on wildcards this week too. We know these players have the quality, but do they have the consistency?
Sunderland and WBA played out a 0-0 draw despite Defoe’s efforts. Oh well. Typically, Stoke v Swansea had some points in it too, finishing with a 2-2 scoreline and Arnie and Siggy both on the scoreboard again. Palace v West Ham finished with the same 2-2 scoreline with a combo of great goals (Hammers) and rubbish goals (Eagles). It’ll be interesting to see whether the Palace players can get their balls in the right place in their upcoming double weeks.
However, at Norwich, the Mitrovic definitely was back as he came off the bench to score 2 goals in an epic relegation battle extravaganza. Poor old Newcastle lost 3-2. Newcastle have just upped their away goals to 9 for the season, that was the first time Mitrovic has scored x2 goals in a PL game and it means he has now scored x3 goals in 2 games. Bonkers or Brilliant?
The Saturday late match was exciting but not explosive as Liverpool held Spurs to a 1-1 draw, Coutinho and Kane on the scoreboard. Leicester impressed again on Sunday versus Southampton, and although the 1-0 scoreline was not an emphatic the performance certainly was. Morgan and Fuchs combined for the goal and every loose ball was eagerly scrapped for up and down the pitch. Will Leicester concede again? And what will happen if they do? Finally, United and Everton was a fiery affair but only finished 1-0. It wasn’t great to be fair, I guess they’re all probably saving themselves for their double gameweeks….
In terms of the team of the GW those Chelsea players look good with Azpi, Pedro, Pato all up there. WBA’s Foster squeezed in a best keeper performance, and Arsenal’s Bellerin and Sanchez showed their value. The Leicester defensive double take the other slots in defence begging the question, are Mahrez and Vardy still essential? Lanzini’s goal makes a place for him in midfield and of course Mitrovic has to be included. Some guy called Johnny Howson also made it, but I’m not sure who he is?
Back to you in the studio Chris…
Thanks Pete. So how did this all affect the FFUK league?
The gap has been well and truely closed at the top. There are now just 10 points between Mark Turnbull (1st) and Richard Harrison (4th). Mark looked to have a healthy lead just a few short weeks ago but alas, that lead is no more. Is Mark trying to ‘do a Watford’? Has Mark peaked a little too soon and now the big boys are about to take over?
Elsewhere in the Top 10 Lester Deeble (7th) returned to form with 73 points scored. Payet (c) was a solid start and Kane, Azpi, Aguero, Fuchs & Siggy did the rest. Lester has already made his transfer for the week and is all set. A little premature?
However it was half way down where the real magic happened. Step forward for the first time this season Peter Cronin (18th) who top scored with 80 points with his Wildcard team. Fair play, but it could, and almost certainly should have been more as his Ozil (C) failed. Fortunately for Pete he had Kane, Aguero, Payet, Azpi, Bellerin & Gabriel to do the business. However, it was his maverick pick that really caught the eye as Pete went back to an old flame in Mitrovic, who managed a brace after starting the game on the bench. I have no doubt that Pete is overjoyed with all of this but like Lester’s early transfers this wildcard could be a little premature. Pete is now lumbered with Chelsea players and is perhaps missing the big midfield hitters that will be popular going forward, namely Sanchez & KDB? Well played anyways (and that is certainly said through gritted teeth!)
The reason that the tone of my review of Pete’s team is at least ‘semi-friendly’ is perhaps best explained by my own relatively successful gameweek. I managed a healthy 76 points which was joint 3rd best in the league, and without the use of a wildcard either (more on that later). Aguero (C) helped along with stellar performances from the likes of Kane, Siggy, Bellerin, Courtois & Huth.
Congratulations also to John Harper (15th) who almost beat Pete with 79 points. Aguero (C) was the sensible choice along with Kane, Payet and Sanchez, but it was John’s double Foxes defence that really stepped up, Wes Morgan and Christian Fuchs combining for 25 points!
Unfortunately we now come to the time where we look at those less fortunate. Go and sit in the corner Duncan Galloway (44th) who, with just 37 points, is the lowest scorer this week and has fallen away in the league quite dramatically recently. I was driving back from Scotland with Duncan on Sunday listening to the games on the radio and Vardy (c) was a brave but ultimately foolish choice. It wasn’t pretty. Robert Huth and Aguero were the only performers in an otherwise dismal gameweek for Duncan. Is there enough time left to turn your season around?
Other notable fallers this gameweek included Toby Glicher (8th), Mark Tarbox (19th), Duncan Hannigan (28th), Matt Judd (38th) and James Page Chatton (49th) who all are going in the wrong direction. Have any of them got chips to halt their slide and come back fighting for the impending double gameweeks?
On that note we come to an end. I will keep the waffle to a minimum (you will be pleased to read) as I am frantically busy this week. I can’t be wasting my time writing gameweek reviews as it is wildcard time for me. Wild. I have just realised I am out on both Thursday and Friday nights this week. That is not good planning. Wherever I am I will have my team close by, and I will be ready to find the latest injury/team news and tinker accordingly. This is serious. The options are almost infinite, which doesn’t help matters…
I’m off to study the relative merits of Liverpool & Everton’s midfield.
Who else is going for a walk on the wild side this week?
FFUK 