Fantasy Premier League managers finally got what they all have been waiting for since the start of the season – a free-scoring Manchester City.
Over the last few years, Manchester City assets have been central to any team in FPL but their indifferent start to this campaign had left FPL managers in a fix.
But their 5-0 win over Burnley was welcome as it provided the green signal to bank on their players again.
Elsewhere though it was a disappointing week for FPL managers as an average score of 44 suggests. The top three scoring Premier League teams – Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham – just scored one goal among them.
Gameweek 11 is expected to be a tricky one for FPL managers whose plans have been slightly disrupted after the postponement of Aston Villa’s fixture against Newcastle United due to the high number of coronavirus cases in the Magpies camp.
With Villa players being highly owned, FPL managers are going to have to make some adjustments ahead of GW 11.
Fixture Difficulty
City and Chelsea have a favourable run-in in the next few weeks on paper. Southampton, who were narrowly beaten by Manchester United last week, also have some easy games on the horizon.
League leaders Tottenham however have a tough run of matches coming up and it may be time for FPL managers to look beyond their assets for the time being.
Leicester City, who were stunned by Fulham last week, also have some decent fixtures in the coming weeks giving them plenty of opportunities to bounce back.
Here’s the difficulty level of the fixture for all Premier League teams in the coming weeks.
| Team | *Combined Difficulty rating for GW 11-13 | GW 11 opponent(Nov 27) | GW12 opponent | GW13 opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 9 (4, 2, 3) | TOT(A) | BUR(H) | SOU(H) |
| Aston Villa | NA (NA, 3, 2) | None | WOL(A) | BUR(H) |
| Brighton | 9 (3, 4, 2) | SOU(H) | LEI(A) | FUL(A) |
| Burnley | 9 (3, 3, 3) | EVE(H) | ARS(A) | AVL(A) |
| Chelsea | 8 (2, 3, 3) | LEE(H) | EVE(A) | WOL(A) |
| Crystal Palace | 9 (2, 4, 3) | WBA(A) | TOT(H) | WHU(A) |
| Everton | 10 (2, 4, 4) | BUR(A) | CHE(H) | LEI(A) |
| Fulham | 11 (5, 4, 2) | MCI(A) | LIV(H) | BHA(H) |
| Leeds | 9 (4, 3, 2) | CHE(A) | WHU(H) | NEW(H) |
| Leicester | 7 (2, 2, 3) | SHU(A) | BHA(H) | EVE(A) |
| Liverpool | 9 (3, 2, 4) | WOL(H) | FUL(A) | TOT(H) |
| Man City | 8 (2, 4, 2) | FUL(H) | MUN(A) | WBA(H) |
| Man Utd | 9 (3, 4, 2) | WHU(A) | MCI(H) | SHU(A) |
| Newcastle | NA (NA, 2, 3) | None | WBA(H) | LEE(A) |
| Sheffield Utd | 11 (4, 3, 4) | LEI(H) | SOU(A) | MUN(H) |
| Southampton | 7 (2, 2, 3) | BHA(A) | SHU(H) | ARS(A) |
| Spurs | 11 (3, 3, 5) | ARS(H) | CRY(A) | LIV(A) |
| West Brom | 11 (3, 3, 5) | CRY(H) | NEW(A) | MCI(A) |
| West Ham | 10 (4, 3, 3) | MUN(H) | LEE(A) | CRY(H) |
| Wolves | 12 (5, 3, 4) | LIV(A) | AVL(H) | CHE(H) |
The big ins and outs
Diogo Jota’s incredible start at Liverpool continued last week as he netted against Brighton and it is not at all surprising to see him being in demand ahead of GW 11. Riyad Mahrez who netted a hattrick for Man City is close second with last week’s other top performers attracting interest.
As for the exits, injuries and unavailability of players seem to largely dictate the player sales Raul Jimenez, Luca Digne and Roman Saiss all being sold heavily.
Most transferred (in) players before GW11
| Pos | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| MID | Jota | LIV |
| MID | Mahrez | MCI |
| MID | Ward-Prowse | SOU |
| FWD | Wilson | NEW |
| MID | Fernandes | MUN |
Most transferred (out) players before GW11
| Position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| MID | Zaha | CRY |
| FWD | Jiménez | WOL |
| MID | Rodríguez | EVE |
| DEF | Digne | EVE |
| DEF | Saïss | WOL |
Top five picks for Gameweek 11
Whether you bring them in through transfers or (luckily enough) have them in your squad already, these are the five hottest selections for GW 11:
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City): With fixtures and form favouring Man City, you simply can’t ignore KdB. He helped himself with two assists last week. Even in a below-par season so far, the Belgian is second in the list of top assist makers, a tally that is only expected to rise with City having fairly easy run of matches. He is still not in the must-have bracket, but the key in FPL is to get a player before he gets there.
Timo Werner (Chelsea): The German striker has frustrated his owners having missed some big chances in the last few matches, but the fact that he is getting on the end of those should be encouraging sign for those who own him or want to buy him. Up against Leeds United who the second-worst xGA (Expected Goals Against) tally in the league, Werner could get more chances and finally find his scoring boots. A rest in midweek could prove to be of additional help.
Harry Kane (Tottenham): While Spurs have tough matches in coming weeks, Kane has proved to be fixture proof so far. But talking of fixtures, there’s particularly one that he likes the most. The English striker has scored 10 times in 12 North London derbies in his career and considering the form of the two teams Spurs could well come out on top. And when that happens especially in a north-London derby, Harry Kane is usually among the points.
Diogo Jota (Liverpool): Jota has gone well beyond his honeymoon period and is very much a top-performing Liverpool asset now. With four goals in his last five matches, the Portuguese forward is a man in form. Available at just £6.9 million, he is an absolute steal. But his price has been rising quite quickly in the last few weeks so get him before he gets out of your budget. This week he will face his former employers in Wolves and thus will have added motivation to perform well.
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City): Last week’s most popular captain in FPL only returned with a five-point haul, but there is a strong case for keeping patience with Jamie Vardy. Leicester City have done really well on the road this season and have the highest xG numbers on the road in the league. Up against Sheffield United who are yet to win this season, Foxes have a great chance to make amends. And when Leicester do well, Vardy is usually at the heart of it.
Three differential picks for Gameweek 11
Edinson Cavani (Manchester United): The Uruguayan got off the mark in style last week at Southampton scoring twice and assisting one in the Red Devils’ incredible comeback win. Even in midweek, Cavani looked lively and was unlucky not to score. The former PSG striker seems to be profiting from the service he is getting from the likes of Rashford, Martial and Bruno Fernandes and could continue his scoring spree this week. Owned by just 2.3%, he could be a big differential pick for your team.
Theo Walcott (Southampton): Walcott has been a top FPL asset over the years and in Danny Ings’ absence, the former Arsenal forward seems to be returning to his old self. In four out of the five starts made so far for Saints, Walcott has had either a goal or an assist. With Southampton having a nice run of matches, Walcott who is owned by less than 1% managers could be a great buy at just £5.8 million.
Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City): With Aguero injured, the Brazilian is City’s only option upfront. He has returned in three out of the four times he has started for City and could do real damage against Fulham. With less than 2% ownership, Jesus is the man you must try and own if you want someone to make a difference.
Captain’s conundrum
In what is a tricky week for FPL managers, the safest bet is to hand the armband to Kevin de Bruyne. City are likely to be among the goals against Fulham at the Etihad and it is highly unlikely that KdB won’t have a decent return. If it’s his day, he could well be in double figures and that could have you in good stead in a gameweek where there aren’t many good options for captaincy.
Werner is due a big score and handing his the captain’s armband could also be an option, With Werner, the differential potential is also big. If you are brave, then captaining Harry Kane might also not be a bad thing to do.
FPL Deadline for GW11: 4.30 pm IST, Saturday, December 5, 2020.
(Stats Courtesy: Fantasy Premier League website, FBref.com)